Review Sushi Sozai - Armadale

Great little Japanese restaurant that was really popular even on a Sunday evening. We ordered a variety of foods which were all fantastic. The staff were also friendly, professional and prompt with their services. Highly recommended!

Well it was ok. Not brilliant, but ok. Service - distant. Pleasant enough but no engagement. No specials recommended. Had the Tempura vegetables and the gyoza it was nice. Not brilliant. For mains had the Miso Cod. Nice but four bones in it took the gloss off. Fillet Steak was good. Smallish serve for $38 was a bit rich Lighting is not good. No music either. Made for a lacklustre experience overall.

Potential location for a date. We went in with no expectations, just wanted a quite night out. We found Ayame to be cozy and inviting despite being seemingly short handed. We started off with a sushi platter and the highlight of that was the sashimi scallops, sweet and juicy, just the way I like it. 😁 Next was was Hourenso Ohitashi (blanched spinach). This is a cold dish and it does make a good appetizer, setting you up for something a little more heavy, the Prawn Tempura. As the main we got the Pan Fried Barramundi Fillet and the Ayame Eye Fillet. Both meats will melt in your mouth. Soft, tender and tastes amazing, but if I had to choose one, I'd go with steak, simply because it's been seafood all the way before this (just a preference thing). All in all, great place, great vibes. 🤗

Solid Japanese restaurant in heart of Malvern. Good service and delicious food although I feel pricing was on the high side. Decor and ambience is also starting to date and could do with a facelift over next few years. Will likely go back, but probably could find better vale for money.

Went there for a birthday dinner with my family. The food is superb and the service is awesome. Kudos to the waitress who did an amazing job all by herself. Highly recommend and will come back again. Hopefully they will survive the pandemic.

We've come here a couple of times and it's now out fave go to local Japanese. Food is always fresh and the Unagi we had this time is a real winner. Still thinking about it the next day... yum!

great dinning experience! don't forget the mocha ice cream.😍

Beautiful and delicious food but it's a bit expensive.

Overpriced. Seriously doubting asian food in these suburbs. The sushi wasn’t even done right. The food was mediocre and does not justify the price. It’s like shophouse/dondon level in my opinion.

Sozai serves up great quality Japanese fare with polite service albeit for a price. Although, it's in Armadale, so no surprises there. <br/><br/>The sashimi is always fresh. Their signature dishes like the agadashi tofu, tempura and udon do not disappoint. The gyoza is somewhat unorthodox in shape and texture but still offers great taste. The wafu salad is refreshing and healthy. <br/><br/>Will be back to try their desserts!

Staff were great! They were very friendly and accommodating. The sauce on the tataki was a little bit on the generous side for my taste. The sukiyaki, sushi and sashimi were good 👌🏼

I came with my friend on friday night. It was a busy night but we managed to get a table. We ordered their nasu dengaku, fish tempura and miso soup. The nasu dengaku was overly sweet and tasted like a burnt toast (not palatable), the fish tempura took too long to come (it ends up coming with our main) and nothing special with the miso. We ordered their signature platter, some sushi rolls and karaage bento as our main. It turned out worse than our starters. The sushi looks very messy and for the price we paid it could be much better. The selection of the fish is mediocre (tuna and salmon). The karaage is hands down the worst karaage I've ever eaten in a restaurant. Not only it took so long to come but the chicken was dry (it was overcooked) and it wasn't flavourful. Gave it one star cause the food is NOT worth the price, very disappointing.

It pains me to write a bad review for two reasons: 1) I have eaten at Sozai a number of times before and it has always been good and 2) I am not traditionally a complainer. Tonight's meal however, sadly deserves being complained about. Six of us went out for dinner to celebrate my husband's bday. Aside from edamame, we only ordered main courses. The first two main courses arrived. Then, after a 15 minute hiatus another one arrived. Another 15 minutes, another one arrived. Four of us had finished our mains and two were still waiting on their main meals. After requesting the remaining 2 meals twice, one finally arrived. 10 minutes later I asked the waitress where the final meal was. We had all finished eating and no sign of the fried chicken. 15 mins later the meal arrived - the joy of eating was minimised by the fact that everyone was watching the last person eat their meal<br/><br/>The bad service did not end there. We got the bill. It was wrong. We ordered a two person sashimi platter and explicitly asked for the sashimi to be salmon and the rolls to be avocado and egg. The waitress misunderstood our request and made us an all salmon platter and charged us an additional $50 for the avocado and egg rolls. We questioned this with staff. While the young waitress admitted the misunderstanding was her fault, we were offered no discount for their mistake. They were also unapologetic, trying to put the blame onto us by saying that we should have realised they gave us too much food! This poor customer service will ensure that I won't return or recommend the restaurant.

