Great little restaurant with both a la carte downstairs and bbq upstairs. Great quality meats including many different parts of Wagyu and it's all you can eat too. Plenty of selection from the menu from seaweed salad, sashimi and sushi, tempura, and more.
It's a clean place with good ventilation. I didn't come out smelling like a bbq like most places.
You can choose either the $58 menu which is great for someone who hasn't been there before, or you can choose the $88 for a few extra Wagyu options. Wide range of sake as well available both warm or cold. Will definitely recommend and come back again!
We came here 3 times within 3 weeks. That how good it was.
Discovered this little hidden gem via my girlfriend (as usual). To be honest I thought it was going to be another generic BBQ joint but the moment the staff brought the coal grill and that beautiful plate of wagyu meat we knew this was something special. The enriched tasted of char-coal meat was heaven! For 58$ per person this was one of the best deal I’ve ever had. Other items were surprisingly fresh and delicious as well, such as sashimi and tempura. Only one time our order came late but the other 2 times it was fine so I guess it was just a peculiar moment in their service.
Overall a solid 5 out of 5 for me. A must-visit for BBQ lovers and the likes!
Came (7 people) in just before the kitchen closed and were happily accommodated by the staff. They even adjusted all the portions on our order to suit our odd number. Felt very authentically Japanese, even though they were speaking Mandarin in the kitchen. Bull tongue, takoyaki, sashimi platter, all just so delicious.
This is absolutely my new go-to Japanese restaurant in Hawthorn. First time was phenomenal, we booked AYCE Japanese BBQ for two, ended up with the whole second floor (yay!) and our own waitress. Our waitress was the best I have ever met, she explained everything carefully and checked on us frequently. Wagyu beef was SO DAMN GOOD, and they definitely didn’t skim on the side dishes. We ordered sashimi twice, very happy with what we paid for. Two hours were enough to get full from all the delish food.
Naturally we went back for lunch. Ordered chicken nanban teishoku and tempura teishoku. Everything tastes right (stressing this because apparently some restaurants don’t know how certain food are supposed to taste like *coughSamuraicough*) and so delicious. Extremely good value for lunch. I’m so happy we found Izakaya Jiro :)
The food is great, the service is lovely . I think they need to get one more staff to help. The place is chaos and noisy maybe that’s the downside of the place. No one clean the table need to be more organised.
6 people enjoyed all you can eat option for birthday celebration. Love quality food and thoughtful service provided. Wagyu beef is of premium quality, ox tongue and tiger prawn tastes really good with charcoal barbecue. Ordered matcha ice cream for several times. Overall, definitely very satisfied and will come back to try the normal menu dishes.
Beautiful food, we’d love to return.
Good food and good service. The wagyu beef was on point.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Needed to have a quick meal nearby prior to watching a movie so decided to go to Izakaya Jiro for dinner in hope to utlise Zomato Gold Offer.
However, upon viewing the menu and asking the waitress, we were advised Zomato Gold excludes:
• Bento Boxes
• Sashimi Platter
• Sushi and Sashimi Platter
• Stone –grilled plate
After mulling for a while, we saw the notice on wall for all you can eat BBQ for $58.00 and decided to opt for that instead.
🔆LOCATION🔆
Izakaya Jiro is situated on Glenferrie Road, very near to Barkers Road intersection where MLC School is located.Downstairs is al-la-carte dining area, and upstairs is for BBQ dining.
We were initially seated downstairs, but after we advised we wanted to have AYCE BBQ we were moved upstairs and allocated at the end of a long high table.
🔆SERVICE🔆
Reservation is a must especially on weekends. We made an online booking via Zomato. We advised upon arrival that we wanted to use Zomato Gold, however the waitress didn’t directly tell us what was excluded from the menu on the offer. It was when I prompted and asked her she then pointed it out. I think it would be good for staff to advise to customers straight away.
When we had placed our orders for the items we wanted for the BBQ, I found the service was rather slow. It took a long while for them to bring out the BBQ stove and the coal had not exactly heated up properly so it took a very long time for all the meats we placed onto the BBQ to cook. But once the coal was fully burning, all the meats and vegetables were hard to control/manage. There was no way to adjust the heat and all our vegetables burnt fast (except for the corn cobs). Some of the meats were overcooked. It was a little difficult to manage as we trying to eat and cook the meat at the same time. So this is a bit of a downfall in terms of the BBQ stove they use.
🔆MENU/PRICE🔆
All you can eat BBQ Buffet
Time Limit: 2 hours
Adult: $58.00
Children (4-12yo): $28.00
Food waste over 200grams will be charged
Food items includes:
ENTRÉE
- Edamame
- Seaweed Salad
- Kimchi
- Takoyaki
- Agedashi Tofu
- Spring Roll
- Assorted Vegetable Tempura
- Miso Egglant (Nasu Dangaku)
- Gyoza
- Crab Cream Croquette (Kani Cream Korokke)
- Salads (Kaiso, Ocean)
- Soba/Udon Noodle Soup (Kitsune, Tempura, Niku)
- Miso Soup
- Rice
MEATS
- Wagyu tripe, Wagyu Karubi plate, Wagyu beef skirt, Wagyu rib finger, Wagyu rump cap
- Ox Tongue, Tenderloin
- Cheese sausage, Pork Jowl, Pork Belly, Chicken Thigh, Chicken Breast
- Tiger Prawns, Squid, Salmon fillets
SUSHI & SASHIMI
- Sushi Sashimi Platter
- Sashimi- California Roll
- Nigiri Sushi
VEGETABLES
- Onion, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Button Mushrooms, Zucchini, Eggplant, Sweet Corn
DESSERT
Ice cream – Matcha, Black Sesame or Vanilla flavour
🔆VERDICT🔆
As my friend and I love eating sashimi and had intended to opt for Zomato Gold, we felt a bit disappointed but was lucky to find that in the All you can eat BBQ Buffet also includes sashimi which was brilliant.
Definitely great value for money. As we really had only 1.5 hours to eat before we had to make a dash to go for our movie, I felt that a lot of time was wasted in waiting for the BBQ stove to come out as it really “ate” into our time limit of 2 hours dining time. If you have the intention to come here to have the BBQ Buffet, I suggest to be prepared and tell them ASAP that you want to have that upon making your online reservation, and once you arrive to quickly order your food items, as service is quite slow, even in bring out the food. They seem to bring out all the cooked entrée’s first, prior to bring out the meats (most are frozen) which took longer to cook. So do take note of this.
Otherwise the food was delicious. The takoyaki, agedashi tofu, gyoza were all made fresh and very tasty, pretty good quality especially when its all you can eat. They do take time to cook these properly which is good to know.
Besides the issue with our BBQ stove which the coal took ages to heat up, we didn’t get to eat the vegetables because they burnt too quickly but the sweet corn was very tasty!
We ordered quite a number of the sashimi, sushi and sashimi and they were quite fresh too.
For dessert I had one scoop of matcha and one scoop of black sesame. The matcha was very bland, I preferred the black sesame, it had a lot of flavour.
We left feeling very full and satisfied.
I had heard a lot about this place and wanted to try it out for a long time. I went in there for lunch and have to say that I was impressed with the food that this place has to offer.
I could not find even one thing that I would change in my experience at Izakaya Jiro. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a good Japanese food experience.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We heard that Izakaya Jiro had an all you can eat wagyu beef buffet for $58 per person and thought it would too good to be true. It was true! We were given a menu with a good selection of food to choose from for the buffet. We ordered the sushi and sashimi platter - the sushi was well made and the sashimi was so fresh. We also ordered the eggplant which was huge and really tender. The miso sauce that came with it was nutty, savoury and umami. The pork and veggie gyozas that we ordered were insanely juicy and perhaps the best gyozas we have had in our lives. The cream crab croquettes tasted crabby and were crunchy on the outside. We also proceeded to order a lot of beef, cheese sausage, ox tongue, squid and veggies. The beef was really good quality and really fatty. We cooked it over the charcoal bbq. It was amazing and delicious. The squid was tender and smokey. The staff forgot to bring us the veggies we ordered but we didn’t remind them as we were enjoying our meat too much. The staff were really quick with our orders and were so friendly. I was blown away by the quality of the food. This buffet in my opinion is truly value for money. I would not hesitate to come back again.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Izakaya Jiro is a two-storey restaurant with A la carte menu downstairs and a new Buffet menu upstairs! They have a cute courtyard out the back as well which was very Japanese themed.
They have only launched their new 'All you can eat' menu option since 2 weeks ago and it is DELICIOUS!
We totally ate until we rolled out the door! The food were high quality and there were unlimited gyoza dumplings, miso soup, takoyaki balls, agedashi tofu, sashimi, side dishes and premium wagyu slices for the grill!
There were side dishes provided such as edamame, kim chi and seaweed salad which were great when we were waiting for our food.
The gyoza dumplings were so juicy and delicious! The sashimi was varied and we got to try a bit of everything. Each piece were so fresh and tasty when dipped in wasabi soy sauce. The takoyaki balls were drizzled with yummy sauce.
I also like the miso soup as it arrived hot and really flavourful but not salty.
We had fun using the smokeless grill and cooking our marbled wagyu slices. There were a lot of different cuts ranging from Wagyu tenderloins, rib fingers, rump cap, beef skirt, tritip, karubi plate and ox tongue. They were really tender and not chewy at all. There were different sauces provided to enhance the flavours. Mmmm soo delicious!
We were so full that we didn't have room for dessert (this is a first!). This place is definitely one that I would recommend to friends and family and will come again!
Thank you for an awesome dinner, Izayaka Jiro.
Izakaya Jiro is a well-known Japanese eatery situated in Glenferrie that’s famous for their Izakaya menu and small dishes. Having recently expanded their offering to serve Japanese BBQ, it’s no surprise that you would receive a top notch, no-compromise experience that’s authentic and absolutely delicious.
With the top quality produce on offer coupled with a traditional charcoal grill, Izakaya Jiro’s new AYCE offer running nightly at $58 per person is genuine value for money, and seriously one of the best BBQ experience we’ve had in Melbourne.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
😱Lizzie’s first impression: humbly situated on the busy strip of Glenferrie road, this place not only has the loveliest staff but also has an array of very amazing and authentic Japanese food.
