Review Aka Siro - Collingwood

Quiet pricey BUT the foods are awesome. Fresh sashimi. The pickle is awesome. Complexity of the dish compliment each others. Yes the foods were cold we can understand and didn’t bother us. Worth to try if you love japanese taste.

Stopped by for take away lunch. $17 for 3 pieces of chicken and veg in a small take away container. Taste was good however the price is outrageous compared to other local options. Can't recommend at that price.

A part of me wished that I could rate this place higher because honestly I can see so much potential in the food Akasiro served... but all the food was cold besides the miso soup. Bit biased cos I prefer hot-served food and understandably their intentions are to serve the food cold but that aside... The taste of the food was more on the stronger side. Strong (salty) sauce on katsu and miso too salty for my liking. The duck was the best part with their secret sauce. There were plenty of sides to add colour and variety to the main, some sides better than others but tbh, they were all pretty.. average tasting. Portions were pretty tiny for the price (healthy amount I suppose, to get to 6/10 fullness). I wouldn't complain if I was living in the area and I wanted a healthier takeaway option on the go but unfortunately a very disappointing dine-in experience this time round.

Food ok but overpriced considering the portion provided. Disappointed to the service as we were requested (instead of being asked politely) to switch table during the middle of meal :(

The restaurant model has changed since covid. Bit of a shame. I used to love coming here for a filling home cooked japanese meal. But the last few times, it's just cold takeaway bento. It's okay, but food doesn't sit quite right when it's cold or if you can't heat it up somewhere. Before, their food was hot, cooked to order, and the dining experience was superb. I don't understand why they're continuing the packed bento model. Would love to come back once they return to their homey served fresh vibe.

Delicious and beautifully presented, but a bit pricey.

Very bad experience. Just can’t imagine this quality Japanese restaurant will serve cold rice, cold meal to their customers. Very disappoint. We all understand during this difficult moment, most of the restaurants or cafe are actually having a really hard time. But this is unacceptable. I’m sorry, never coming back.

The place has changed its format most likely due to covid. They only do takeaway bentos although you can always eat at the restaurant. Regardless, the food is as good as ever!!

Authentic real home-style Japanese meal, cooked by a team of enthusiastic people led by the Osakan owner-chef. Definitely worth a try.

This place is absolutely amazing! Everything was spot on! Great staff and delicious food!

Intrinsic EATing whilst in Melbourne. Be prepared to wait as seating is communal but constant. Thickly sliced Salmon Sashimi with wasabi and horseradish,cucumber and avocado and pickled ginger condiments was heavenly! This time we got the chef to decide on our plate with 3 tastes - DND!!! ( did not disappoint!) so sad I couldn't fit more in! 1 beer on tap and delicious plum wine! Many non-alcohol options too! Great Vibes from the kool Krew! And groovey tunes to set the mood! Thx Masayuki! You've done it again! Xx

Bustling atmosphere and delicious food. It's dangerous sitting at the service counter - everything that is dished up looks sensational so you just keep ordering more.

I absolutely love everything about this place. Super delicious food, friendly staff, and nice place.

One of my all time faves. Love this place!!

Delicious food, great service, staff very friendly. Really enjoyed the staff conversing amongst themselves and with native customers in Japanese, adds a tiny feeling of Japan to the environment!

Excellent service, homely atmosphere and fantastic food ☺️!

Service was excellent. Staff were friendly. Food was beautifully presented. I could easily make a habit of dining there!

So minimalist, so chilled out and great food!!! Will be coming back again and again!!!

Another amazing night at one of Melbourne’s truely authentic Japanese restaurants.. And a wonderful menu to boot. Treat yourself your taste buds will thank you ....

One of my faves. Everything on the menu is excellent.

Tonight we had tapas menu.. Amazing food!

It's rare to find, but when you do find a real authentic Japanese restaurant you know it is going to be good. This is definitely one of those places. Care, attention to detail and really good value for money.

Wonderful taste mix making me more more hungry and wanna order more!!! 👍🏻

Insta: melbfoodie_mark<br/>YT: MelbFoodieMark<br/>** Check them out for more food reviews in Melbourne!<br/>-<br/>One of my favourite restaurants serving home-made style Japanese dishes! Great ambience and friendly staff - I think they are all Japanese. Love the energy and coziness of this venue. Kara-Age Teishoku ☆☆☆☆ ($16), Gyu-Teki Teishoku ☆☆☆☆ ($19). Kara-age was so crispy and juicy - absolutely delicious and flavorful. Highlight was Gyu-teki! Marinated Australian scotch beef steak sliced into thin pieces with special sauce :) It was unbelievably tender. Highly recommend both

Beat japanese hot food in melbourne.

I love love love love this place so much! The best Japanese home-cook place ever - very authentic. Only one page of food menu but everything is great! Always going back there 💛💛

I love Aka Siro’s! Their speciality is the teishoku – set lunch meal which includes a dish of your choice, bowl of miso soup, salad and unlimited steamed rice. I first visited Aka Siro back in 2014 and have been coming back ever since. Lately I visited twice within 3 week’s! The restaurant is only open for lunch and they don’t take bookings on weekends. Both of my visits in the last 3 weeks we arrived early at 11.40am just so we can be there when the doors open so can get a table straight away. This place always has a queue and forever people coming in. Love the buzz and atmosphere at Aka Siro.<br/><br/>🔆LOCATION🔆 <br/><br/>Aka Siro is situated on the corner of Cambridge and Peel Street. The building is very subtle dark grey and the window is lined with bamboo screening. There’s bench seating towards the left as you walk inside – facing the window and also facing the open kitchen. More bench seating surrounds the kitchen towards the right, and table seating lined up against the window. Its small and cosy little restaurant and serves its purpose for simple and confortable Japanese dining experience. <br/><br/>🔆SERVICE🔆<br/><br/>As you walk in the Manager asks how many people, and assigns the staff to direct customers to the table. It’s very orderly and everyone working at Aka Siro speak’s Japanese. So all their conversations are in Japanese it makes you feel like you’re in Japan. All the staff are friendly, courteous and very efficient. Orders are taken on a tiny notepad written in pen, and handed over to the kitchen. I love how its so old school and traditional.<br/><br/>🔆MENU/PRICE🔆<br/><br/>Kara-age Teishoku, $17.00<br/>(crispy chicken thigh fillet marinated with soy and ginger)<br/><br/>Nizakana Teishoku, $18.00<br/>(Fish fillet & green vegetable simmered with soy, sake and ginger)<br/><br/>🔆VERDICT🔆<br/>To be honest, there’s hardly much price difference from when I first visited Aki Siro in 2014 to now – only $1.00 to $1.50 difference. The standard and quality still the same and that’s why they still so popular even to this day. My favourite is the kara-age Teishoku. The chicken is tender and juicy and has beautiful crispy batter with delicious flavour from the soy and ginger.<br/><br/>The salad is always fresh and the steamed rice – I need to find out what rice they use because its soft and fluffy. I seem to always order a second bowl of rice when I visit haha. <br/><br/>The fish fillet is fresh and cooked nicely with soy, sake and ginger. I actually had wanted to order their famous Gyu-teki – pan fried Australian scotch fillet, but ahhh decided to get the Kara-age instead. Next time 

We waited almost an hour for Aka Siro but it didn't seem to bad because concept of a visible wait list also made it very transparent. <br/><br/>Ordered:<br/> 🍛 Wagyu Beef Yoshoku: wagyu beef cutlet & fresh panko with beef tail brown sauce ($32.00)<br/><br/>Review:<br/>Incredibly massive portions that match the slightly massive price tag 🤣.<br/>Let's talk about the food. The wagyu was thick, hearty and juicy. Little bits of fat, keeping the flavour in tact. It's all encased in crispy panko crumbs, giving the wagyu cutlet that crunchy texture.<br/><br/>On the side, we have a refreshing serving of seasoned salad and a dollop of delicious creamy potato to contrast against the heaviness. Wash it down with a swig of japan-induced nostalgic miso soup and you're all set.<br/> <br/><br/>The interior was very fun and whimsical. We have a couple of knick-knacks here and there, and you have to walk down into the restaurant. The noticeable de-elevation gives you a brief hint of feeling like you're stepping into another world. Subtle, but powerful. <br/><br/>Service is friendly and attentive. They were engaging in giving their recommendations, and quick in helping us pay for the bill. There's no official itemised receipt (they only give you the one coming out of the EFTOPS machine) so take note of the handwritten split!

This is by far one of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in Melbourne. The moment you step through the door and greeted by the staff, you're instantly transported to Japan. From the decor to the smells and sounds, it really does take us back to our Japan trip days😌<br/><br/>As for the food, we've been a total of 3 times so far within a month, so definitely recommend👍<br/><br/>Their curries are unique and packed full of flavour, the taste is different to what is at the more Chinese style Japanese restaurants. This one is much more hearty and you can really taste the difference. <br/><br/>Other dishes were really good as well, the hamburg steak is a favourite of my partner's and definitely going back again to eat it. <br/><br/>So if you're a fan of authentic Japanese food prepared by Japanese, definitely a solid 4.8/5 for this one😊

I was looking forward to this style of Japanese cooking which is homely and steers away from the expected sushi and sashimi although there are a couple of those on the menu. I like the atmosphere of this gorgeous corner restaurant in the best part of Collingwood. The decor is Japanese in style but also has a very New York vibe. We got seated by the door and on a cold night when people leave the door open, it’s not where you want to be, but we moved further away once space became available. My husband ordered deep fried chicken and I ordered the pan fried prawns with edamame to begin and a bowl of miso soup each to follow. <br/>Our edamame was served pretty quickly and we were thankful as we both were pretty hungry. Then there was a very, very long gap in time. I don’t know what was going in the kitchen but basically miso soup is not made to order. It takes a second to serve. Eventually we had to ask the waitress what had happened to our soup, but she had no idea what we were talking about, what we’d ordered and thought we were ordering for the first time. The head waiter apologised and began to get on the case with the soup. But instead my husband’s main meal- the spectacular chicken dish arrived. Then afterwards the miso soup appeared.<br/>The plating of his stunningly crisp chicken pieces surrounded by soft cylinders of vegetable looked so pretty. But the sauce that tied the meal together was outstanding. I don’t eat meat but I nibbled on the edges of the delicious batter and tried some veggies. <br/>But my meal didn’t come with my husbands. We waited and waited again. We were second guessing ourselves, wondering whether they thought we were sharing but of course, that’s not the case, as the meals are individual and not sharing plates.<br/>So again we had to enquire to the waitress who once again was clueless, thought we were ordering afresh rather than waiting for a meal; absolutely no idea. More hand movements, shouts to the kitchen and eventually, after my husband’s chicken had gone cold waiting gallantly for me to get my meal, my prawn dish arrived. <br/><br/>I imagined pan fried prawns (and they were big) would be a bit caramelised but these seemed poached and were completely covered in a thick sweet and sour Chinese style, thickened sticky red sauce. It was intense, overpowering, one dimensional and far too sweet and icky for me. The prawns were pretty much tasteless or let’s say, not enhanced in any way. It was just a very unpleasant dish. Very disappointing.<br/>And those big slippery prawns are really difficult to manage with those very thin, pointy Japanese chopsticks. <br/><br/>Had it not been for my husbands delicious meal, the night would have been a bummer. But that sauce on his deep fried chicken was killer and it’s absolutely worth going back for it. <br/>Anyway, I did “say something” to the head waiter and he was apologetic. However, after screwing up mostly the whole order he should have offered something to makeup for it.