We ordered a sushi platter, the chicken karage, prawn tempura udon as well as some hand rolls. The chicken karage was freshly fried so it was piping hot and what is better than freshly fried chicken. The Mayo was a great condiment with it as well. This was my favourite of the night alongside with the tempura udon. I’m not usually a fan of fried vegetables but their tempura is super light and fluffy and didn’t mind it at all. <br/><br/>However, given that it is a Japanese place, I expected sushi to be amazing and unfortunately it was mediocre at best. Can’t pinpoint exactly why but it could have been the rice just didn’t have the vinegar taste sushi rice usually has and the freshness of the fish. <br/><br/>Service was lovely and super attentive.

DO: The sushi platter and tempura prawns<br/><br/>DON'T: Forget the chicken KARAAGE<br/><br/>TIP: Place takes bookings and is a hit with the locals so just be careful during peak times to avoid long wait queues.

This place clearly has a loyal following, so they clearly don’t need to try too hard. That much is clear in terms of the quality of the food. The tuna rolls were a complete mess, rice everywhere and bits missing from some sections of the dish. The chicken dish was also poor, no flavour and the meat was of a poor quality. We were also disappointed by the wine we ordered. Overall, a bit of a disaster of a dinner. Not going back any time soon.

We got takeaway from here at lunchtime. For vegetable and tofu - the veggies were so soggy and flavourless and the tofu was served as huge blocks that were also completely flavourless, no marinade or anything. I can’t even eat tofu when it’s like this. And it was $21 and it seemed to be so small. We also got some sushi which was a bit dried out.

Sozai Japanese has long been a trustworthy place for guaranteed fine sashimi and sushi to the members of the surrounding suburbs but gone is the genuine service and hospitality that they previously were loved by my family. <br/><br/>Knowing the restaurant does not take bookings and considering the beautiful weather, my friend and I arrived at a suitable time that would ensure us a table and not be too busy. <br/><br/>In the restaurant, tables were full of food and others vacant. A hostess approached me only after I tried to make eye contact seven times, the young woman asked "Do you have a booking".. First this confused me; knowing for the past 10 years the restaurant did not take a booking and it clearly says on the restaurant website and Zomato the same. I replied 'no' and felt myself being pushed out of the restaurant from the hostess whilst being told "we have no tables". <br/><br/>Not only was I very shocked but appalled to think they would not even offer a wait list for my friend and myself as we would have waited to be able to dine at Sozai. <br/><br/>On the plus side, the sharing plate of sashimi from the table I could see over my shoulder as I was shoved out of the restaurant looked lovely, shame I couldn't taste it! <br/><br/>Sozai, we trust your food, but please return to the professional and kind service that made you popular within Armadale.

Amazing sushi and sashimi! Absolutely love coming here with my friends for a casual night out. Everything is delicious, although slightly pricey it is worth the cost

My family have been coming to Sozai since it first opened. Throughout the years, the food quality and standards have always been consistently high. All the sushi chefs have a minimum of 3-5 years experience in making sushi, and when it's not peak hour are more than happy to answer any questions I may have for them. Absolutely recommend for sushi fans - the fish is always market fresh and use the most appropriate types for sashimi. Their miso soup is outstanding and we have always enjoyed the Miso Eggplant and their Teriyaki Chicken/Beef/Salmon. One of my favourites in the inner south east without a doubt!

An established good suburban Japanesse. This used to be the premier Japanese in The Malvern and surrounding suburbs and has moved back to just an average for the area. I have been eating here for over 15 years. <br/><br/>Visited Sozai on Monday night. For starter had the edamame. It was served warm, but I prefer a bit hotter. Then had the Wafu salad which was good and then had the miso soup. Both were served ok. <br/><br/>My friend had a soda lime and bitters and it tasted too sweet. It was average. I would have suggested soda water, fresh lime and then a splash of bitters. The one served looked like a concoction my 8 year old made up. <br/><br/>We then had spicy salmon maki and spicy tuna maki. Both were presented well and tasted average to OK. We then had a salmon and tuna sashimi and sushi and shared this. That dish was ok. <br/><br/>The staff here are not well trained and I think the previous staff were friendlier. They tried to jam all these plates on the table and then look at me strange when they can't fit it on. <br/><br/>The Sozai restaurant is showing its age and like any other good establishment the restaurant needs a lick of paint, better trained staff and more<br/>Importantly just a little more love and passion back into the food.

