Review Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe - Melbourne

Food quality is fantastic. Each dish have sufficient protein. Serving size is perfect. The slow cook pork is really tender, and full of flavors. The soba noodles cooked just to right consistency. Entree is really good, little bit too salty. Matcha latte is very nice, not top sweet. Few small tables inside the little restaurant. Don't believe large group is possible. However, there are plenty of takeaway choices if needed. Very convenient to public transport. Train station just nearby. Car parking are also available nearby.

This is a very popular lunch spot. It’s often hard to get a seat either inside or outside but it’s worth the wait. A really broad menu of different Japanese noodles and curries, it’s great for a warm or cold Japanese classic. If you don’t have the time to wait for a table, they have a fridge full of great takeaway bowls. Ranging from your classic sushi sets to Poke bowls. My favorite dish is the Beef Soba noodles, so yum!

So glad this place is open Saturday and no waiting time! (unlike those famous brunch places haha) I had the chicken curry soba. Soba is springy but the curry is a little watery/weak for me. Overall a good dish. 👍👍 Also, can I just say that the matcha panna cotta and matcha latte is AMAZING! 😍😍 Not overly sweet and the matcha flavour is at the right amount. Seriously good stuff. Must get them when you visit!

Quite a chic place to dine. The fusion style Buta Kakuni Don is nice, the pork still maintain taste from Japan. If the pork can be braise for longer period and make it softer it would be perfect! Recommend to come here for meal. They served good vegetarian food too. The tofu burger looks delicious.

(3.75/4, almost a four but not quite there) The don I had which they recommended was not too bad, very large juicy chunks of salmon, however there was too much pickles for my taste. The miso is wonderful, very well balanced. The environment really sucks though, everything is kinda dirty and old, lots of the cutlery and cups dont look to clean. The decorations are terrible, and they dont clean the floor often. Generally its kind of hostile. The staff were alright, but I really do have concerns about sanitation in the kitchen, and because they serve raw food like fish, it really is a must. Not coming back until they do something about the general integrity of this place.

Nice and friendly staff with yummy food. We tried the chicken curry, matcha shake and the tofu sandwich. They are all taste so Japanese. Not too heavy taste. Really good for breakfast or lunch. BGM is relax and a bit funky that brings you away from the busy city.

This shop have been around d for some time and sits at a very strategic place at the corner of spencer and Collins st. They sell sushis and also hot foods. Tsuke Don was refreshing and gyuzara is not bad too. The kakuni pork was a little disappointing. Pork was soft but lacking any flavours. Food - 7 Service - 6 Vibe - 5 Price - $$

This was one of my favourite fast food Japanese joints in Melbourne. However, it doesn't seem to pick up its game after many Japanese fast food eateries opened around CBD. The chicken burger was very basic and underwhelming. Salmon bowl is still tasty, but not amazing. Melbourne is very competitive market. Hopefully, they will look into revamping their menus and bringing more exciting fusion Japanese food.

Honestly this is the best sushi joints that I've had the pleasure to eat at in Melbourne. I can see why it's so highly rated and that's why celebrities come out to visit this place. It's a small venue, but the quality of sushi, freshness and fantastic price makes it worth the journey to come out to Purple Peanuts. I for one will most definitely be coming back, again and again. Top marks !!

Honest to god best Japanese food I have ever eaten, definitely coming back!

Nice and cheap Japanese food in Melbourne cbd area. The fried onigiri is something different and nice. The curry soba was a bit too watery. The grilled chicken curry rice was nice.

Stoked we found this little place :) I had grilled chicken curry absolutely delicious! Fast friendly service. Would be great if they accepted cards ad well.

I tried basic curry chicken and rice. Unfortunately, nice but the dining in area is pretty small, less than 10 tables. Don't know how they can expand though, limited space. I will be back.

Great food, service for a really good price. The home made miso was delicious

I am very happy to give these guys my lunch money, A+++++

Been there once and the food was simple, genuine and just so good. Will definitely go back.

The teriyaki chicken is a winner. Food is always good, they just need more space!

Decent food served quickly. If you're in a rush you can have it takeaway too. Price is reasonable too :)

Although I did read a bad review that I hope is not true

Lovely, friendly staff and quality food. Best brown rice salad in the city - healthy and delicious!

Love the food, love the ambience. Close to southern cross station.

My favourite Japanese cafe - so handy being close to Southern Cross Station - good value & yummy fresh food :)

Always great service and fantastic food!! Love it!!

Must get to this cafe again soon. Love the miso.

Awesome Curry!!!