This place is the secret tunnel to Japan - your authentic Japanese experience starts the second you step into this cozy restaurant in Collingwood. Aka Siro feels exactly like those hidden izakaya you find in the Shijuku alleyways. From the open kitchen design to every detail of their mouth-watering dishes and friendly customer service, you will not find such an authentic Japanese experience anywhere else in Melbourne. We have been a regular here and absolutely loved their lunch menu. On the most recent occasion, we have tried their dinner tapas menu. We ordered the agedashi tofu, stewed rockling, teriyaki chicken skewer, Wagyu steak and houjicha Pana Cotta for dessert. Every dish was perfectly executed but the most memorable was the Wagyu steak which literally melted in my mouth. Their dinner menu is on the pricier side compared to their lunch menu but having tasted such fine dishes I can totally see why. Only advice I have is that this place is usually really busy so be prepared to queue up. But rest assured that the wait is well worth it.

This small place offering Japanese food is very lovely. The food is authentic Japanese. Be sure to try the Gyu Teki Teishoku and the Agedashi Tofu.

My favourite Japanese cafe in Melbourne! A must visit for good quality Wagyu beef and chicken karage! The Higarashi specials are a tasty option too. The place is almost always crowded- service is fast and efficient. The spicy ginger tea on a cold melburnian day is my favourite drink ever, don’t miss out on it ☺️🍵🐣

A small cozy Japanese restaurant at Collingwood. Went there for Saturday lunch and it was a little bit of wait to get seated. <br/><br/>Ordered wagyu steak and teriyaki hamburg. Both dishes were amazing. Portions were generous as well. <br/><br/>Will be back again!

We waited for half an hour to get a group table. Well worth the wait. Excellent service and great foodie experience ...

This place, is as good as it gets for classic japanese casual dining. The cocktails are damn good, the food is good. The only thing is that it can be very expensive, after a few drinks and a few bites.But regardless, I love it and everyone I've taken here loves it.

Aka Siro which means red and white and is a simple eatery in Collingwood. The food is simple,homey and it gives you a taste of Japan! The menu is simple and it features 11 teishoku, which are mains that comes with rice and a side of miso soup. Dining here reminds me of the little eateries in Japan. Simple and comfort food is exactly what you’ll find here. I had the gyuteki teishoku and it was so good,absolutely loved it.

Very lovely place, warm and cozy atmosphere, family style Japanese dishes, very cute they wrote the specials on the pot lid, the tofu and curry we ordered were delicious, only thing was the pork was bit thin. Overall we had great experience, would definitely like to try the evening menu.

Visited Aka Siro for dinner and it always a pleasant dining experience with them. The restaurant is small but the food is outstanding and a little bit pricy when you visit them at dinner time. Some of the menu for dinner always change. Their chicken karage is the classic and taste so good. Juicy, crunchy, tender and goes so well with the sauce. We had the fish and it tastes sweet, the beef which so tender and full of flavour and the soft shell crab that taste just okay.

This is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Melbourne <br/>Taste so authentic and delicious for sure!<br/>Should try it whenever you're in Melbourne

5 stars for the most delicious Sunday lunch at Aka Siro. Absolutely love the cosy, warm ambience. A slight wait (30min) for our table which was worth it. We had the Kara-Age Teishoku crispy chicken, Mix-Fry Teishoku prawns croquettes and mince thing which came with rice and miso soup. Also ordered a really nice warm lemon and ginger drink which went down well on a cold wintery day. Can't fault any of it...Service, portion sizes and food quality was top notch.<br/><br/>We loved Aka Siro so much we returned for dinner a couple of weeks later....<br/><br/>DINNER EXPERIENCE: 5 stars for service, food quality and ambience for dinner but unfortunately the portion sizes were miniscule on the dinner menu (compared to lunch)...we all left the restaurant really hungry and a bit disappointed. Everything was really tasty but just too small for the price...nearly went drive through maccas on the way home.<br/>

I crave for genuine, homey Japanese food once in a while - not sushi/sashimi, but the kind of teishoku (set meal) and kobachi (small dishes) that one can find at roadside diners. After moving to Melbourne I couldn’t find the same feeling anywhere, until I tried Aka Siro last Sunday lunch.<br/>The restaurant is small and cozy and always packed during lunch time. From the noren at the door to their full Japanese team of staff, it feels right at home. We were given the daily menu (written on a metal pan lid - whose idea was that?? Lol) and the regular drink menu. They have daily special food and drink which is very intriguing for us.<br/>We were late for their limited tonkatsu (SHAME) so I settled with the mixed fry set, my friend got herself nizakana set (braised barramundi) and we shared a plate of karaage (fried chicken) and a small side dish of stewed eggplant and conger eel. The side dishes seem to change every day; we love the freshness of the dashi and it was perfect for a starter. Karaage batter was closer to KFC batter, but the chicken tastes just like how I remember Karaage, with a hint of ginger. If they make this with tempura batter it would be a perfect toriten! I love my mixed fry - kani cream korokke melts on the tongue, mince katsu is okay, fried prawn was massive but I would love it to be completely peeled except for the head (it wasn’t fun finding hard shell in my mouth). It’s served with a hearty amount of sliced cabbage and steamed beetroots and even karashi (yellow mustard)!! My friend’s nizakana was just perfectly done, highly recommended if you are a small eater.<br/>The bill came a bit higher than other cheap Japanese place, but I don’t find it unreasonable due to the ingredients quality.<br/>I absolutely love my experience at Aka Siro, and will definitely be back.

Bring on my carnivore instincts. The Teki beef steak was fabulous. My friend had the cheese and ham katsu which she said was soooo tasty. Literally, she rolled her eyes with joy. The agedashi tofu was also pretty good. We each had a side dish and today's was the potato salad although at other times it was just some greenery. ALl washed down with a pomengrante tea.<br/><br/>Portion sizes were good. Staff are very helpful. Place gets busy.<br/><br/>Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly. Pram/stroller friendly. Parking isn't too bad.<br/><br/>Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly. Pram/stroller accessible. Parking not too bad.

Booked a table with a group of friends for dinner. My friend accidentally broke a drink glass which the waiters helped clean up. I think the restaurant manager was not very happy with the incident. He was being quite rude to us the whole night. As soon as we finished out last plate he handed my friend the bill without saying anything not asking how everything was or if we wanted dessert. Food was average and portions are quite small. Great atmosphere and music, however would not come back to be treated like that again.

this is definitely one of my fav places in melbourne. been here many many times<br/><br/>homey japanese food<br/><br/>gyu teki beef steak, salmon chan chan yaki, ham&cheese katsu, teriyaki hamburg are excellent. their potato salad as a side dish is also excellent (side dishes change everyday)<br/><br/>go for lunch! the dinner menu is more small plates tapas which is probably not as nice as their lunch menu. <br/><br/>i wish i lived in the area because of this restaurant! <br/><br/>we ordered the waygu beef katsu once and that was the only let down.

Great food and ambience. Good quality food for a reasonable price. Recommend the beef steak dish and the king prawn. The place is small inside and gives a very Japanese restaurant feel.

I always come back to have a feel of Japan. Their beef and karage chicken are one of the highlights. Not forgetting their katsu curry and daily set menu with limited supply. Service is great too!

Have you ever felt so willing to give a business your money?<br/><br/>We’ve been dining here every weekend for months during their lunch hour.<br/><br/>Very cosy Japanese restaurant serving you honest home cooked food.<br/><br/>Their lunch menu mainly consists of ‘Teishoku’ meal sets - main dish, rice and miso soup. I always get their ‘Higawari’ meal. It’s on rotation every single week, so we always get something new. Ingredients are fresh, salad is actually tasty and protein is cooked to perfection. Always.<br/><br/>We also get the chicken curry and boy, do they know how to make an amazing curry gravy and fry a chicken. Incredible.<br/><br/>If you’re a little sick of the smashed avo, hipster cafe’s in the area, do yourself a favour and dine at Aka Siro.

Highkey my favourite Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. All their dishes are amazing, but I especially like their karaage and teriyaki hamburg! Their daily specials are also great to try, as they change all the time and are always great! The place itself is quite small but gives off homey vibes, and so it can get packed really quickly during lunch hour.

My partner and I attended Aka Siro on a Thursday night and it had a real nice vibe, it felt like we were back in Japan. The food and service were great! The only downside to this very authentic Japanese experience is that the restaurant's social media wasnt very informative. There was no dinner menu to be found online and no information to let us know that Thursday night was tapas night and therefore had a significantly reduced menu. It didn't take too much away from the experience but is definitely something that could be improved.<br/>Will be back for the rest of the menu!

This is an amazing place, but small food portions and flavour were a little disappointing last visit. Service still impeccable. Hope this place is restored to former glory on next visit.

Far better Japanese restaurants than this in Melbourne. Service ranged between awkward and just rude. Serving sizes were comically small for some dishes. Flavours weren’t great. Won’t be back.

I love everything of this restaurant: the food, the portion of each dish, the vibe, the decoration and location. Thanks for a delicious meal!

I went here for lunch with my sister on Friday. It wasn’t busy when I was there. I love the ambience of the restaurant and the neighborhood. It was so quiet and peaceful around that time.<br/>I ordered agedashi tofu and my sister ordered the other tofu dish. The food was delicious! And very filling as well. My agedashi tofu was just perfect, the texture, the broth and all the veggies seasoned so well and light. I’m not impressed with the salad and other condiments (rice and miso soup). I don’t like my pomegranate mint tea either. I guess it’s just personal taste.<br/>Also, the reason why I gave 3 star is because of the poor service, which is unexpected to me. I know the guy who served us is Japanese. He is just so rude to other customers when they waited for table and asked for menu. It really annoys me. Also, he was so different from other staffs inside the kitchen, his attitudes made me feel like he didn’t want to be there and he didn’t want us to eat there. He really ruined 50% of my lunch. I might have a lot of expectation in terms of service and all. But I think 3 stars are fair and square to the experience I had (50% food + 50% service).<br/>I’d recommend and would come back. Finger crossed that waiter would step up his service.

Came in with a group on a cold Saturday night. Cute little place. Very cosy and homey. Portions were a little too small for my liking. Unagi tasted great!

Aka Siro in Collingwood. Nice Japanese restaurant and only open from Thursday to Sunday. Nice ambience and friendly staff with good service. Open kitchen to see how the chefs are preparing the dishes and all Japanese staff serving good authentic simple Japanese cuisine. I had the curry katsu don. Nice cooked and pork was perfect deep fried. Definitely a great place to dine in.

Very busy on weekend. The seating is quite tight due to the small size of the shop. Food and drinks are excellent with unlimited rice. Service is polite and friendly.

I love this place! The decor and small area reminded me of a cosy home. The food was amazing, each dish was flavourful and made me want more. Alhough the tapas were small, it was just enough for three people to have a few and share.

