Review Amimoto - Gold Coast

Super tasty and authentic Japanese food! Chirashi is so well presented, one of the best I've seen in Australia! Great hole in the wall type restaurant, we enjoyed our meal thoroughly😋😋

If you are expecting luxury fine dinning experience, please turn around. However, if you are looking for decent Japanese food at affordable prices, there is the right place for you. It also comes with great Japanese style table service. Highly recommended!!

Alright to good enough value for gold coast and Australia considering the logistics. The tea is alright, not too strong and not the generic tea bags. The sashimi chef's selection set ($28) is identical to the chirashi chef's combination ($27). If I were to come again, I would get the chirashi because of the sushi rice and not steamed rice. The chef skills and technique of presenting and slicing the fish were not a problem, mostly limited by location (being in Australia and needing to ship frozen fish at a higher cost). I'm not sure if there is a proper way of defrosting the fish or a better way but it is noticeable that it is frozen and the fish has lost its more delicate flavors (e.g. sweet, refreshing, etc.).

The place is located on a small lane within a street and it is a super casual place. We got seated outside, would be better to sit inside. Also the place closes quite early for dinner..

Unpretentious, comforting, and delicious Japanese cooking. Off the bustling streets of Surfers Paradise, down a sketchy-looking alleyway, is this unassuming Japanese restaurant. Amimoto is a family favourite and I'd pick this place over many of the flashier fare in the area any day.

A small Japanese restaurant hidden away in an alley off the street. The food is fresh, delicious and good value for money. The Chirasi Don is the perfect bowl for a taste of an assortment of fresh fish and shellfish. The Ten Don is perfect for people who prefer cooked food. The highlight is the Uni Ikura Don which is a must have if it’s in season.

This is the most authentic Japanese establishment in Queensland. It is humble, unassuming and full of character. Fish is fresh, rice is well seasoned. My only gripe is how they soaked tempura in udon with soup. They should serve it on a separate plate. Our tempura items became soggy really quickly. I loved the chirashi bowl, it's great value with a very generous serving of fish and ikura! Yes IKURA! For some reason, Brisbane, doesn't have much ikura. If they do, it's usually not fresh, which is really sad.... so I was really happy to see ikura! Sushi set was quite value for money as well, portion size was decent. I'll definitely order the chirashi again! We were really lucky, we arrived at 2pm and they wanted us to sit at the tables in the alley. Someone was smoking and when we told them about it, they quickly gave us a table inside. Apparently, they were almost out of fish at 2pm! A testament to their popularity in Gold Coast! I hope they open a branch in Brisbane City! Japanese food in Brisbane are mostly run by people of other nationalities. Which isn't a good representation of proper Japanese food. We felt like we were dining in Japan! We will gladly drive an hour for this again!

Amazing 3 fish Chirashi bowl ! Love that I can choose how much rice I eat with my « slab » of fish. The fish was AMAZING. Odd looking little place to have the tastiest fish around. Had to come back after 30min to have my to go order ready but it’s definitely worth it instead of going to them already made sushi places around. Would definitely come back 🤩

A true 'hole in the wall' gem<br/><br/>Hidden in a covered pedestrian alleyway between Orchid Ave and Surfers Paradise Blvd Amimoto fits the classic definition of a 'hole in the wall' restaurant. And it delivers on that promise of inexpensive yet delicious eats.<br/><br/>I had the 'A' set plate of sushi - basically a deluxe nigiri platter - served with miso soup. The fish was fresh and delicious, the rice had good taste, temperature, and texture, and the 'other' toppings - tamago, prawn, scallop, flying fish roe, and salmon roe - were quite tasty as well. Water and tea (both iced and hot) are self serve as are the dining implements. And it's a 'pay at the counter after you've eaten' kind of place.<br/><br/>The hostess was kind and helpful...though the service mainly consisted of telling me what (and where) I should be doing on my own. The decor inside the restaurant was perfectly fine...though I would have found eating in the dark, low ceilinged 'alleyway' somewhat depressing.<br/><br/>My only complaint is that the miso soup was served at the same time as the sushi...and I don't know if that is how they normally do it or if it was because I entered just as the restaurant opened.

Goos service. We were the first table of the day at 11:30am. Good food and nice portion!

Would not recommend! Ingredients were not fresh, poorly cooked, long wait, dingy restaurant.

Sorry long wait and decided to give up after 35mins and told to wait possibly another 15 for two meals... no hard feelings. Not the type of restaurant experience that I expected.