🍩Lizzie enjoyed: I had the pleasure of trying so many different dishes; some of which really blew me away. The yakitori skewers are amazing and smelt delicious when they came out - I really could not resist. As were their Gyu kushi (wagyu beef skewer).
I tried the Shiitake Ebi Shinjo which were their deep fried mushrooms stuffed with mashed prawns in a light batter - it was amazing and went so well with the light citrus soy dipping sauce. We had some hokkaido scallops which were delicious and smelt heavenly.
You can't go wrong with the mix of sashimi - I'm a sucker for Salmon so anything salmon was right up my alley.
The highlight and the winner of the night was probably the grilled mackerel - I'm not the biggest fan of cooked fish but this was legitimately one of the best fish I've had. Impeccable flavours.
For dessert I got to try the black sesame panna cotta which was in a very different form to what I was used to but the flavours tasted nice - they paired it with a yuzu sorbet which was delightful and tasty.
🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: N/A
🥇Lizzie rates overall: Loved coming here for a Japanese feast and I'm sure I will be back in no time - their menu is so extensive I can't wait to try more items!
Japanese food has been widely known and become one of the most popular cuisines in many countries and why is that?. Not only because of the healthy ingredients, balance taste and seasonings, they’re also simple, light, flavourful and beautifully presented. Here at Izakaya Jiro, you’ll be spoiled by the array of Japanese food selections from sushi and sashimi to grilled seafood and salad as well as variety collection of Japanese sakes and beers.
Yay: Wagyu Beef Tataki, Gyu Tongue, Sushi and Sashimi Moriawase, Izakaya Jiro Maki, Kani Cream Korokke, Soft Shell Crab, Spicy Crab Meat Ball, Hotate Chilli Mayo,Kaizen Yaki, Wagyu Steak, Matcha & Yuzu ice cream
Nay: N/A
We tried the wagyu steak on their menu and absolutely loooooved it! I ordered mine at medium and I thought it was cooked perfectly! The wafu sauce was also delicious! Will definitely be back to try more!
Note that thefo0die.com rating is a 4.5 but in Zomato's rating system, it is closer to a 5.
Fo0die dined as a guest of Izakaya Jiro and as such, the rating does not give any consideration to customer service.
Arriving at the venue at 12pm (when the venue actually opens), we were surprised to find other diners were already seated in the venue which continued to fill up while we were there. Having opened since 2012, the name is actually derived from Japan’s Izakaya (places for drinking with small snacks) and the owner’s name. We parked along Churchill Grove which was 2P on a Saturday afternoon.
After being sorely disappointed by Samurai, I’m so glad I discovered this gem near uni. The teriyaki beef bento box was super delicious, filling and well worth the price! Highly recommended for a quick lunch break.
This was where my husband brought me to on the night our relationship was made official 5.5 years ago. Back then we ordered sashimi, sushi set, etc. Yesterday was the second time we went there, but as husband and wife on a financial budget. Zomato gold made the meal enjoyable without guilt. 😋 Food is still as good as we remember!
Decided to give this place a try as it’s listed under zomato gold. Both my friend and myself had zomato gold and we ordered 2 assorted sashimi, 1 wafu steak & 1 black cod. We were most impressed with the black cod as it had a very unique texture and rich flavour. The other dishes were pretty good as well. It was not too pricey for us since we had 2 complimentary dishes with zomato gold. Will definitely come back here again!
Good food , friendly staff ,clean & nice place
Could not fault the service, fantastic food. Highly recommend the Set B menu from the YAKINIKU menu. Look forward to returning with a group of friends.
I had a tofu bento box at lunch time and it was delicious! Definitely one of the best I’ve had in the area. Although a bit more expensive than competitors such as Samurai, I feel that the quality more than compensated for this.
This place serves above average Japanese food in a semi stylish, dark setting. The lunch deals are great value for money.
The teriyaki chicken lunch time set menu came with rice, miso soup, salad and an appetiser. The chicken pieces were cooked well and they were smothered with quite a yummy teriyaki sauce. The whole meal was well balanced and I can see why this place is so popular.
The service is a little slow at times so make sure you set aside lots of time to enjoy the food here.
This is hands down the best meal I’ve had in Melbourne so far .. awesome price too! We had 7 dishes for $90 all up and left very full and happy.
Came here to celebrate Valentine's day. It was packed! The ambience was nice also the staff were kind as well. Ordered sashimi, lobster tail and wagyu beef. The dishes taste like their rating! Super nice place and very good first time experience in here.
Definitely coming back for more items on the menu.
Good shop atmosphere, worthy to have lunch here. We ordered sashimi and sushi plate and beef don. Beef don is really delicious, a little bit sweet and salty, beef mixed with rice vermicelli. Green tea and miso soup are charged.
We had a fantastic experience and the food was amazing - especially the lobster tail! Everything was delicious and tasty. We will definitely be back!
This is a nice little Japanese restaurant. Came here for a birthday and was surprised that it wasn’t busy on a Saturday night. The quality of food is amazing and the variety is pretty good! Service was great and the staff made sure we were well looked after. I will be back for sure.
Delicious Japanese food at a great price! We ordered the yakisoba noodles, spicy salmon salad and some sushi rolls. I would definitely recommended the salmon salad- it was super fresh and perfect for summer. The sushi rolls were also very nice- I think the maki was definitely tastier tuan the Californian roll. The only annoying thing about my dinner was that the menu offered free dessert for an Instagram post but they didn’t end up honouring that promotion unfortunately.
One thing we have to say is that Japanese dining in Melbourne is top-notch right now, with Izakaya Jiro’s mouthwatering dishes being no exception. Skewers, sashimi, fish – they’ve got everything you’d expect and it all tastes so good!
A popular Izakaya (casual Japanese sake/snacks restaurant) on the popular Glenferrie Road, Izakaya Jiro faces some tough competition for dining options, but definitely does well to assert its place here. With multiple groups dining flitting in and out throughout the evening, that resulted in some unfortunately slow customer service, but that was luckily offset by the delicious tapas-styled Japanese dishes.
We were lucky to be invited to visit Izakaya Jiro. Located along the busy Glenferri Road is a cosy Japanese restaurant which focuses on an Izakaya Style menu. Izakaya is almost a Japanese style tapas, which most items are grilled on a fragrant japanese style grill.
Everything was delicious and fresh with the highlight of the night being the Beef Tataki and Hokkaido Grilled Scallops. The sashimi was fresh and char on every item was perfect.
We also enjoyed the refreshing yes sobet and black sesame wanna cotta for dessert.
Loved the vibe and food at this restaurant. Cant wait to go back!
There's nothing quite like going to a restaurant where they serve you dishes that make you sit back in your seat and think "wow" - Izakaya Jiro is one such place. Situated on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, Izakaya Jiro's exposed brick walls, dark wooden features and Japanese artwork, gives the place a casual but warm and inviting vibe.
Great local Japanese! The service and atmosphere are great as well as the food. My faves are the pork gyoza, chicken yakatori skewers (so tasty and juicy) and the jiro maki sushi.
One of my favourite local restaurants to go to. The food here is always delicious - one cannot go past the amazing array of skewers on offer. The ox tongue skewer is a must, and the soft shell crab entree was a hit.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
4.5
We were excited to try this place out as we have heard a lot about this long standing Japanese restaurant, with a BBQ option at the top or a la carte . We were seated at the bar and was impressed with the meal to come
Renkon Chips – surprisingly really tasty, but what do you expect from anything fried ? It was a winning dish to start off our meal
Beef tataki – This was wagyu beef sliced at a perfect thickness , mixing the sauce with quail egg really accentuated the tataki
Sashimi – The cuts of fish were all extremely fresh , the soy sauce was homemade which I thought was a great touch
Scallop – I could taste the kewpie mayo which provided the creaminess of the dish, the scallops were nice and tender . The cheese on top really made the dish extremely luxe
Tempura – we had the mushroom tempura stuffed with prawn paste, the batter was light and crispy. We really liked how clean this dish was – not oily at all
Skewers- I love yakitori so was excited to try this as we could see the chef cooking away at the bar on this flame and grill . We had chicken, mushroom , beef and some sort of meatball on the skewers. My favourite was probably the chicken, it was juicy, tender and succulent
Sukiyaki- One of my favourite Japanese dishes, a very traditional hotpot with a strong broth, this already had noodles inside so we did not order any rice. The meat which was wagyu was so tender and the soup was very much like the one I had in Japan
Yuzu ice cream – One of the best tasting sorbets I have had this year
Black sesame panacotta, very subtle in taste, could have more of a black sesame flavour
Overall we had an amazing dinner experience here, there was not one thing I did not like but I do have a few favourites that I would definitely comeback and re order
Thanks so much for having us
I came here with a friend who was invited to review the restaurant.
I like Japanese food and i particularly enjoyed this restaurant. I liked the cheesy scallops and bento box. Fresh and tasty.
The venue is spacious yet intimate. They are very popular with the local community and lunch crowd. I'll come back if I happen to be in Hawthorn.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We were very lucky to be invited to try Izakaya Jiro. Fun fact: Izakaya means 'informal Japanese pub'. If this is informal, then I'd be intimated to know what formal is!
We came here on a Tuesday lunch. For Tuesday lunch, this place was doing really well. A mix of people getting their takeaway lunch, and people who want a sit down experience. The wait staff, while they were eager to impress, were equally attentive to us as they were to the other customers.
We got to try a range of Japanese dishes. Each one was impressive. The dish that particularly impressed us was the grilled Hokkaido scallops. I am also a bit skeptical of scallops that are covered in sauce but the scallop retained its tenderness. The chilli mayo was creamy goodness. My friend particularly enjoyed the lotus root chips.
The chicken teriyaki bento box we enjoyed, the sashimi was particularly fresh and the chicken was well sauced. The Chirashi sushi bowl is an excellent lunch option and that sushi rice is morish. The spicy seared tuna salad also satisfies.
We also got to try some fruit sake. I recommend the Yuzu one.