I loved this place. I've been want to go for ages and finally went. Can't recommend enough. It's small and quaint, and the food and experience is amazing. Check it out!

Aka Shiro can be found down a random side street. I’m surprised so many people know about it. The inside of the restaurant is small but looks authentically Japanese. The staff also speak Japanese. The waiter knows a lot about sake and can choose the right sake for you depending on whether you want a dry or smooth sake. <br/><br/>We went to Aka Shiro during their Thursday Tapas night. I would recommend sharing this menu with a small group, instead we had 6 people which was too much for a shared tapas menu. It ended up being very expensive and we ordered almost every dish on the tapas menu and we were still hungry even after eating individually desserts. The issue was clearly that we tried to share food with 6 people where we could only get a mouthful of each dish. Would definitely recommend sharing between 2 or 3 people or getting your own meals. <br/><br/>The food was nice and dessert was definitely a highlight. Rice would be a welcome addition. We felt lots of sauce was wasted cause we had no rice. 3.0 for now but would probably give a higher score for their normal menu. I just left hungry...

As far as I can tell, the food tastes pretty authentic here at this Japanese restaurant. It does feel cramp inside due to the size of the place though. And at night, the lighting is dim which makes it hard to read the menu. I think the most disappointing factor is the small portion sizes of the dishes we ordered - especially when they weren’t exactly cheap. I’m taking one star off for that. I just don’t feel the price justifies for the somewhat average tasting food. Other than that, the staff are friendly and atmosphere is nice.

Such a hidden gem in the back streets of Collingwood. Aka Siro is the perfect spot for an authentic home cooked Japanese experience. Definitely try the ham and cheese katsu!<br/><br/>Follow us on Instagram: @alwayshungryformore

Always love coming here at lunchtime for some traditional Japanese Home Cooked dish 🍱🇯🇵<br/>.<br/>My favourite to order is always the GYU-TEKI TEISHOKU ($19) which is pan-fried Australian scotch beef steak 🐮 & KARA-AGE TEISHOKU ($16) crispy chicken thigh fillet marinated with soy and ginger 🐔Both came with rice and miso soup♨️ I love that you can refill your rice for free🍚<br/>.<br/>The steak are always well marinated, juicy and melts in your mouth tenderness🤤 But get there early as it sells out quickly! The chicken karaage usually fried to golden brown with a crisp texture on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside💥 However, this time was over-fried and a bit oily as well.<br/>.<br/>This is one of my favorite homie Japanese restaurant in Melbourne other than Kuu😄 I will always come back for more‼️ A quick note⚠️ they accept cash only! Also, they only serve izakaya snacks at dinner time🌙 teishoku only available at lunchtime ☀️

Very homie Japanese restaurant,really enjoy the atmosphere there, very causal ! I’m a fan of curry, this curry is a bit salty than others, but if you are a rice lover, will be a good match!

We arrived at Aka Siro with much anticipation and such high expectations. Unfortunately, despite the quality produce used, the execution of all our dishes were sorely disappointing, universally lacking in balance and finesse.<br/>Coupled with an “izakaya” style menu featuring servings sizes that are less than generous, coupled with cold, nonchalant service, this was definitely a thoroughly unimpressive and costly mistake.

Not worth your time and money, just serving you some food that you can find in other Japanese restaurant! We ordered everything on the menu except the oysters. They are either some deep fried dishes or some dish with a lot of corn starch inside , nothing very “wow”, just normal.

The food is delicious.  Very close to being authentic, in a great setup.  The place is very busy but the food was still fairly quick.<br/><br/>The servers were knowledgeable on ingredients and dietary requirements (vegan).  I found it was best to share plates where possible, as you want to try as much as you can.<br/><br/>Price is reasonable.

Oishī Tabemono !<br/><br/>Akasiro is deserving of its high rating but please don’t be fooled into equating that as a fine dining establishment. This place is a café serving delicious café food.<br/><br/>Let the pictures speak a thousand words – colourful and delicious. <br/><br/>Great value, cozy, friendly and deliciousness. <br/><br/>Itsdakimasu.

A small but busy restaurant. My coworker and I arrived around 12:20 on a Friday and we were lucky enough to nab two seats that had just finished. We both got the Higawari which had a minced patty, pork belly and salad. Rice and miso soup were included. The combination was very well done. I admit that I was a little jealous of the lady having the Katsu Curry next to me though.. Friendly staff and quick service. Finished within our lunch hour :-)

A  little slice of Japan in Collingwood - ambience was reminiscent of dining in Japan from the interior design to the chefs in the kitchen. Excellent service - waiter brought us a good variety of dishes. Beautiful authentic Japanese food. The bill was very reasonable for such high quality Japanese meal.

My partner took me here for dinner. We were seated at the bar on stools. This is a cute little Japanese restaurant serving tapas style dishes. <br/><br/>It was nice to be seated at the bar, so you could see the kitchen working and to have the food served to you by the chefs. <br/><br/>The food itself was excellent, w interesting flavours. We had a range of dishes and some hot sake and a cold beer. Yummo haha

Went for the first time this Sunday (Mother’s Day) for “Tonkatsu day”, got there 20 minutes (11:40AM) before they opened (at 12 noon), and put our names down on the list on the window. We were 5th in line, with a table for 3 people. We didn’t get seated in the first group, and had to wait 50 minutes for a table to free up. Huh??? Our 3 year old was struggling to stay sane while waiting (but she’s generally very good, and was very well behaved on that day!!) <br/><br/>Aka Siro, and other tiny Japanese restaurants, tend to try and fill every seat available, so the group at the top of the list may NOT be seated next. What bothers me is that 2 other groups, each with 3 people, were seated before us!! I thought maybe I misunderstood something, or they thought we needed an infant seat (we didn’t), so I didn’t say anything. However, I asked the young woman at the door at 12:45pm, and she said sorry a few times. Turns out that she’s just bad at counting and math, because they served groups #13 and #14 BEFORE serving Group #5. <br/><br/>We eventually got seated, the food was pretty good, and the waitress we got was quite nice. We ordered a fish with ginger and soy sauce that was very good (but not my cup of tea), and 2 orders of tonkatsu. It was very, very good. <br/><br/>The original waitress/staff at the door spoke rudely to her co-workers (in Japanese), even taking Australia’s more casual attitudes, and Japan’s “seniority” hierarchy into account. Based on how they were speaking, she was clearly more “senior” than our waitress, but less senior than another. She didn’t speak to our waitress with any respect. <br/><br/>I’m a bit torn about the 2-Star review, but waiting an extra 45 minutes soured the experience, and this restaurant is NOT a 4.6/5. That’s absurd. I sort of wish we went to “Mina no Ie” just across the street, but Aka Siro was on our list for years, and we just had to cross it off!!

Had the karaage special and it was yum. Very traditional and made me feel like I'm in Japan. Only reason I did not give a 5/5 is because serving size was small and was expensive for that portion. Not a place to be for daily dining but definitely good for special occasions

First time come here for dinner,small japanese restaurant and love the positive vibes around it. Remind me of the authenticity of local japan meals.<br/><br/>Food:<br/>Karage-was the best! I think akasiro is known for their famous deep fried. So crispy, crunchy and yummy at the same time.<br/><br/>Beef-the meat was so tender,perfectly cooked and seasoned<br/><br/>Fish head-very light,with a touch of soy sauce and bokchoy that was blend well together. Full of flavours that create harmony (in a good way). <br/><br/>Tofu soup- was very fresh and light, perfectly seasoned too and i feel very healthy after eating this. Remind me of simple and classic dish from local japan itself.<br/><br/>The staffs were so nice and friendly. Cant wait to go back to try their famous curry!<br/><br/><br/>#BHAsFoodDiary

Finally got a chance to visit over the long weekend. We were early and waited at another cafe. Before 12pm a lot of people started lining up. We were lucky to be the first lot of customers.<br/><br/>The restaurant is cosy and feels like a restaurant in Tokyo. We had the beef and chicken karaage that was amazing! Both came with rice and miso soup. The food was very tasty and traditional Japanese. <br/><br/>I’ll be back for the curry!

A small restaurant where you can eat authentic Japanese food!!<br/>I would be a regular customer if here is close to my house.<br/>Ordered Higawari Teishoku which means the content changes everyday, and the day I visited was delicious deep fried chicken comes with a bowl of rice and miso soup.<br/>I think that Aka Shiro will be a great restaurant if all the staff's customer service become a little better.

Nice, authentic Japanese food in a japanese setting. Between the 4 of us we ordered the meat dishes (4 dishes) and rice. Portion sizes are okay, but my partner was still hungry afterwards. Quality food and sauces- I loved the steak.

The only problem is the staff, really rude. Im asking for moving into another seat and they rejected. I've been sitting in front of the sink while the nobody's in the other seat. The food is decent but nothing special. Never comes back to this place, while many other restaurants has great service. Bye!

So authentic and fresh!! The Katsu curry was just done perfectly! Definitely coming back for more. Tiny venue, so not super comfy and only takes cash. So not ideal for groups, bubs and the cashless.

Went to Aka Siro and tried their famous Kara-age Teishoku & Sumomo (soda + ume drink). They were great! Kara-age was crunchy & not too oily, and that sweet-tangy Sumomo was refreshing! Definitely will come again to try other things on their menu.

Loved this gem! We visited on Sunday during lunchtime. We ordered the ham katsu, mix fry and chan chan yaki teishoku..All of them were hearty and satisfying. The food and the restaurant set makes us feel right at home. A perfect pick for a lazy afternoon. The highlight for me was the prawn they served on the mix fry, it was a giant prawn lol..the mozarella cheese on the ham katsu was generous too...the rice bowl was tiny but rest assured, you get a free flow of rice in this place.<br/>Will definitely come back next time..maybe will try visiting for dinner to see the change in menu and vibe.

The best Japanese restaurant I have tried in Melbourne! Best deep fried chicken as well! A lot of yuzu dishes which I absolutely love! How I wish I work nearby to be able to try their lunch menu! Will definitely come back!!

Japanese Restaurant tucked away in a corner in Collingwood. Excellent food, very friendly staff. Still very traditional which makes it authentic. Great place!

😱Lizzie’s first impression: I loved the vibes of this place, it feels very authentic and the staff are so welcoming. <br/><br/>🍩Lizzie enjoyed: The Katsu curry is to die for! It is amazing and the curry sauce is so tasty! We also tried the steak and it was marinated well and was super tender! <br/><br/>🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: The side dish was a little weird and something I have never tried before. It was mini vegetables with some crab texture on top. <br/><br/>🥇Lizzie rates overall: A great place for Katsu Don or Curry, if not the best place I have tried in Melbourne thus far!

Cute small Japanese joint in the back streets of Collingwood. My pork cutlet katsu curry was fairly generous, curry tasted homemade, the cutlet was super crispy and freshly fried up. I was disappointed to find only 1 small chunk of carrot though :( Some pickles would had been nice too.<br/><br/>My friend's chicken thigh kara-age tasted well marinated and because it's a teishoku set, it comes with miso soup and unlimited rice. Overall it is good honest Japanese home cooking but I think $16 for lunch is too steep for simpler dishes like the curry I had.