It's is authentic and nostalgic Japan in The heart of Gold Coast. If I live here, I'll definitely go to this place at least once per week! Like the vibe and the food, it's so delicate and tasty in a very harmony way!

The food was all nice !! Luckily we booked in advance as the place is quite crowded 😆 <br/><br/>The Japanese curry was a little salty . The other food was good ! <br/><br/>Great food . The location of the restaurant seems to be there for quite a while . It looks like it’s been here for quite some time as the shops is quite small . But I love the ambience of it . <br/><br/>It’s a hidden part in the Center of the surfers paradise

This place never disappoints! My mandatory lunch stop every time I’m down in Gold Coast! My favourite is the Uni Ikura Don. Brought many overseas friends here before and they always leave with a happy tummy and with a wow factor! :)

Very disappointing!!! A overrated restaurant. I had scrambled egg and chicken don and my friend had ramen. Both of them were extremely salty. There are only two tiny cubes of tofu and one small piece of seaweed in my miso soup. The don itself was okay. My friend said that the ramen was very salty and with no other flavor in it. It was like pouring whole bottle of soy sauce in a single serve of ramen. The were only two chefs but three waitresses. They seemed have nothing to do but chefs were fairly busy. We waited for our dishes for almost an hour. We were starving! Overall, this place was overrated and not worth visiting.

It takes quite long to be seated. And it also take ages to get foods ready. But the longer they make the better the food will be. The food was absolutely beautiful and tasty! Worth it? It is worthy!

This restaurant was tucked away and when we arrived we were a little taken back at how old school it looked. However looks can be deceiving and the actual food was delicious. We ordered a large chefs selection sashimi, set A sushi platter, chicken curry with rice and chicken katsu Don. These dishes came with miso soup, cucumbers/pickles and a salad. We also ordered three cans of aloe vera. The whole price of the meal and drinks was $85 which is incredibly cheap for what you get. We received a whole variety of fresh sashimi including scallops which was unique. Our set A sushi had all kinds of fresh seafood and is also worth trying. Overall generous and mouth watering dishes- especially the sashimi and set A sushi. <br/><br/>Customer service is a little lacking but the food and prices made up for it.

This place is not easy to find,a little hidden from the Orchid Avenue in an allay. The taste is good,and the price is ok. The staffs are limited in English,and when they found some misunderstanding to my order, they became not friendly.

The rice was soggy, and the ramen was not that good and had a piece of ham from like a deli. The rice with the katsu was so soggy that the katsu pork was soaked in like water.

Authentic and yummy Japanese food, simple but good quality food, the venue is hidden in a small shopping strip and was very hot without aircon, with limited spaces, we decided to order takeaway but still very good.

Very delicious！Recommend Chirashi Sashimi set. Many kinds of sashimi and all foods are fresh. The restaurant is located in a lane but it deserves finding it.

A little hidden from the Main Street in an alley is this unassuming shop. Sashimi was really fresh, unagi was a good portion but the oyakodon was only average. Was disappointed with the tempura udon as the tempura portion was small and the tempura arrived all soaked through and soggy in the soup. Should have been separated. A bit pricey for an alleyway shop but service was friendly and quick. Free brown tea is a nice touch!

Back to Amimoto, another fantastic meal with salmon, tuna sashimi with rice and miso soup. Every time I come back I always order the same meal never disappoints.

Although this restaurant may be small and a bit hidden in a tiny alley, their fish are the freshest, the food is market-style authentic Japanese and the service was fast and super polite.<br/><br/>Their $5.50 lunch special was sashimi rice with miso soup and veg, which my husband ordered. He was so happy with his food, it definitely lifted his mood for the day. <br/><br/>I ordered beef soup with rice set and I’m telling you the stock is out-of-this-world umami. <br/><br/>This is easily one of the best restaurant in the area: unpretentious, satisfying, adventure-inducing yet familiar.

This place is a hidden gem in surfers paradise for some fresh and satisfying sashimi. Definitely recommend the chirashi don - great for a cosy quick dinner.

Authentic Japanese meal. We had the Makunouchi Bento, Sashimi entree, Oyakodon, tempura udon and 2x egg and avocado sushi rolls. All were delicious and satisfying. The sashimi was melt in your mouth and soooo fresh. Highly recommended!!<br/><br/>Located within Lido Arcade and easily missed if you’re new to the area. Look out for the Lido Arcade sign hanging from the top and walk in till you see the Amimoto floor sign.