I have been visiting Purple Peanuts for the longest time. You could say, I’m one of their loyal customers. For affordable and tasty Japanese food with a slight modern twist, this is the “IT” place to go to. Even my Japanese friends enjoy visiting this café. <br/>🔆LOCATION🔆<br/>Purple Peanuts café is situated on Collins Street, near the corner of Spencer Street across the road from Southern Cross station. The café is nothing spectacular, its very simple set up with a few seats outside and limited seating inside. Customers normally get take-away because during peak lunch period its impossible to get a seat. I normally get here a bit earlier.<br/>🔆SERVICE🔆<br/>Staff here are super efficient, they used to the lunch hour rush. From taking orders, cleaning tables, preparing meals, and delivering to the table. They’re just fast. Normally the queues out the doors are customers waiting for their take-away orders or they’re lining up to put in an order. <br/>🔆MENU/PRICE🔆<br/>The following are most of my favourite things that I like to order when I visit Purple Peanuts: <br/>Prawn Burger, $13.90<br/>(Prawns, tofu & vegie pattie, rocket, cos lettuce, pickled cucumber on Turkish bread)<br/>Chicken Katsu Curry, $14.90<br/>(panko crumbed chicken, Japanese curry, fried veggies, broccolini, coleslaw & rice)<br/>Tsuke Don, $14.50<br/>(premium diced salmon, marinated in house Tsuke sauce, homemade pickles, seaweed salad, yellow daikon salad on vinegar rice)<br/><br/>Akio Salmon Sashimi, $14.90<br/>(premium salmon sashimi slice with Italian style apple/onion & ponzu citrus dressing, wild rocket, homemade pickles on vinaigrette rice)<br/><br/>Kare Gyu, $13.90<br/>(slow cooked thinly sliced beef, curry, red daikon, almond, sansai vegetable pickles, gomashio sesame and rice)<br/><br/>🔆VERDICT🔆<br/><br/>On my most recent trip, I actually got take-away to bring to my friend’s place to eat as she wasn’t feeling very well. I got the Tsuke Don, Chicken Curry and grilled salmon sushi. <br/>I really love the quality of food here and its not the typical food you would get any Japanese restaurant. The quirky modern fusion twist in their menu makes it so nice and interesting.

purple peanuts is a cheerful little Japanese place that’s ideal for the lunch office crowd. Service is really quick and you are offered a variety of Japanese donburi options - they also provide miso soup for $3 if you buy their recyclable cups! The beef rice my friend had came with quite a bit of pickles and generous beef portions. The radish that accompanied the salad was fresh and delicious! Beef was standard - could do with a bit more sauce to go with the rice! Would def come back to try other options!

Been there a few times but having this grilled chicken curry with soba was my first time. I enjoyed it so much. Will definitely go back again for the soba.

must have the curry with the rice ball as a side !!

The worst Japanese food I have ever had in my life. It's not worth it. Maybe the salad and sushi are great, but the ebi udon is bad. 80% poorly deep fried flour.

Some 18 months after my last visit I called into Purple for lunch. Good to see this place is still a crowd pleaser and there were plenty of people waiting for their lunch. I ordered the Japanese chicken curry and despite the numbers it was ready quite quickly. I took this back to work and it was delicious. My complaints last time about the rice to topping ratio being out was not an issue today and that curry sauce was really tasty. I didn’t feel the need to drink water all afternoon either so quality all round... they charged nearly $14 for what You can buy for around $12 elsewhere or even cheaper in some occasions but well worth the extra imo. <br/><br/>What did I not like? Credit and debit card surcharge. Come on Purple!!! who carries cash these days. <br/><br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>Previous Review<br/>3<br/>Called into Purple Peanuts for a late lunch today. I often walk passed and see queues out the door but queues had died down when I arrived after 1pm. It was still busy with a steady flow of hungry people coming and going. Fairly limited tables inside and more outside down the side laneway (so undercover). The menu is written all over the walls on paper behind the counter. They sell grab and go packs of sushi and drink as and pick your own from the counter. As well as some vibrant sushi and some delicious looking salads they also do hot food which was the order of the day. My chicken teriyaki was handed to me very quickly and I took it back to the office. The meal was of better quality than I normally get which was reflected in the price. A slight salad accompanied the rice and chicken in the main. I enjoyed the chicken but felt the rice needed a little more sauce to soak into it. I was left with a large portion of rice that was plain and dry at the end. I was slightly disappointed with the food. The service and surrounds were great but for the sake of a little more sauce this ok dish good have been great.

Sushi here was really tasty, but was not a fan of the vegetable Katsu curry, it comes with very deep fried tofu & not many vegetables like I think I was expecting. Service is quick though & meals didn’t take too long to come out.

My experience at Purple Peanuts Japanese cafe was that it was Japanese food made ‘healthier’ and ‘lighter’ on the palette. The Katsu Curry had a strong tomato umami flavour which was a surprise as I had not previously tasted any curry like that before. It had a lot more fruitier tones than most curries I have tried. The tempura udon as well was not your typical udon as the broth was quite citrus-y and light. An interesting variation of Japanese flavours but done very well.