The interior, is informal,with wall drawings, exposed brick, but it feels classy and refined. Even the lucky cat is posh. Hawthorn should feel very lucky to have a Japanese restaurant as good as this.
Eat_today_diet_tomorrow
+5
Izakaya jiro serves authentic and delicious japanese food. Can't even begin to describe how much we love this place. The sashami is fresh and high in quality. Their homemade spicy mayo in their spicy salmon and avo salad was amazing. We were also lucky enough to try the grilled king fish cheek, which they only get 2 pieces per day. It was fatty and soft. The grilled lobster tail is also another must-try dish! We also love the wagyu sukiyaki, taste like what we have had in Japan.
For dessert, we had the kurogoma panna cotta (black sesame) and tempura ice cream. They were not too sweet, just like traditional japn desserts. Really yummy.
The staff was lovely and the place has nice japanese style interior.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We were invited to Izakaya Jiro last night and were thoroughly impressed. The space was packed to the rafters with all types, families with their kids in school uniform, regulars who were enquiring after the owners family by name and then there was the one woman who I overheard say ‘we’ve just come back from overseas and couldn’t find Japanese as good as this’, after a few courses I had to concur.
We started with some traditional alcoholic beverages. Japanese as we know is not only renowned for sake but also its plum wine or umueshu. We tried a couple of varieties the sweeter kishu and then the more citrusy yuzu. Both delicious and very drinkable though they also have a full wine list if you prefer something less authentic.
The staff selected what they said were the most popular dishes which can sometimes be challenging as you don’t necessarily get what you would have preferred but in this instance it was a good opportunity to try some new things. We began with some yummy sashimi, lotus chips and some crunchy school prawns followed by a tofu salad. We were told this was a bit hit with vegetarians and while I’m generally not the greatest fan of tofu the tasty house made dressing made this a fabulous little dish.
The staff were non stop filling up our green tea as we moved to the second course. Here we had some gorgeous chilli scallops in the shell (our waitress said they were her favourite on the menu) and a selection of skewers covered in the most deliciously sweet sauce (I’d be hard picked to select a favourite between the chicken and prawn not to mention the chicken ball was also very flavoursome).
Our last dishes were the lightly fried mushrooms stuffed with prawns and the beef hot pot with raw egg both of which were interesting options that I haven’t seen before. The menu here is so varied it is well worth trying something a bit different. We finished up with a yuzu sorbet and tempura ice cream which was a nice light way to end the meal. With fabulous atmosphere, great interiors and delicious dishes that were all beautifully presented (that even feel somewhat healthy) there’s certainly a lot to like here
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
After reading the mostly rave reviews for Izakaya Jiro, I had my fingers crossed that they wouldn't disappoint. Turns out that I didn't have to worry at all, Izakaya Jiro went on to exceed all my expectations.
Started off the night with crispy renkon chips paired with two different plum wines and a yuzu sake, all which were refreshingly light and tasty.
The cold entrees comprised of incredibly fresh sashimi, succulent and thinly sliced beef tataki and avocado and aburi salmon salad with a zesty and spicy dressing. Hot entrees were the mixed skewers, lobster tail and tempura mushrooms and prawns. All deceptively simple but executed perfectly to showcase the natural flavours of the ingredients.
The standout dish of the night was the grilled kingfish cheek. The flesh was moist and tender, yet firm enough not to fall apart when picked up using a chopstick. The Seafood Dynamite Rice was a very indulgent end to our savory course. Topped with lots of cheese and seafood, it was moreish and hearty.
Desserts were kept simple. Black sesame pannacotta with green tea powder and rice powder, and plum wine sorbet. A lovely way to end the meal.
Thank you to the owner for the invitation and the team for the wonderful hospitality.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
A nice and humble Japanese restaurant tucked along the busy Glenferrie Road. We visited on a Thursday night for dinner and the restaurant full of customers - probably the busiest Japanese restaurant in the area! Upon arrival, we were greeted very warmly and taken care of throughout the night by lovely staff.
We got to try a number of their most popular dishes, all of which were attentively prepared and full of flavour.
Lotus root chips - a classic starter. Crispy and crunchy, can’t go wrong with that!
Wagyu beef tataki - fresh and delicious beef, topped with onions and the cutest raw quail egg, which adds a nice creaminess to the dish.
Sashimi moriawase - a nice assortment of about 5 different kinds of fish, all prepared with care. It’s served on a frozen grapefruit too, so creative!
Tofu salad - a delightful salad made with organic tofu and a stunning dressing that tasted like sesame! The addition of pickled ginger really completes the dish too!
Kushiyaki skewer - watching the chef prepare these on the charcoal grill made our mouths water for this dish! An assortment of 5 different kinds of skewers, brushed with a yummy sweet and savoury sauce. Our favourite was the tsukune, it was so tender and juicy!
Shiitake ebi shinjo - probably one of our favourite dishes of the night. It’s essentially shiitake mushrooms stuffed with mashed prawns, fried in a light and crispy tempura batter. Unique and very tasty!
Hotate chilli mayo - love the chilli mayo sauce! It adds a nice flavour and richness to the scallop.
Grilled kingfish cheek (special) - I was surprised by how amazing this dish tasted! Grilled to perfection, the skin was crispy and the meat was tender. Another one of my favourites!
Dynamite seafood rice pot (special) - this seems to be one of their most popular dishes, and I can see why! A clay pot filled with cheese, seafood, rice, and that addictive spicy mayo sauce; absolute heaven! A very hearty and filling dish, but perfect for a Winter night!
Wagyu beef sukiyaki (special) - a very nice and flavourful broth. Dip the piping hot beef into the raw egg, which costs it like a rich and oozy sauce, and cuts down on a bit of the saltiness of the dish. Yum!
Black sesame panna cotta (dessert) - 2 cute blocks of creamy panna cotta served individually to each person. Very light and not too sweet, but the black sesame flavour could’ve been a bit stronger!
Overall, we were very happy and satisfied with our meal at Izakaya Jiro. Thank you again to the lovely owner for the invitation and preparing such a wonderful meal. Highly recommended!
Izakaya Jiro serves authentic japanese food with passion and pride. Their sushi and sashimi is as fresh as it comes- it all melted in our mouths! We particularly loved the Nasu dengaku (miso eggplant) and sizzling tofu dishes- full of flavour and absolutely delicious!! The wagyu beef with egg dipping sauce, scallops and tofu salad were fantastic too. There really wasn’t a dish we didn’t love or didn’t taste incredibly authentic and tasty!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I visited this Japanese restaurant with my partner and we had an amazing time. The service was outstanding and the food... superb.
We had a range of dishes and I’ll detail some of the highlights from the night. One of my favourite dishes was the sashimi with a range of different seafood, this was magnificent. The fish is delivered daily and you can taste it! Yummo
Then the wagyu beef served w a quail egg was equally as good. We tried some skewers of chicken, beef and zucchini which were fresh and tasty.
A salmon salad was light and crispy and the salmon was just seared. Another winner.
We shared a lobster tail which was delicious, full of meat w a wonderful topping of cheese and herbs.
And finally we tried a beef hot pot w a raw egg, and this was fantastic. I absolutely loved it.
The drinks are special here, I had THE best shot of sake and a soju, which was soo good I want a bottle! Hahaha
This place has a bbq grill upstairs, and they have a sake room and a very, very reasonably priced menu, different for lunch and dinner. If you like delicious Japanese food then you have to visit this place.
Thanks to the owners for the invitation to visit this restaurant. I’m definitely going back!
So much delicious food!! Loved the fried chicken tatsuta age dish, best fried chicken I’ve eaten in ages. Yakitori skewers were really tasty. Kingfish sashimi was delicious. We got the sake tasting paddle, enjoyed trying a few different types of sake. Service was friendly and food came out promptly. Will definitely go back!
Overall the ambiance was really nice.. small cozy shop with very friendly staff! We got seated at the bar---surprisingly quite spacious (it wasn't cramp and plenty of place for food and drinks). Great menu--lots of options for both food and drinks!
Price wise it was quite affordable given the quality of the food!the only downside was the wait time... (waited about 50 mins) by the time the food arrived we were almost done with our drinks! However this was offset by the quality of the food as well as the service!
All in all--would definitely recommend the place but fair warning-- best to book in advance and be prepared to wait for food.
Definitely the best Japanese you can have on Glenferrie Road and in the area. Usually come here for some otoro sashimi when I feel like indulging in some fatty tuna. The yakitori sticks are fantastic as well. Personally prefer sitting at the bar to be close to the action and watch the yakitori chef work his magic.
Nice place for a casual meal with good taste, i ordered curry and fish of the day ,both nice, the fish is great grilled! will go there again.
Perfect Meal with 6people in this small Japanese restaurant. Food are so fresh and delicious , price is also beautiful. So lucky we got the sword fish head, superb dish ever.
This is one of our go-to place for lunch if we fancy Japanese food. The food is authentic that sometimes you don’t always get the same deal in town consider there are so many Japanese eatery out there. Food is always fresh and well presented. Our fav is the lunch Benton box where you have a bit of everything. A must try if you are in the area.
Outstanding food. Best Japanese on Glenferrie road. Blows Samurai out of the water, but be prepared to pay more.
My only criticism would be that it is not authentic Japanese, despite being run by Japanese - perhaps the best way to describe it would be modern. Attentive, if aloof service - but not unfriendly.
The lunch menu is an absolute steal for the price. Light, filling, delicious and fresh food. Sake menu is also nicely rounded. If you're new to sake, don't try the cheap stuff as it will probably put you off. Imagine being introduced to red wine for the first time by ordering the five dollar house. Go for a junmai ginjo.
Can't wait to return.
Second time here for lunch. Came for the bento box and they were really nice. Place is small but clean and tidy. Flavours are balanced and portion is more than enough for one person.
On point Japanese restaurant. We sat in the ground level for a casual dine on a weekday, Had sashimi and some of the grilled dishes from the yakitori bar.
The sauce is a must and did not disappoint us that the flavors of the meat and veges were all enhanced.
sashimi on the other side is slightly smaller but the freshness is definitely reliable!!
Menu structure is to ensure theres something to eat for everyone :D
Envious to locals, for this price and quality I would come everyday!!