Authentic Japanese food that can't be faulted. Love their grilled white fish with just salt. Tastes very fresh. Come here every year after the Marathon.

Great meal here, well priced. Not exactly a date night destination but really great food.<br/>Fantastically fresh Sashimi, Delicious udon soup, looking forward to trying more on their large menu.

It wasn’t difficult to get into this top rated Japanese restaurant in Surfers Paradise. It’s a tiny place in a small shopping alley, and it looks quiet old. There are Japanese paintings and photos hanging around, and the sight of the old chef cutting up sashimi reassured me that this might be something wonderful. We ordered a pork katsu don - crumbled pork with eggs on rice, tempura udon, and some assorted nigiri. <br/><br/>The rice dish was good. Tempura udon, literally consisted of a small prawn, a piece of fish cutlet, 3 pieces of veggies, and by the time it got to my table, all of the deep fry stuff was soggy. Soup tasted ok. Sashimi ($2.80-$4.50 per piece) was delicious, especially scallop and salmon. Good taste and value for money? Certainly not. <br/><br/>Considering the vast Japanese population in Gold Coast, hence many restaurants around, this place is either overrated or other places are not good enough.

I've been coming to Amimoto for years, and have always loved the Chirashi and the sushi sets.  Service can be a bit slow, but friendly enough.  Their strength has always been the sushi and sashimi - other hot dishes from the menu are a bit meh.  It is also a long wait for takeaway.

This place is a hidden gem. The staffs very friendly but limited in English. Chefs and staffs are real Japanese, you can tell their dedication in the dish’s presentation and the tastes. Been here every single time I been to Gold Coast. Highly recommend

Located in a laneway which looks almost deserted I was recommended this place. It's small inside and I can't imagine a big group coming here<br/>We were given 2 menus and lucky for us we noticed that the 2 menus were different to each other <br/>We ordered the Bento boxes and sum sushi and fried sushi,now that's something different. The fried sushi was only sushi in batter,it tasted ok and so did the rest of the food. The only stand out was the eel and cucumber mini rolls,I really liked the taste! I was expecting more though

这家日餐我比较喜欢的味增汤 因为清淡 且冲淡口中的味道 为下一口食物做准备。食物我点了猪排饭 炸虾套餐 main sashimi 和 fish teriyaki。这家能有那么好的评分很大的一点在于性价比 十分同意 性价比在中上 两个套餐口味中。fish肉质比较老 或许盐焗的可能会还不错。sashimi 以我晚上9点左右来吃的时间算 比较新鲜 但是有一片鲑鱼 时间久了 或许我早来会更好。服务中下 这种餐厅不能以高标准来要求 但个人评分就是这样。值得一来 但不来也无所谓。更适合在这里生活的人。ps 没有照片 因为我忘了。

The janpanese restaurant near the hotel which I stay. It's one of my friend's fav in Gold Coast. The sashimi bowl is good as my friend told me. Please try if you are first time been there like me.

Love this restaurant! Good price and good food.<br/>We are here for holiday. And found this restaurant near our hotel. The location is a bit hard to find. The sashimi is fresh, I love the salmon. And the bento is good.

Animoto is very hidden in one of the arcades in Surfers Paradise. It is true to its roots with its simple, traditional design and staff who, although as kind, have limited English. <br/><br/>The Chef’s selection of sashimi was a great choice - you get a variety of different raw seafood items which are all well presented on the plate. The photo is of the main size, which we definitely had to share. Although it didn’t blow me away as some sashimi in Japan has done (as expected), I enjoyed the dish, especially the variety. I think I expected the food to be cooler in temperature (that’s how I like it), which gives it that feeling of freshness. <br/><br/>The pork Gyoza were really juicy and light. Very happy with these and would order them again. <br/><br/>The condiments and cutlery station is all self serve. The staff seem a bit confused and out of sorts if you ask them questions. In the end, they do try to help. <br/><br/>Animoto offers good value for traditional style Japanese food. <br/>

I think it’s the best Jap food around surfers Paradise area ~ sashimi is fresh and grilled eel is amazing!!! I have been to Japan for many times and I love Japanese food!! I think Amimoto gives u the traditional Japanese food style

The chirashi sushi was yummy. However, I must mention that the quality of sashimi is not expected to be top class. Overall it was good dining experience and definitely value for money.

Small restaurant with a few tables inside and outside (located in a pass under a building that connects two roads). The food was fine, but nothing "wow". You can serve yourself for water, cold or hot tea.