For a quick bite to eat either grab and go takeaway or sit down, this small Japanese cafe is conveniently located opposite southern cross station. <br/>There are a range of hot cooked meals, on a cold Melbourne day I ordered the grilled chicken curry with rice. It was a warming dish, I loved how there was a grilled chicken option as often it’s only katsu (deep fried) curry. It was tasty and a good portion size.

Tried the teriyaki chicken rice which came with carrots and salad on the side. The chicken and the sauce were really tasty but the portion of the chicken was a bit small for our liking. The rice helped to fill us up

I haven’t been to Purple Peanuts in some time so it was great to go back. <br/><br/>The service from the waitress was lovely and she was very friendly.<br/><br/>I ordered a tuna triangle, sorry I don’t know the name but they are full of brown rice and deep fried. What more could I ask for hahaha except some delicious sesame sauce. Thank <br/><br/>They are amazing! So tasty, fresh, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. I ordered a brown rice salad too and this was delicious. It was full of cubed carrot. almonds, sultanas, beans and other goodies.<br/><br/>The prices are reasonable and this place is a must visit if your in the city! Yummo.

.<br/>Food (70%): 3.5/5<br/>Value (20%): 2/5<br/>Experience (10%): 3.5/5<br/><br/>Overall: 3.2/5<br/><br/>A cute and cozy Japanese Cafe with really interesting/unique dishes. The food was decent, but the biggest let down was the portion size of the dishes. I left feeling hungry :(

Nice food but definitely not the best value for money in the CBD. After paying $15 I actually thought they'd packaged my rice separately it was so small 😂

This is a great lunch spot for quick and hearty meal. I tried Tsuke Don on my 3rd visit and it looked amazing. It’s a cold dish with vinegary rice and pieces of salmons and a variety of pickles. I was pleased with the amount of salmons they gave me. I would preferred a little less vinegar in the rice but still it was tasty. Would come back to try more menus.

It's quite a busy little Japanese cafe but me managed to score some seats to dine in. They've also got an extensive takeaway section which I would have to explore on my next visit.<br/><br/>I got their popular Japanese curry chicken, the grilled chicken itself was okay but I would have preferred it in katsu chicken format. By itself it felt a bit bare, even the vegetables outshone the protein with its soft textures and sweetness. The curry itself was smooth and mild, I couldn't help but add shichimi to it to give it more heat.<br/><br/>I also got their matcha shake which was quite sweet from the vanilla bean, crushed Oreo, red bean and whipped cream. Had a decent matcha flavour to it however. I'd personally prefer the flavour profile of a matcha latte however.<br/><br/>It was a quick affair and it's not a place you'd want to hang back, we had a stream of customers line up right next to our table.

So lucky that this place is so close to my work. It's very underrated considering how cute, affordable and "authentic" it is. There are lots of veg and vegan options that are all quite healthy. Can't go wrong with a curry over rice, which is made really well - not your average boxed curry or at least it doesn't taste like it. Pro tip- the venue reduces prices of prepackaged meals before closing each day.

We popped into Purple Peanuts at lunch time on a weekend and it was chock full of people. Despite this, service was friendly and on point. <br/><br/>We had the Tsuke Don. It looked amazing. The salmon sashimi was well marinated with a mix of mirin, sake, sesame and soy. This was placed with colourful mixed salad on a bed of fragrant rice (with a hint of vinegar). The whole package worked really well. <br/><br/>Next was the matcha shake. The green tea was strong and was further accentuated by the vanilla bean. There was ice cream and red bean as well, all topped with whipped cream. This gave my love for bubble tea a run for its money!<br/><br/>Purple is now my new favourite colour!

So glad this place is open Saturday and no waiting time required! (unlike those brunch cafes haha)<br/><br/>I had the chicken curry soba. Soba is springy but the curry is a little watery/weak for me. Portion isn't the most generous, it's just right for me. Will say this dish is just a tad above average. haha<br/><br/>Also, can I just say that the matcha panna cotta and matcha latte is AMAZINGGGG! 😍😍 Not overly sweet and the matcha flavour is at the right amount and intensity. Seriously good stuff. Must get them when you visit!

Everything else is very good. But I will never buy a small salad again. $6.9 I am not expecting much, but the portion is tiny. Quite expensive for that size and cannot feed anyone. Maybe kids.

Would rate it a 3.5<br/>Ordered the Japanese chicken curry with rice. The curry was a little sweeter compared to the many saltier ones around the city but it was good. The almonds put on top of the curry were a nice touch because they have a little crunch.<br/>Feel like the chicken was nicely chargrilled but not sure if I would eat it again with the curry....<br/>For $13.90, it's a little steep especially considering that a couple blocks away is Brim CC which I think had better and cheaper Japanese curry.<br/><br/>They had other healthier options so might try those next time.<br/>Sorry the pic makes the curry orange, it's the Sun 😅

This place is heaving during lunchtime and the sushi wasn’t half bad. Would definitely get the tempura prawn again and again. Nice and crispy and fairly delicious.

