Review Sushi House Ben-k - Hawthorn

Ordered a 14 piece nigiri set and got this. The nigiri were small. Nearly half of the order has been substituted for maki, which were tiny. when I opened the box, there was a weird smell. when I tried to eat it, the food was inedible. it tasted like the fish had been left in the sun all day. After struggling through a few bites I gave up and threw the order in the bin.

This is one of the best places to try Japanese food. The bento boxes which they have is so authentic and it tasted so close to what I had for two years in Japan. Besides, the price is low for the quality food items they provide and it is filling. I had also tried okonomiaki, the signature dish of Osaka and it is very tasty. I have been visiting the restaurant almost twice every week.

This is an excellent restaurant. The only reason it is so small is probably because it is not on Glenferrie road. The service is excellent, so is the food. The pricing is what I would describe as fair given the portions that are offered, it is not extraordinary, but definitely not bad. You eat comfortably with around 11 dollars. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anybody, my experience was excellent.

The price to quality of food just can't be beat. We loved the spicy prawn hand roll so much that we ordered another two. Everything was expertly prepared and served quickly. The room isn’t anything special but it doesn’t matter, you’ll be too focused on the food to notice.

Really love the sashimi here. But the weather is so cold so these days I usually come for the fried dumplings and the ramen... Great comfort after one day's hard work 😆

Unfortunately food wasn’t fresh and flavours were all the same. Too salty and sweet.

Sushi was really good, especially reverse rolls but recently it may have changed owners or chefs and it's not as good as it use to be. Haven't been back since.

Great sushi with fresh ingredients. Have sampled many of the other menu items, all of which did not disappoint.

Food quality, Customer service, both disappointed. We popped in here for take away and ordered Chicken Katsu Don, Tempura Bento, Nasu Dengaku, Karaage and Okonomiyaki. <br/>Even though there were no other customers, we waited for about 40mins. When we ordered, the waitress didn’t say anything about any waiting times so we just waited but after 25mins, we started to feel like we were waiting more than we should be so we asked a couple of times “How long to go?” and the response was “soon”. After 40mins, we thought we can’t wait anymore so said “sorry we can’t wait anymore.” This is when the waitress said “it’s coming!” and started bringing the food.<br/>The worker said “sorry for the wait. You ordered too much.” - I wasn’t pleased after waiting for 40mins, and it really wasn’t that much food.<br/>As for the food, the Karaage was quite good. Authentic taste. The rice wasn’t Japanese rice, it sounds funny but it makes a difference . The Katsudon didn’t look great and the taste was just ok. Unfortunately, Tempura was the worst I ever had. The Prawn one wasn’t even Tempura, it’s called “Ebi fry” in Japan. It’s different food. Also, it was all watery, and not crispy at all. <br/>Overall the experience was pretty disappointing.

Great lunch spot, good food all cooked well and delicious. Friendly and quick service too but there are some big tables too for long lunches. I’ll keep coming back.

This has officially replaced Samurai as my second go to Japanese place for lunch in Hawthorn. <br/>I love their chicken katsu and it's pretty much all I ever order because I hate being disappointed during my happy lunch hour. <br/>I've heard good things about their sushi and bento boxes but have never tried any. <br/>It's a really small shop so there's not much to talk about in terms of ambiance. <br/>Food can come out a little slow when they're packed at lunch.

The food here was nice but nothing special. Sashimi was nice，but the katsu curry we had was a bit bland. Probably would go somewhere else in Hawthorn for my Japanese fix.

We love this place and have been coming here for take away for over ten years.  Great value for money.  Always fresh and tasty. The salad don is our favourite.  Gyoza, agadeshi tofu and miso soup also always good.  Friendly service.  We think you should consider joining uber eats though! Save us the drive :)<br/>Thanks for always providing yummy food.

Rice a bit mushy<br/>Service a bit awkward<br/>Prices were decent for a drop by lunch, but I don't think it's worth going out of your way. In particular, the Ben k special roll ended up being two glorified larger hand rolls served slices, which really wasn't worth the price. <br/>Ginger pork was well flavoured and plain rice is done well

We've visited Sushi House Ben-K a number of times now when we want a nice, cheap fix of Japanese. On the outside the place looks small and you can easily walk by it. But there are quite a few tables inside. The menu is probably more targeted towards students given the prices. <br/><br/>The main dish we go for is the Salmon Don. The salmon tastes super fatty and we easily gobble it up with the vinegar rice. Not to be mistaken with the salmon that comes out when you order salmon sashimi because they seem to use a different cut of salmon for that. We discovered that when we loved the salmon in the Salmon Don so much and we tried to order a plate of it. The other dishes however are pretty ordinary and there's not much to say about them. So if you decide to visit I recommend the Salmon Don.<br/><br/>- H

More than just a Sushi house ....<br/><br/>There are other dishes on offer apart from Sushi, quick lunch meals; gyozas, curries, dons, tempura and the usual suspect, all great value.<br/><br/>Not much in set up, but that's not why I'm here.

Ordered a hand roll and a set of makimono to take away. Top notch sushi rice, disappointed that the salmon hand roll had minimal salmon in it, but otherwise it was quality sushi. Would visit again when in the area.