This is a small restaurant tucked away in an alley in the heart of Surfers Paradise. We went to this place three times before we could get a table. It’s always packed with people and the short trading hour made it even harder to get a table there. To be honest, we were so keen because of the rating. After trying, I dont see how this can be rated 4.5. It’s slightly cheaper than most places we’ve been to in Gold Coast, but that’s pretty much it. The restaurant was kinda old, with fittings not taken care of obviously. The food was so so. Ordered a bowl of rice with salmon. I found it a bit weird just to have sushi rice with raw salmon but gave it a try nonetheless. It’s quite bland for me since there was no sauce to bind things together. A generous amount of salmon as you can see in the pic. <br/>Another one we tried was fried salmon roll, which we had another day in another Japanese restaurant and it was beautiful. Here it was poorly executed, the batter was kinda chewy and the roll itself was not good either. <br/>Our stir fried pork with ginger sauce was the best of three, well seasoned and tasty. <br/>All in all, a cheap place to eat but you gotta manage your expectation.

It was very good value for money. We did not book for lunch and got accomodated on the hall way. The sashimi was very good and cheap. $25 for a big main size sashimi. But the decor was very old. And the waitress does not speak much English.

Amazing food for people who seeking for a passionate chef.<br/>Staffs are lovely, and service is good. <br/>Sashimi is really fresh and made with love.<br/>Will definitely come back.

Ordered a shan-shoku don, great salmon and white fish, but tuna was a little soft and tasteless. Service was ok. Will come again and try other dishes.

“I told you mate!!!” <br/><br/>1. location needs bit work to find out hidden i the middle the pathway, environment and facilities 3/10<br/>2. eel fish was completely cold!! how? really? 3/10<br/>3. shrimp dong was like your lunch box forgot to bring Monday then microwaved on Wednesday - the shrimps were bloodily tender tasted with egg....3/10<br/>4. the suba with raw egg nothing to say 3/10 (just don’t try it)<br/>5. the lady didn’t tell there will be surcharge on credit card until you ready wallet! wtf? Was it how people do business here or just assume people won’t bother? 2/10<br/><br/>in general it’s just a one time only place if you visit Surf paradise. <br/><br/>Come back again? unless on my dead body!

Always fantastic in terms of taste, price and service! The egg in the sushi just so tasty and juicy with so many layers of taste. Fish always so fresh and the master who made the sushi/sashimi know his fish and seafood so well! Never a miss cut for different seafood ! The must try place

Authentic, reasonably priced and absolutely delicious! My friends and I went here tonight and we absolutely loved it! Definitely recommend for all travellers who love Japanese. Perfection.

Cheap and tasty. Thats about it. dont expect anything spectacular. if your a tourist looking for a cheap eat then this is the place. But since ur a tourist try somewhere else for experience sake.

I had a eel rice for lunch though the eel was very tasty, it costed me $23 which was pretty pricey I think...it was just 2 pieces of eels on rice and a miso soup, also a small side dish with 2 little pieces of sour veggies. (Not sure what they were cuz I didn't eat them)

DO NOT COME HERE! We ordered sashimi but it was not fresh. This Japanese restaurant was definitely under the average level. Just go anywhere but this one!

First time at Amimoto, Had to come back in 30 minutes because the restaurant was full. Worth the wait though. The food is really good but the ambience not the greatest..<br/><br/>Tried ちらし寿司 (Chirashi Sushi) and karaage. Best karaage I have had no doubt..and the sashimi was delicious!<br/><br/>This place is a must try in surfers paradise.

This has to be the best Japanese in Surfers. Dont be put off by the fitout or the location. The quality of the sushi and sashimi was outstanding. Melt in your mouth. Tempura veges, chicken pieces, and sushi rolls were all a big hit with our family. Self service water, tea, ice tea. Always a good sign when it is full with Japanese guests. Great place after morning at the beach. Cash only.

Good experience with my friend meet in gold coast marathon. Having a good conversation and the fish are very fresh. We talk a lot about running and he suggests me to do Chi Running to prevent me from injury.

DO NOT COME HERE. RUDE SERVICE, not worth the meal you can get elsewhere! Other japanese recommendation: sushi train at Miami; etsu izakaya!<br/><br/>I came here twice, first time was so good, second was ordinary. But first impressions last right? Third time I came the waitress literally rudely chased me off. I tried to explain to her I could wait for a table or was willing to wait for take away. She kept interrupting me and told me no. Super rude, and super unaccommodating when there's a crowd. Only friendly when they are empty and need my business.