My new favourite local Japanese! I still can’t get over the reasonable pricing for such quality food, particularly the sashimi dishes. The service was so on point and attentive as well. The relaxed yet sophisticated setting accommodates for everyone, from couples to big family groups. I highly recommend!
A nice place for experiencing different types of japanese food. The kushiyaki combo was a good start to sample different types of 'yakitori'. The tsukune (grilled chicken meatball) is recommended. Also they had a special 'chef suggestions' menu of spicy crab meatball & grilled lobster tail that you should try if visiting.
We also enjoy the saikyo cod & hotate (grilled scallop) butter.
Overall a nice experience & good service.
Fantastic food and great atmosphere. Even on Monday evenings it is busy, but staff were friendly and kind enough to squeeze us in. Izakaya style done well, reminded me of the local diners in Japan.
Been here twice in the past six months. food and price were generally fair. Only downside was there were limited parking available which meant we have to park on the neighbour street
Mitochondria Powerhouse
+4
My fellow mitochondrion and I were pleasantly surprised by this establishment - it had nice decor and attentive service. It is reasonably priced too! We extracted energy from the following:
- Kingfish Sashimi (pictured): nice and fresh with great texture
- Tempura Sea Eel with Unagi Sauce: this selection was from the specials board - the tempura coating was light and crisp and the eel inside had a pleasant sea/fish taste with a soft texture
- Roast Eggplant with Red Miso Sauce (pictured): was amazing; the flesh was soft and the miso sauce salty and sweet with umami from the miso. We ate this was some rice
- Takoyaki: about the same as you get anywhere but without the ginger :(
- Okonomiyaki: we'll be giving this a miss next time. Was not how we expected, it was quite literally the okonomiyaki batter without cabbage. It had a couple bits of what I assume were octopus throughout, but was pretty tasteless and somewhat dry despite soaking up all the sauces. It was almost as though I was eating a really fine pancake made from potato. It was bad.
- Yakitori (pictured): was prepared fresh by the young man behind the grill. It took about 10 minutes to be done but boy was it worth the wait. The chicken was succulent, and the sauce not overly sweet with nice burnt bits here and there. This was probably the highlight.
- Black Sesame Pannacotta with Green Tea Powder (pictured): first of all, why was this cut up into three? and secondly why was it completely covered in not only green tea but dried corn powder? The flavour of the corn powder was very overpowering, and made the pannacotta difficult to eat as the powder would collect on the roof and back of my mouth and dry things out. Without all of the powder, the dessert would have been a light and somewhat refreshing end to ones' meal.
We will be coming back again and trying more of the menu, especially items from the grill. What we wont be eating is the okonomiyaki and the pannacotta.
I’ve been meaning to come for years. Had a friend in town and so glad we chose this place.
Friendly, professional and attentive staff. Food was delicious and came quickly.
Highlights for me was the grilled beef with white radish and the the eggplant with a tangy hoisin sauce. My friend enjoyed the shitake skewers and the gyoza.
Arriving at opening time there were 3 parties waiting. By the end of the meal the place was packed.
Looking forward to returning.
This is a decent spot to sample Japanese style 'tapas', where the small plates are designed to be shared. We tried Takoyaki (think fishballs but with octopus), roasted eggplant with miso sauce, softshell crab, grilled eel, vegetarian soba noodles, sizzling tofu and vegetarian spring rolls. The highlights were the sizzling tofu and Takoyaki - delicious and flavourful.
Super attentive service from the moment we entered to when we left, possibly just a bit too much attention as the restaurant want full. We were so impressed by how fast the dishes came out. The decor has a clear Japanese theme featurung their plum wine and sake bottles and I especially loved the hut out the back.
Udon&beef tofu pot. Worthy to try. Especially for the ending of a busy workday , a bowl of hot soup relieves tired and makes me feel relaxed.
Went for dinner yesterday because we're around the area. My friend kept on raving about their takoyaki so we had to order two, it was good, slightly crispy and really soft inside. I really like the lotus chips and the potato and cheese croquettes, really creamy! We also ordered their sushi and sashimi plate, the fish were fresh so its good. Everything else was good but we didnt quite like the okonomiyaki, it was a bit too soft and somehow a bit like mash potato. Service was good, our waiter kept on checking on us and made sure we got everything we need.
Definitely my favourite takoyaki, it was crispy on the outside and so fluffy on the inside with multiple octopus pieces. Most of the ones i get have more flour and just 1 piece, but the ratio is great. The sashimi was fresh, and the sukiyAki was exceptionally tasty! Great service as well
For me, this is one of the best non-Japanese owned and run Japanese restaurant, the sashimi is fresh and tender but the cutting is a bit thick. The tempura eel is nice. The wa fu steak is juicy and full of flavour. Will go back to try other things
fish good fresh but portion small though
sukiyaki very ordinary
seafood dynamite rice pot good
they should mention that the $24 tuna belley is only 6 pieces of fingernail size tuna not worth it given the price tag
I like this place. Everything that came out (but the eggplant, that wasn't very enjoyable) was absolutely delicious. Would recommend this cute little restaurant to those passing through. Nothing too fancy, just good hearty flavours.
Been a while since I last visited one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in the area (along Glenferrie Rd).
Ordered the "Chicken Nanban" from the lunch set menu. Great value for money with a filling amount of tasty chicken accompanied by salmon sashimi, a bean appetizer, miso soup and rice!! The salmon was fresh and texture was excellent. The chicken was also delicious with a good amount of seasoning, not overly salty or overpowering.
Will be back to try many of the other menu items!
Nice place close to camberwell, Kew, of course hawthorn locals. Food not exceptional as some high end koko or nobu stuff but definitely worth a try, heard it a year ago and finally had time for a go. 40$ average and we are fully loaded after that. Service is fine and care, just not fine dinning level but come on, 40$ a person what else do you want, service is 7-8/10, but I give it 10, because even we come on a Saturday night, two routines, 6-8 and 8-10, busy but still warm welcome. Cheers will definitely come again and again.
Food was amazing. Service was attentive. We had charcoal BBQ set menu B, the quality of meat was high standard.
The exhaust fan worked very well too, which didn't make the place smoky.
We will definitely go there again.
Amazing bento with vey fresh ingredients, generous portion sizes and very good value. The tempura was the best I've ever had, ver lightly battered and you could not taste the oil. Well recommended
Ordered 4 dishes over a Friday night dinner.
The server didn't help us much with our order and we didn't really know what to expect. Ordered four dishes: shoft shell crab, spicy miso fish, kushiyaki combo and a takoyaki.
Spent about $60 on four plates that were nothing special and weren't filling at all.
I suppose this is a sake grill bar so the food isn't the main character when coming to this place.
Everything we had was delicious overall. I'm not sure if i would recommend this place to someone that wants to try japanese food.
Food and staff were great. Reasonably priced and the lunch bentos really hit the spot. I had the Jiro's Deluxe Bento and the sashimi was fresh and the chicken was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. Would definitely come again in future to try their lunch specials.
Great place for a small gathering or a dinner date. The staff are friendly and are on top of their game. Feels like you're dining at a fine dining restaurant with the level of service they offer. Also great atmosphere as it is not a huge place so it is a good spot to get away to.
Had their special which was the lobster tail and that was pretty amazing. All the other food was pretty good as well with a well balanced out menu and plenty of choices for drinks.
Love, love, loved it. Prompt friendly service and sublime Sashimi accompanied by beautiful sake. Definitely my number one choice for Japanese on the area. Can't wait to go back :)
Ohhhh my absolute favourite restaurant in Hawthorn aka my hood. The downstairs a la carte menu is vast - you can't go wrong with anything on it! The upstairs grill room is fun - cook your own meat seafood or veggies on the grill with a few Sapporos! I don't know why they're not open on Sundays but you should definitely check it out!
I really liked the food at Izakaya Jiro, the menu caters for everyone. Service was really good and attentive.
Overall i was pretty impressed with this place. Will be back to try more food.
Great service, food and atmosphere. Best Japanese in the area by far! Love the veggie skewers, edamame beans and the tofu salad. Will be back again soon!
Details: I will be back!!!!!!!!! Absolutely to die for. With the reviews it had I was expecting greatness, and I am happy to say that it delivered. The chicken teriyaki melted in my mouth. It came out sizzling in the tastiest sauce. We got the $35 sushi platter to share as well which tasted very fresh and delicious. I loved the beef stir fried noodles!! Again, the sauce on these was delightful. We also got tasty edimames to begin our meal! If I wasn't driving then I definitely would have had some sake :( oh well, I'll be back!
It was also only $25 each and I was so full. A bargain!!
Service: Okay. Can't really say anything exciting about the service.
Decor: Very cute Japanese restaurant!
Decent Japanese restaurant with sufficient room - although, I would recommend booking anyway as it did pick up as the evening went on. Waiters were efficient and quick and food at the start came out very quickly. However, I note that there is a delay between the entree-like tapas and the mains (e.g. stone grill plates) of about an hour. Like with more share plate joints, the portions aren't big and filling; I would recommend getting less entree/ nibble dishes, and more of the grilled plates with some rice. You will feel less underwhelmed that way. The food and flavours are generally quite nice although some dishes weren't quite what I expected and therefore left me disappointed.
Great food especially the shiitake mushrooms for entree. The Wa fu steak on the hot plate was also really tasty as was the tempura ice cream for dessert. Highly recommend, attentive staff and good atmosphere. Perhaps having just one waitress would be good though as at one point a waitress poured...
Quite impressed with their food and service. All staffs are so attentive and friendly. A place that i would highly recommend if you're after a great variety of Japanese food from the classic ones to street food and drinks.
Fantastic food. Highest rated in the street it sits on, and certainly lives up to its rating! Sashimi moriawase was very well presented. Also had the cod which was fantastic.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Top-notch Japanese place with authentic flavours. We added this place to our collection of the best Jap places in Melbourne. We started the evening with an ox-tongue and a beef skewer which were unfortunately just average, flavour-wise. The fragrance was a bit underwhelming but both were nice in texture.