Have been recommended by friends to check this place out. Came here for lunch and got a seat by the counter. Wait staff was not that attentive as he was busy having a chat with a table of Japanese customers. Eventually the person by the kitchen took our order. Ordered the kara-age teishoku. The chicken was tender and juicy with good flavours! The decor is nice and cosy with lots of little knick knacks dotted behind the bar. Would go back and try out the dinner menu.

It was our first time visiting. We're pretty skeptical about the rating.<br/>But! After the meal, I have to say they deserve it.<br/>The staffs are really friendly, the place is clean and neat.<br/>We ordered Hamburg and chicken karrage.<br/>They are both really well cooked. The meat patties are soft, fluffy and juicy. Chicken karrage is very crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside.<br/>This is the type of restaurant that is homely and has cooked its dishes well. I will definitely visit again.<br/><br/><br/>

one of the best japanese restaurant in melbourne, the quality never drop and it feel like eating at home. Really nice for lunch, i haven't try dinner but i will be back and bring some friend

Cute little restaurant tucked in a side street in collingwood. Fresh quality ingredients with simple effective combinations of traditional japanese flavours. Friendly attentive service. Great selection of wines, plum wines and Japanese beer. Entree of deep fried scampi with wasabi dipping sauce. Mains of crispy chicken with soy and ginger, scotch beef with akasiro sp sauce, fish fillet with sake & ginger and salmon with chinese cabbage, beenshoots, sake and organic hatcho miso sauce. If you want an authentic Japanese foodie experience take a trip to Aka Siro in collingwood

My little brother is always picky with food and can hardly finish any brunch food that we share with him. Brought the family to Aka Siro today, LO AND BEHOLD, he drinks his miso soup, and devours his portion of rice and crispy chicken (karaage) teishoku, finished the scotch beef fillets that I shared with him, all the while eating with chopsticks. Nuff said.

Cute cafe and reminds me of Japan. The food is good and close to what you would get in Japan. Lunch on Saturday was busy and crowded. Customer service OK.

I love the interior of this restaurant! It seems that we are dining at Japan. The food was amazing, the service was very warm and welcoming too. I’ve been here a couple of times and not even one of their dish disappoint me! Definitely a recommended place to go and the portion really worth the price!

Little Gem in Collingwood<br/>Excellent service and pride in food. The flavours were balanced and well thought out and maintained the integrity of the ingredients.<br/>It will definitely be our regular hot spot.

The worst restaurant I have ever been. Staff is very rude and it was so dirty. They never care about customers. I won’t go ever again. It was horrible and terrible experience.

<br/>Food: <br/>- Teriyaki Hamburger Teishoku: 2 beef+pork patties and heaps of different types of vegetable (green beans, sweet potato, eggplant, bean sprouts). Super tasty sauce, a little salty on its own but goes great with rice. May look small but it's actually quite filling. <br/>- Higawari Teishoku: includes 3 different dishes that change daily. On our visit, my friend got 2 dishes that both looked like salad and 1 beef(?) patty I think. Sounds simple but they were all delicious. <br/>- Miso soup + side salad: go with the meals. Both were pleasant. <br/>Price: roughly $17/pp (no drink though) <br/>Service: nice staff, prompt service<br/>Deco: small restaurant, open kitchen, casual vibe<br/>Will definitely go back.

One of the best Japanese eatery I have ever tried. All the cookings were tasted like authentic Japanese, clean and delicate flavors. Had a lunch here sharing several plates with friends. Love the tenderness of the beef with teriyaki sauce that tasted perfectly balanced, not too sweet. The fried tempuras were crunchy, not oily.

Great little place with fantastic staff!! Quite busy on a Saturday night but managed to get a table for five. The menu had a great variety of options with a few veggie ones. We picked a selection to share between five - broccoli, edamame, momo no wasabi, tofu, chicken, egg salad and a miso soup each. All the selections were delicious! The entrees are quite small though so would consider ordering quite a few. The cocktails were excellent - would highly recommend!

I was here last weekend for lunch. Queued for 30 minutes cos it was no empty seat left.<br/>I ordered kara~age curry, and i really love it. The chicken was really crispy on the outside and soft for the inside.

The restaurant has a family feel (not fancy at all), the food is not as salty as some of the other mid-priced Japanese restaurants. Although I'm not a Japanese, I feel the food might resemble "Japanese home cooking"

Nice food but nothing special ! Limited vegetarian options. Very small dining area and sharing this area with kitchen makes the restaurant a bit stuffy! May come back again .

We arrived at the restaurant at 12.10pm for lunch on a Sunday and the place was already packed. We still managed to get a counter seat. Service was quite slow because there were only two wait staffs. We also had to wait approximately 20 minutes for our food. The food was great but I will try revisiting on a weekday when it's not as busy. The mix fry was good value for money and you can top up rice for free.

This place remind me of small cozy family restaurants appeared in so many Japanese TV series! The food all taste fresh and delicious. You can feel the authenticity of the Japanese food from the details of the dish. <br/><br/>The portion of the Higawari that day was a bit small for lunch. Unlike many other places, their Katsu curry come with carrots only(no potatoes). The service was not warm but I don't mind. I will definitely come back to try more dishes for dinner.<br/><br/>

Small place that serves amazing and honest food with a great service. Everything that we tried was incredibly good and walked out wanting to visit Japan.<br/><br/>Would definitely recommend it and we will for sure go back a lot. Just made it into my top 3 places in Melbourne.

Oh my god have been here twice and-<br/>Amazing !<br/>Awesome authentic vibe, very cosy- efficient service <br/>Great sake 😍😍<br/>And holy wow food<br/>Highly recommend <br/>

I highly recommend coming here and giving it a try. This is authentic and well priced food. decor is cozy and stylish. I want to go back to try everything! Heard they have a Tonkatsu special day during the week which chef recommended for us to try.

The restaurant serves the Japanese authentic cuisine located in Collingwood, Peel street.The place was pretty small but cozy. The interior design retains the Japanese authenticity, slightly old-fashioned but very attractive.<br/><br/>We had a very good impression as soon as we stepped our feet to the restaurant. Warm welcome from the friendly staffs. They served the customers with enthusiastic, attentive and full of smile. They really know how to treat the customers well.<br/><br/>We ordered 4 different main meals (including rice + miso soup):<br/>* Chan-Chan-Yaki Teishoku (Grilled salmon, chinese cabbage & beenshoot with sake and organic hatcho miso sauce) for 19.00<br/><br/>* Ham-Katsu Teishoku (Crispy sandwiched ham & melty mozzarella cheese cutlet with herb panko - japanese bread crumbs) for $17.00<br/>The katsu was super crispy served with melty mozzarella, the taste was amazing.<br/><br/>* Teriyaki Hamburg Teishoku (Simmered ground beef & pork mince patty with teriyaki sauce & grated white radish) for $17.00<br/>The meat patty was very soft, delicate and great taste. The sauce wasn't too much served with the fresh vegetables.<br/><br/>* Higawari Teishoku (3 different dishes on 1 plate, changes every day) for $16.00 **surprise surprise<br/><br/>They are good value of money and considered to be a good deal meal. For this value, you can get a great quality of food including miso soup and steam rice and worth to mention the service was excellent.The portion was alright, not too much - slightly more would be perfect. All dishes were served fresh with the balance taste.If we have to choose which one is the best (Don't get me wrong, all dishes were great, but when it comes to the uniqueness and great sauce), We'll vote for (1) Teriyaki Hamburg Teishoku and the second would be the rest of the dishes as we're confused to rank the great dishes.<br/><br/>For sure we'll come back and add this to our favourite bucket list of restaurants. This place is considered as one of the best Japanese restaurants in suburn close to Melbourne CBD when it comes to price, service and taste.<br/><br/>!!!OISHI ** OISHI ** OISHI ** OISHI ** OISHI ** OISHI ** OISHI ** OISHI!!!<br/><br/>Yay : Great value, taste, customer service<br/>Nay : Portion was slightly small<br/><br/>Service : 5.0<br/>Taste : 5.0<br/>Price : 4.0<br/>Speed : 4.5<br/><br/>Location : 106 Cambridge Street, Collingwood, Melbourne<br/>Phone : 03 9417 0886

DELICIOUS!!! 😋😋<br/>This is my favourite Japanese restaurant in Collingwood! It is authentic, fresh and hits the spot every time! <br/><br/>My favourite lunch dishes are: Kara-Age Curry (Japanese fried chicken curry), Kara-Age Teishoku (Crispy chicken thigh fillet marinated with soy and ginger), Gyu-Teki Tesishoku (Australian Scotch beef steak) and the Chan-Chan Yaki Teishoku (Grilled salmon, Chinese cabbage and beanshoot)

DELICIOUS HOMEY JAPANESE FOOD!!<br/>Yes yes yes!!! You most definitely should try this place. I almost always order their gyu-teki! The interior takes you to Japan. One small problem is their portion doesn't fully fill my appetite. But other than that, TRY IT! <br/><br/>And don't forget to ask for more rice (it's unlimited)!

Highly rated Jap restaurant for good reason - it's a really quaint and unassuming shop on Cambridge St and the food is made with care. Ideal to make a booking because seats fill up quickly after they open the doors at 6pm. <br/><br/>We ordered the edamame, sashimi & kaki, nizakana, and agedashi tofu. All the dishes felt like home-style cooking, the tofu being my favourite. Edamame was a bit hard. Definitely need to go back and try more dishes, especially the sliced pork belly and katsu curry.

Thought it was a nice cosy place with pretty yummy food. Though I must say that it was rather expensive and the servings aren't very big. The food I had was very fresh and nicely presented. The miso soup was one of best I've ever tasted. I had the only Sashimi option on the menu and it was only 4 pieces of food for $18. It had 2 large pieces of fish, which made it a little hard to eat. But it was still nice and it was served with 2 fresh Oysters. The spicy tempura fish I ordered as well was great.

I've been walking past this sweet little Japanese restaurant for years without even noticing it's there. There is only one vegetarian main (tofu and mushrooms) and three entrees (broccoli, potato and blue cheese, edamame) but all are good.

Beautiful food, beautiful location. Have visited many times and has always retained quality. Friendly staff and solid service. Highly recommend

Aka siro has always been one of my favourite and go-to places for japanese food. It gives a homey vibe as it serves their humble and affordable dishes. I've tried pretty much all of their menu and never a bad experience. My favourites include the beef, karaage and curry!

If there’s one common thread running through our meal at Aka Siro, it would have to be the light and delicate nature of each dish. Though each had its own distinct flavour, none were especially overpowering, and we left contentedly full without the guilt of overeating. Worth making the trip back for? Definitely.

The atmosphere, customer service and food is really great. Honestly very minimalistic and just good quality ingredients. Take note: specials come on a sauce pan lid.

We arrived here at noon on Saturday. The food here is very common. We ordered the chan chan, the soup is very salty and fish is not fresh. We also ordered the fried chicken which tasted like from Mcdonald's.<br/><br/>Very disappointed and suspicious about the comments here.

If you haven't tried aka siro, you've got to check it out. This review is purely about their lunch menu, but since they opened a few years ago, they still are consistently serving wholesome, well priced and super tasty food! My go to is the Karage - succulent and freshly fried juicy chicken thighs, but I've also tasted the agedashi tofu, and their fish fillet and all are fantastic. Service is soft and attentive, and don't be afraid to ask for a free refill of rice if you run out. Worth noting - cash only for lunch and get in early especially if you have more than 2 people as seating can be limited in this small joint. Hands down best Japanese place in Fitzroy/Collingwood.