<br/>This good little shop is hidden in a small quiet lane，thorough service was offered by friendly staff and cool japanese chef. I ordered the chirashi sushi，food is delicious，not fancy but really tasty！！

This is a homey restaurant, all the food taste like home, not expensive materials, but it's a lovely place for lunch or dinner alone, good for light meal.

A quaint little restaurant hidden in an alleyway within Surfer's Paradise; while the place is really nothing fancy, it feels rather authentic. The three of us came in and happened to be craving some ramen, so that's all we ordered (I guess this was one of our mistakes, as the sashimi seems to be the star of the show here on Zomato). It took around 20 minutes for our ramen to arrive, which felt like quite a long time to wait for ramen on an empty stomach, but they were quite busy that night so it was understandable. I found the miso ramen to be quite good and of a very reasonable size for the price, but my father, who ordered the same thing, was quick to express that he was quite unimpressed. Later, after we had pretty much finished, he tried some of the broth from my bowl and claimed it tasted different, and that mine tasted a lot better! Perhaps there was a problem in the mixing of the broth or some kind of inconsistency to be addressed. Would not mind coming back to give some of the other dishes a try.

Hunted down this place because of the reviews and was not let down. The place is in a small alleyway and ambiance is nothing to shout about but omg the food!!  So frustrated that we live in Brisbane and not at the Gold Coast or we would be back here every week. Am already planning a trip to the coast just so we can dine here again. Great value and generous sashimi servings. As other reviews say, dine early or miss out.

Food is very good. since it's self service you need to get water and other things you need by yourself, which is fun. Also they have Japanese manga and magazines on the inside

First time went there, couldn't order sushi or sashimi because they said it was 7:30pm and they closes at 8:30pm, then 5 mins later the waitress said kitchen closed no order taken because it was TOO LATE?! What, An hour till closing time is too late?! Then the second time the same, got told if want sushi have to come back early. So the third time I went there at 1:00pm lunch time, the same waitress with very bad attitude told me I will have to wait 30 mins for several sushi roll, then 2 mins later she came back told me "sorry can you wait 45mins?" I said 30 mins is fine but not 45 mins, as I was saying it the waitress ignored me and walked away?! No apology no nothing. Well, whats so special about this restaurant? One thing that I know it's that there's only one chef serving everybody and he is bloody slow. You know what, I will save my money somewhere else, and thank you, we really enjoyed being told by the grumpy old chef and the rude waitress that they can't serve us THREE TIMES, how about we just never go back there again?!:(((

The food is good but the place is a little bit small<br/>And it's hard to find it<br/>Seafood is very fresh and taste great<br/>And near to the shopping center so convenient

Great little authentic Japanese restaurant hidden up a flight of stairs and down an alleyway off the main strip of surfers paradise. Their bento sets are large, the karaage isn't too oily and their sashimi is very fresh but maybe the pieces are to big. Their sets give you a good range of food to try.

I'm going to have dreams about this place. Vivid, nigiri-filled dreams. Track this place down and you'll find yourself at the most awesome and authentic Japanese restaurant on the Gold Coast.

Amimoto is a restaurant tucked away in a little arcade/alleyway of surfers paradise. Away from the main strip, it serves delicious authentic Japanese cuisine at an affordable price. With a wide variety, you can't make a bad decision here! Also don't forget to try the Tiramisu Mochi (amazingly delicious)!!

Great sashimi, chirashi don was awesome. Have to go if in the area. Udon also was excellent. Another must try is the black sesame ice cream desert, the ice cream was exceptional quality being smooth and creamy.

Nice little gem in GC. Took a while to find but it worth the effort. Glad we went early and beated the queue. I would love to go back again.

I had been here many years ago, and today Me and my partner had lunch in this restaurant today. the restaurant has been always the same. It is located at middle of suffers paradise. it is very convenience. We ordered sake-maguro awase don (Salmon and tuna), san-shoku don (tuna, salmon and yellow tail kingfish) and Set A sushi combination menu.<br/>The food is authentic. Regardless the raw ingredients, simply the sushi rice are very tasty. they are not too soft or too chewy. and the whole sushi are fresh, very fresh.  I am surprised the price is reasonable.<br/><br/>WOULD definitely come back and recommend!

My favourite Japanese restaurant on the Gold Coast, definately my number one vote. I ordered the combination of 3 types of fish (tuna, salmon and yellow tail kingfish) on a bowl of sushi rice. Served with miso soup.