We then ordered the sweet bean curd udon and it was the best udon we had in Melbourne. The broth was flavoursome yet very clear and light. The noodles were smooth and firm. The bean curd went really well with the seaweed to deliver a balanced taste.
We also tried the pork belly stone grilled which was delicious. We really enjoyed the fresh red ginger taste which lifted the dish and made it very refreshing.
The last dish we tasted was the steak stone-grilled which was absolutely yum. The smokiness flavour and charred taste coated around a cube of naturally sweet and tender beef really made the dish memorable. It has been a while since we had beef that tasted like this in Melbourne.
Overall, this place really reminded us of the time we travel in Japan. Authentic, refreshing Japanese flavours with great services make this place stand out among other Japanese places in Melbourne.
The hat trick - cool ambience, great food and very friendly service. I didn't expect much but every dish was excellent. I started with a selection of skewers - they were very tasty (almost on par with Nobu). I then had sashimi which was fresh and well prepared. The nasu dengaku and gyoza were at the upper end of what I've had at other Japanese restaurants and the wafu beef was delicious. Also, try the lychee cider.
This cosy izakaya was a pleasant surprise. Straight down to it, my grill plate teriyaki chicken was tender, juicy and daringly cooked just a tad beyond that translucent pinkness. The simple sauce itself was sublime. The broth to the soba noodles was also light yet flavoursome. The real menu winners here however seems to be the plethora of yakitoris which seemed and smelled amazing. Good ambiance and attentive service rounds off a solid experience.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Came here for an early Father's Day celebration dinner with my family. We didn't find the food to be mind-blowing, but it was still great. It's clear the restaurant only uses high quality ingredients - the prawns in our seafood dishes were extremely fresh and had a fantastic bite to it; the greens in our salad were equally fresh and the light, tangy, subtly sweet dressing was deliciously refreshing. We also tried the raw baby octopus, which turned out to be a hit. It was my first time trying octopus raw and it definitely won't be my last. I also enjoyed the okonomiyaki a lot, but at $9.00 the serving was tiny! We also ended up getting a Dynamite seafood claypot which was a special that was on the wall. It ended up being this super heavy, cheesy rice dish. I didn't sample it because I was already full and the heavy cheese sauce looked a little sickening, but my family thought it was tasty. However they were trying to dig around for the parts that weren't doused in the heavy sauce because it was honestly an overkill.
Overall my experience at Izakaya Jiro was definitely a positive one. The food quality is top notch, and the service was on par. They were very happy to amend the dishes to suit dietary requirements i.e. we mistakenly ordered the Sukiyaki Hotpot ($16.80) forgetting that it had beef, and they were happy to substitute with seafood instead, for a bit extra of course. However I'm not sure I would return. Although the dollar value of the dishes don't appear that high, the servings are so tiny you'd probably end up needing to order a lot more dishes than normal. Having said that though, if you were looking for a light meal then this would be a great option.
A great little Japanese restaurant with an appealing lunch menu. We came here for a quick lunch on a Sunday afternoon around 1:30pm, and had plenty of seating options. We all had the tempura teishoku, and were definitely satisfied by this dish.
It comes not only with a generous serving of tempura (two prawns, a mixture of around 6 vegetables), but also a salad, rice, miso soup and a little spicy picked vegetables. The dish is presented wonderfully on the tray, and all the elements work together really well, providing an interesting and delicious meal.
It was quick and easy, and very affordable!
Really lovely food here. The gyozas are delicious. I always order the shiitake mushrooms too- scrumptious! The salmon was amazing (although last time it was a very small portion which was slightly disappointing). Nice atmosphere too.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I have been fortunate enough to dine at Izakaya Jiro three times in the past year and each time have felt the quality of the food and home-style ambiance has not dimmed but improved each time I have visited.
The freshness and integrity of the ingredients used are inimitable even in the most revered of Japanese restaurants around Australia.
There is a casual, yet sophisticated feel to the small restaurant that comes with the authentic Japanese food and their attentive staff that belies the busy street it is situated on.
I would suggest ordering several of the single dishes to share.
In order of preference, my top 3 dishes are;
1. Jiro Maki - This sushi roll is infused with the perfect amount of flavor and texture. There is a unidentifiable nutty, smoked flavor to the roll that I have never tasted before in Japanese cuisine that makes you want to come back only to taste this one dish again.
2. Black Cod Saikyo - Only ranking second because of my recent trip to Nobu at Crown. Still, a fantastic combination of simple ingredients and excellent cooking technique. The smoked flavor is pleasant and very graciously mild towards the senses.
3. Shiitake Ebi Shinjo - Fantastic bursts of warm soup and soft prawn and mushroom in these little bundles.
One dish I couldnt seem to wrap my taste buds around was the Nasu Dengaku. Eggplant goes easily anyway for me, however the thick outer shell and extremely steamy sauce were not a favorite as it was both difficult to cut from the stalk /shell and digest when the water content holds so much heat.
All in all 4.5/5, not because of their other dishes, only because I wish they had a restaurant closer to my home.
Them Takoyaki balls 😍. Delicious Japanese food, especially loved the Takoyaki and the Spicy Miso Fish with Crispy rice (from the specials board). Service was super quick too, will be back to try their lunch bentos next time I'm out that way!
Only downside if I had to be picky is that your green tea is filled so high that the mug is literally too hot to handle...although hardly a complaint when it's free refills!
Nice food, good service. The strawberry nigori sake is worth to try, sweet and strong strawberry favour.
Ive had lunch here and both meals were great. I'm a sashimi/seafood fan and I was impressed by the set meals. I like eating at the bar because its got a good view of the Japanese drinks and its very relaxing.
Nice dining place, good interior. Food is nice designed. Price is just above average. Quantity is small. Taste of food yami. Space of sitting is little bit tinny. In general, nice place to visit. Will come again. One more things to mention. Parking is so disappointed in this area.
Hawthorn is not the first place I think of when I am in need of a place to dine, but even though it is out of the way for me, it is undeniable that Glenferrie Road and Hawthorn in general has a diverse culinary scene which is worth the effort to visit. . Izakaya style dining has always been something I look forward to. The flavour imparted to the meat from the charcoal grill is a lot more desirable than the smell it leaves on your clothes though.
Top food quality, at the price point, certainly a good dating spot :) Also, when you see the serious female manager smiles, you will feel like you are in heaven ;)
Very delicious food. Service is good. I quite like this place. Definitely will come back again (and again). I think the female manager is nice although she does look a bit serious sometimes. :)
Izakaya Jiro is a cute little Japanese restaurant on Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn. The service is always great, as is their tempura and vegetarian gyoza - my faves! They also have very affordable little bento boxes for lunch.
Excellent. Sushi and sashimi were amazing, it was fresh and very well put together. Our other dishes were all very good as well. Only negative was the drinks service was average, as 1 of our drinks came and the other didn't arrive for quite a long time even though we had asked where it was.
This place is in Glenferrie and it is about a ten minute walk from Swinburne main campus. I have heard many good things about them so I wanted try them for a healthy meat free lunch. It was really warm day so a light lunch was also warranted.Izakaya Jiro had been mentioned a few times in The Age Good Food Guide.
The restaurant serves very delicate Japanese cousin. There are many choices on the menu and food in general tasted good with balance of flavour. We picked a special bento box and stone grilled pork set menu. There all tasted good. Sashimi was very fresh! The scollop was big and rich with creamy sauce. Stone grilled pork has very rich flavour.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Izakaya Jiro is a delightful place to go to. The downstairs seating was buzzing and a better ambience than upstairs. We had the sashimi and sushi platter. The sashimis were amazing. There was salmon, tuna, mackarel, etc. All of them were nice. The sushis were alright. We also tried the chicken seeker, ox tongue skewer and cheese sausage. The cheese sausage was amazing. Each bite into the meat gives a burst of cheese in your mouth and it was very delicious. I was having the ox tongue for the first time, so am not sure how it's supposed to taste. But what was served to me was very nice. The chicken skewer had an amazing sauce on it. But a tad bit over cooked because it was just stuck to the skewer. The ell tempura was very crispy and fresh. It tasted nice. Maybe a tad bit of spice on it would have been nice.
I also had the black seed panna cotta with green tea powder. The green tea flavor was very over powering to the panna cotta hence the taste of the panna cotta filling was lost in between.
The staff who served us was very nice. Very friendly and amazingly helpful.
I love this restaurant and personally it's my favourite Japanese restaurant . The food is so fresh and the service so good. Reminds me so much of my travels to Japan . I wish I could rate higher than 5 . If you want great Japanese food then you need to eat at Izakaya Jiro.
I absolutely love this Japanese restaurant. The only reason why I haven't rated them a 5 is that there have been occasions where my dish has come out really late in comparison to my friends, or the waitress hasn't been able to communicate effectively in English or not told us the specials. Otherwise the food itself in terms of quality, authenticity and freshness is just superb. Not to mention their gyoza are the best going around. On the most recent occasion I came here with friends, we had the teriyaki chicken, sashimi, veggie gyoza, pork gyoza and some tasty plum wine! I couldn't fault anything. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place for a date, or a group dinner. They can get very busy Friday and Saturday so booking is a must.
One of my "go-to" spots on Glenferrie Road. Some of the best service you can ask for, and always helpful for recommendations. Normally order a lot of "smalls" and share with people that I'm dining with and just eat and order and repeat until we're full! Love that you can BYO. They're always really good about reservations and seating you right away.
Been here several times before. It's one my favourites in the area. The food is always amazing!
The waitstaff occasionally get confused, but as a whole the service is friendly and their confusion doesn't detract from the overall experience.
Would recommend the wafu steak, teriyaki chicken, salmon sashimi, or the gzoyas. But to be honest, everything that comes out of the kitchen looks delicious & appetizing.
This place also has a broad range of drinks on the menu too. It's great for a small group or a date. Weekends are busy, so book ahead if you go.
Love the ambience here. The food was good.. love having yakitori. Service was well-intentioned but can be a bit brusque at times. Overall a good place for dinner.
Had teriyaki chicken bento box. It came out with salmon and tuna sashimi which are fresh, sushi is tight and tasty, tempura is also delicious, and the teriyaki chicken was awesome!! it was crispy and juicy, I was actually supprised. The price might be higher than average but worth the try. The staff is helpful but a little bit cold... I will definitely come back for the food.