On a Thurs only the tapas and the regular dessert menu is available. There's no sake _menu_ but if you describe what you're looking for, they'll find something to suit. We really enjoyed this restaurant. The food was good and inexpensive. The sake and dessert were good too and the service was friendly without being intrusive. Would definitely come again (if only they were open more weeknights).

I may differ from many other reviews here but the experience was disappointing. Cramped and uncomfortable, indifferent service, very ordinary food. Won't be coming back.

Really good! Great service, great food. One gripe is that we ordered the two pork belly dishes expecting chunks of pork belly. Instead, it was more like super thinly sliced/borderline shredded belly. It was still delicious, but I would've preferred the chunks.

有效率，价格便宜，味道好，接地气，食物都不复杂，却都是家庭的味道。关于日式便餐小馆能要求的也就这样了，只不过店家太忙所以别期待太好的服务。<br/>tasty food, pretty price, efficient service.

Been here so many times, this authentic Japanese little restaurant is amazing. My favourite dishes are the Navy curry - the best one in Melbourne! and the beef steak with Japanese style sauce, the beef is nicely cooked and tender. The homemade lemonade is a great touch with the meal and also friendly service...just love it!!!

Two of us had 3 smalls, 2 mains n a salad. We had miso soup too. Everything was so tasty, loved every dish! The ginger cocktail I had was also very nice. Have to say thank you to the friendly staff!

Nice small japanese restaurant, big portion and good quality food. Love coming here for lunch! too bad they dont accept cards, remember to always bring cash :)

Excellent, authentic modern Japanese food. It's like a little restaurant you'd stumble upon down an Alley in Tokyo... Well run and lots of soul in the food. Keep it going Masa!

Magnificent. Service, food, atmosphere - all perfect. Cannot be faulted. Love it. Love it. Love it. Broccoli and ricotta is pure genius. Did I say how much I loved it?

Thursday tapas win! Hubby and I shared 5 tapas dishes (including 2 specials - meatballs and fish) and I'm already raring to go back for more! Fish was so soft! Meatballs had a lovely sauce including pinenuts, Apple salad was novel and refreshing, chicken was perfect, and salmon avo was so more-ish! Even their homemade lemonade was novel. I'm guessing there was a piece of preserved salted plum or something like that in it, and it gave the lemonade that something special. Absolutely delightful. Can't wait to go again!

Lovely little Japanese restaurant. Stepped into the shop and it felt like I was back in Japan. Had the Higawari Teishoku, which is the three dish combo. The special of the day was fish namban, asparagus salad, seated potatoes and carrots. All components of the dish tasted amazing, together and separately. It was my second time here and it certainly would not be my last!

Went dinner with my family.<br/>If you guys wanna find some authentic Japanese cuisine you must try this one!<br/>We ordered Barramundi, Salmon, some entree, and Scotch Fillet. They are all really nice, the price is a bit expensive, but you will get what you pay. <br/>The space is small, so makesure you guys make a reservation before hand.<br/>The service was also good. You can refill the rice unlimited for free :) <br/><br/>I recommend this place for Japanese lover..

Two of us came just before a gig, they picked 5 dishes for us to share plus two drinks. <br/><br/>We loved it all - Dishes like the eggplant and sashimi shows how delicate and minimal they are with their food prep, it's so simple but it's delicious. <br/><br/>The ricotta and broccoli surprised us in a good way, we wouldn't have ordered it otherwise. Both chicken and the steak dices were juicy and tender, well balanced with acidic fennels and greens. <br/><br/>Such a low-key and thoughtful place ♥︎ <br/>

Dinner are served tapas style for sharing, recommend reservations. <br/>I've been to akasiro so many times and they never disappoint. They constantly change up their dinner menu so there is always something new to look forward to. Can't wait till my next meal there!

Had dinner at Aka Siro last Saturday night with my wife, we both really liked this place - calm, friendly atmosphere, genuine Japanese restaurant, well priced for the food you get. Can pay with credit card now too. We had the tuna and salmon sashimi, and various other dishes shared between us. Highly recommended.

Feb 2017 update:<br/>We pushed our score to a yummy 4.5!<br/>This is the first time we tried their dinner menu and we were very impressed with the consistency among their dishes so we thought this place totally deserves a 4.5/5 score.<br/><br/>Here we started the night with a plate of sashimi and oyster. Hands down it was probably the best salmon we tasted in Melbourne. It was probably due to the way they cut the fish - the sliced of salmon was a bit thicker than usual but surprisingly it did wonder. The freshness and fattiness of the salmon made the dish refreshing, fragrant, light, but delicious (4.5/5)<br/><br/>We then got the traditional steamed baramundi (4.5), which was again one of the best fish dishes we have tried in a while. The fish was super moist, fatty, light, super tender and went really well with their homemade sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet but not overpowering. A very impressive dish.<br/><br/>We also got the beef steak which was tender and cooked medium (4/5). The grilled veggies and puree helped lift up the taste and brought complexity to the dish. The meat was earthy, smoky, and moist.<br/><br/>For the side we got two small bowls of miso and to be frank they were our best miso soup we found so far in Melbourne (4.5). The soup was light, balanced, and very comforting. The difference was that they put extra bean curd skin and fresh bean curd cubes with pieces of green onions into the soup, giving the soup more texture and fragrant.<br/><br/>Overall, this place is totally in our top 3 Japanese restaurants in Melbourne and we would definitely return again to try their tapas menu!<br/><br/>2016 review:<br/>Delicious authentic Jap food. We went there on a Sunday lunch just 5 minutes before it opened. We ordered the curry chicken rice and the sirloin steak rice and both were yum! The curry chicken was delicious - we love the little hint of ginger in the powder coat outside while the meat inside was moist and tender. The curry taste was very authentic! The beef was delicious as well, tender and well marinated. The miso soup was on point - definitely the best we have had in Melbourne! We would return to try their dinner menu!

Great meal, lovely service and excellent drinks. The fried chicken was crisp and perfectly balanced with the cabbage salad. The eggplant was tender and the dressing well balanced. Lastly the mushroom tofu dish was rich and satisfying.

Nothing pleases me more than finding a quaint little hiding spot glowing with charm and pleasant surprises. I’ve lived in Collingwood a little while now and never really noticed this place until it was was prompted by a friend. Aka Siro is a Japanese restaurant just off Smith St (so easy to miss) and does a modern yet casual twist on Japanese dishes for lunch and dinners.

I had a higarawi tesuko which was trio of eggplant, deep fried chicken and baked potato with cheese. The meal came with miso soup and a bowl of mixture of white rice and brown rice. I like the miso soup, the idea of mixing brown rice adds a very good health properties to the meal. But I feel uncomfortable to chew kind of nutty grain of brown rice out of the soft white rice. The karaage chicken was tasty, the eggplant was beautifully prepared. I am not a big fan of cheese so I did not like the potato cheese bake. The staff was very friendly and the chef who was also the cashier was exceptionally polite and friendly.

Walked past this place couple of times, been wondering if they are another westernized Japanese eateries like the others surrounded. Well I am glad I have believed my gut and give this place a chance.<br/>Walk into Aka Siro is homey, warm lightings reminds me of those little home run cafes in Japan, it's small but cozy, brings a lot of their own touches in there - well I don't want to spoil too much, go in by yourself and you will know. <br/><br/>You will not be getting something like avocado sushi , teppenyaki or deconstructed ramen ! THANK GOD for that! Instead there's a small list of 定食Teishoku and I love this idea, they focus on a few ingredients and cook different dishes out of their daily produce, basic as is!<br/>I ordered a daily special 3 in 1 dish and a veggie stew. They come with miso soup and rice, good portion for me and flavours are quite like those mama made food in Japan. I quite like it. The staffs are all Japanese, I sat and watch what's going on in the kitchen and feel the atmosphere the light music and not a long wait until the hearty food to comes out, really humble and down to earth and I do personally think it's one of its kind in Melbourne.<br/><br/>I took out 0.5 just because of the rice is brown rice and it's not to my liking and it's CASH ONLY. But apart from that I can't really fault them and I am hoping there are more of these passionate Japanese eatery around Melbourne.

This would be one of my favorite new restaurant/café. I ordered the gyu-teki teishoku which was cooked to perfection. The special secret sauce (which i think is some sort of Tare based sauce) goes very well with the steak. It comes with miso soup and free rice refill. I also ordered the beetroot tea which is also good. Nice cozy place. Pretty quick friendly service too. For $19, the meal (excluding drinks) is very good value for money. My first 5/5 star review. Very well deserved.

Came across this place today and it was a great find! The food was really different and really good. Service so friendly, nothing was a problem and they couldn't do enough to help. It's a cash only business with not much else around having money on you is handy! <br/>Will go back again if I'm in the area

Hot trending restaurant offering Japanese home cook eating experience. Nothing fancy or pretentious food, they are all humble japanese home food cooking served over colorful plate. You can see the chefs cooking over the bench.<br/><br/>We ordered the beef steak (Gyu-Teki) and salmon miso stew (Chan-Chan). They are generous, come with various nice accompaniments, and overall they taste great. Price is around $20 but they offer free flow of rice (you can ask to refill your rice bowl once you finished it). <br/><br/>It's a unique authentic japanese dining experience. Please note that they only accept cash and have only limited number of dish (some menu will no longer available toward the end of their opening time)

Have been wanting try out this place for a while. Had lunch there today, but sad to hear the gyu-teki was unavailable, settled for the karage, which had the most perfect batter! Served with a side salad and rice. i'm not sure if the rice was Japanese though, but it was still tasty enough. The only think i can fault it is that they only take cash, I think in this day in age we should be able to have more options. <br/><br/>The atmosphere is great and I enjoyed watching all the activity in the kitchen!<br/><br/> Will try again.

Always a go to place for a great Japanese meal! Their Gyu-teki Teishoku (beef scotch fillet) would have to be my favorite dish. The beef is always cooked to perfection and it comes with a side salad and miso soup. <br/><br/>All their Teishoku dishes comes with a side salad and miso soup, except for the salmon. They have many other must try dishes, among them are the Chan Chan (salmon) and Navy Curries.<br/><br/>The only downside is that the meals aren't cheap. Despite this, the price won't deter me from recurrent visits as aka siro serves such sincere hearty meals. :)

Simply the very best teishoku styled meals at Aka Siro. <br/>My absolute favourite Japanese diner in Melbourne. Here, you don't get delicately sliced pieces of beautiful same-day air flown from Tsukiji sashimi, nor do you get painstakingly crafted, meticulously plated dainty pieces of Japanese morsels and bites. Instead you get plate after plate of simple Japanese fare, from sliced steaks, to a hamburg, to a beautiful tempura fry up, to an amazingly delicate fish fillet. I have tried everything on the standard menu, and they are mostly spectacular. <br/>Be sure to get the higawari teishoku order in first. They sell out of this, early. <br/>Definitely one of my top 10 places to eat in Melbourne.