A shop that would surprise many. It’s a small shop on Colin’s st. Been there a few times and the food is amazing. The portion is huge that is worth of the price which is a few dollars more for a normal lunch. Highly recommend the salmons and curry don

The food was good. <br/>I ordered a chicken salad which was tasty and well seasoned. I like the fact that they have brown rice options.<br/>Service was fast.

Would 10/10 recommend their japanese curry!! <br/>I ordered the beef and my friend ordered the chicken and both tasted amazing. It had perfectly cooked potatoes and carrots, almonds ( which added a nice crunch to it) and the sauce was perfect 👌🏼 would definitely come back again to try some of their other dishes. It was only $13.50 as well 😍

I really enjoy this dainty Japanese place! The staff is friendly and the service is quick, the potions are just right and the food is incredibly yummy. Their curry is light and delicious with lots of veggies on the side. A must try!

Positive: Beef curry noodle was a surprise and a lot different than it thought it would be. Rather than the sweet curry sauce, the soup was light, refreshing and full of flavours<br/>Negative: Matcha latte has a very ‘distinct’ taste to it which i am not a big fans of unfortunately<br/>Otherwise, it was a perfect lunch for a lovely Saturday afternoon before chilling at the park

Surprised when I walked past this place. Many locals were walking in and out! Ordered the Tsuke Don and loved it! Affordable and filling! It is a small cafe so be prepared to wait or share tables!

Came here for a quick takeaway lunch with the clan. Therefore, this post will consist of everyone's views:<br/><br/>Tim - Best onigiri in town, but they are a bit expensive. Still worth it I reckon, especially if Lem shouts one for me.<br/><br/>Lem - Interesting and invigorating take on the onigiri - definitely would recommend. Don't forget the sesame sauce! <br/><br/>Brad - (8^)--|--<<br/><br/>Akshay - came for the walk; didn't get anything. T'was a good experience.

😱Lizzie’s first impression: been here on multiple occassions especially during lunch times and it does get quite busy. <br/><br/>🍩Lizzie enjoyed: my favourite is still the katsu curry don it is made fresh and the curry is delicious. The sushi here is also very fresh and authentic. <br/><br/>🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: the line does get a bit long sometimes and you are left waiting in line or for food for a while. Come just before lunch time. <br/><br/>🥇Lizzie rates overall: a great place for a quick Japanese fix.

A Japanese cafe located near Southern Cross station. Ordered the chicken curry which was well made. Grilled chicken and curry sauce fills the bowl with rice on the side. Sushi is pricey but fresh.

I love purple peanuts, especially their salmon tsuke don and their curry chicken on rice 🍛 their salmon tsuke don consists of fresh salmon sashimi, lots of salads and rice, and it’s always delicious. Their curry chicken has grilled chicken which tasted so yummy with the chargrilled flavours.<br/><br/>I sometimes also love buying the potato salad to add as a side dish to my home cooked meals as well. 🤤

Food : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I ordered some sushi rolls. Taste fresh and great<br/>Price : ⭐️⭐️ A bit expensive compared to other shops and the rolls are smaller<br/>Service : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very friendly staff. Good service <br/>Ambience : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Original Menu presentation but the shop is quite small

Purple Peanuts has really good service. Their Japanese chicken curry was so yummy—satisfied my cravings! Will definitely come back! Loved their salted caramel panna cotta too 😍

I really enjoy this dainty Japanese place on Collins! It serves freshly made and delicious hand rolls and a wonderful selection of salads and hot food. Only downside is it’s limited seating, so be prepared to wait!

Staff: friendly and smiley<br/>Food: I don’t find anything I really like in my dish (Gyuzara) but I do like the light ginger broth they have. My friends looked happy with what they ordered as well<br/>Value: It’s cheap but I’m not sure it’s worth it.

Love this little gem. This place is my go to destination and I haven’t had a bad meal here (been eating lunches occasionally here for about 3 years now). The staff are friendly, the service is quick, the potions are just right and the food is incredibly yum. Must visit.

Purple Peanuts provides some simple contemporary Japanese dishes. Due to the convenient location, I’ve been here a few times and have ordered the Beef/Chicken Curries, the Salmon Rice Bowl, and the Chicken Curry Soba. The presentation is nice and the choice of brown rice is a good addition. However, although the food is fairly light, its portions are small and tastes pretty average.<br/><br/>I considered giving this cafe 4 stars; the atmosphere has a really nice vibe to it and the staff are friendly, but the food just isn’t deserving of it in my opinion. It’s a decent place to eat but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here.

4.5 - beautifully presented Japanese food in a cute and convenient location (right opposite southern cross station). Their curries are light and delicious - with lots of veggies on the side. My fave thing on the menu is the Fried onigiri with salad - that fried rice ball tastes a million times better than it looks. Crispy on the outside and warm rice on the inside : a must try.