Sushi House: Ben K has been known to sell their food at the Japanese festivals and they looked really good. So I thought that I would try this cheap student eat I had an assignment in Hawthorn for Mystery Shopper and I thought that I would come by. The place is run down and looked a little bit dirty on the outside. But it was warm and welcoming on the inside. Here the service was not too bad. There were more caucasians than Japanese and the waitress spoke in Chinese.

It's a tidy and friendly place to go, came for sashimi and bento dinner set, also ordered several sides which were really cheap! But I was so hungry, forgot to took photos! Surprised this place was so valued , will come back again!

I have enjoyed take away here a few times now. The Japanese fried chicken is incredible! Moist, crispy and succulent. Along with the teriyaki salmon and pork ginger. All menu items are very reasonably priced. I'm surprise I don't see this place full more regularly. Support the small/ local businesses and get into it!

"...YEAH OKAY - MAYBE EAT-IN IS A LOT BETTER..?"<br/><br/>Ordered 4 x Teriyaki Chicken Bento Boxes, by phone, from SUSHI HOUSE BEN-K, Burwood Road, Hawthorn.<br/>Picked up in 30 mins. Cost just under $15 each.<br/>-Miso Soup<br/>-Steamed Rice<br/>-Sliced Fruit<br/>-Bento containing Teriyaki Chicken, Fried Tofu, Seaweed Salad, Grilled Eggplant, Curried Pasta Spirals, Asian Lettuce<br/><br/>Loved the soup, rice, the eggplant and the perfectly cooked skinless lean tender chicken in delish sauce..<br/>Not so keen on the tofu [totally bland and tasteless] the pasta [why pasta? just didn't belong]. the sliced fruit [very basic slice of apple, pear and orange] or the lettuce [went limp, soggy and dark with the heat]<br/>Really disliked the oyster sauce dressing on the seaweed [this salad's usually my first go to item in the bento box]<br/>No slice of hand-roll or inside-out roll.. No wedge of omelette.. No piece of tempura.. -  kinda disappointed..<br/><br/>Yes, it was cheap, but their bento boxes are all the same price..so...<br/>Anyway, I'm very mindful that it was take-away...<br/>Will do an update after we've eaten in...<br/><br/>Visited Thursday 10 March 2016 for dinner.

Cheap affordable Japanese food, had the omurice and teriyaki salmon, both were good. Good place for a quick lunch , but service may be slow.

Great little spot for a cheap and quick feed, there's nothing special about the decor but they make up for it with the price and quality of the food! Some of the best sashimi I've ever had without the price or wait not to mention the huge portions! Definitely a rough diamond

What The!!<br/>How on earth did this place rate so high, very average quality food. Mushy rice in my sushi handroll. Soggy LETTUCE, PASTA!!, and a big chunk of raw tomato in my Chicken Teriyaki... Baffled :/ feel like Ive been Punk'd. Wouldnt bother a second visit...

This is a great cheap local Japanese restaurant. All the food is fresh and best sushi in the area. I go back for the chicken terriyaki all the time.

So good. Nothing fancy, just cheap, quick, fresh and tasty! everything you want from your local japanese place.

Quite alright. Dragged the missus along as a friend had said it was a favourite of his, and I'd somehow bypassed it my entire life.<br/>Got some seaweed salad and some well salted edamame which was nice. Had the bento box with Teryaki Salmon. The Salmon tasted a little funny, but the tofu and eggplant were delicious. Probably need to get back there and get more on the sushi program.

Do not agree with other reviews. I eat regularly at Samurai up the road and wanted to try Ben K based on reviews. Not impressed really. Yes it's cheap but not as cheap as Samurai. Yes the sushi and sashimi is fresh enough for the price but that's it. Tried the okonomyaki and it was low on ingredients and lacked taste. Udon was also low on flavour. I had a salad don and it was very unimaginative. No rice seasonings or other garnishes to add flavour - just base ingredients with no excitement. So much better at Samurai. The restaurant was pretty much empty on a Friday lunchtime and this says it all. I would have had to wait 10 minutes at Samurai for a table and will gladly keep doing it. This restaurant is average at best.

This place is a pretty standard little Japanese takeaway, with a few tables and chairs crammed into the room. The first thing that impressed me was the prices. The extensive menu boasted many Japanese dishes as well as standard sushi platters that you would expect from a sushi stall, but the prices were much more reasonable. Th

Very good local Japanese. We have tried a few Japanese places in Hawthorn as we are locals but we have found Sushi House Ben-K to stand out. We love the sashimi as it is always fresh and good quality fish. Good service too. Highly recommended.

Favourite restaurant ever. Best Japanese food I've tasted and so reasonably priced. I've moved a fair way out of the hawthorn area and still drive to Ben K whenever I can

Fantastic Japanese!. Ben-K Sushi house is one of our favorite local haunts. The food is super fresh and served incredibly quickly. We've never had a bad meal here. Without a doubt, one of the best, cheap Japanese cafes in Melbourne.