Have eaten here a number of times & they have all been positive experiences. Big fan of Japanese food. It might be slightly bias, but still a great place to eat. Some of the dishes though are quite small for the price you pay but it isn't enough for me not to be a repeat customer.
Have been here a few times and love it! The food is amazing. The Tuna Toro is my go to dish along with the Tempura Eel. Always busy and the wait staff are always glad to help with questions, even if the language barrier gets in the way a little. Great range of sake and good beer on tap.
delicious Japanese dishes made for sharing, as well as carefully crafted cocktails and wine ready to compliment any meal. Izakaya jiro, where the name best translates from Japanese as "pub," provides a simple, authentic and welcoming environment; it is the perfect place to relax or have an elegant evening out. At Izakaya jiro, you'll experience Japanese dining at its finest. The menu at Izakaya is great. The food is perfect for sharing with the whole table as Asian tapas. The gyosa is very good and a must try! Also the 'do it yourself' stone BBQ up stairs is a perfect place to through a party for 10 ppl.
Went there on a Saturday night and expected a wait but was pleasantly surprised that we could head straight upstairs. Order a few dishes to share which included yakitori skewers, tofu and a few main dishes. Serving size was incredibly small but it tasted amazing. The atmosphere and food didn't make up for the price tag hence 3.5/5. Perhaps the lunch specials would be a better deal.
The food is top quality, and it would want to be at these prices. We enjoyed our dinner of sashimi, skewers, and agedashi tofu but personally I found all of the flavours a bit too subtle.
We had the teriyaki beef bento ($16.80) and the seafood bento ($17.80). The beef was deliciously tender and flavoursome (cooked pink on the inside). Good value and nice ambience. Service was efficient and professional, though uncommunicative when it was busy (understandably). Will return soon.
Lovely Japanese restaurant.
The food was marvellous and came out very quickly after ordering.
The only negative thing I have to say is it took forever for a waitress to come over to our table and take our order, we signalled a few times and they completely ignored us.
That being said, when they took our order they were friendly :)
This place although expensive is fantastic! I would eat everything here as a last meal without doubt. Cant wait to do the charcoal BBQ!! YUM
Service was good, waiters were very friendly and attentive. Food portion size was very little however, quality was excellent. Would recommend if you got a lot of money
Such a good little place, enjoyed all the food I tried, love the ability to share the little dishes. Staff were friendly and very atentative. Highly recommend the octopus balls.
Great food. We have been here tons of times and the food is always up to par. The skewers here are wonderful and unique. The mini prawns (comes in 10 prawns a serve) are a must - so crunchy
Can't believe we did not try this place before! Refined Japanese cuisine with a wide selection of choices at affordable prices ! Absolutely loved the experience and will be back for dinner next time. Reservations highly recommended.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Traditional Japanese dining with a sake/grill bar.Upstairs you can choose the 'do it yourself' option where you can enjoy a conversation while cooking all the ingredients over a sake, cocktail or a refreshing Coedo beer. The ambiance is relaxed and spacious with modern minimalistic Japanese touches to the decor. Staff are absolutely delightful and service is efficient. The food- from every tiny appetizer to the heartiest main dish- rich aromas, fresh ingredients, healthy and nutritious meals, delicate textures and artful presentations are all qualities which make up elements of the food at Izakaya Jiro. The variety of dishes consist of vegetarian, poultry and seafood- no one would ever feel left out here! Izakaya Jiro are masters of the yakitori (skewers), this is what we look forward to the most when we dine here, with a variety of meats and veggies, the skewers make a great entree/ snack dish. The Gyozas are hand crafted, uniquely shaped (more round than usual), juicy and cooked to al dente level. The main grilled dishes we sampled were also fresh and cooked to a sizzling perfection including seafood, fish, beef and chicken. The colors are stunning and freshness is of the highest standards. The desserts we sampled were fun and hit the spot- lovely way to finish the meals- the plum sorbe was light and refreshing like a ball of an icy cocktail! The black sesame pannacota was impressive with nutty and fresh flavors combined with pillow soft and powdery textures. Now my love affair has begun with the humble looking tempura ice cream- oh my- what a discovery!!! Soft and oozy Ice cream covered in crispy golden crumbs on a tangy berry coulis - feels just like a blanket of love or a teddy bear hug!!!... Izakaya Jiro's food design, quality, generosity and presentation are evidence of care, pride, discipline and talent! Hats off! : ) Arigato!!
Love their food~ it's very yummy.
N love their plates! U can feel the love from the plates they selected 😁 the sashimi is quite fresh and the grilled lobster is yummy and worthy for money 😝The Kurogoma Panacotta is the best! Black sesame filling with green tea powder, the balance is terrific!
The food here never disappoints. Have been a few times and both the food from the grill and their fresh sushi are fantastic. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Would definitely return. The highlight was the sea urchin roe (uni) sashimi. Yum!
Quality Japanese food here. Especially their seafood. They grill their fish with care to perfection. They also have decent bento box selections. I suggest trying the seafood one out of the bento boxes. Good service and good decor. A bit overpriced. Beware that they charge you for the tea even if they offer it to you like water.
Excellent authentic Japanese food here. Definitely have a look at the specials board before ordering as there is always something unique and tasty. The vegetable tempura is well cooked and not to oily and soggy. The lobster tail special is also delicious. The black sesame ice cream is great and not too sweet with good toasted black sesame flavour.
We had really good food from Jiro last night. The sushi patter and sea urchin were fresh and delicious. Service was good and prompt, even on a Friday night.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Had a fantastic dining experience at Izakaya Jiro on a Wednesday night. In the mood for Japanese, we thought we'd try our luck at a nearby place I'd heard some nice things about. And lucky we were, because this small and unassuming restaurant was packed! We scored the last two available seats at the end of the bar and we could not have been in a better spot. Perched there, we received amazing service, got to ask the friendly, attentive staff an array of questions about dishes and sake, and had a birds eye view of all the amazing dishes coming off the skewer grill and out of the kitchen.
My standout dish was the deep fried mini prawns devoured whole and so quickly I forgot to get a photo! We also ordered the mixed skewer plate - a great sampler plus the oxtail and tentacle skewers. All were delish, but the yakitori are a must. We also tried the daily special of grilled spicy crab ball which had the most amazing spicy mayo, the scollops are incredible and the shiitake mushrooms were a delicious accompaniment. After this we were too full to even try the sashimi, but did sneak in a couple of delicious desserts: Plum sorbet and Rice Cakes- both small in size but huge in flavour.
Verdict: extremely well priced, fresh and tasty Japanese food. Exceptional service and lovely atmosphere.
Tip: Make a booking! Couples- sit at the bar.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Izakaya Jiro is a lovely Japanese restaurant to visit for all occasions! It's run by Japanese people and the ambience is very comfortable and nicely decorated. The place is warm and inviting, it'll appeal to a lot of people.
The food is very high quality. The sashimi is extremely fresh, and the salmon has a nice fatty taste which I just love! Presentation is also exceptional. The other foods we ordered were equally good, including the grilled scallops, lobster tail, wagyu tataki, etc. I also loved the sparkling sake which not all Japanese restaurants have.
The only little criticism I had with the food was the ponzu sauce can be a bit sour and overpowering with the cooked wagyu dish. This was very minor and all the other foods tasted really good.
The service was friendly and efficent and parking is also great on Glenferrie Rd. We were able to get a booking on the day which was also a bonus. Price is reasonable for the quality of the food. Izakaya Jiro will not disappoint and I highly recommend them!
nice place good food.
They always busy at dinner time and food always fresh and nice looking.
Price is a little bit higher but the service is pretty good.
Was there for dinner last week with my father , we were both so hungry and the food was fantastic . Can't wait to be back ! Also it's a good idea to make a booking before going .
Excellent Japanese food,. The yakitori chicken would have to be a stand out dish, everything we ordered was just so fresh and great beers on tap
The decor of Izakaya Jiro is simple and rustic, with the brick walls contrasting with the Japanese art for a fusion feel. Modern music plays in the background, and the atmosphere is lively yet not too noisy. The staff were friendly and attentive, changing our plates after the entree dishes and ensuring our glasses of water were never empty. The service was average, about a fifteen minute wait at most for our dishes.
Managed to get a last minute table on Saturday night with Izakaya Jiro, must have been our lucky day as they are always fully booked!
Greeted by friendly and helpful staff. Food came out quick and all executed beautifully. Would have tried more of their skewers but fiancé is not much of a fan.
Definitely grabbing another friend to come back and try the rest of the menu!
DAMMIT JANET I LOVE FOOD
+3.5
Delightful Japanese cuisine however portions were disappointingly small. This place made it onto Melbourne’s Best Cheap Eats 2015 list and while the food was relatively cheap, you sure don’t get much of it (eg. $4.50 for an Ebi prawn skewer). Just a heads-up.
This food is as close as I've come to being back in Japan! Beautifully fresh, incredible flavours and an excellent sake list. Reasonably priced and staff were absolutely gorgeous! Can't wait to bring more friends here to experience great Japanese food :)
Deliciousness!!! Salmon sashimi is always fresh...seafood bento box for lunch is my favourite...excellent value too! A must try is the Scallop hotate, YUUUUUMMMY!
I picked this place for my birthday dinner, based on location and Urbanspoon reviews. It was a good choice :-) with 4 adults and a toddler, we got to sample lots of different things on the menu - and I reckon that's the way to go at this place. Sashimi was fresh and lovely, and everything deep fried that we ordered was light and crispy. Standout dish for me was the grilled swordfish belly special.
Delicious :-)
The crispy school prawns were amazing and we ordered several. Swordfish belly (special) was also fantastic.
Really fresh sashimi.
Wait for food was not long and staff were friendly.
Perfect place to go try and share lots of little dishes.
Parent note: no high chairs.