A small and busy restaurant that is great for a quick lunch, it gets very busy during lunch so get here early if you intend to beat the queue..<br/>We ordered Tsuke Don (salmon sashimi with rice) & Curry Chicken Rice (grilled chicken).. <br/>Food was tasty and was a bit different to what you can usually get from Japanese take away places.. portions are not huge but plenty of options and their sushi looked amazing too.. Definitely a place that I will come back again..<br/>

The tsuke don was really delicious. The ingredients consisted of high quality and fresh salmon and vegetables. <br/><br/>The chicken curry don was good. Especially the grilled chicken added a bbq taste which was nice. However, it could’ve been better marinated and more tasty. Almond in the curry was a really interesting touch and surprisingly it worked really well.<br/><br/>Recommended!

Lovely little cafe for quick lunch stops. Food is good and serviced fairly quickly. People are usually in and out of this cafe.<br/>Only downside, the salad didn’t seem really fresh and the pork was lacking bit of flavour/sauce.<br/><br/>Food: 3.5/5<br/>Service: 3/5<br/>Ambiance: 2/5

I was wowed by the high rating and was intrigued by the pork belly. While the pork was lightly fragrant and tender, generous serving of salad, rice and pork, everything was doused by the Korean chilli sauce. The chilli sauce just overwhelmed everything- a shame. <br/><br/>I had a fried onigiri and opted for the famous teriyaki sauce. The first mouthful- wow! However I thought the sauce again is too salty for my liking. $6.50 for an onigiri is not cheap. <br/><br/>I got the matcha shake for takeaway and this didn’t disappoint. Good on a sunny winter day. <br/><br/>I might go back for the salmon sashimi and other dishes. Not the pork belly.

Premium price, tiny servings. Chicken Teriyaki had no sauce but a mountain of rice and an extremely small amount of chicken.. Wish we had picked a different place to have lunch

The inside seats are limited and always crowed in the lunch break on weekdays. We four ordered food and had to eat outside. The food came out quickly. I had Chicken Salad. I really liked it and ate up the whole bowl even though it's a bit spicy for me. My friends had Prawn Salad, Kakuni Pork and Soba. I would say it's a good lunch place for weekdays.

Great selection of healthy Japanese food. It's a busy place but it's pretty quick if you choose one of those pre-packed lunches for takeaway.  It's tempting to try some of the desserts on offer too.

One of my favourite food spots in Melbourne. I generally always have the yasai curry soba. Everything about this dish is incredible, but the broth is the real winner. So hearty and flavourful. The sushi is also really fresh and delicious. I’m pretty sure that almost anything you try from the menu would be amazing cause the flavours are just always on point. The only downside might be that the curry can sometimes be served lukewarm. I always just make sure to ask for the broth to be super hot so no biggie. The service is very welcoming and friendly. Nice and convenient location too. Did I mention it’s also super affordable?

I have walked by Purple Peanuts a few times in the past and have always noticed how busy it is! I can totally see why!<br/><br/>The food was served in under 5 minutes and it was really delicious!<br/><br/>My order was the veggie curry with Tofu. Really tasty. Would recommend :)

I've been coming here for 6 years and it's still the best Japanese in the city.<br/>Must try everything but especially the curries, salmon sashimi and sushi.<br/>

I like this place. It's been a while since my previous visit but finally I got the chance again. This time I ordered their curry. The taste is quite similar to other Japanese curry and I quite the version where there is plenty of sauce, which this one has. The meat is a bit too fatty for my liking but I quite like it. They also have peanuts there which was a unique and nice addition. They also have greens as extra vegetables. Overall I like the dish and this place stays as my favourite around this part of town.

This place is a gem. The chicken curry is so tasty, just tastes so fresh and healthy AND delicious.<br/><br/>This place does everything very well. I work a good 15 min walk from here and it’s definitely worth the trek.

Defo my newest fav place in the city! Loveeeeessss how everything is so fresh and home made. Been here twice and what i can say is they make very well executed simple dishes. (Which makes everything almost perfect) and dont get me started on their hand rolled maki, just make sure u try the prawn tempura one, Thank me later. 😏

A lunch time favourite. Don’t be put off by the queue, it moves really quickly. Love the spicy salmon bowl, particularly the addition of the marinated eggplant.

Excellent quality Japanese takeaway food with a modern twist. There’s alway a little bit of a line up during lunch time. Prawn salad is the winner here, love the creamy sesame dressing.

Believe the hype. So fresh, so tasty. <br/>I got the spicy salmon on rice from the fridge (was in a hurry). The nuts and seeds throughout the rice is such a great touch! It was not spicy at all though, maybe some wasabi would have made it even better.<br/>Cannot wait to try this place again.