I wish I could rate Aka Siro higher than 5.0/5.0. I can't fault it in the slightest. Every dish is perfect. This is Japanese at it's finest. Cheap, filling, satisfying and so much variety. Favorite Japanese I've had in Melbourne. Blows my socks off!

I've been to this restaurant twice, and it never fails to amaze me! The food itself is simply delicious. In addition, you can eat the rice as much as you want! Very recommended japanese restaurant in melbourne!

Came here on a Thursday night (around a month ago) not realising it was tapas Thursday but we were keen to still try it any way. It's a small and cosy place with a very nice vibe to it, instantly took me back to being in Japan last year. There were quite a few options as well as some specials. Overall I really enjoyed everything we ordered and food came out fast but was very fresh and flavoursome. Definitely keen to come back to try the other options on another day. As it was quite a small restaurant I would recommend calling in advance and making a reservation.

Collingwood harbours some of the best examples of certain food types available in Melbourne, and for Teishoku styled, set meals, Aka Siro is no exception.<br/>With the dainty interior, traditional furnishings and paraphernalia scattered about, a rustic Japanese setting is mirrored perfectly.<br/>The food is prepared in a prompt speedy manner, bummer that the Higawari Teishoku was 'sold out' on our visit. So we opted for the Tofu & Lotus Root Teishoku, which was a pleasant compromise.<br/>My favourite turned out to be the Tuna, Cucumber and Avocado side dish. If it was beefed up to a main meal size, It'll be my advocated dish. <br/>I'll happily be back for the Higawari, and could easily make Aka Siro a staple.

Great retro Japanese ambiance. We went for dinner & it was fully booked. After few minutes we given a small counter table. Japanese homely food with good flavors. Izakaya style small portions & affordable. Good flavors & staff friendly. Menu somewhat small but well prepared. Overall rating 4.2*

My new favourite place! The experience was perfect from start to finish. Service was exceptional, food was amazing and wine was also really good. Best dishes of the night were the eggplant, sweet potato and the broccoli. Can't wait to come back 👌🏼

My favourite go to place when I'm not sure what to eat. It's Japanese food but maybe not as you know it. Nice and casual, home cooking, it's wonderful for a quick bite through to an informal degustation like experience. Enjoy!

Love the food ! Especially fried chicken! So tender and full of flavour and yet no greasy feel. Suggest to put in eftpos. Will be visiting again.

Visited this little gem on a Thursday night for their tapas menu, and will definitely be back to try the full menu. The tasty little morsels were delicious and moorish. Reading the menu we wanted to try everything but settled for the highlights, ate them all and then ordered another, not because we were hungry, but because we were thrilled with what we'd eaten thus far. The host was hilarious made us so welcome and chatted with us about the food and restaurant which we loved. Highly recommend this place for Japanese that you don't get in your everyday Japanese restaurant. It felt and tasted home cooked in a cosy setting.. Like an escape to a typical Japanese restaurant in the backstreets of Collingwood... Who would've thought. Highly recommend

Consistently great. Generous portions, super friendly service, cool atmosphere and a great selection of not stereotypical but still very Japanese dishes. Chicken Karaage is excellent

As soon as we sat down we were given some menus and a pot lid that had the daily specials written on it. We didn’t have to wait long for our food to arrive and when it did, every dish was comforting and homely. Each teishoku menu item is served with a bowl of warming miso soup and unlimited rice. There is an authentic Japanese vibe to this place and I wouldn’t mind returning if I’m ever in the area.

I loved that the specials are written on a pot lid! What came after is a tasty, home style Higawari Teishoku, friendly service in a cozy setting. Admittedly I had serious food envy when the Mixed Fry came out. A successful food experiment for a quick lunch.

What a charming little place! Delicious, flavoursome food in an cosy, authentic izakaya-style setting. Really enjoyed the dining experience.

Waiters were very friendly, food was served reasonably fast. We tried multiple dishes - the traditional fish and the steamed tofu were standouts, and the cranberry drink was delightful. The only downside was the small portion sizes, but it was good value for money. Overall, it was a good experience and I would recommend it to friends!

Amazing Japanese place, with delicious food and great service. <br/>Blue cheese and sweet potato; surprisingly works well together!!<br/>Plus they have Sapporo on tap

Wishes I had discovered this place earlier! Such incredibly delicious food! With a Special twist on Japanese food, share plates dinner, Great price- coming back again!

been here just last night for the first time. very nice foods but such small portion, may need to order 10 dishes or more for 4 poeple , im diffidently going back in the near future

I Just left and I can't say how satisfied I am right now. The chicken karaage was amazing and as was everything else, filled with warmth and goodness and such a nice homely vibe too. I can't wait to go back and try some more.

Small restaurant and lots of staff means the staff are really attentive, service was excellent. Small portion sizes and relatively cheap price per dish means you can have a taste of lots things. Was really good, will definitely be going back.

It's now one of my favourite Japanese restaurant in melbourne. The teishoku was delicious!! Nice environment and the staffs were very friendly. Definitely recommending it to friends(๑´ㅂ`๑)

Food is always delicious, they do small plates which means you can try lots of things, and I like that the menu has some unique options I've never seen elsewhere. The staff are so friendly you feel like they've invited you into their home for dinner!

The staff were lovely and the food was good quality. I'm not a big eater, but the portions were tiny and the service was really was really slow. We waited an hour for food and there was no apology or acknowledgment that it was so slow. Even the miso took an hour to come out! I wanted to love this place, but it really disappointed <br/>

Absolutely love this place! It was highly raved about by a close friend of mine, and we decided to give this a shot. We ordered the chicken karage, jap steak and the salmon in miso. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be the karage!! By far one of THE best ones I've had. The food really does not disappoint. <br/><br/>The space is quite small, but cozy. I heard this place is run by a family, and they are indeed very welcoming and friendly. You will definitely enjoy yourself here!<br/><br/>I am certainly heading back there for more in the future!! Can't get enough!

Been driving past this place a few times. If not for the slight glow from the lights inside the restaurant and the many times where I've seen people outside the restaurant, this discreet little restaurant could easily have been missed. I'm so glad we decided to try this place out today, really wish there were more Japanese restaurants like this around in Melbourne. It was nice we didn't have to wait which was surprising as I've always seen this place to be so busy with people outside. Hearty, warm, home cooked Japanese meal (using pots and pans you'd see in a home kitchen) in a cosy little restaurant not unlike what you get in Japan. Very efficient service and delicious food for a very reasonable pricing. I had the Nizakana Teishoku with the fish of the day being Barramundi - so fresh, soft and tasty with the rice and a bowl of not-overly-salty Miso. The $3 Kobachi started are such great value - we had the seared beef salad which looked small but had a generous amount of tender juicy meat, and also the soft shell crab that was also so juicy and tasty. We only spent $50 between 2 people for starters and a generous sized main and drinks. My new Japanese favourite!! So happy it's close to home.<br/>------<br/>Posted the above 4 days ago but couldn't resist coming back tonight. Different menu tonight - all tapas and it was awesome. Love this place, will come back daily to check out the changing menus! Has such a fuzzy warm feel to the place and food :)

My Japanese friend told me it is really a good place to try the Japanese dishes and I live Japanese cuisine, so Last time my friend and I went here and it was closed on Monday. I went there yesterday and tried the three set dish! Love the miso soup so much which also contained the sweet potato in it!

I hate to give this score because it's a nice spot and the staff is really friendly. Unfortunately every single dish I had had way too much sugar and miso/soy which covered up the taste of the ingredients. Some of the components of the dish were really well prepared, like the pork belly and the scotch filet. But, for $10 per tiny tapas dish, that's just not good enough.

Dined in on a late Saturday afternoon. Place was busy, so we sat on the "bar" area, which was good as we got to see the chefs in action. <br/><br/>Service and food was great as expected. Only thing that marred our experience was the server accidentally spilling the piping hot miso soup over the husband and I. He was very apologetic, and the boss offered us a new bowl of soup. But, I now have small blisters on my palm and hand where the soup splattered on. <br/><br/>Not too sure how they could've dealt with such an issue. But having such hot liquid splatter on customers, is dangerous to say the least. <br/><br/>Visit done on 26 Nov 2015: Aka siro never fails to impress. Service is quick, genuine and really warm. Everyone is constantly smiling and recommendations give are always a hit. They have Thursday Tapas day, where they go izakaya style. Dishes are dainty, smart and leaves your tastebuds dancing in delight after each mouthful. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who is out for real, honest and modern Japanese cuisine.

Highly recommend this place especially during summer. Some dishes are simply amazing. Not in big portion but still filling. This is a cozy but yum spot

Omg the food here is divine. Super authentic and affordable. I only wish it was open more lunch times in the week, than only Thurs and Friday, as we'd definitely come more often.

Aka Siro has always been a favourite Japanese restaurant of mine. They serve different menu for lunch & dinner. Personally I prefer the lunch menu, since at night they serve izakaya food, and I don't really drink. The shop is small but you'll definitely feel the "authentic" Japanese vibe with a dash of characteristic. The staff & chef here are all Japanese and very attentive. My husband & I are normally here for lunch everytime we are around the area. Our favourites to order are the beef steak, agedashi tofu & higawari (with this one you'll get 3 dishes on 1 plate & they change everyday). I love the idea that they serve 20% brown rice, and you can ask them to refill you bowl, so you won't waste any. I also recommend their homemade lemonade, it tastes very refreshing.

Tonight was the best night. My partner and I have had the best Japanese food in town. I don't even remember how many dishes did we order. 😊 everything was so yum yum yum. The fried fish 🐠, fried chicken 🍗, pork belly, tofu from the entree and the yummiest tomato 🍅 salad. And last but not the least, sake 🍶 and Japanese beer. The must try alcohol. Thanks for making our evening 🌃 the best experience at your place @AkaSiro.

I have never been this disappointed with a Japanese restaurant before, especially with an "authentic" Japanese joint.  I ordered Higawari Teishoku today on my way to work.  My order was served in less than a minute after I ordered.  I thought, "wow, super efficient!"  When I looked at the dish, disappointment... It's an antithesis to my general impression of Japanese food!  With one trip to Aka Siro, my great regard for Japanese food was devastated.  The taste did not make up for the lack of presentation either.  No wonder my food was ready in less than a minute.<br/><br/>It is rare that I would say I would never go back to a restaurant.  But this time, I am pretty sure I will never go back.<br/><br/>On my way to my car, I was met by a pan-handler.  I handed him the $4.00 change from Aka Siro.  It would have been better if I had not eaten and just handed him the $20.00 bill I had.  I may have been hungry but for sure I would have felt better.

Great little Japanese place. We went on Thursday for dinner so the menu was Tapas style and every dish we had was great. I couldn't fault the food and its good value.

Our air bnb host recommended this restaurant to us so we headed down. We were so happy to find such good food for such a great price ($25 each)! I would definitely recommend everyone try the broccoli, it is absolute perfection.

Aka Siro, slightly off the hipster beaten track that is smith street bring back a feel of japan and quality eats, no complaints from me on anything here

Great home cooked japanese restaurant. a rare gem. I have been here twice and would really recommend to everyone. It is hearty food cooked with care and attention.