Fresh sashimi and wonderful eggplant with sauce. Teriyaki with chicken, salmon and beef, but chicken's is the best one. Nice staff and traditional japanese sushi bar.

Chinese operated Japanese restaurant on the high end street of Armadale.<br/><br/>Service is so-so, menu is limited and sashimi and sushi are mainly tuna and salmon. I read the reviews and was really disappointed that it is not truly authentic at all since I was looking for fantastic sushi and sashimi.<br/><br/>The sashimi platter w white fish(the pricier version) was not exactly fresh at all. The eel maki was aright but lack the wow factor.<br/><br/>If one is up for hot meals and not sushi, this might be an okay place but I don't see the value for money.<br/><br/>

My second Japanese venue for the week. Nice friendly venue. Excellent miso and beanshoot/tofu salad. Eggplant and sauce was delicious. Sashimi (not very fresh) and Chicken mains were nice but very chewy. Not a young crowd either. A little pricey for what we ate.

Still just as great as I remember it. There aren't many Japanese restaurants I've been to that serve sushi and sashimi as fresh and perfect as Sozai. Very consistent and delicious plus lovely staff make this place an all-time favourite.

Good quality sashimi, friendly staff, what more can I ask for?<br/>Slightly on the pricier side for a simple meal, but at least I know I'm getting quality food. Loved it.

Very good neighbourhood Japanese restaurant in many ways - it is authentic, the prices are reasonable, you don't have to book ahead, good service, very fresh and high quality sashimi although lacking in variety, excellent tempura. The gyoza were tasty but not what I was expecting in terms of shape/presentation (see picture). Overall a very good experience worth checking out again.

Came to this small cozy Japanese restaurant on High street and had a nice ambience as soon as we walked in. Have been here before a while ago but first time here in around 5 years. Went when it was quiet on Sunday for lunch.<br/><br/>The waitress served us well although not super attentive even though us and another table were the only people in the restaurant. Could've been better such as filling up tea when required as well as water. Seemed disinterested<br/><br/>The food aspect of the restaurant was good. I ordered a salmon lunch platter which came with a grilled salmon, tofu and vegetables all with a Japanese teriyaki sauce. My mum had the Udon tempura noodle soup. The soup had a very good miso flavour to it but seemed a bit plain only with noodles and tempura prawn/vegetables. Could've added some bok choi!<br/>The salmon was cooked well but a little plain, not enough exciting flavours. The vegetables I couldve boiled at home with simple broccoli and carrot. The sauce was good and also the tofu texture and flavour was excellent being soft, sturdy and having that smooth texture.<br/><br/>Unfortunately the meal just didn't quite live up to standards. Almost $60 for such simple meals with no exciting or interesting flavours and with sub-par service? Sorry, will not be coming back here in a hurry. It has some nice Japanese food but just not amazing and service could be a little better. I'd like to see how good the service is when it gets busy.

Wonderful, fresh Japanese food. Sozai has become a bit of a fave. Their Nasuden is incredible and the inside-out spicy maki is the best I have EVER had!We never book ahead (we're never that organised) and they always manage to squeeze us in. If you've got 3+ people, it's probably worth booking.

Loved coming here for dinner. The sushi & sashimi were absolutely delicious! I love that you can see the sushi chef preparing all of the fresh sushi & sashimi! The venue is quite small and usually packed - defiantly book ahead of you can!

I took my 11 year old niece for dinner at Sozai last night. So disappointed with the experience. I have been to Sozai a couple of times before, and I don't know why, but the presentation of the food was below standard. The food luckily tasted ok, but when one goes to Japanese, one expects a certain level of visual pleasure. I don't think I will be back in a hurry. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night. Luckily my niece enjoyed the evening.

Very ordinary. Overly priced. Good is greasy. Service is lacking. This place used to be good.

Not so good anymore. Sozai used to be so good, but now they are just simplifying the processes to make things easier to handle. Quality is down. The sushi and sashimi are nice, but lack variety and flexibility. Teriyaki too salty, chicken and salmon often overcooked, gyoza just doesn't taste right, tempura not crispy enough, overpriced unagi don. Service is fair, but can get grumpy sometimes. I wouldn't come back here in a hurry.