My top fave lunch spot. <br/><br/>Service is quick and staff are friendly. <br/><br/>Their tsuke don is definitely one the the best you could find in town, very fresh, tasty and filling. <br/><br/>Not a big fan of their curry though, quite average. <br/><br/>Not sure what it's called but their matcha/mango desert is really delish (just a bit priceyyyyy)

Really really delicious hand rolls here with more choice in terms of types/flavours than your average sushi takeaway. Service is super lovely and efficient ! Great for a quick takeaway lunch, don’t be afraid of any lines they move quick!

Very clean and convenient feel to this restaurant especially with all the takeout options available. Tried a couple of boxes and would say they were very delicious, especially salmon rice, soba salad and rolls. Could be a bit pricey but fair considering the restaurant quality.

After passing by this restaurant for several times, i decided to give it a try. Chicken curry is this restaurant is so delicious. They use grilled chicken rather than katsu chicken, and it's a very good combination. Most importantly, i love the curry souce, it's not too sweet and sour, and the texture is just right. By the way, they put roasted almonds on top of the curry, because they are purple peanuts cafe 😎

I ordered Akio’s salmon sashimi for lunch through MealPal. The place is very small so I was asked to wait just outside the doorway. Service was very efficient given how busy they were. The salmon sashimi tasted fresh and the rice was really yummy. I would’ve preferred more veggies to balance out how much rice there was, but the rice still tasted great by itself. Overall, a great place for a takeaway lunch.

This place is a favourite mid week lunch venue. Although slightly more expensive than the average lunch buyer would like to pay, in my view it’s worth it. Try their tsukedon, akio salmon or grilled chicken curry for guaranteed delicious and healthy fusion fare. For something a bit more naughty, try the kakuni pork or the fried tuna onigiri with sesame sauce. So good! <br/><br/>Don’t let the long lunch time lines scare you off - they move very quickly and you’ll have your order in less than 10 minutes. It’s worth every minute of the wait.

Have walked past this place quite until I finally decided to try it. Its located at quite a busy spot at Southern cross. Its perfect for having a quick hot meal. <br/><br/>They sell Sushi's, Japanese Curry, Sashimi's, Miso soup and Burgers along with a few Japanese drinks. Very reasonably priced Japanese food, quick service and friendly staff. <br/><br/>My absolute favorites are their Chicken Curry with brown rice and Miso soup. They have a great collection of keep cups which you can buy for $10, in which they will serve the Miso for you. Let me tell you they have one of the best MISO soups in town.

This shop have been around d for some time and sits at a very strategic place at the corner of spencer and Collins st. They sell sushis and also hot foods. Tsuke Don was refreshing and gyuzara is not bad too. The kakuni pork was a little disappointing. Pork was soft but lacking any flavours.

Lovely cosy cafe close to southern cross station, quite small with limited seating. It can get quite busy at lunch time, avoid the rush hour or be prepared to line up. The terriyaki chicken was tasty and the salad on the side was fresh and full of flavours. Service was prompt and efficient, which is what you want when you're on the go or limited with time on your lunch break. Would love to come back to try other dishes on the menu.

Awesome healthy dishes and super prompt service. We got a few different dishes to go when staying in the city. Will definitely be back. The salmon salad and miso were gold

I’ve been here a few times already, really good and cheap Japanese food. Great for lunch, quick service! <br/>The salmon salad is pretty good and the chicken salad as well! A bit too spicy for my taste though so be sure to tell that when you order if you’re like me and not into spicy food

Had their pork belly and chicken curry and they were both very delicious; tender well seasoned meat with flavour-packed sauces. The meals were more of a modern take on Japanese cuisine so not exactly authentic but still quite tasty. They had a great selection of (mousse type) desserts as well which complemented their savoury meals very well. Overall, it was a great spot for lunch.

Great service, Soba dishes was sad.<br/><br/>Service is great, friendly people and fast clean given the space they have. The soba dish is what I'm gonna enjoy, but it was something else.<br/><br/>The soba noodle I had was a tori curry soba dish that has a mild spice, somehow this dish is cater to the people that likes non spice cause that was not spicy. I am disappointed at the dish.<br/><br/>The noodle was overcook that the noodle was broken and not long. The chicken was bland but tenderly good. The broth was plain and I cannot finish the broth.<br/><br/>Overall was good that I'll want to try other dishes but I'm gonna avoid the soba dishes and possibly the place.

Have to go back for second time because food is funky j-pop rock star delicious!<br/>I’m not kidding, today we did come back for ice matcha, $4.50 in a bottle that you can find on fridge display.<br/>Aburi chilli salmon was delish! Very unusual combo, have quinoa on the base, carrot and capsicum, boom boom 💥 flavour! <br/>Spicy salmon also good, rice and walnut , shallots and I think a little furikake (bonito flakes ) maybe add to it, I’m not quite sure for this furikake part, but super yummy, the best modern Japanese food by far that I try from this Melbourne planet

Having the kakuni pork for takeaway. The pork belly is so tender! The sauce for me is the highlight of the dishes, it tastes like curry-e, and flavorful! :)

The food here is somehow fresh, light and filing. Come here regularly for the great vegan options. I love the rice balls and salad, the veggie burger is great too. Can’t go wrong at purple peanuts, friendly staff and a cute little cafe.