I love Japanese food and this is definitely the place to satisfied my taste buds! I orderd he chicken karage with bowl of rice. At first when i ordered i can imagine the taste and i was guessing it will be the same as hoka-hoka bento (japanese restaurant in indonesia), but i was wrong, the chicken karage was super yummyy!! They have big portion so it was worth the price. My friend ordered the fish and it was good

This. Is. Japanese. Food. This is not a western imitation of Japanese food, and you won't find the standard udon-ramen-katsu-sushi menu a lot of Aussie Japanese restaurants have. These guys change their menu daily and everything on it tastes truly, authentically, Japanese. And their sake selection is lovely!

Eat here, seriously. I never liked Japanese food, then I came here. I never wanted to go to Japan, then I came here. Best for lunch on a lazy Sunday, get the Higaware (mixed dish), can not go wrong. I get a little sad when there's nothing more to eat.

“It’s good when food tastes good, it’s kind of like proof you’re alive.”― Haruki Murakami. Since I began working at what is seemingly my dream job in an equally dreamy location for my foodie inclinations, I had thought that I would slowly work my way down Smith st. Luckily, my workplace stresses a great deal of emphasis on the consumption of delicious, life changing meals. In fact, my induction pack included poetry and a list of recommended restaurants and go-to dishes. I had found home.

Excellent honest Japanese food, homely ambience. Reminds me of a gem I found in Ueno, Tokyo. The curry here is bloody amazing. Perhaps the best "home-cooking" Japanese lunch in Melbourne. My lunch for 3 people cost only $60ish with 4 dishes...which scores extremely high in the cost performance area. Highly recommended.

Nice cozy small Japanese restaurant. The staff spoke Japanese, average service. The lunch menu was really simple, few special of the day wrote on the pot lid which was pretty fun. I tried the mini croquettes which was very smooth inside, tasted like creamy potato. I loved it~For the lunch set, I ordered the beef steak that included miso soup with cabbage, brown rice, sliced steak with mashed potato and vegetable salad. The steak was nice with sweet sauce. The salad dress was ok to me. But still, I would go back and try different lunch sets. It is a nice place for grabbing a quick lunch.

Reminds me of my time in Japan. Quick, fresh, friendly. Check out this nice cut of sashimi. The interior setting also threw me back to Osaka. Doumo!<br/><br/>Just did a piece on Izakaya in the publication so it was a timely reminder.<br/><br/>Matt - www.breadwinethou.com

So I'm in love with Japanese food, but this place is a winner because it's different. Don't expect your typical udon/sushi/teppanyaki, this cosy establishment serves tapas that you wouldn't usually find in a run-of-the-mill Jap joint in Melbourne. Look forward to authentic Japanese service in this corner shop located in an isolated suburban street

Love this place. Genuine japanese food. Great service. This place is small, and you may have to wait for a seat - but definitely worth it! The staff here are very nice and the assortment of food is well chosen.

Casual, but very tasty and authentic Japanese food. Many set menus (teishoku) to choose from. My favourite is Gyu-teki teishoku (beef steak). It’s so yummy! Definitely value for money.

Took a friend who was visiting from out of town here. Food was incredibly fresh, high quality, authentically Japanese, made with care, and delicious. It is a very small restaurant so service was quite slow, however, the staff were extremely pleasant. Would return.

Good food. Food here is really great. Fresh ingredients prepared with care.<br/>Staff are friendly but there are room to improve in terms of attentiveness. <br/>The ambience and decor fantastic.<br/>The bill didnt have breakdown (just total price) which was strange, although I was somehow sure they were not dodgy but i suspect some people would be uncomfortable with this.<br/>I would go back for the great food and the ambience.

I don't quite agree with all those favorable reviews. I've been Aka Siro twice so far, one for normal lunch, one for "Donkatsu Day". In one sentence, I felt the food is alright, but if you consider other things like nice experience, It's really rushed and stressful. Both time I had to wait for 3-40 min to sit and get food, all the staff looked really tired, I felt sorry because they were kind and smiling. It's Cash-only for lunch but 18$-25$ per person is quite pricy. I hope the staff are getting paid alright otherwise It will upset me.

Love it!. Been here for lunch and dinner. Both sensational! One of my favourite Japanese spots in Melb.

Menu at Aka Shiro Reminds me of going to Japan when we visit Aka Shiro. I have been to Japan numerous times and love the food, the meticulous nature of how they cook. This little Japanese homely cafe has been our little lunch spot on weekends. Place is Japanese owned and run, menu mainly includes Teishoku (Set menu with rice and miso soup), some curries and main dishes. They also have specials which is written on a lid of a pod which is usually in different colours. Everything in this eatery is based on wooden benches and stools which i think the owner assembled himself i heard him saying once. packed on the weekend. Pretty packed today which is usually the case on weekends. Pretty popular with the locals. They also have dinners on Fri and Saturday nights. Entrance Even the entrance is very Japanesy, “Noren” it is called in Japanese. Nice little spot in Collingwood Some more Japanese arty Deco. Grapefruit Juice and Ginger Beer with lime They have various drinks and a liquor licence.

More than anything else, Aka Siro reminds me of home. The food is very traditional Japanese homestyle cooking that consists of simple and subtle flavours.  A very good thing that’s missing within the Melbourne restaurant scene, and unfortunately, I feel, may ultimately fly over the general public’s head who’s looking for the generic (I guess by now…) sushi and ramen. If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be really like to be offered homely Japanese hospitality, then this is as close as it gets. Rating: Would Go Back.

This small café situated on the corner of Peel St and Cambridge St was staffed by Japanese. Half its seating capacity was dedicated to bar seats, and the other half to spacious tables. The lunch menu consisted mainly of teishoku, but there were also two daily side specials, cutely written on a pot lid, as well as daily drink specials.<br/><br/>I ordered the chan-chan-yaki teishoku – grilled salmon, Chinese cabbage, beanshoots and pumpkin w. sake & organic hatcho miso sauce ($18). On initial inspection of the menu I thought this would be one of those expensive-but-with-small-serves cafés, but thankfully the serving size was quite generous. The most popular dish ordered by those around me was the kara-age, which came with maybe 8-10 chicken pieces. My salmon teishoku contained

...We sip on Hara Kiris, mojitos that substitute rum with barley shochu- refreshing!  When it comes to ordering, the special of the day is a no brainer- salmon sashimi, Tasmanian oysters and a quinoa and Chinese cabbage salad.  Three thick slices of luscious fish languish elegantly on the wooden board- we slather mild wasabi over the rich fish and dunk them in soy before they’re quickly demolished. The cold dishes arrive first.  Halved soft yolk eggs topped with delicate shreds of smoked eel slip and slide on a sukiyaki sauce. Chunks of soft eggplant are delicately flavoured with mirin, soy and ginger and a block of soft tofu is cool and slippery on the palate- the roasted pine nuts and slightly pungent bonito flakes save it from being bland...

The place has great character, the food is deliciously authentic, and the staff are courteous. Highly recommended.

As soon as you enter you are greeted warmly, which is not unusual for Asian restaurants, especially the Japanese ones, but you can feel there is a slight difference between Akashiro (106 Cambridge Street, Collingwood, Melbourne) to other such restaurant. The place itself is warmer, very well staffed (there were I think 4 staff even though the restaurant is itself quite small). Oh and everything in the menu is written in pounds (they probably meant dollars) which just made my day.

Average service, bad food !!. Firstly soon arriving at this restaurant we had a good feeling.. soon our minds changes by the very slow service and bland to say the least food. When leaving we were given a bill with no indication of what we ordered.. when asked to explain the cost we found out they had charged us for x 2 bottles of wine when we had one!!! AVOID!!

Love this place if there was coffee I would be here for lunch every week!

This place is great! Light and airy, relaxed atmosphere and super friendly staff. Food was fresh and delicious with generous portions. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu!

Loved it!. We ate here for the first time last night and loved it! Staff are very friendly and the food was really good. Highlights were broccoli dish and the karaage. It was fun sitting at the bar and watching the food being cooked and reminded us of being in Japan. Will definitely return. 10/10

Absolutely delicious food and enjoyable ambience. Would recommend to anyone.

Cold place (door wide open). Cold food (nothing worse than cold rice). Cold service (in addition to 2 popular dishes sold out only 1 hour after opening).

Went out for lunch. The food was okay but miso soup and rice were so cold. The staffs are inflexible. Wouldn't go back again.

Lovely for lunch. The interior and ambience of this restaurant is beautiful, and the staff are wonderful. We visited for lunch, and the food was very tasty and well-priced. We left full and happy. The lunch menu seems a little limited and are all sets only, so it doesn't really cater to groups that want to share and try a variety of foods.

Simply the best restaurant in Melbourne. Best food, best ambience, best service, best price!! Have visited many times, will do it again and again and again :))

Very tasty, nice ambiance & friendly staff

Yep - ticks all the boxes. Inexpensive, fresh and delicious. We were here for dinner. Will be back

Beautiful place. Wonderful food. authentic, home style Japanese ambience. Felt like we were in the back streets of Tokyo. Loved it and will be back.<br/>ごちそうさま!

Really cosy. This is a great little place with wonderful service. The food was tasty, the prices quite cheap and tucked away off the main street, so, while busy, it wasn't too crowded.

Just perfect. I literally just ate here with my girlfriend for lunch, and we have both decided that we adore this place. It's quiet and intimate, the staff are pleasant and accommodating, and the food is amazing. We will definitely be returning soon!

Always delightful. Been here for lunch a few times now and it's never disappointed. Food is tasty and of good quality, and portions are generous. I like that they provide you with a small bowl of rice to start with to avoid wastage, and free refills are available as requested. I miss the warm, friendly vibe of eateries in Japan, and Aka Siro is as good as it gets in recreating that experience. Can't wait to try their dinner menu soon!

Japanese delight hidden in Collingwood. What a delightful surprise... This reminds me of the quaint little Japanese eateries I had the privilege of visiting during one of my visits to Japan. Tiny, cosy and quaint with friendly service and food packed with flavour. Our favourites were the pork belly with BBQ sauce and kimchi, the chicken karaage and the soy mirin ginger eggplant.... Quirky and quaint we absolutely loved it. We will definitely be back for more.

Frikkin fantabulous. Visited for our third time last night and it did not disappoint. As a starter we had the salmon sashimi and oysters which were fresh and flavoursome. Next we had the sirloin and deep fried chicken marinated in soy accompanied by miso soup. Everything was delicious and the produce good quality. A definite favourite in collingwood and the best Japanese in the neighbourhood.

Delicious!. My bf and I love this place! We always order the karaage chicken dish and it is the best we've had in Melbourne! Keep it up guys! Look forward to many returns.