Great authentic Japanese food! My girlfriend and I ordered the 'I' set which had salmon nigiri rolls and mini salmon rolls. We also ordered the karaage chicken dish with rice and miso which was delicious just a bit expensive though. Didnt think the karaage dish was worth 16 bucks.

One of the most authentic and superb Japanese restaurants you'll come across, on par with the level you get in Japan itself. A very humble shop front hides a wondrous menu with very high quality sashimi.<br/><br/>Thank you for a great dinner on the 4/10/16

Went here for dinner, was okay but expected more considering the 4 star rating. This is more of your standard lunch place, wouldn't go out of your way here. I've had much better dishes in other run down places. We had the chirashi don, grilled eel, agedashi tofu, vegetables tempura and kaarage chicken. Our favourite were the tofu and chicken, these were tasty. Their chirashi was average. Eel was rubbery and tempura was nothing to brag about. Quite disappointed considering all the hype. Paid $75 for two, not worth it.

Travelled an hour from brisbane for very very fresh slices of sashimi but it is all worth it. A pocket friendly eatery which serves really good Japanese food. Recommend the chirashi don here, the rice taste light and the sashimi slices are an assortment of fishes, from tuna to squid. Service stuff are also pretty responsive to our request.

I am a Japanese and am very satisfied with chirashi sushi.It is beautifully assorted fresh various fish. My husband is Kiwi. He enjoyed Nigiri set. I would post 5 star if the misoshiru got more miso taste. All over it's very nice and good price. If you would like to try authentic sushi, I strongly recommend!

Fresh sweet slices of sashimi in the chirashi don! Had a good variety of seafood in it with hella awesome uni😍 would be perfect if the rice was less dry! The fried salmon sushi rolls are delectable! Soft fillings with a crunchy exterior, perfect with the jap mayo that came with it! Would drive down from Brisbane in a heartbeat just for a meal here... if i could drive XD

Homely, feel good, so very soul warming pocket in the heart of surfer's. Only place to have a quality feed without the screaming tourist commercialism in your face. Ordered the teriyaki beef set and shoyu ramen after craving some Asian. Girlfriend ordered a second bowl of ramen as she is a ramen fiend. Walked away with a happy full stomach all for the price of $33. Tipped them and said goodnight as we were the last lingering customers for the night. They close at 8:30 so if you are looking for a late night feed this is not the place for you.

Amazing sashimi the best I have ever had this place is a must for real Japanese food. We enjoyed the chefs selection sashimi, vegetable tempura, gyoyza, Katsu don, soba noodle soup, teriyaki salmon. Amazing!!!

During a holiday at the Gold Coast, we tried this place because of its ratings. We ordered the Shouyo Ramen, some sashimi bento and Tempura Udon. We found the food overrated and although the price appears reasonable, the ramen only had 1 slice of pork. The tempura udon didn't have much taste.

Sooo good!!! Had the bento set with sashimi, tempura, and salted grilled salmon and miso soup . They were all perfectly prepared. The tempura batter was light and crispy and the sashimi ridiculously good. We also had the sukiyaki bento which was amazing. Its served in a claypot pot to retain the heat. The beef was tender and the soup was full of flavour. Dont forget to get their black sesame ice cream at the end.

Nice food with cheap price, strongly recommended sashimi sushi. However, The seats is not enough for everyone. If it's dinner time, you might need to wait for half an hour.

If you are looking for authentic Japanese cuisine then you can't go pass Amimoto. I lived in Japan for awhile and this reminded me so much of the little food places in Japan. Food was all very fresh with good authentic flavours and service was prompt and friendly. Price very reasonable too. Will definitely be back

Good mouthwatering authentic Japanese food and service, worth a visit definitely in Surfers Paradise. Don't miss out on the Mochi - super super yum!

Normally the rating over 4 should be very good, but this one is not as good as we expected. Compared to the nice ones in Sydney, this one is just an ok Japanese restaurant. A bit pricy and it takes a long time to prepare a salmon bento box. The food is alright, especially the fish sashimi is quite thick and tasty.

Great little Japanese place tucked away in a side arcade at surfers paradise. The food is authentic and reasonably priced, a hidden gem in this area. Pictured is the grilled eel with rice and sea urchin dishes with sesame ice cream to finish.

