The best Bento (Lunch Box) in Malvern | Sluurpy updated in April

"We come here all the time our favourite Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, the chef is a wizard in the kitchen. The food is absolutely delicious and..."

Jared Appleby

"Aoba is reasonably priced and the food is always delicious. A pot of green tea and the chefs special will run you around $20 and it's well worth it...."

Pippa Sparda

"Authentic Japanese shop. The bento boxes are to die for, especially the Nikatsu Box (egg-coated pork cutlet) and Teriyaki..."

Erick D. Lee

"Exquisite Japanese food. I loved my freshly made sushi platter and my boyfriend and I fell in love with the Wasabi Teriyaki chicken, simply mind..."

Myriam Fattar

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Sekine Noriko

"I eat here all the time when I'm in Melbourne and I absolutely love it! Great food, excellent staff, highly recommended! Thanks shingo..."

Joshua Franke

"Fantastic staff, fantastic food! One of the treasures of Glenferrie..."

Janka Syki

"Hands down the BEST home style japanese restaurant in..."

Max Yong

"I love Aoba. I’m not sure why some in the past have given poor reviews. I have gone to Aoba now probably over 30 times across 5 years..."

Alex Bicknell

"Best no-fuss japanese in..."

Richard Rotstein

"Brilliant for the price. We shared their big plate for 2. $22 each and it was more than we could eat. A good quality selection of food too. More a..."

Jimbo

"Came here for the first time tonight with my family. Aoba is a cozy little boutique restaurant that can only fit about 15 ppl max. We ordered gyoza,..."

Munchk1n

"Cute little Japanese restaurant with friendly staff. The Katsu chicken is delicious! One of the best I've ever had. I will be back to try more...."

Johnny

"Aoba is lovely.The staff are so friendly, so polite, and so darn cheerful. The way that they chat quietly in Japanese behind the counter, I felt..."

Carlos Humphrey

"Aoba is a lovely small Japanese restaurant. I've tried a variation of their dinner sets, sashimi and homemade ice cream. Everything they have served..."

Hungry Big Potato Bear

"First impression: small little cafe located on one of the main strips of Malvern. Came here on a Friday night and it was quite busy but the staff..."

Ilovefood

"Aoba is one of the few places that I’m willing to put my pants on so I can go to on days when I crave fulfilling chicken katsu set. The..."

Ignatia

"It was a warm and friendly restaurant 1 chef and 2 staffThe staff recommended Aoba set $18 and hubby wants dinner set $29 that has a bit of..."

Love Food

"My partner and I were looking for a place to have dinner on a weeknight along Glenferrie road. We stumbled across Aoba and thought we'd give it a go...."

Fusspot Foodie

"A little Japanese joint on the busy part of Malvern road. Not many seats, shoulder to shoulder if not. Food, portioning, price, spot on. Nothing..."

The Last One Piece

"We must have Japanese fever here at One Piece Left! Two Japanese restaurant reviews in a row, where the name nearly sounds the same… try and not..."

One Piece Left

"Small little cafe serves your quintessential Japanese dishes, most notably that caught the corner of my eye was a huge serving of tonkatsu. Still..."

Mustard

"I had lunch here and the food was really reasonably priced. Such good value. The food was tasty, fresh and the service at first was unusual..."

Timinmelbourne

"I love this cosy Japanese place with reasonable prices and authentic food. The owner and his wife are very hospitable and always greet us with a..."

Willtravelforfood17

"Very cute little restaurant tucked away in between an array of different other shops. Very "homey" feeling and the staff are very..."

Emily

"Cute Japanese restaurant that gets busy quite fast. The price for what you get is excellent and I found all the dishes I had were tasty and rich with..."

Vivian

"Every where else sucks after I've been to Aoba. Other than Hakkata, Aoba is the closest thing to authentic japanese food! Ive moved to the north, but..."

Eat Like Theres No Tomorrow

"Really lovely place and staff.We ordered the Unagi Don and Chicken Udon to go. Both were tasty, authentic and well priced.This is..."

Nikita Hall

"Had a quick dinner at Aoba on Wednesday night. Turned up without a booking at 7:15pm and was lucky to get a table for 2. While it did empty out by..."

Melissa Kate

"Lived up to the hype. I really didn't think I would enjoy the food from such an unassuming place. Don't get me wrong, their Salmon sashimi isn't at..."

Kristie Koo

"Down side is no beef teriyaki bento box otherwise Very nice food and good amount of portion Place a bit small but very japanese way and clean ...."

Missvu05

"We would like to rate this place 3.8 if possible. A tiny little Japanese restaurant in Malvern. We’ve been here for lunch on the weekends for about..."