I was excited to try this place and it didn’t disappoint! It’s cheap and delicious! I can definitely see why it was popular since there was a long line when we left. If I was in the city more I would go here often for my Japanese fix. I also tried the matcha drink but didn’t enjoy it as much as the food.

I've ordered takeaways from Purple Peanuts so many times now but never remember to write a review for it. Chicken Curry is awesome, my all time fav. <br/><br/>+++ Chicken Curry: nicely grilled chicken thigh with heaps of pickles of different types which is nice coz I love pickles, especially Japanese ones. I personally think the curry is the best part about this dish, a bit spicy but the heat is not overwhelming at all, so addictive. <br/>+++ Teriyaki Chicken: overall quite nice, a bit dry though, and I don't think the teriyaki sauce is that impressive. Probably because I'm so deeply in love with the chicken curry? <br/>+++ Kakuni Pork: tbh I'm not so fond of the Korean chilli in this dish. I feel like it kinda takes away the taste of the simple and comforting stewed pork. <br/>+++ Sushi rolls: ok. <br/>+++ Price: affordable and reasonable for the portion <br/><br/>Even though I don't really like the other dishes that much, I'll definitely be back for the chicken curry.

Such a cute place for a quick a lunch break, and they’re menu caters for all from what I could tell. I had the Tori Curry Soba, the chicken was so tender and just melted in my mouth almost. If you’re after a cheap meal but with great, I would recommend trying this place!

This is hands down one of my favourite places to eat in Melbourne. Whether it be the popular tsuke don, teriyaki chicken, or soba dishes, I’ve never been let down by this wonderfully authentic Japanese eatery. Everything here is homemade as evidenced by their shelves of jars and bottles of their own pickles and desserts for sale. Purple Peanuts is very reasonably priced as well so it’s pretty easy to just keep coming back again and again!

Amazing! Flavour A ++ Serving size A++ Quality of ingredients A++ This place is little so get takeaway and then walk over and sit on the grass at The Age building.Try to go early as it pumps during lunch hour

This place is the best for quick and cheap meals that are fresh. Even though it's cheap, the quality is in no way subpar! They have great vegetarian options as well as this is a go to with a mate who doesn't eat meat!

Had the Tsuke Don here. So refreshing on a hot day. Was tasty, fresh and great value for money. The seating is quite cramped though and the service pretty impersonal. Looking forward to returning and trying their hot dishes and burgers.

The Akio’s Salmon sashimi was so good!! Tender and fresh salmon sashimi served with vinegar sushi rice and mixed veggies salad. It’s a very nutritious and yummy lunch when you want something light. Would like to try other items on the menu next time.

I would highly recommend this cafe to anyone. The sushi and other plates are delicious and very fresh. Also, the manager is very accommodating to difficult dietary requirements, as long as you speak with the right person and let them know what your issue is.!

Don't let looks deceive you. This cafe looks like it needs a make over however, the food is good. The cafe is so mixmatched was its deco, the menu is hand written on brown paper and stuck on the wall. Its more of a fast food sushi place serving brown rice sushi that tastes so fresh. I also had the chicken burger and it was good. The marinated chicken thigh was flame grilled and served in a Turkish bread roll with mixed salad, kewpie mayo, house teriyaki sauce. The chicken was juice and thick $12.50. Its located on Collins Street heading towards Southern Cross station.

This has to be my favourite cafè in Melbourne. It's such a treat! Their take on onigiri is interesting and delicious, the salads are always vibrant and fresh. Literally eveything I've ever ordered here has been really tasty and exceptional value for money. The veggie curry is really good and the portions are seriously generous. Not to mention the atmosphere is funky and the staff are generally really nice, there's nothing not to love.

I have been coming here on and off for 2 years and this place never fails! <br/><br/>The prices are great, the portions are just perfect and the food is SO tasty and fresh! <br/><br/>Staff are so friendly and there is always a good vibe. <br/><br/>:)

Amazing little Japanese cafe in front of Southern Cross station. Tried the Tsuke Don. A bit remind me of Hawaiian Poke Bowl. Probably closer to a 'deconstructed sushi'. The marinated salmon tasted fresh and umami. Salads were refreshing on top of fluffy vinegar rice. The most interesting thing was the fried onigiri, filled with almond, tuna and carrot; dressed with sesame sauce. Never had anything like that before. Onigiri modernized, elevated, satisfied.