Currently visiting the Gold Coast with my sis during the long weekend and we decided to stop by this Japanese restaurant after reading the good reviews. We walked through the arcade twice before finding the place as they didn't have a restaurant sign (p.s. it's located right next to kimchi house). We arrived around 5.45pm on a Friday and was able to get a table straightaway. Ordered a main size sashimi chef's selection which was fresh, and the una jyu, which was tasty😍🍣🍱. The service were really friendly, even though English were the waitresses second language. I would recommend coming around their opening times, as when the shop gets full, they don't really have a good waiting service and tend to quote waiting times as 1 hr 😋, even though that is usually not the case.

A little gem. Don't give up, if you don't find it right away. It is one of these shabby looking places in the lane way. The food was excellent and very good quality raw fish. The services was lovely. Never judge a place by its look! We'd definitely come back, if we return to the Gold Coast.

This is a humble little eatery that serves great Japanese. We weren't deterred by the shabby decor! Budget dining at affordable prices. Fantastic bento boxes and very warm service.

At this Chinese restaurant the food didn't even come out cooked.<br/>They brought out the hot plate with kitchen utensils and forced you to cook the meat yourself. And I just said to my girlfriend Pam, how rude are these guys ! <br/>Still can't believe we had to do it ourselfs. <br/><br/>Pam ended up burning one of her salmon pieces and she wasn't even offered a replacement. There was smoke all over the place and the waiters didn't even say sorry. We asked for some cutlery and were given chopsticks. Are you for real ?<br/><br/>Won't ever be returning.<br/>Thanks,<br/>Judy x

Had fresh sashimi yesterday, tasted brilliant! Very fresh and tasty, on a really good price! Love it so much!!! But the Udon was just ok, not my type tho. Staffs ok, shop was really small, I think I'll go back for the sashimi again!!!

Quality Japanese food from same chef day by day. No shocked bills. Perfect responsible service. Not for those who can speak english only as they can be culturally shocked.

Great tasting authentic food, especially the signature dish Chirashi Sushi, so refreshing on a warm day. Usually very crowded so always book ahead for dinner.<br/>However they definitely need to improve their takeaway procedure. I ordered a chicken katsu curry don but when I got home, I realized they forgot the chicken. :( <br/>Their disorganized confusion cost them 1 full rating point from me.

Well that was bad...<br/>I came here a couple weeks ago for a lunch with a friend. We walked out feeling quite uncomfortable.<br/>The place looks really old - from tables, chairs to wall to everything. I felt like I was eating my lunch in a homeless shelter. A man who was making sushi pointed his finger to where he wanted us to seat without saying anything which we thought was quite rude. Wait staff looked like they were scared of him. So did we...<br/>We had a Chirashi which was ok. Just ok. Sashimi were fresh, but sushi rice wasn't. It was quite dry. Udon noodle was also ok. The meal was really cheap though, it is a plus!<br/><br/>Even if they had the most delicious food, I simply couldn't comply with how "uncomfortable" the dining area was.<br/><br/>On a good note, the man at the sushi bar said thank you when we were leaving. :)

This place is so small and hidden that it can be easily missed. We ordered a sashimi main platter, sushi set A and a pork katsu don. The sashimi main platter is highly recommended as it offers great variety of sashimi and it's cheap! ($23.00). Their dons are also inexpensive ($7 - $12), served with hot miso soup. Overall, it is definitely a good place to replenish your energy after an exhaustive day at the beach or theme park.

Highly recommend! Good value.Good quality with affordable price. Stayed GC for 3 days came here for 2 times. Sashimi and sushi were good, sea urchin on rice nice too,but curry chicken not so good.definitely will back again.

Stayed at Hilton and looking for somewhere close, came here through reading fellow zomato's post. Sashimi and sushi was good but the hot dishes were disappointing. Katsu don the pork was too dry. Sukiyaki beef was too chewy. Miso ramen was served in a bowl with Chinese writing which was rather weird and as expected the ramen tasted like packet ramen you buy from a japanese shop. I would go back for just sushi and sashimi but nothing else.

Despite the shabby interior (faded or dis colored Japanese decorations), laminated tables, uncomfortable tables, plastic cups and watered down tea, Amimoto's food - the sushi and sashimi, in particular - is rather good. Fresh, good variety and very reasonable. Alas, the soy sauce appears to be watered down too, so maybe take your own. I do. Otherwise an excellent 'cheap and cheerful' in Surfers Paradise.

Several years ago. My favourite Japanese restaurant of all time - Yamasakura closed as the chef decided to retire. Prior to this I'd been trekking down to the Gold Coast once every several months for the last half decade to get some of the best sushi ever. Since their closure, for the last several years, I've been on the lookout, trying to find something that could be remotely comparable to the joys I've previously had.