Mrs Bunny

"I settled down on the floor of my dojo and began my Monday morning rituals of meditation by practicing the art of 'Soduku' (not to be confused with..."

Lincoln Whitfield

"The best Japanese in Melbourne!! If you haven't tried it, you should!! Service is always great and comes with a smile. Food is always hot and..."

Anthony Rogers

"Although small and cozy, Aoba has a great ambience with warm and friendly staff. The food is decently priced and although it can get quite busy in..."

Jaydaysss

"This Japanese restaurant has been in Malvern for many years. The chef and staff are always very friendly. A variety of bento are offered and they are..."

Saladzzz

"I am a big Japanese food lover and this is by far one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. While it may be small, its incredibly tasty...."

Sabrina Kindler

"Where do I begin here! Wow!This place is a tidy nice little Japanese place which I love to go to! The pricing is cheap and the servings are..."

Zack Ping

"I accidentally found out this nice Japanese place and took the all research group there for a member's birthday. The food turned out to be fantastic!..."

Ruohui Lin

"Been a regular customer here for almost 3 years now!Chef Shingo is the heart and soul of this lovely little gem in Malvern! Nothing beats the hearty..."

Facebook User

"I just love this place. It may only be a small "cafe" but the food is always yum. Even when my favourite dish is not on the menu the chef always..."

Jas

"I can see why the reviews are so high. Great food, friendly staff and reasonably priced. I loved how their food reminds me of authentic..."

G

"Aoba was a popular Japanese restaurant offered quick lunch/dinner fix. They had those nice bento boxes that contained lots of different small dishes...."

Jianierrrrrr

"One of the best casual Donkatsu in Melbourne!This small shop offer quite a limited number of tables but the quality of their fried crumbled..."

Luke And Hannah

"A small japanese cafe on a just strip. Some seating outside and the inside is small and cramped. A variety of dishes to pick from. Can't say service..."

Cookielessvee

"This is the best Japanese food! Love coming here for the pork Katsu curry! The chicken terryaki wasabi special is also a favourite. This place never..."

Edwina AC

"Took the family for dinner here in November '16. Seems a bit more like a lunch place but still good. 3 of us had the Aoba Bento box - includes Miso..."

Hungry DrDave

"First time trying this little Japanese cafe in Malvern. Small, simple but cosy interior. Friendly service. We ordered the sashimi entree, nasu..."

Grace The Rookie

"Another value for money Japanese cafe in my neighbourhood. Whenever i yearn for a simple Japanese bento or don or sushi, there s no other choice but..."

Angie Bone

"Love this japanese restaurant 💋💋💋 veggie bento box was affordable with huge portion. Love the asmostphere here and the attitude of thier..."

Unknown

"Had friend bday dinner here, the food overall was okay, i realise that all the waitresses and chef were all japanese, and it showed on the food, the..."

MF

"Very nice little restaurant in a busy strip of Malvern.Very tasty dishes with big portions and perfect spices on all food. The restaurant has..."

Explorer

"We had dinner for 4 yesterday. We ordered the dinner set, chicken katsu curry and eel. Large servings for a decent price. Food was tasty and my..."

Foodgrubbie

"It's a small cafe with several tables only. I went to it on Thursday night, and it's nearly full. We ordered Aoba bento boxes. The deep fried potato..."

Gourmet Explorer

"Love our little local joint- affordable and delicious with a homely feel. We always feel welcome and the katsu bento box is my favourite. Remember it..."

Umbrellaeats

"Good food at a god price. Good vege selection. Loved the unagi. The vege bento was excellent Not so keen on the pork. Do yourself a flavour and..."

John Formoso

"Tiny place which is a bit of a squeeze. I was there for lunch which was cheap as there were lunch specials. There looked like there were a few..."

PW Lou

"I've been here no less than 8 times thanks to my Japanese friend's recommendation. Everything I have tried is delicious! The place is fairly priced..."

Bernardo Jacobi

"Great authentic Japanese food. VERY reasonable price ($15-20 for mains). They do great meat and vegetarian dishes. I've attached photos of 4 separate..."

Systemico

"Nice little Japanese eatery serving a decent selection of food. Come here for the Aoba bento box, or any of the other bento box offerings. The..."

Tony

"Lovely family run little place, fresh food and friendly people. Very reasonably priced. It can be to get a table but I'm happy waiting for..."

Laura

"Ordered takeaway, as the place didn't have baby chair for my nephew. The place itself was small and didn't have many seats. I had the bento box with..."