A catch up with a dear friend led me to Sozai, a Japanese cafe in the heart of Armadale(1221, High St). It was jam packed for a Monday night, proving that it is a favourite local haunt. The sushi bar is the main feature as you walk into the restaurant so you can see them preparing their fresh sasishmi & sushi rolls. We were both quite hungry, so we ordered up. We had the miso soup first to start with which came out piping hot. Eggplant is one of my favourite vegetables and I always order the Nasuden when I have Japanese. This one in particular was quite big and I must say up there with the best that I've had. It was soft and custardy and wasn't drowning in miso sauce - perfect! The Agedashi Tofu was a generous serve, however the tofu wasn't as silky like others, it had a roughish texture when you bit into it. We shared the California Maki with fresh salmon, rolled with avocado & cucumber. We also had my friend's favourite, Spicy Maki Tuna Roll which is an inside out roll, with avocado,

If you want an insider’s tip for Sozai that you may use on your own, it is ‘ask for the Nasuden nigiri’ ($3.00 per piece). They are the seaweed wrapped eggplant sushi. Using the same eggplant displayed earlier, only finely cubed sitting on a bed of Japanese rice. Need I say more – order, order, order. Two per person is perfect. The entree sushi platter – 4 pieces maki + 4 pieces nigiri ($13.00) was put on the same dish. Good use of space if I say so myself. Excellent, fresh pieces of sushi. Flawless every-time. Unfortunately, this is the extent of sushi for this meal.

I wouldn’t really call this an exceptional chef’s selection of sushi and sashimi.

Sushi train wreck. The Nasuden was beautifully cooked and the sushi tasted ok although the presentation of the maki resembled a train wreck. The overall dining experience was ok although a little pricey for the quality of the food and presentation.

Great food!

We have been coming here regularly since it opened. Unfortunately last night might just have been our final visit. The quality of the food is just not up to standard anymore and the service was really disappointing. Considering that it's not cheap and there are plenty of other good Japanese restaurants in the area it's time to say goodbye.

Sozai has gone right off..... We have been eating here regularly for several years and I am not sure what has happened lately...terrible...new chef perhaps? The takeaway salmon we just ordered was dry and almost inedible. Service is terrible and when we complained they basically didn't want to know. They told us we shouldn't have eaten it and should have brought it back....of course who can be bothered. Rude, obnoxious attitude from the owner and we will NEVER be going back.

Delicious authentic Japanese food. Very fresh sushi. Have never been disappointed as have been going here for a couple of years

Disgusting service!! NEVER AGAIN!!

Unavailable don. While I've had ok sushi meals from here on previous occasions, the unagi dish is over priced for 6 small pieces of eel on overly sweetened rice and egg.

Great!. A couple of weeks ago, i had an excellent miso soup and very good sushi at this restaurant! GO!

Beautiful and perfectly executed what a great little find

The worst service of any resturant I have ever been to!! Complete disregard for customers, complete lack of awareness that food is taking a long time! <br/>45mim wait for the most simple of dishes.... WOULD NEVER GO BACK!

OK and reasonably priced. However there are several better and, yes a little pricier, Japanese restos in the area.

While the food is nice it is extremely overpriced. You are able to get just as fresh and nice Japanese food for a much cheaper price.

Superb. The menu is rather limited but everything we tasted there was simply delicious and the prices are very reasonable. <br/>A gem in the neighbourhood.

Best salmon and tuna inside out maki in town! Such an amazing restaurant!

Good food, shabby service. Dinner at Sozai tonight - food was excellent, fresh and tasty. Table was too small and it took too long for individual dishes to arrive. Service was curt and unhelpful. Waitress wasn't friendly at all. No need to return.

Fresh. Sozai has beautiful and fresh food... try the beef lunch platter mmm<br/>Nice and quick service, also good for catering at the office.

Entree's and mains- what will come out first?. I love this restaurant. The sashimi is always fresh, cut well and beautifully presented. The other dishes are also very tasty such as the agedashi tofu. However I have to vent something that has bothered me the last couple of times I have been there. The food comes out soo fast!! I know a lot of you will probably wonder why I am winging about great service, but I feel as though they are wanting you in and out of the restaurant so that they can accomodate other guests after you. The one thing that irriatates me the most though is that they bring the food out in the wrong order. I received my entree last and the main first the other night! What's the point in having entree's and mains if they come out at the wrong time? I think next time I go ill ask them to bring out the entree's first. Hopefully this works!

The sushi and sashimi platter was well prepared and fresh. The tempura batter was light and crispy, with a decent serving of prawns. The beef teriyaki was a bit stringy, but the flavour was good. Our one major issue with our evening was the service. We ordered 3 Rekorderligs and were given 3 gypsys. When we mentioned that it was not what we ordered, we were told it's 'the same thing' and the waitress pushed for us to take it. It is NOT the same thing...