Probably the best and freshest sushi I've ever had. They make it up warm and fresh on the spot and ingredients are always fresh and tasty. Love their California roll a @ b and their sticky spicy tofu!! My one gripe is that they never seem to be open! Please open Tuesday nights and weekends at least!!

Not bad at all. Dined here today, from outside it didn't look like too much, but after a fairly convincing Urban Spoon rating of 90%, a friend and I decided it was worth a try. <br/><br/>The waitress was definitely not Japanese (Chinese), and didn't understand much English. She even had problems understanding the numbers we read out on the menu. The decor is average, and the menus look like they were made on MS-DOS. The prices were also fairly cheap. With all that in mind, expectations were not too high. <br/><br/>We ordered 2 X chicken katsu curries, some fried chicken and a large nigiri platter. The curries were tasty, filling and excellent value for money. The fried chicken followed much the same. The nigiri tasted fresh, and was well presented (though the california and salmon rolls on the plate were a bit cold, probably from the fridge). <br/><br/>Although not the best Japanese food I've had, (and why should it be for the price), it was certainly very tasty. The meals are presented in a home-cooked style manner, and the staff are friendly. If you're around the area, I suggest dropping by for a feed. Much better than Samurai up the road!

Delicious and authentic. It was a delight.<br/>Tasty quick wholesome lunch of takoyaki and small veg udon :)

Fresh sushi. Excellent customer service.

Some of the best food I've had outside Japan. And an absolute bargain.

Sushi-Tastic!. Favourite place for a light dinner, Ben K offers fresh and vibrant Japanese dishes. No frills, just cheap, fresh and quick. I highly recommend the gyozas, soups and the salmon don. Always a pleasant meal out and efficient takeaway. Definitely give this place a go! You'll find yourself hooked.

Great little place. Had reverse sushi for lunch. Prepared fresh in front of me and tasted great. And was happy that I got 12 pieces for$ 14

Had nice Japanese feast that was great value

Yummo. I'd describe it as home style japanese food. Its not flashy or expensive. The menu is pretty big, they seem to cover all the typical dishes and the ones i have tried are all tasty. It's an old favourite and whenever i dont know what i feel like for dinner i tend to go here. The okonomiyaki is delicious :) also they do really great sashimi and its so cheap compared to any other place i have been to! Samurai is close by and do a much better tempura udon, so if you are used to samurai's udon you will be disappointed, but if you are none the wiser it is really good still! the best bit is they are never so busy that you feel awkward getting take away! i suspect most of their service is takeaway orders!

There is better. Hawthorn, particularly near the intersection ofGlenferrie road and Burwood road, has a lot to offer the casual diner. Ben-K seems to be very basic and unimpressive. Zen is great, but is more of a dine-in place. There is a much better take-away/casual place on Glenferrie, heading north from Burwood road. All of my order from Ben-K seemed dry and unexciting - except for the gyoza. They were very good. I'd try here last...

Disappointed after seeing all the good reviews. Run essentially by Chinese and food prepared in a very Chinese manner. Had the teriyaki salmon which was overcooked, dry and too salty. Sashimi was fresh enough and tempura nicely fried but for the price, I would go somewhere else.

I love this place!! I've been a regular here for about 5 years. I've never been disappointed with the food. The okonomyaki, & salad don are my favs. But everything is excellent.

I dont like it. I tried the crumbed chicken curry for take away.<br/>Curry source is ok but I am sure to go back no more.<br/>$9 is not wothy for it.

Like an old friend. A group of friends often meet up for japanese, we couldn't get in to samurai up the road so tried here. That was about 8 years ago and we have not left. Fabulous, clean and delicious food. Friendly prompt service. what more could you want?!

My favorite resturaunt. Their food is clean, simple, Japanese. The ingredients are good quality and fresh, their sushi is one of the best I ever tried. Staff are friendly. One of my favorite restaurants.<br/>Quite a small place though.

Great little place! Quick polite service. Fresh sushimi. Great price. Best Japanese in this part of hawthorn

Like finding treasure!. My girlfriend and I stumbled across this place by accident. It didn't look like much from the outside and there were only two customers when we walked by. After examining the menu stuck to the front window, we decided it was worth a try and went inside.<br/><br/>Best. Decision. Ever.<br/><br/>We ordered the large sashimi platter, a seaweed salad, and an una don (eel, egg and rice). The sashimi platter included three types of fish and about 15-18 pieces in total (from memory). The fish was fresh and well prepared. The other two dishes were very good too. The best bit was that we only paid $31 for the whole meal - very good for Japanese food in Melbourne.<br/><br/>By the time we left the place was full. And so it should be. We definitely know where we'll be going, the next time we're in the mood for Japanese!

If I could live upstairs I would, this place is my local and for price and quality in hawthorn this would have to rate close to no.1

Plain Imari had an excellent balance of vinager. Size and dimensions where just like in Japan .. excellent! Unadon was good. please get proper Japanese pepper to put on unagi! Japanese chicken was good but lack some taste. Other comments: Japanese donburi was used for unagi....excellent Waitress was friendly but not Japanese and could not pronounce menu items Overall Rating: Above average

Ben-K has a typical Japanese restaurant menu with a mix of small plate entrees, a large selection of sushi and sashimi and quite a few mains.