Chisyelda Oey

"always love to come to this place for their teriyaki chicken in the bento box! just a suggestion, would be great if the miso soup for bento comes not..."

Hana Chainy

"Best Japanese food, the Aoba bento box is a must have at such a decent price. Although the service is somewhat average.. the food makes up for..."

Sarah Fergus

"Great food particularly at this price. The only thing letting this place down is the service, which isn't exactly very attentive. Could easily be a..."

David Lew

"The teriyaki chicken amd teriyaki salmon cooked perfectly and delicious. The Sushi and miso soup again delicious. As far the food goes , it way up..."

Nelly

"Do not be misled by the little restaurant that Aoba is; it certainly punches above its weight.Stepping into the restaurant for the first..."

KopiOjoe

"After-work catch-ups over delicious food – always a good idea. A friend suggested Aoba, a little Japanese restaurant in Malvern with barely enough..."

MyFoodBelly

"I love my japanese so this place was a fantastic find. Small cafe style with an owner chef on the tools and friendly staff. Food was really fresh and..."

SqueezyD

"Don't come here. Because if you do then I'll have to wait for a table and then I'll be pissed off. But seriously this is a great casual Japanese..."

Meg

"NOW THIS IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT! Small place.. nothing big that stands out.. But!!! Service is great... the food is fantastic! Could see heaps of..."

Cheeseburger Anyone? "Where's The Sauce"?

"Aoba is a small, friendly, clean and affordable restaurant to eat at in Malvern. The service is great, the ingredients are fresh, and the price is..."

Julian

"Great casual Japanese restaurant, very reasonably priced and tasty dishes. The staff are accommodating and friendly. The only annoying part is this..."

Travelling Palate

"Walked into this quite cozy, small Japanese local cafe/takeaway/restaurant with a greeting from the staff and got seated at a small 3 seater table...."

Lachlan Chan

"Got the lady's lunchbox that came with agedashi tofu, fish, potato patty, spring roll, a salad and miso soup. Normally it comes with rice as well,..."

Sandy Pok

"The venue doesn't look like much, but the food is delicious and very reasonably priced. Bento boxes were generous portion sizes, everything tasted..."

Sophie

"One of the better oyakodons I've tasted. Big portion for $11 brings good value for money. The salmon, tuna, and snapper sashimi was quite fresh and..."

Bayu Prasakti Tjandra

"This little unassuming place on Glenferrie Rd just before High is a local's secret. I'm not a local, but with only two fairly ordinary Japanese..."

Sam Difference

"Great local Japanese restaurant. Food was delicious & the service was warm & attentive. Our meals reminded us of our travels in Japan. Yum. We each..."

K

"Hiddle gem. One night, I randomly go to different area that I don't usually go and I found this place. I have to admit that this is the hidden gem of..."

Another Chef

"Not what I expected but good things come in small packages. I think there is only 10-12 seats in the place so it's quite quaint. Staff are super..."

Scrantic

"Small and unassuming restaurant but the food is amazing! Especially in terms of value for money. The sushi is well cut and fresh while the unagi and..."

SlideAwayz

"One of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in Melbourne. Highly..."

David Dang

"Yay! Really nice Japanese food. We ordered the wafu steak and the aoba bento box with teriyaki chicken. Both dishes really impressed and were full of..."

The Messy Eaters

"I love aoba in every sense. Food. People,..."

E.t

"I..."

Charlie Cowling

"A precious gem in the heart of Malvern. Just eat here. You will see why it is so good. Authentic Japanese food experience with the two of the most..."

Notice Me Senpai

"Aoba is a really tiny shop with a few tiny tables squished together. It is solely operated by one waiter and one chef cooking in a tiny kitchen at..."

The Hungry Excavator

"Having lived in Japan for 6 months, I was very excited about the new Japanese place my brother had discovered on Glenferrie Road. He promised to take..."

Melbourne Lifestyle Blog

"Always fantastic, great fresh food cooked by the owner himself and friendly service, easy going place and speedy service, keep it up your..."

MelbourneFoodCritic

"Authentic atmosphere!. I went Aoba with 2 Japanese Friends, The owner set up authentic Japanese style small restaurant in Malvern area. The place..."

BEK

"My New Fave Sushi Takeaway.. Virtually a hole in the wall restaurant, the proprietors know about keeping it pure and simple. Very friendly service..."

SmokinAussie

"Best authentic Japanese restaurant in Malvern. We had a great time here on Friday night. the tuna takaki and wagyu steak are to die for, amazing..."

Sweet17

"Great Japanese cafe. Aoba is tiny. There are about 3 tables and two small counters, so if you want to get in here, best to book. It is extremely hard..."