Surprise after coming for the 2nd time. I've been to here twice. the first time i mainly tried the tapas and grills which i think it's alright and nothing much special. howver the 2nd tme when i came here really surprised me. the tuna toro and sea urchin sashimi tastes so fresh and the sea urchin tastes so much better than the ones in sydney fish market. we enjoyed the japanese bbq a lot. i must say the lobster tail with wasabi mayonnaise tastes so yum and matched perfectly with the mushrooms. service is very good and i wouldn't hesitate to come back here again.
The food is amazing. So far its been consistent & that's the reason why we keep going back. But depending on when you go, the service can be horrendous. Everyone is polite but just a bit vague. You take the gamble that things may not always happen in a smooth fashion compared to other restaurants with experienced waiters.
The food is quite neat and nice, as you’d want Japanese food to be. The chef is the owner and is Japanese, which probably shows in the food itself. At lunch time you can get the Teishoku, which is a small set menu with miso soup and salad as well as rice.
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+3.5
Izakaya Jiro opened late last year on Glenferrie Road so we thought we’d try out the new local restaurant for lunch. There’s a wide range options on the lunch menu. Mum ordered the Tofu Steak Teishoku (Organic tofu with mixed mushroom teriyaki sauce, $9.80, came with rice, miso s oup, salad & appetizer”) – and I had the Seafood Bento (Mixed Seafood with Wafu Sauce served with Daily Appetizer, Assorted Tempura, Sushi, Sashimi, Steamed Rice, Miso soup, $16.80) The appetiser for the day was a mix of sliced shiitaki mushrooms and taugeh. Mum’s teishoku tofu was cut into three rectangles and fried in a light batter, topped with a enoki and shiitake sauce. She thought the tofu was good but the sauce a bit rich and overpowering. The components of my bento were: tempura (prawn, eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato), mixed seafood (2 pieces each of prawns, battered fish, calamari and scallops), sushi and sashimi (salmon, tuna and kingfish). The sashimi was very good, particularl
The wagyu beef tataki is absolutely stunning – thin, lightly seared cuts of wagyu beef, sliced onion accompanied by a plum flavoured grated radish. We are instructed to pour the cracked open quail egg on top and mix until our heart’s content. It’s a fresh mix of tender beef and vegetables, and a great start to the night.
Designed to deliver meals tapas-style, most of the dishes are served small so that a variety can be ordered.
The restaurant has a modern feel, with slick black furniture, but the walls are made of bricks with Japanese ornaments. The menus are cute - they are presented like scrolls, with crinkled and tea/coffee stained paper, although this does make them a bit annoying to read. There are many choices, including a range of skewers (minimum order of 2 per type of skewer), grill, sushi, deep fry, noodles. Service was good - we were offered help with deciding what to order, the staff were polite, and frequently topped up our water. Reasonably priced and the portions aren't massive, but adequate. Takoyaki ($6)- These were great, especially considering we got five takoyaki. They were hot, the outside was crisp, and there was sufficient octopus on the inside. Chicken teriyaki ($16.80) - This had a fresh feel, as it wasn't too overburden with a thick, overly st
Fantastic. I went there last friday for my boyfriend's birthday with his family. This place had been on my wish list for quite a while and I have to say it was just such a fantastic feed. The food was beyond my expectation. This place some what reminds me of Tokyo Joes in Hong Kong. Probably my favourite eats and Izakaya came pretty close to similar, so I was pleasantly surprised. My favourite dish would have to be their scallops- can't be good for you but damn good. Service was great and the sushi melts in your mouth. The quality of their seafood is above average. I can definitely say I will be going back.
BEST Japanese cuisine !. Saturday evening. Reservation essential. My partner and I ordered: Kimchi, Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sashimi, Veggie Gyoza, Veggie Tempura, Udon soup, Kaiso sald and oh so delicious fruity cold Plum wine. Ordered 2nd and 3rd serving of Tuna Sashimi and Veggie Gyoza. Damn delicious, beautifully presented, very reasonably priced and staff were lovely! Look forward to coming back.
Great Izakaya. Really enjoyed this Izakaya, with the usual Japanese dishes on offer with excellent Sashimi. This may sound ridiculous, but my only gripe was at the speed of which the food came out and that we received it all dishes at once. We are not at McDonalds guys.
Amazing Japanese in Hawthorn. An impromptu find, Izakaya Jiro offered a welcoming atmosphere and warm attentive staff. Like many modern Japanese restaurants, the interactive ordering system made the meal a breeze, and satisfied our hunger very quickly. The sashimi was brilliant, and highly recommended for casual diners looking for a really nice meal.
Very impressed with this place! Food was all really good, the skewers and gyozas were awesome, and reasonably priced as well, our group came to about $30 each a head and we were all full.
The food here is absolutely amazing. We had a massive selection of entrees and was extremely happy. Highlights are the pork belly skewers, beef skewers and also the cheese hotdog skewer things, an explosion of cheese and flavour when you bite into them. Service was good enough
Expensive but very well prepared. The food was prepared very well and was tasty and have good appearance. The only critic I have is, it is expensive considering the small portion they give. However, I was impressed with their pork belly dish and their takoyaki - the best takoyaki I ever had.
A really nice Japanese restaurant! Been here for both dinner and lunch. The lunch sets are well priced and there's a nice variety, from the humble rice bowls to the larger sets. Dinner and drinks menu is quite extensive considering the restaurant itself isn't all that big. The food is exceptionally well prepared here. Every single dish was really nice. Also the cocktails here are amazing! The restaurant's atmosphere is really nice for dinner - subdued and relaxed but also very sophisticated - A great date place.
EDIT 23/01/2016: I recently went for the yakiniku upstairs and chose set B. For $50/head, I thought it was a great range of meat and seafood. I would have liked a bit more vegetable (or maybe a salad) though. Unlike Korean BBQ, the meat is sliced really thinly so you have to be fairly quick in order to enjoy them at their prime taste. I admit we overcooked almost everything, as the staff leave everything entirely to you. The dipping sauces are also really nice.
Best lunch in town. Good is fresh, amazing quality and delicious. Best bit is that it's reasonably priced. You can get a restaurant quality meal for around $10! Service is friendly and prompt.
Excellent food. Cosy atmosphere.
Friendly service and nice food. I was particularly impressed with the sushi and sashimi platter which had generous portions and fish was very fresh and juicy - there was enough for one piece of each variety of sashimi for the three of us. Nice recommendation of sake by the staff and really friendly service :) Would save more tummy room for tapas and little dishes, can probably skip desserts next time as they weren't the highlight of the night.
Affordable quality authentic food. Love the variety in the menu and quality food at affordable prices. The small dishes are great and appropriately priced, which is great if you want to try a bit of everything. Good quality stone grilled Wagyu beef, and great to share on a date.
The strawberry mochi cakes are also delicious for dessert, as it's got that chewy texture 'just right'.
Delicious!!! Loved this place sooo much! The food was amazing and reasonably priced, the staff were lovely and the atmosphere was great too. Been wanting to go back every night!
Mediocre. Made a reservation for 8:30pm, went ok waited 2 minutes to be seated. We ordered
- Kushiyaki Combo - Delicious, very small portions
- Renkon Chips - thinly sliced, crispy, was ok
- Sashimi Moriawase - $23.50 and dish was very tiny
- Pork Gyoza - delicious
- Kani Cream Korokke - highlight out of all the dishes, delicious crispy outside texture with a very soft filling of crab
Dessert
- Kurogoma Panacotta - delicious
- Tempura Ice cream - nice, sweet and delicious
Overall, service was ok, food was ok, portions were very tiny and pricey
The food was just lovely and the service was fantastic the girls were all so lovely and helpful. Definitely will be going back.
Authentic. Amazing service, and authentic yakitori grill! Absolutely delicious, highly recommend and will be back for sure!
Wonderful izakaya. Great food, awesome staff and nice environment, if you are a fan of japanese food, you have to try this out
Great looking restaurant and fantastic atmosphere. Food was great and reasonably priced. Beer upped our bill somewhat but other than that this could become one of my favourites. The menu is expansive so will need to go back with all the family.
Fresh fresh fresh!. Could not highly recommend more!
We live around the corner and frequently come here. The tuna sashimi so the freshest!
The pork skewers full of flavour!
If you're hungry to for the yakisoba noodles with chicken. Highly tasty and filling for good price!
To top it off get the green tea and black sesame ice cream. Yum!!!
Zen!. Had a bento box lunch - great value - ~$15 for chicken teriyaki, tempura, sushi, sashimi, appetiser, rice & miso. Chicken very tender, teriyaki sauce nice consistency and not too sweet. Tempura was nice, light batter. Sushi and sashimi very fresh. Cute place, nice zen vibe. Wait staff terrific, very sweet and attentive.
Very nice lunch experience. Food was beautifully done and price is very reasonable
Have gone twice to this place and tried the lunch and dinner menu. Food is great, sashimi is fresh and service is quite good even in a busy Friday night. Staff is quite knowledgable and don't look down on people when explaining menu items. Cudos to a great restaurant that provides high quality food and great prices!! Will definitely come more often.
Wow. Yum! The grilled chicken balls and sausage were amazing. The rice balls with miso paste were surprisingly tasty. Delicious gyoza! My boyfriend said the prawns were some of the best he's ever had, and he has been a chef for 20 years. Basically everything we ate was delicious. The ambience was lovely and the service was fantastic and delightfully friendly! Highly recommend.
Great Bento. Had the Jiro bento off their lunch menu. Each individual item was fresh and tasty. Great value for money. Friendly staff, who were also so accommodating for our child. Definitely coming back!
Great food and atmosphere!. Last time we ate here we sat at the bar which was great!
The food was delicious and we got to try lots of different things! Will definitely recommend to others!
Plus the recommended Sake was just perfect!
Best lunch deal in Glennferrie Road. A group of work colleagues found this Japanese joint for lunch, it has been surprisingly fantastic. We almost tried every lunch bento box, every one is tasty and nice presentation. Terriyaki beef is so tender, melting in your mouth. Sashimi and sushi are fresh, tempura is very authentic, the portion is just right, the price is reasonable. We always enjoy lunch here.
However, after few times there, recently we have found out that sashimi is getting smaller. I hope the owner/chef (same person) do not do silly things to cut corner, he will lose customers if he is doing this way.