So So. Had heard plenty of good things about Sozai, so understandably was looking forward to trying it out. It seems to be very popular based on the crowds I’ve observed whenever I’d wandered past and it was packed even on a Tuesday night.<br/><br/>Decoratively it’s quite modern although all those timber surfaces tend to exacerbate the noise level.<br/><br/>Service was reasonable on the night, but there were a couple of instances where they failed to clear empty dishes prior to bringing out the next course.<br/><br/>Sozai’s fully licenced, and whilst the wine list isn’t massive, there are a few interesting wines to select from including a couple of French varieties.<br/><br/>The gyu tataki (sliced seared porterhouse) was chewy to the point of being hard to swallow. A large serve of sashimi (tuna & salmon) was very good in regard to both quality and generosity. The eggplant sushi (nasuden nigiri) were especially tasty and a clever variation on the standard nasuden.<br/> <br/>Moving on to mains, the teriyaki salmon was overcooked and terribly dry. The gyu tara or sliced porterhouse cooked in sweet soy with veggies and Japanese chilli powder was very tasty and tender. The chunky vegetables (broccoli & bok choy) served with both the main courses seemed out of place and dreary.<br/><br/>All up, I left disappointed and slightly mystified by Sozai’s popularity. The sashimi was commendable, but some of the other dishes were simply well below par.

Great Japanese restaurant. One of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. Staff are great (friendly and accomodating, always willing to find you a seat without a booking!), and the food is very fresh and of a high quality. Often eat-in and get takeway, both are excellent.

Best fried oyster I ever try

Go around the corner. Normally eat at Ayame on glenferrie rd. It was closed so decided to try Sozai...<br/>I ordered the spicy tuna maki which is a dish I eat regularly..sadly Sozai's interpretation was inedible.<br/>The tuna was not fresh, had a strong smell and strange texture. I returned it to the manager who refused to refund or exchange the dish. On the upside the cooked plates were fine.<br/>I recommend avoiding Sozai for any raw fish platters. Go around the corner to Ayame.

Fresh and tasty. Really super fresh. Seriously the best fresh oysters I've had in a Japanese restaurant. Also the best prawn udon noodle soup. The soup was perfectly balanced and the tempura was proper tempura. I liked how they served it on the side of the soup so it didn't get soggy. Everyone commented very favourably on their meals (see photos). Areas they could improve: expand the wine list; and waiters who have a better grasp of English (sorry, but it was due to poor communication that some aspects of our order were mixed up).

Awesome Japanese food. Went there with friends 3 weeks ago, food was amazing, fresh and the service was really good

We love it with or without the kids in tow.... Sushi is fantastic!!

Not as good as it was. Used to love this restaurant. Sushi is great but teriyaki beef has gone down hill. They are using cheaper cut of meat and it is always stringy...

The food is great. Fresh, beautifully prepared and service is great. Only issue is the dessert menu, would like more choices.

Good sushi and good price. Been here few time with some friends and it's always a pleasure sit down and enjoy a good sushi. Service is good, food is good and of course the price is good as well.

We Keep Coming Back for More!. We absolutely love Sozai. As it is in our local area, we have been quite a few times and have never been disappointed. The service is great, the atmosphere: warm, cosy, and relaxing, and the food is delicious! <br/>Our favourite menu items are the kaki fry (fried oysters), tempura (a dish which at Sozai, unlike at so many other japanese restaurants, tastes like they use fresh oil), and the sushi and sashimi platters which are so fresh and satisfying. <br/>Really nice atmosphere for dinner with the family, a date, or a get together with friends. <br/>Love it!

Not Cheap but Good. Entrees were gyoza, wafu salad, eggplant, and spicy tuna rolls. Everyone enjoyed them. The ebi tempura was pretty good with the highlight being the prawns. We also had sukiyaki which has a lovely flavour and great udon noodles, although I think I would prefer the very thin rice noodles with that dish. <br/>My daughter had the vegetarian version of the sukiyaki which she said was lovely. But her favourite was definitely the spicy tuna rolls she had for entree.<br/>Didn't get to have sushi this time, but I'll be back again to try it next time.

Love it. Been coming here for seven years. Favourites would be the Chef's special for two - sushi sashimi combination but pricey, the eggplant dish forgot the name, Gyu Tataki - one of the best dishes I have tasted at a japanese restaurant and the Spicy Tuna Maki is also amazing. Staff are lovely and will always find a table for you. Amazing!

Old Time Favourite. Not a lot of fish varieties for Sashimi but their combination of Sushi and Sashimi platter is still as good and fresh as it was 4 years ago. One of the best!!!

Simple menu that rarely changes but everything is done to perfection. Bonus points go to the Agadashi Tofu!

Consistently excellent Japanese takeaway.

Been going here for the past 10 years... Consistantly great, clean, food... Take away easier as service too slow!!