Julycheee

"Cute little Japanese joint with yummy homely food and lovely..."

Faye Tan

"Cute little authentic restaurant. Cheap, tastey, & friendly service. Cosy atmosphere. I will definitely..."

Tripper_04

"I've been going to Aoba with my family and friends for years on quite a regular basis. It's our go-to 'home away from home' restaurant and for good..."

HB

"It was the first time coming to this restaurant and i really enjoyed the dinner. The food was good, affordable and the staff were friendly. I will go..."

Tommy Mac

"What a find!. This place is perfect. perfect perfect perfect. fresh food, great service, incredibly tasty, super affordable and still quite intimate...."

Jimmy Russell

"The service here is always polite. The food always consistently good. The dishes are standard Japanese fare. Tasty also not spectacular. Can't..."

Sophie Song

"Plate lickingly good and cheap as chips. I wish I lived close by! I had to sneakily try and swipe up the rest of the teriyaki sauce without anyone..."

Roxanne McCafferty

"Amazing..."

Jack-m

"A little beauty. The restaurant is about the size of a kitchen, and the kitchen is about the size of a cupboard. But the friendly chef and staff work..."

Rosie

"Bloody awesome, can't really go past in Melbourne for easy dinner out slash take..."

Tom Engof

"Been here a dozen times by now, you cant go wrong with the katsu curry, Aoba box or anything from the specials board. A quiet little gem of the area,..."

GGx

"Super friendly chef and staffs. Love the Aoba box, edamame, spicy tuna. Finishing off with red bean caramel ice cream. Lucky to have this place near..."

Alice

"You will not be disapointed!. Aoba offers quality casual Japanese food with very good price. We were amazed with the size of serving. We were happy..."

Satokob

"Great and affordable and..."

Sarah M

"Affordable and passable. We ordered chicken and pork katsu curry. Tatse quite good and very filling. Good value for..."

Futurejsa

"A great little place!. Aoba is a simple but authentic Japanese restaurant. My favourite dish is the Muscle Bento Box ($22). The food is fresh, tasty..."

Julietta

"After reading some great reviews I thought I'd better check this place out while I was in the area. Walking in, I didnt expect such a tiny little..."

Nina

"Yummy!. This place is a hidden gem. Food is great and the cosy atmosphere is authentic and the owner is so lovely! We recommend the Beef Tataki, Beef..."

Cath

"Great service!! Beef tataki and wasabi chicken are..."

Sima Bee

"Praise the Lord, the food is..."

Yudy Chainy

"Gourmet food, take-away price. The prices are great and you are served quickly. I was expecting decent take-away food, but WOW. I'm not kidding --..."

Chris L.

"Cheap and Delicious!. The atmosphere here is not that of a 5 star restaurant, (not that it matters, my friend and I had a great time sitting..."

Jeremy Warren-Foody

"Cosy Japanese Restaurant. I love the Japanese food here because I know it's authentic and it tastes really good. The place is pretty small so if you..."

Hungry Hippo

"Very cute and cosy! Food is worth the value, staff are friendly - Would definitely come..."

C

"Favourite. Small and cosy. Affordable and tasty. My favourite Japanese place in Melbourne. That pretty much sums it up.The food is always..."

Vlatto

"Little gem. Fresh food and no fuss!Service is slow as its just two people cooking and serving and it's cash only, but the food and service..."

Stacey C

"Nice little place.. Authentic japanese cuisine. Will definitely go..."

AES

"Aoba has the best Japanese food in Melbourne. The staff are lovely and helpful, and their food is consistently good. They make an effort to remember..."

Rosheen Kaul

"BEST SUSHI. If you are looking for a healthy, satisfying and comfortably filling meal, with original ethnicity, I certainly recommend! But book..."

Kenneth Jones

"A great place that won't ruin the bank!. Aoba is my favourite Japanese place in Melbourne. Shinsan and his team are doing a great job. The food is..."

VaG

"Homely and authentic. A small, but authentic family run Japanese restaurant that serves some of the better sushi, sashimi and nigiri that I've..."

Alastair

"Delicious and cheap. I've been going to Aoba ever since it first opened and I'm happy to see that this restaurant's popularity has grown since. Since..."

Aki Nemoto

"Lovely small restaurant. I am a frequent diner at this small cosy restaurant and it has never failed to disappoint except when they ran out of fish..."

RMan

"My Go To Japanese Food Place. This small but compact restaurant serves amazing food, and with actual Japanese staff it feels like a little bit of..."

Mel Wong

"Aoba is A-ok. Aoba's food is very good, but other reviews here over-rate it in my opinion. I think Don Bay in the city is better for this type of..."