Bloody hell, that is a good Tonkatsu!. I have now eaten here four times, three times and once for dinner. This place is as authentic as it gets from the friendly welcome from the waitresses to the homely touches of decor. But it is the food I come here for. Their lunches are surprisingly good value. I say surprising because they are not cheap eats but are quite generously proportioned unlike other Japanese restaurants. The three times I've been here I've the karaage, gyu-teki and the tonkatsu. All were excellent. The karaage was moist chicken thigh encased in golden, crispy batter. The gyu-teki was a generous steak with a Japanese sweet steak sauce. But it is the tonkatsu which is the best dish here. It was almost as good as Maisen in Japan in terms of value and taste. The pork fillet was as big as the steak in the gyu-teki. But the most impressive thing about it was how crispy the batter was and how it adhered to the moist, tender pork. And it wasn't oily too. I never had such a crispy tonkatsu before. I can see why they only do it once a month, it is bloody sensational!<br/><br/>I have also been there for dinner where they serve Japanese tapas. Sounds like it can be dangerously expensive. However, we had a variety of small plates and drinks for $35 per head. The stand outs were the pork belly, karaage, broccoli and cheese, and a mussels special.<br/><br/>Highly recommend Aka Siro if you are looking for a value for money, tasty and nourishing Japanese meal within a friendly, homely setting.

Consistently excellent. One of Melbourne's most authentic Japanese restaurants, and authentic as in 'the kind of place you might actually find in a back street in Japan'. Relaxed, informal experience. There aren't many Japanese places doing this style (yoshoku, teishoku) this well in Australia. The side dishes rotate regularly (perhaps daily) and are worth the temptation for off-piste ideas and flavours. I have regular cravings for their navy curry (best served with karaage) among other things. <br/><br/>On my fourth visit recently I notice they're starting to get seriously busy... well deserved, and I hope they stay busy for a very long time!

Just Gets Better and Better. We just had the most wonderful dining experience at Aka Siro. Service was great and friendly : ) Food was absolutely delicious. We shared about 7 or so dishes with dessert and each one we thought 'the next one can't be better than this' but each dish that came was better than or matched the last. We had the special plum wine cocktail which was such a refreshing drink that I had never had before. Authentic Japanese food, with a great atmosphere. A hidden gem!! Don't Miss it!!

The only Japanese food in Melbourne made by Japanese! this is real Japanese food people, after living in Japan I came back to Melbourne trying to find something close to what I was eating in Japan.. finally after years of disappointment I've found a proper Japanese restaurant, not Japanese style but real Japanese!

Genuine & cute. Simple and real. Lovely staff. Honest food. Nothing more I need from my local cafe.

Lunch. Excellent food, I had the pork belly omelet, delicious. Great service and food, everyone enjoyed the meal. Rice and miso included in price, plus offers of extra rice for no fee!

Loved it - Sat night izakaya tapas menu. Everything was well presented and tasted just like the izakaya bars in local Japan. Definitely a keeper! Loved the broccoli starter, simple and delicious! Chicken meat balls also a winner! cosy and warm decor! Will definitely return to try the lunch menu :)

Real Japanese teishoku in a open space similar to izakaya style. If you are looking for simple delicious Japanese set meal, this is the place!<br/><br/>Last review 2013<br/><br/><br/>I recently visited again with friends and feel I have to say how good this place is again! This time round i have photos of the Tonkatsu day and other dishes. Between the 5 of us, we had 5 set meal, that was how good the food here is!<br/><br/>Highly recommended!<br/>

Yummy homestyle Japanese. Had a lovely lunch here. Attentive service with a smile and a warm atmosphere in the backstreets of Collingwood. The food was delicious - loved the karage chicken and the potato salad (on the specials menu). Will definitely return to try more!

Best Japanese in Melbourne. Aka Siro is consistently excellent. I go there around once a fortnight and have never been disappointed. I love going there by myself for a treat - the atmosphere is warm, quiet and clean and service is friendly and efficient. Each dish seems to be always prepared consistently with fresh ingredients and best Japanese taste. My favourites are the gyu-teki, atsu-age, chicken-broth curry, and grilled salmon with bean shoots. Sadly the Sunday special of takoyaki seems to have ended.

Great, light meal. We really enjoyed it. Had rice balls, pork belly and tofu. Delicious, nice ambience (early sitting Friday evening). Attentive and helpful waitstaff. Freshly cooked ingredients- what more could you ask?

This place reminded me of some of the Izakaya bars in Japan. Authentic, fresh, beautifully presented and delicious. The sake was top notch too. Will definitely be back.

Mobile review. Not a hand roll in sight at this small open planned restaurant.<br/>The specials are written on old anodized aluminum saucepan lids.<br/>The fish with sake & soy, is a larger serve than expected and comes like most main meals come with rice and miso soup. It's a lovely fresh tasting dish. Service is quick and staff are always friendly. Well worth a repeat visit.

Good and simple. Everything is nice and simple: set-up, service, food<br/>Meals are cooked to order<br/>Not expensive<br/>Nice, will be back

Good authentic Japanese food. Price tag of $20 per set is on pricy side, but the dish has good flavor and portion of the food is adequate. I think I will be back again.

Most delicious food I have eaten in ages! It is so beautifully presented and cared for. The dining room is warm and welcoming, staff very friendly. Will def be back for sliced pork belly with Kim chi and BBQ sauce. Must try!

Simple oh-so-good japanese. Where do I start? Hmmm, the amazingly friendly and attentive chef and staff? Or the cute little setting tucked away from Smith Street? Or the slow cooked pork belly and refreshing drinks?<br/><br/>One of my favourite place for lunch on a weekend. Good simple, hearty meals. Affordable, no fuss.

Good value Osaka-style Izakaya. Lunchtime main dishes come with rice & miso (home-made) included. Interesting fresh juices and side dishes ($3.50 generally). My Japanese friend thought her Ton-Katsu as good as you get in Japan. A huge serving for $16 plus rice & miso. <br/>Now open Fri & Sat evenings serving Izakaya dishes (Japanese tapas) between $5 and $12. Sake available as now licensed. Great atmosphere, food, staff, and prices. A must visit

Set to Impress. Aka Siro’s open plan kitchen is the focal point of the restaurant. Low laminated table are teamed with long bench style seats which are made tolerable via the addition of seat cushions.<br/><br/>Having encountered menus at Japanese restaurant listing in excess of one hundred items, it’s nice to strike a menu with simply nine dishes from which to choose. Each dish at Aka Siro is referred to as a teishoku or set meal as they are teamed with rice and homemade miso soup. Prices range from $15 to $18 per set.<br/><br/>In addition to the teishoku, the menu also refers to side dishes, which are tiny plates that change daily at just $3 each. On the day we visited, the two sides available were Hungarian sausages that had been skillfully cut to look like baby octopus and a dish of white anchovies with cucumber. Both these little plates were just delightful.<br/><br/>The Ton Katsu or deep fried pork cutlet was enormous and one of the more popular selections on the menu. Personally, I preferred the delicate boneless white fish fillet that had been simmered in sweet sake and soy.<br/><br/>The accompanying miso soup included chunks of vegetables, including eggplant and was one of the nicer versions of this customary soup I’ve encountered.<br/><br/>Given everything on menu is cooked, Aka Siro may be the perfect place to bring that friend who’s afraid of raw fish and is yet to discover the many other facets of Japanese cuisine.

Most authentic Japanese in Melbourne. Before I say anything I just want to say I took photographs at this place and had absolutely no problems (unlike the person below).<br/><br/>I just returned from a trip to Japan and thought I would never find 'real' Japanese food in Melbourne. I was wrong, it's at Aka Siro. Don't expect sushi, but rather fresh produce cooked in hot pots, crumbed tonkatsu pork and beautiful fish in miso sauce. Highly recommended.

Nice afternoon brunch, very clean and simple, but warm n cozy, good service, fresh ingredients, comfortable seating. right portion.

It's great to find somewhere doing authentic, deliciously simple Japanese cuisine. The char-grilled eggplant with miso component of my vegetarian taster plate was exquisite. Every meal comes with miso soup and rice too. We had our toddler with us and found it very child friendly with high chairs and really cute homemade toy vegetables to play with. There was lots on the menu I wanted to try, so I'll definitely be back!

Can be pricy lunch but worth it!. It is not every day lunch for me since $18 is a bit pricy but the Tonkatsu set I had was super great and worth it. Also you can eat rice as much as you can. This lunch set comes with your choice of maindish, Rice, Miso Soup and Salad. I walked out the restraunt with big smile and full tammy. I had a toddler and they were very helpful with a high chair and there were cute little toys for her to entertain before food arrive. My friends had Nizakana (Simmered fish) and Kakuni (Pork in soysorce). They loved these dishes and they looked so yammy. Aka shiro turned into my favorite Japanese restraunt in Melbourne after Tsukiji Lunch set. There are some Japanese cafes in Collingwood which people rave about but Aka shiro is the place to go!!!! Really.

Feel like you could be in a back street in Japan. Great vibe, great food. What more can you ask for.

Great Authentic Japanese food. Shared 3 dishes with sides which were all beautifully presented and very tasty. Staff were very friendly and helpful. So happy to have this little honest place just around the corner from my house! Can't wait to go back to try the rest of the menu. Oishii !

It's great to see this place just opened up. It's a lovely light-filled space with really friendly staff. I got there on a quiet Saturday and had a delicious nasu dengaku (eggplant with miso sauce). It was a delicious version of my favourite Japanese dish!

What a beautiful place! The food is so fresh and the people are so happy and friendly yummy!!!

September 12, 2012 Aka Siro 106 Cambridge St, Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia (No phone Number) When we visited Mina-No-Ie we spotted this small door with the Japanese Noren (doorway curtain) across the street.  At first we thought that it was a gift shop, but on closer inspection we found that it’s another Japanese cafe.  This little cafe seemed to be owned by Japanese and there were a lot of Japanese people inside.  We vowed that we must try it! Once we were seated I felt like we have been transported to Japan, the simple decor and the rice paper sliding doors reminded me so much of Osaka.  Well, until you look outside that is, and see Victoria number plates and wheelie bins… heehee I have read reviews about it that said they are not very camera friendly, so I didn’t bring my big SLR with me in case they yell.  We looked at the menu and erm… I decided to give myself a day off and have whatever I felt like   It’s just that reading the menu, I don’t think I can avoid soy sauce and ot

I first stumbled onto Aka Siro while showing my overseas bffs round some of my usual stomping grounds of Melbourne. In fact, there are quite a few culinary treasures to be discovered on the Collingwood side of Fitzroy. (We were on our way to somewhere less salubrious - but thats a story for another time) Aka Siro is on the corner of Cambridge and Peel Streets, an area that may be familiar to some of a certain persuasion (*give knowing look*). Maybe its the decor (tokyo seen through the

Now I’m a tiny bit cross. How long has everyone known about Aka Siro and not told me about it. This gorgeous little piece of Japan tucked away in a quiet corner of Collingwood.

It's not every day an awesome cafe/restaurant opens in the building you live in, but today is that day, and it's a great thing. Akasiro is open, and it's awesome.

Eating at Aka Siro makes you feel rested, wholesome and nourished. Next time you're in Collingwood, pay a visit to this quiet Japanese haven. Trust me, it'll do you the world of good

So you think you’ve eaten Japanese food in Melbourne? I don’t doubt for a moment that Aka Siro serves the most authentic Japanese in the state; hell, maybe even in the country.

We both loved the detailed little touches in the Japanese cafe… from the rustic wooden benches, to the patterned blue cushions that we sat on, the minimalistic wood-framed windows, and the simple but appealing tableware and knick knacks on the shelves and display cabinets.

Aka Siro’s selling point is authentic, simple Japanese cuisine that will nourish your soul and your stomach.