I was researching for some japanese food around the surfers paradise because we stayed at the Hilton Hotel. I couldnt find this place as google map only guided me to the front of the shop laneway, and only moments later that I notice the shop was inside the lane way that didnt look like hosting good places to eat. Came through this joint (probably only husband and wife cooking) with an extra waitress to assist in serving, but serves very wonderful meal. I was there with my wife and two kids, I had the chirashi sushi, my wife ordered the sukiyaki, and we shared a main unagi dish, tempura, and agedashi tofu. It was a really good meal, and value for money. No other place I know of will serve such high quality dish at this price. Anytime I'm back to Surfers paradise, this is the place I will go for japanese dishes. Only downside is the seating is very cramp in the laneway, other than that - all is good.

My favourite unexpected find during our trip to the Gold Coast last weekend was the little Japanese eatery, Amimoto. Marc and I had lunch at Boom Boom Burgers earlier that day and when we were brainstorming what to eat for dinner, we decided that sushi/sashimi would be light and contrasting. After a quick look on Zomato to figure out which Japanese eateries were close to us and had a decent reputation, we settled on Amimoto which was only a short stroll away. Amimoto is a tiny 'hole in the wall' eatery located in one of the off-street shopping alleys in Surfer's Paradise. We found it by luck because the sign at the front of the alley entrance only says 'Japanese Restaurant' and we went in on a hunch. Even the actual restaurant itself is plain and unlabelled. I didn't know we were at the correct place until I read 'Amimoto' on the menu.

A friend brought us there. It is a bit difficult to find as it is within an alley. They have a stand board that shows the name of the shop. When i walked in, it feels like I'm in a movie, the shop looks like the traditional Japanese sushi shop. The sashimi and sushi are highly recommended. Must go if you're a sashimi/sushi fan!

Excellent food and reasonably priced. Only negative was that we were told our sushi would take 30 mins to come out as they had so many orders, but It's the price you pay for really good food. Our sushi came to the table within 15 minutes of ordering.

A friend recommended this place for our last holiday on the Gold Coast in May, and our group had our first meal of the trip there. Last week I was back on the coast for another holiday, and again ended up having our first meal of the trip from Amimoto, except this time as takeaway. There's other cheaper options around, and you might even argue better value for money ones. But this place seems quite authentic and serves quality Japanese food, so if you're not on a shoestring budget it's definitely worth checking out.

Animoto is exactly the kind of restaurant that Marc and I love eating it. It's fittings are plain but clean but the food was authentic, tasty and inexpensive. Everything was brought out in a timely manner. We remarked that if there was an Animoto near us in Brisbane, we'd be there at least once a week. Not only did we enjoy our meal, the entire experience was great. The nearly hidden establishment was fun to seek and find and it succeeded in transporting us to Japan. We observed many Japanese customers eating their dinners and debating with the chef in animated Japanese. It was quite atmospheric and added to the authenticity.

Poor customer service. The restaurant, not even well signposted, is in Lido Arcade. We (a group of 5 adults and 6 children), went there before 6pm tonight and were told to split up due to seating arrangements. We agreed to do so, but before we could be seated into three tables (2 on one side and the other on the opposite end), another 4 customers walked in and sat at one of our tables.<br/><br/>Not only did the staff stop this from happening, but they tried to squeeze us into two tables with less than seats remaining. This was not only physically impossible with our numbers, but the tables were on a bit of a slope, which will be very dangerous for anyone, including kids.<br/><br/>When we explained that we needed 3 tables, the staff said we had no reservations - well, the 4 customers after us certainly had no reservations too. No effort was made to seat us elsewhere, and the staff attitude was very poor - certainly not interested to have our business.<br/><br/>This being the case, we left, and had much better service at La Porchetta a few doors down. Amimoto - it doesn't cost very much to offer decent customer service!

Terrible attitude and service. Extremely disappointed with the service of the girl at the counter. Twice in 3 days refused us a table when there clearly is free tables. We had 6 people there and even asked if we can wait for a table or sit at separate tables understanding that there is only few small tables free. She just pulls a face and goes we are fully booked very rudely and does not offer a solution to diner coming to the restaurant. Extremely disappointed and won't go back again!

Nice food and affordable price. I will recommend to all my friends. Had both of lunch and dinner in Xmas Eve.Definetly will come back again!