Scottt

"Best authentic Jap food in the suburbs. Very impressed. Wonderful service and friendly chef. Only $13 for a Bento box. Sashimi beautiful and so..."

Joy

"Authentic Home cooking. Being Japanese, the food takes me down memory lane. Nothing pretentious here, just simple authentic homely Japanese food in a..."

Hara_hetta

"Aoba. A beautiful Japanese restaurant, Consistantly delicious and high quality food. The Vegetarian Bento is fantastic with golden agedashi tofu and..."

Holly Willis

"Friendly service, good vibe for a little taste of Japan. Went in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Excellent customer service. Enjoyed the Beef Udon..."

Diane Wong

"Quick cheap and casual. This place is so nice for a quick relaxed meal, the bentos are delicious and so is the sushi and sashami. only annoying thing..."

Charlotte McCann

"A tiny shop but surprisingly not too crowded even on a Friday night. Not too fancy but liked the bento I had. More of an everyday diner rather than..."

Y

"Beef udon is very beautiful. service is..."

Sine Csr Likhitthanawong

"Japanese dining in a homey environment. Aoba provided convenient, simple dining experience. Though service was rather slow, we were served fantastic..."

Angel Khong

"The best japanese food!!yumm cheap authentic and..."

Hellokitty

"Stopped by for a lunch special and had the "ladies lunch" (miso soup, teriyaki chicken, seaweed salad, spring roll and dumpling) oh so delicious! The..."

Iheartmelbourne

"50 50. Came here on a Friday night with a Urbanspoon buddy. I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. The waitress, a humble looking lady..."

I Binge On Food

"Very yummy and down to earth Japanese, great quality food for a very low price. Great friendly service too! It's just become our new..."

Gnarly

"Aoba-amazing taste at an affordable price. Aoba is a quaint little Japanese restaurant that provides a homely, comfortable and warm atmosphere. The..."

Bonnie Tin

"Awesome Japanese. This is my favourite Japanese restaurant in the Malvern area. The owner/chef is very friendly, the sushi is all super fresh and..."

Suzette

"My fav in Malvern. I went there with my bf after a stressful exam.The food was authentic but the sashimi was not that fresh.I..."

Catey Neow

"Really really good!. This place is really authentic. Food is superb and service is great. When coming here for dinner, be prepared to wait but the..."

Faddy

"Delicious Japanese food cooked and prepared fresh from the friendly chef (and owner?). Small and cozy place with warm and friendly service...."

Toby

"Great food and service for a husband and wife restaurant. Although the menu is limited, it's quality over quantity. Quite generous portions and..."

Skeeto

"Pure Japanese flavours. I first stumbled onto Aoba a fews years back, thinking I was going to have Korean (which it was previously). What an amazing..."

Jerry

"Secret gem in malvern!. This tiny place has a non-descript sign and interior but is in a league of its own in the food department! have had food from..."

Frankie

"Went to Aoba tonight for the first time, food, service and presentation all was 10/10 . We can't wait to return, must try the bento box next time, it..."

Kas Bessemer

"Quaint place. Yum food and very cheap. Good service..."

Shireen Prasad

"Best japanese restaurant!!. Fantastic foods !!! must..."

Eatmore

"Real Japanese!. I'm Japanese. When I miss Japanse food, I must go there. That's so good, reasonable, and real taste of japanse. I say that only AOBA..."

U-ske

"Very good!. Prices are very good as well as Food!Must try their..."

LOVE Poodle

"Very nice. Quality foods with very reasonable price. Worth..."

Nico

"All up, it was a great dinner and for $30.50, definitely value for money. Downside would probably be that the place is quite small and if you don’t..."

Christina Wong

"This place opened like 3 weeks ago, but I have been there 6 times by today. This place is good, infact, damn good. Every dish is a BM, no joke and..."

Darryl Tirtha

"A cosy, small, but surprising place. The service was friendly by the waitress and the chef. The food options are well thought out. The quality of the..."

Stan Veloutsos

"Most humble owner you will ever meet. Fast service and great quality food. You can absolute order anything on the menu and won’t..."

Ian Qiu

"I have been this place when we lived. it was cosy, warm with it has right flavour Japanesey food like home cook. we went there after lockdown...."

Russ Yeo Joon Yoon

"Some of the best customer service and Japanese food you can find in Melbourne. I had the Aoba Box (bento) with kara age chicken for dinner and it was..."

Sarah Strugnell

"Came here for a quick meal with a friend. We both had the Aoba box, one fish and chicken. The food was delicious and the serving size was decent, we..."