A "Japanese happy hippy" place to spend your $10-15.00 ...<br/><br/>Long time between Sushis, it has been a while so it was good to revisit.<br/><br/>Avoid the rush hour, always crowded, super "quaint" size, small cooked meals on the Menu, it's more a takeaway set up than dining in cafe. There are sitting area outside, best area to sit and enjoy your meal break especially in Summer, air cond and exhaust are struggling, very warm plus can be a "suffocating" cooking aroma inside.<br/><br/>Changes and improvements are coming though ..... as spoken by the owner.<br/><br/>Menu on the wall, capturing their vego, hippy, free-spirited and non-compliance spirit of their offering .... Spicy Salmon sushi was well made, however sushi rice was dry and hard, sitting too long on the display with super warm weather can easily do that.<br/><br/>Still one of the super fast, friendly, quick attentive service and value for money. JT-30/11/2017.

One of my all time favourite lunch spots, conveniently located directly across from Southern Cross station. Very popular so prepare to line up during the busy lunch period. <br/><br/>Great quality and well priced with most dishes being under $13. My favourites are the teriyaki chicken (one of the best teriyaki sauces around, you can even buy it separately by the bottle!), kakuni pork, chicken curry and tuna onigiri & salad. They even have a great selection of house made matcha chocolates to satisfy the sweet tooth.

In a city with so many Japanese quick eat places, I think this is one is a standout. It is forever busy during weekday lunches but the service is efficient and always polite. Today I visited during mid-afternoon on a Saturday, so it was possible to find an empty table.<br/><br/>The Tsuke Don consists of salmon sashimi pieces marinated in mirin, sake, sesame and soy, seaweed salad, greens and pickles on a bed of vinegared rice. I like to add pickled ginger to the mix, giving the combination a slightly sweet taste. The wholesome, deliciously fresh ingredients are satisfying without feeling heavy afterwards. The Hatsu raspberry and lychee white tea is refreshing without being too sweet.<br/><br/>The tiny place offers a range of sushi, hot food, Japanese drinks and beer. I always feel good after a visit here and judging by the crowd and rating, it seems this place has a few fans.

Quality Japanese food for a reasonable and affordable price. Cosy cafe with polite staff. Seating is limited. Would return to try other dishes.

Found this place on Zomato. Came here last week for a quick dinner. It was a small Japanese restaurant with limited choices on the menu. The food was served pretty fast was better than expected. Don’t mind coming here again for lunch or quick dinner.

Second time here,ordered their Tsuke Don which is basically vinegared rice with dices of marinated sashimi and mixed salad. Sashimi was fresh and perfectly seasoned!Ordered their Matcha shake which was pretty bomb as well,liked how rich it was with matcha and wasn’t too milky. Definitely my go to place to have my Japanese food fix!

Conveniently close to southern cross station and quite affordable too! This place is normally quite busy during lunchtime so need to go early if you want to try out this place. I ordered the seaweed salmon don which I thought was quite nice and yummy :)

Service: friendly with smiles, will respond to dietary requirements, one time they made me a fresh vegan brown rice sushi roll. <br/>Food: great selection of hot and cold Japanese dishes. The chicken curry is filling, nice touch of almonds and radishes. <br/>The rice balls are tasty. You can tell the sushi are regularly made throughout the day. Very good selection. The coconut yoghurt with fruit was nice.

Went here a couple of weeks ago, great selection of food to eat, very busy place, bought myself some delicious sashimi. Would come back again.

Chanced upon this cute Japanese restaurant which sets off a really homely ambience.<br/>They don't only offer freshly prepared meals but also vegan alternatives and pre packed sashimi , sushi rolls for busy individuals. <br/><br/>Ordered the Tsuke Don- cubed salmon with radish and salad served on a bowl of rice. Simple and delightful but nothing special, I'd prefer a Hawaiian poke bowl instead.<br/> <br/>the Akio Salmon Sashimi- apple and onion relish serve on a bed of sliced salmon with rice and salad on the side. Fresh and comforting, nice acidic tang from the ponzu dressing, as it cuts through the richness of the salmon slices.<br/><br/> Matcha milkshake was nothing like I've ever taste before, the touch of Kirsch really gave it depth and flavour. And the biscuit pieces was a real surprise! Only con was the size, pretty pricey for such a small cup. <br/><br/>Both meals were $14.90each including a cup of flavourful homemade miso soup. <br/>Milk shake was $5.90<br/><br/>Total $35.70 <br/><br/>Ambience-1<br/>Freshness-1<br/>Taste-0.5<br/>Value-0.5<br/>Customer service-1<br/><br/>Total 4/5

I thought the sushi tasted old and it was quite dry, which was really surprise. But this place has a good rating, so I think I’ll go back and try something else - give it the benefit of the doubt.

Generally pretty good food and service all around. They have a 50c flat surcharge for transactions below $10 which just got banned by the ACCC from Sept 1 - hope the owners read this before they get into trouble.