Amazing. Always delicious. Affordable. Yum wasabi shake. Agadashi tofu is incredible. Ordered like 5 at once OMG feed me now! White guy at the bar is cool too. Staff are nice. 10/10 will come back.
Small & Cool Place. We sat by the bar which was great as we were able to see them grilling the yakitori and we had our drinks refilled easily. Food was delicious though servings were small. Food went well with sake.
Head for the counter. Loving this place! We ate at the counter and the fabulous GM took us through a whole range of different things the eat and drink.
It's one of those places that is full of menu items you want to try and everything was prepared with care and attention. It would be truly great if the yakitori were cooked over coals, but that's hardly a cause for complaint.
Will be back before long as there's still heaps of interesting things on the menu that we didn't get to.
Great sake range but the Tokyo Moscow Mule was the standout drink.
Great authentic Japanese food, excellent staff.
Nice ambience, enjoy.
Great Izakaya Experience. Wow...been waiting for a place to have some decent yakitori in Melbourne for a long while. Finally we now have one. All the skewers we tried were nicely cooked and weren't too far away from what you'd get in an average yakitori restaurant in Japan. We tried the chicken thigh, pork belly, chicken meatballs, japanese sausage and beef fillet and none of them disappointed. We also tried the crunchy prawns and chicken karrage along with the miso eggplant which was a delight.
Sitting at the counter, service was great, with constant small orders placed as each previous meal was polished off.
Ticks all round!. Have been to izakaya jiro a number of times and have always thoroughly enjoyed my experience. the food is delicious, the staff are attentive and courteous, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is lovely and laid back. one of my favourite spots for lunch :) :) :)
Best Japanese ever!. Great food with good, clean flavours. Plenty of variety and reasonably priced. We love the squid in a tepanyaki sauce and the miso eggplant is to die for. One of my favourite local places!
Best local japanese.. Go the miso eggplant and ox tongue skewers. perfect for a quick meal. everything tastes fresh and made with care. i love it!
Fantastic!! Try the scallops.
Takoyaki hai hai haiiiiiii so good. The place is really nice inside too.
Great Experience. Had an awesome dinner on Friday night. The food was fantastic and presentation and the service was very good.
The guy running the show was fantastic, explained in detail the meals we ordered and the variety of sake as well as how traditionally you have sake served. Overall great experience and would come back! Go Hawthorn!
Awesome experience!. Firstly, Izakaya definitely deserves to be sitting further up in the charts. My husband and I had been eyeing this place off for months before we were able to go and I have to admit, the wait was well worth it! The food is delicious and the service is friendly and more than happy to offer suggestions and background on some of the dishes. They have an ample selection of alcohol, both Japanese and international. The ambience is lovely also - it is a mash up between industrial chic and modern Japanese. We are very much looking forward to the next time we are able to go.
I have to start off by saying I was pretty excited to see a new izakaya embrace kushiyaki (grilled skewers) such as Yakitori but for a reasonable price. There are too many "izakaya" in Melbourne serving below par expensive food. Here though the prices are more leaning towards reasonable and the service is attentive without being intrusive. Some of the dishes ticked all the right boxes (Renkon chips, tako wasabi) others were above average (takoyaki, not molten hot which was a shame) and others were a let down (the kushiyaki. Sauces were too sweet and the Yakitori lacked the chargrilled flavor). Had a fair few dishes plus a carafe of Sake for $40 all up which compared to other Melbourne places isn't that bad. I'm kind of on the fence with this place. Perhaps needs some more time.
Beautiful food I recommend
Perfect every time. I love this place! the service is professional and attentive, decor is lovely, food is always fresh, perfectly cooked, well presented and clean tasting. The menu is very broad and detailed. I never get sick of going here! Best local Japanese restaurant.
The best Japanese I've had in a long time. The sashimi was super fresh, the kaisen yaki was perfectly cooked-tender and succulent, and the ponzu with the gyoza was perfectly balanced. Possibly a little on the expensive side as the dishes are on the smallish side so after lots of dishes it adds up (total bill $120 for 2, no drinks) but still excellent value because the produce was of such high quality, I'm happy to pay a bit more for a smaller serve if it is a high standard. Plus we have healthy appetites so will probably cost others less! Only complaint is that they don't have their liquor license yet and they didn't tell me when I booked. It was for a birthday dinner and we were looking forward to sake so it was annoying. Byo but we didnt know at the time. Overall, every dish we had was delicious, good variety of dishes and truly superb quality of produce. We'll be back.
Excellent quality, great flavours, will be going back again soon. A new favourite.
Went for lunch as it looked reasonable. Great authentic flavour and fresh ingredients. Will come back soon.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Two words. Quality. Cheap. For its prices the portions are quite generous and for $60-80/head you can have some decent suburban Japanese food and be full at a restaurant that is leagues above other suburban restaurants such as Ocha.
Admittedly the sashimi is not as fresh and variety not as big as Shoya, nor is the beef as tender as Hanabishi that it melts in your mouth with Kobe flavor, but those are the types of restaurants that leave you $150 out of pocket if you want to have a semi decent meal there (as opposed to eating udon only).
As for Jiro, the sashimi is sufficiently fresh for its price. While variety is a bit bland, so is any other suburban restaurant at the same price range. The skewers at say $3-4 per stick is a bargain given the quality, especially compared with the often salt-ridden skewers at the likes of the Atlantic Oyster Bar who charge between $8-$16 per dish. The cooked food - including teriyaki chicken, wafu steak, nasu dengaku, tori tasty age - are highlights and for $7-10 per dish I have no idea what people are complaining about when far inferior products at places like Koko's (one of the most overrated places) sell for $25-40 for similar portions and can't cook it properly. I am a big fan of the beef which is as much a reflection of the quality of the beef as it is a reflection of the skills of the person grilling it - and Jiro is no stranger to that as it has a staff dedicated to grilling, something that was more apparent on my 4th visit sitting at the bar tonight. The salads are top notch and I would urge people to pick the ocean salad and tofu salad over the seaweed salad, which is a bit on the light side and flavors not as strong. Some dishes don't excite my taste buds, such as the chicken ball skewers which was too pasty and salty. Not does the soba soup noodles which was too cold despite the fact I sent it back once. But on the balance of things, it's a place worth going given its price and the quality of its food.
Obviously reviews are a function of how well eaten someone is and I would urge Hawthorn diners to go out and try some more food, especially people who think this place is a rip off. If people think $3 for an edamame is expensive, they should go check out places like Sake by South Bank which sell the same for $8 and maybe they'll appreciate Jiro (by my doorstep and hopefully theirs too) more.
Love it love it love it!. One of my top 5 most favorite Japanese restaurant now! One of the recent reviewer said they found it is overpriced?! But I actually think it is very affordable!!! With such high quality of standard, fresh food, good service for about $60 a head?! That's reasonable!!! Their standard may not be as top like Sake Restaurant & Bar in Hamar Hall, but I think they are not too far away from that. Highly recommend this place! Must try their skewers, tofu salad etc etc...can't mention all. Try yourself!
Awesome! Quality and great service. Dinner with the girls and what a great little surprise. Ultra fresh food, attentive and friendly service - very down to earth. Reasonably priced and great way to pick loads of little dishes. The tempura was 100% not greasy, great scallops, cucumber kimchi- yum! Stylish design yet relaxed atmosphere, perfect Friday night in Hawthorn. Highly recommend for anyone, looks like if you come early it's pretty pram/kid friendly as well.
Delicious food, accomodating service. Excellent experience all round. Generous seafood serving in bento box, only downside was tasteless mushy sushi although will try their sushi/sashimi dish before final decision is made. Very friendly service. Sophisticated ambience. Will return!
Genuine Japanese restaurant by Japanese people! I Went for lunch and it tasted great and reasonably priced.
The best kept Japanese secret. I cannot fault this restaurant, the atmosphere, the attentiveness of the staff and of course the food. We were overwhelmed with choice and everything we ordered was delicious. Very reasonably priced considering the quality of food. Will be returning soon.
Booked late on a Saturday and were able to sit at the bar and had great atmosphere and service. Met the owner who was very friendly as were his staff. Quality of food was fantastic but expect to pay more than the $ price range- more like $40-$50/person for a great meal
Great food, fantastic service and yes the hotate chilli mayo is delicious. However the one $ is misleading because the portions are small. Not a place to spend $25 pp unless you're on a crash diet. For $50 pp this place is awesome!!
Best grilled scallops ever. Excellent, fresh and very affordable dishes (mostly tapas). The grilled scallops with chilli mayo was definitely the highlight of my meal and I couldn't stop fantasizing about it afterwards. The renkon chips were addictive and the ochazuke (rice in soup with spicy cod roe) was phenomenal. Nice decor, lighting was dark and moody (just the way I like it) and staff were friendly. Definitely be back to try more stuff!
My New Favourite Japanese. This is the second time we have been here since it recently opened. Best Japanese on Glenferrie Rd with very friendly and relaxed service.
AMAZING!! The new kid on the block on Glenferrie is one I am loving!! Freshly opening with still a little smell of paint and sparkling fresh we are the first customers on the first day!! Cool!! The staff are gorgeous, the setting is comfortable and welcoming and the menu is very tempting!! The exposed brick have some really fun poster arts going on and I love the hanging wooden deccies over the bar! So the food! It’s lunch time so we want a Bento Boxes and we are not disappointed! First up is incredibly fresh miso soup! Just a wonderful balance with lovely fresh spring onion, seaweed and tofu – delish! But then the big box of fun arrives!! Wonderful fresh, good quality beef teritaki, the chicken teriyaki was just as good too!! Wonderful prawn and veggie tempura, sushi, sushimi and lovely fresh fruit! We were stuffed!!! Gorgeous, gorgeous gorgeous and there is a yakatori bar coming upstairs!! Hurrah!!
The Takoyaki ($6, 5 pieces)... were the best I’ve had in Melbourne, hands down. They were crisp with a hot, smooth center, a large piece of octopus hidden in the middle, and garnished lightly with all the trimmings.
Overall, I'm quite glad Izakaya Jiro has shown up in my neighbourhood, to serve up flavoursome food at reasonable prices in a chic environment!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes