Awesome food, incredible staff, great dining company in Andy, Patrick and Linda!
favourite place to go :) best japanese cuisine in melbourne and will keep coming back!
The best and traditional with a twist Japanese cuisine in Melbourne! Highly recommended.
The best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, I believe.
Wynn Demontaño Fontanos
+5
Amazing food, great service. Our waiter was wonderful. Will definitely come back.
Most amazing meal I have ever had :) true art on a plate
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I really can't think of any other resturants in Melbourne that can do better under $40. I got Matsu 9-course lunch set ($38) which was worth every penny. From Pickled Appetizer to Truffle sauce diced Wagyu beef steak, everything tasted amazing! Such a good balanced selection especially for a lunch set menu. Not to mention, I really enjoyed traditional Japanese interior which gave off this soothing and calming ambience.
My favourites were assorted sushi and truffle sauce wagyu beef. Unlike other Japanese resturants I've been to, I liked how rice wasn't firmly packed together - hence, rice dispersed freely in my mouth which was a pleasant surprise. And of course, fish tasted fresh and succulent.
Truffle sauce diced Wagyu beef steak was also incredibly delicious - went really well together with mixed stream rice. The sauce was addictingly savoury which was just perfect with wagyu beef. The sauce itself was so good that I wanted to lick the plate clean ahaha. Only minor downside was that mixed steam rice came out a bit too mushy. I think that's from extra moisture from the meat and vegetable cooked with the rice. Other than that, everything was just amazing!
Service was beyond excellent - waitresses were all attentive and accommodating throughout. I was also impressed how clean the washroom was and how they had these free hygiene supplies for customers to freely use such as Q-tips. I really appreciate their attention to details which shows how much this restaurant cares for their customers. Overall, I am thankful for getting a chance to enjoy such a quality selection and craftmanship put into creating these beautiful dishes. I really regret not visiting this venue sooner. I am definitely coming back for more!
I had one of their specialty lunch set menus which included: egg custard, sashimi, salad, grilled unagi, tempura, teriyaki beef as well as icecream for dessert. The set was amazing and flavourful, each part of the menu delivered new and vibrant flavours which excited the palate.
With a 4.6 rating on Zomato I was excited to try Shoya. Quite an extensive menu with a lot of options to choose. Limited vegetarian options.
🍽 sashimi - nice plate of different raw fish. Not really a fan of uni, however, that’s a personal preference.
Oyster with lemon and ponzu - I liked the ponzu paired with the oyster. However $10/per 2 oysters is a bit pricey...
Chicken karage - quality fried chicken pieces in a crispy batter. Standard and delicious.
Beef tataki - wagyu beef that is seared on the outside. It was a little thicker than I’d like. I like wafer thin beef.
California roll - can’t complain. Gave you everything you wanted from a California roll. Fresh and tasty.
Nice food presentation and nice service :) Price wise slightly not comparable with the portion for some food.. but good experience nevertheless. Good ambience :)
Had the $150 course for dinner my partner and a friend for their birthday.
All dishes were delicious as there were a variety of seafood and meat served.
After finishing the course, it left was still hungry ordering more and when spending $150/p.. it's a little disappointing.
Overall the food and service were great. Just wished we were full after finishing the course.
Well.. it’s okay but nothing too amazing. Sashimi was bit too fishy. Other hot food was good. Service was very good. The lady who served our table was very friendly and informative with drinks menu. Giving 4 becaue of her. Otherwise, nothing too amazing.
Usually here for family gatherings. This place is one of the best places for Japanese food and value for money. (Especially for the lunchtime menu. You'll thank me for this tip!)
Many Japanese restaurants in Melbourne claim to be authentic which is rubbish. This one is fairly close to being authentic in terms of taste. I'd recommend this place to anyone that wants proper Japanese food. They cater to all the classics - sushi, sashimi, tempura and other dishes too.
I have also been here for dinner. We thought it would be terribly expensive but was not too bad and we were very full afterwards.
Love there lunch menu, decent price good quality of food. The dinner menu was nice but it’s a bit overpriced for what it is. Very nice service great sake and wine selection. Had few good experiences.
The service here is spectacular! Food quality is amazing! Waiters are extremely professional, making you feel comfortable and taking their time letting you look through the menu until you're ready. Highly reccomended place for special occasions 😍😍😍
Wasn’t anything to rave about, typical Japanese food. I might go back to try their bbq, but the alacarte was ok. I think it’s more about presentation than food on some aspects.
We came here for lunch on a Saturday. We ordered the lunch sets and the courses were mostly delicious. My favourites were the grilled unagi, tempura and truffle wagyu beef. The sashimi was also fresh. Unfortunately, the teriyaki beef was a let down as it lacked flavour and was slightly overcooked. The rice that came with the beef was served too early and was cold by the time the beef was served. The rice needed more oomph as it was quite bland. The green tea ice cream had a nice bitterness and wasn't too sweet. It was a nice way to end the meal. Service was efficient and friendly.
We had a fine dining experience. Staff were very friendly and did not rush us at all at any stage. Food was amazing and presentation was very appealing. Celebrated a birthday here where they even brought out dessert for us with a candle and sang happy birthday. Overall it was a great experience.
I’ve been here twice and honestly can say this place is one of my favourite japanese restaurant in Melbourne. The first time i came here was for the All you can eat $98 dining experience and honestly it was so worth it. The second time I visited we ordered separately but ended up paying roughly the same including drinks except with less food.
Highlights: loved the bbq meat selections and sashimi here. The AYCE is probably my fav as you could also order unagi on rice, sashimi & sushis, soup and ice cream as well. The ice cream was the best!!
Lowlights: the ala carte is a little on the pricey side and we paid $33 for each of the crab lega thinking we’ll get 4 since theres four of us but ended costing us alot more. But can say it was so delicious! Probably won’t pay $33 for it next time though.
So glad to have finally made it to Shoya, they’ve been high on my to go list for ages. We tried their all you can eat bbq ($78, usually $98) and the offer is a bargain! You get so much deliciousness (unagi, sushi, udon) and premium cuts of beef and other meats. We also opted in to get some ice cream, I honestly can’t pick a favourite, it was all good!
Been to Shoya twice and I'm in love with their lunch special menu! 6~8 course for $38~$45. Great substitute for dietary requirements, friendly staff, nice timing between every dish, and a great place to just catch up with friends and have a quiet meal and soft conversation. Would return again
This is our second time coming to Shoya. First time was omakase experience and this time is All you can eat BBQ Wagyu etc. Food was great. So satisfying, delicious and we love it. Service is efficient and staff are friendly and helpful. They keep checking us whether we have enough food. Environment is cozy and enjoy the Japanese style dining seating where we need to take off our shoes. We tried almost everything on the menu. Love the sesame and red bean ice cream. Will be back!
We had visited Shoya for dinner and it was such a fabulous experience with the all you can eat barbecue!
You could select the meat of your choice and barbecue it yourself! Mini sides were served as well!
The meat quality was top standard and there were good sides served (unagi don, udon noodles, etc)!
We also had ice cream for dessert and this was very impressive!
We had such a great time at Shoya and would most definitely go back again for another meat fiesta!
Little did I know Shoya is one of the OG Japanese restaurants in Melb CBD! 15 years old! The basis of their food is traditional done extremely well. We had the all you can eat BBQ. The wagyu was by far the stand out, so tender and melted in your mouth. All the other sides like the sushi were brilliant and very well done. If you are looking for a traditional and delicious style restaurant, this is the place to go!
The otoro just melted in my mouth. I had the most wonderful experience. The sushi and sashimi was of the most excellent quality. The wait staff were extremely polite and attentive. Also, they had a most impressive sake collection. Highly recommended 💛
Went here for the first time and the service was impeccable. The nigiri we ordered just melts in your mouth. And if you like cold noodles, then highly recommend to try that too. If you want a nice, quiet dining experience where you can enjoy delicious Japanese cuisine and be able to converse with your partner or friends, this is the place to go. The quality of the food is very fresh and well done.
Good food and good service.
Lanch set menu is very reasonable and very yammy!
You’ll get small appetizer, sashimi, sushi, main and dessert for around $30
Lovely staff, beautiful restaurant and great food. Still haven’t tried the floor seating area so a great excuse to return! Lovely place for a dinner out, and close to the theatre!
🍣 JAPANESE at SHOYA 🍣
This is one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in the City. Our second visit to Shoya Melbourne was absolutely amazing. The wagyu beef - the best we've ever had! Our favorite dishes were:
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🍣 Selection of sashimi, salmon, kingfish, tuna, scallop and a side of fresh wasabi
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🥩 Premium Wagyu beef with truffles and mushrooms
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🐟 Grilled Swordfish cheek with lemon
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Down an alleyway (Market Lane), Shoya is next to the established Flower Drum but according to rumours - a lot more affordable!
Ordered:
🍱 Matsu Set: pickled appetizer, sashimi, assortment sushi, steamed savoury egg custard, tempura of crab & scallops Shoya style, truffle sauce diced wagyu beef, mixed steam rice, miso soup & green tea icecream ($38.00)
Review:
For an established restaurant, Shoya almost forgetting our assorted sushi was a shock. However, thank god for my friend for realizing. This may be because we asked them to bring out our dishes quite rapidly.
Hopefully they're able to fix the oversight for future customers!
Everything was delicious. The quality and quantity is great, even though close to $40 is more on the expensive side for lunch.
Atmosphere was nice, quiet and calming. There's an upstairs area which features your stereotypical tables (~2-4 people) and a more traditional tatami mat area for larger parties. Remember to take your shoes off!
Shoya is definitely a great place if you want something on the nicer end like a celebration or just a nicer lunch where you can take your time.
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If you haven’t been here, GO! Do it now and thank us later.
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We visited Shoya on a Friday afternoon for their omakase experience.
When we first stood in front of the door of the very small storefront waiting for the venue to open, our first impression was that it was going to be a small space with a few tables. Boy, were we deceived.
The restaurant opened at 6 pm sharp. We were greeted by the friendliest of staff and taken to the omakase spot - on Level 2. This place is massive and so spacious. Plenty of private ish tables, great for dates or semi private functions.
We were offered a special omakase menu and it was truly that - special.
Our experience started with the lightest deep flavoured snapper soups followed by the crispiest of cones filled with freshly chopped wagyu tataki and marinated in garlic soy sauce. Three little bite sized entrees made their appearance; avocado crab with yuzu miso, scallop wrapped in kobu sitting on a cube of sweet, crunchy watermelon and fresh Tasmanian salmon tartare served with a quail egg. Impressed by the creativity, freshness of produce and combination of flavours.
The theatre of the experience was the Sashimi Ice Ball. Completely mind blowing to watch the chef sculpturing the ice into the most amazing ball of ice and filled with the freshest, top quality sashimi. It is fair to say that this dish is the signature here and for good reason. If you don’t like the fresh sashimi here, you won’t like it anywhere. The kingfish simply falls apart in the mouth and the sweetness and smooth texture of the fish wins you over instantly.
A special mention needs to be provided to the truly exceptional owner and mastermind of this venue, Chef Shigeo, whose slicing skills were truly captivating right before our very eyes to the point of stalking. We were literally watching him like hawks while we was delivering the freshest of sashimi and slicing it with such precision that was simply mesmerizing.
And when you thought that the best was served, the two most amazing pieces of wagyu beef emerge in front of you and your mouth drops; Australian beef and Hida beef, both cooked to perfection and accompanied with the most delicious combinations imagined to enhance and hero what truly is unique beef cuts. The Australian wagyu was covered in black truffle and beautifully poached, sweet daikon. The Hida beef will win you over; the dispersion of fat within the lean wagyu delivers one of the best marbled pieces of meat we have ever tried. Coupled with crispy cubes of rice and a bed of enoki mushrooms, this is simply a dish that is conceptually and texturally a winner.
The night could not be concluded without a dessert to bring everything together and the hojicha green tea cake served with fig and crunchy pieces of caramelized nuts was the perfect finish to our experience.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO RETURN.
Our dining experience at Shoya was exquisite from beginning to end. An award-winning Japanese restaurant tucked away in a small lane amidst the bustle of Melbourne’s Chinatown, Shoya Nouvelle Wafu Cuisine epitomises everything there is to love about Japanese cuisine – refined simplicity. Seafood, sashimi and wagyu – just to name a few of the fresh and simple ingredients that were carefully selected by the chef, Shigeo Nanaka, to craft an end result that was truly remarkable. Shoya was a dining experience that has left me with unforgettable memories about the magic of food.
Eat_today_diet_tomorrow
+5
Our meal at Shoya was definitely a very enjoyable one. We were invited to a bloggers event there and we are really impressed with the food. Our favourite dish has got to be the wagyu beef steak. The dish came with a piece of australian wagyu and another piece of hida beef, which is a really popular type of beef in japan. The sashimi ice ball is also another impressive dish.
Japanese cuisine doesn’t get much better than this in the CBD. The quality of the ingredients & craftsmanship in putting it al together is simply a pleasure to experience on all fronts. Definitely would recommend the sushi counter and ask for the omakase.
Wow. Came here for a work lunch and and got the Take lunch set and wow. Everything that came out was just quality. Everything was tasty, and such that it made it hard to pick a favourite (tempura, sushi, sashimi, teriyaki chicken - all good). Whilst pricey, it was worth it and am keen to return in future.
Extremely fresh fish and fast service. Am very impressed. I've eaten sushi all over the world and this is definitely on par. I definitely would eat here again
Opted for the Ume set for $32 and Matsu set for $38. Both consist of 9 dishes. Definitely good value. For its price, the quality was decent, though not the best, but they were worth every penny. The tempura was not greasy, with the right amount of meat, or vegetables. The sashimi for the sushi was cut too thin. The diced wagyu steak was flavourful. The meat was tender, and the sauce was tasty. the chawanmushi was silky smooth, and the sashimi was fresh. The dishes were actually pretty average, but for the price, it was a good value.
Used to come here when Melbourne has no Japanese Fine Dining so remembered it super fancy. Decided to visit again and it wasn't as fancy any more. Well maybe because other places lifted the bar too high..
Service was absolutely amazing. Food was lovely. Tempura was nice, beef tartar was kinda ok. My favourite was the Unagi, a big piece and really nice flavoured. My friend loved the salmon I just liked it. Portion was good, didnt have enough room to have dessert.
Little Picky Very Hungry
+4
Thank you sister for taking me to this long-established Japanese restaurant for my pre-birthday dinner. I’ve heard so much about this place over the years.
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Their Fresh sashimi served in the famous carved out ice bowl is a must try! DELUXE ENTREE ($28) 🐟 was beautifully presented, sashimi was nice and fresh. KANI CHEESE MISO ($12.5) 🧀🦀♨️, I didn’t expect cheese and miso go so well together, huge chunks of crab meat. However, there was some MSG added, as I was so thirsty afterwards. The Petit Uni Sashimi ($27) was a legend! It was thick and creamy in texture, sweet and subtle in the flavour 😋
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For the main dishes, we ordered the WAGYU STEAK EYE FILLET ($78) with Japanese mushrooms and red miso truffle sauce🐄🌾. Basically it was a mouthwatering heaven in my mouth, excellent quality and well cooked. Last but not least, the KAMO SOUS VIDE ($38) slow cooked duck breast cooked three ways Yuzu pepper in caramelized sweet soy sauce 🦆. It was truly amazing we savoured every mouthful.
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Service was hit and miss, our waiter was friendly but talked way too fast. The main took too long to come out but overall a good place for a special occasion 🎎🎉
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My friend and I both had the Matsu Lunch Set - 9 dishes for $38 sounded like a great deal. Sitting at the chef’s table meant we could watch sashimi and sushi being prepared, and it was so mesmerising we stopped talking to just watch at times. It also meant we had our sashimi and sushi delivered straight to us, which is always that little bit nicer than having a waiter come up behind you and put it down.
The seafood was fresh and obviously of great quality. The sushi was also evidently fresh as we watched it being made; it was also perfectly soft yet didn’t fall apart, and the perfect amount of wasabi was used to keep it together. The tempura was very interesting - different to traditional tempura. The quail egg was a little bit dry but they were great otherwise. We were both disappointed by the wagyu - it turned out to be really tough. The small slice of quiche and the sauce were really tasty though. Finally, both the vanilla and the green tea ice cream were amazing. The green tea ice cream came out really hard but it didn’t seem like it was because it was over-frozen, and it had a strong taste while also being creamy. The vanilla ice cream was also flavourful and creamy.
The service was great throughout the whole experience. One moment that was particularly memorable was, before we started eating, our waitress noticed that my untouched chopsticks were at an angle (probably because I’d accidentally moved them) and carefully corrected them to be parallel to the edge of the placemat. I really respect that attention to detail and think it reflects the high standards Shoya sets.
I think this experience could have been even better if the dishes didn’t seem to coming out in a rush. Although they didn’t rush us to eat, and I understand most people may not be there to enjoy a slow lunch, I would’ve preferred to have each dish in isolation (except the mains obviously).
Overall, another great experience at Shoya and I can’t wait to go back again.
This is a really good quality authentic Japanese restaurant in Melbourne's china town district. The food is prepared in several open plan kitchens and you are reassured by consummate cleanliness and chef skill because you can see what is going on. The set menus are very good value and are a good balanced selection. Staff are attentive and friendly. Can be busy but walk up generally works
Came here for a friends birthday dinner and had a very pleasant meal.
All the food was well presented and fresh, the wait staff very very friendly and we got great service.
I do have other Japanese restaurants I prefer, but this place definitely deserves a high rating.
One of favorite joint in china town. Been here since 2014, and I have became one of their loyal customer now,The sushi, sashimi, bbq set is highly recommended.
Nathanael Hsieh Zhong Cheng
+4
Staff were nice and accommodating, food was amazing with reasonable prices! Amazing experience if ur looking for a casual/fine dining experience. Bookings r recommended
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What a nice way to celebrate an early Father’s Day! We booked shoya two days in advance in order to reserve a seat during the busy weekend.
Ordered:
Ume lunch set $32
Business lunch $65
Shoya lunch set $28
The interior is dark but lit with very warm lights which makes the dining experience a lot more fancier. Lunch sets were a good value for money and filled us to the brink every dish was excuted nicely, but I found that the steak that I had (teriyaki steak from the UME SET) was very tough. The sashimi from the business set was firm and cut slightly thicker than the ones included in the shoya set and the Ume set. I wouldn’t really recommend the business set because it is awfully more expensive than the other set lunches but the quality and dishes that were included didn’t really live up to our expectations. Everything was similar except it was displayed in a more delicate manner. Another thing to state is the small pieces of truffle that were shaved on to the steak, it was way too young and had no marbling on them yet which resulted in a much more mild truffle flavour.
Service: very attentive but it was incredibly hard to catch their attention because we were seated in a corner + it was very busy, hence the fact that there were only two waitresses running round trying to please everyone. But there were instances where they made little mistakes like how they forgot to give my mum soy sauce for her sashimi but it was a very busy day.
4.5
Beautiful Japanese restaurant where with high quality food and great service
We had the degustation course and during that I experienced one of the most amazing tasting steak dishes in my life .... I just cannot stop thinking about it and would pay top dollar to eat it again ( wagyu steak topped with truffle, enoki mushroom, foie gras and shitake). Another highlight is the ice ball sashimi and also the chawanmushi steamed in the egg shell
Highly recommend the splurge and go for the degustation menu
Had both lunch and dinner here before- absolutely delicious!! If you sit at the sushi bar you can see how fish was sliced just like in Japan... love the fish, sushi, steak and dessert here. Always good service. Dinner can be quite price but lunch is good value!
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Shoya is always my all time favourite, especially for lunch, their set lunch menus are good value for money. And they always serve fresh food & great service (5 Star)
But their team in weekend seems are different staff team from weekday’s. The cold dishes / sushi team upstairs seem had no coordination with the hot dishes team downstairs at all during weekend lunch time.
The hot dishes got rushed out as fast as Chinese fast food restaurant, but in random order.
When we finished all hot dishes, we have to remind the staffs many times that our appetizer, our sashimi & sushi entree still have not come yet.
We almost want to suggest to them that if they think the menu order is not important, may be they can serve customers dessert first if that’s easier & quicker to fill customers’ stomach.
We don’t want to rate down Shoya just because of this, as their service are good in weekdays & dinner time.
We do believe this holly mess of food order in weekend lunch time should be improved, otherwise it will make customers get frustrated and not come back again. And it’s not worth, because their food quantity are in fact excellent, and their services are good on normal days ....
Japanese cuisine in the next level. Fine selections of fresh ingredients and creative dishes makes Shoya one of my favourite Japanese restaurant to entertain guests or recommend to family and friends.
A very nice Japanese dinner! The restaurant is a nice place for a chill dinner with good quality food. I’ve always wanted to go since seeing photos of the sashimi in the ice box and ending up loving every dish. Service is good :)
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Thursday night went to Shoya to celebrate a friends birthday. It was a wonderful evening, very relaxed and great food with great company. Shoya opens at 6pm sharp. I arrived at 5.50pm and they didnt even open the door for me, so I waited outside in the cold pacing around a little bit.
My overall rating is 4.5 but Zomato dont give half point ratings anymore.
🔆LOCATION🔆
Located in an alley way between Bourke and Little Bourke Street. Market Lane has been home to famous Flower Drum and Hofbrauhaus for a super long time. Shoya is their neighbour and a great location it is. As you walk inside, the kitchen is on your left and you walk through a main walk way and there are 3 split level seating which is amazing. I had requested to be seated in the tatami seating area so we could relax and experience authentic Japanese culture while dining.
🔆SERVICE🔆
Impeccable five star service. The cute waitress that looked after us all night was attentive, friendly and overall great service.
🔆MENU🔆
Please note the menu listed on Zomato is out of date as some of the prices have increased. I suggest you to go to Shoya's website to view most updated menu.
There is a huge selection of food to select from even set dinner menus as well. However we opt for a la carte so we can pick and choose what we like to eat.
Between 2 people we ordered the following to share:
Wagyu Beef Tataki, $18.00
(Lightly grilled Wagyu beef served chilled with grated plum radish, quail egg and ponzu sauce)
Sashimi Moriawase Deluxe Entrée, $28.00
(Premium cuts served in ice bowl)
Saikyo Moromi-Yaki, $35.00
(Grilled, miso marinated black cod fish with chef’s special moromi miso)
Gohan (steamed rice), $4.00
Gomoku Takikomi, $6.00
(Mixed tasty rice steamed with chicken, vegetables and mushrooms)
From the Tasting Specials Menu we selected: Yuzu Ceviche, $12.00
(Fresh fish marinated in white ponzu with cucumber, yamato potato and sour plum)
Hatching Ocean Egg, $12.00
(Steamed egg with black truffle, spinach puree and tempura scampi tail)
🔆PRICE🔆
I honestly think that you pay the price for the quality of food you get. Shoya's pricing for each of the cuisine we ordered was fair except for the Sashimi Deluxe Entree, there could have been at least 2-3 more slices for that price, and the rice is totally not worth it. Both steamed rice and the chicken and vegetable rice came out in a very small bowl.
🔆VERDICT🔆
I thoroughly enjoyed the food. I highly recommend the black cod fish. It was cooked to perfection , the fish simply melted in your mouth and the miso was a perfect match giving it a lightly salty flavour but not overpowering.
The Beef Tataki was delicious, right balance of flavours!
The Yuzu Ceviche looked beautiful but it was too salty with the salt decoration, and the sauce was salty as well. An unfortunate dish.
Overall Shoya is an excellent restaurant to go to for delicious, authentic Japanese food.I would definitely come back here again.
Excellent experiences with food and services. A little suggestion is ramen little bit salty,besides that everything is wonderful here, highly recommend shoya, and the cold soup. People here are really nice,too.
Lots of options here - we chose to eat at the sushi bar. Others will know better than me, but surely this has to be one of the premier Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. It appears that the staff take what they do with the utmost seriousness and professionalism, resulting in high a high quality experience.
My fiancé and I went here for our anniversary dinner and we been here a few times and the food has never let us down food is on point and my fiancé is Japanese and she says here is the best Japanese food in Melbourne hands down but be ready for a big bill for a decent feed here
Shoya is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. The set lunches are excellent value and the quality has been maintained over the 6 years I have been a customer. However, I wish that the chirashi sushi set was available more often!
4.5. Shoya has always been one of my go-to Japanese restaurants, having previously had their degustation and being introduced then to fresh wasabi and a variety of other dishes that were simply stunning. Recently went back and glad to see that they've maintained their high standards despite tough competition emerging across Melbourne in the last few years. The wagyu beef tataki was lovely, and the sashimi and sushi were fresh and tasty. Tempura was also excellent. For the mains, we had the unagi (excellent), scampi (surprisingly very good), wagya (very nice) and teriyaki chicken (ok). On the more expensive side, but never fails to deliver in terms of quality food and excellent service.
We have been here many times but this place has changed over the past few years. Today I ordered the Ume lunch set. Menu still looks the same but portion is much smaller. I'd much rather pay a bit more for bigger portion to be honest. Quality of food is still good (relatively) but I'm a bit disappointed with them rushing us a bit. Dishes were presented to us one after another, there was nearly no break in between and we're done in just over an hour. My view of fine dining should be an enjoyable experience where you can taste the food one by one slowly at your own pace. I don't seem to be able to do this here at Shoya anymore. A bit disappointed.
An amazing Japanese restaurant hidden from the public. Service was excellent and great recommendations were made both for food and sake. I would definitely recommend the sashimi, fresh and seasonal fish served including Sea urchins. The sashimi even came with real wasabi that was grounded fresh on the spot which was grown In Tasmania!!!
Only issue I would have would be the price we paid compared to the value we got. Dishes were extremely small for its price, I understand it is fine dining and good quality food but the wow factor that we got out of it from the amount we paid considering it was our very first visit, we’d probably won’t be returning. In comparison I’ll probably recommend going to Kisume instead,which is just ten minutes away.
One of the best sushi I’ve had in Melbourne. Very fresh ingredients and love the sushi rice. Other dishes were pretty good too but would definitely recommend the sashimi/sushi more. Overall experience was fantastic and very good service :)
The food is amazing. There is nothing that we dislike. Service is excellent. Staff are very friendly. The only thing I would say is that it’s a bit pricy, but it’s worth the money. Highly recommended this place. Xoxo
Well known and a longstanding Japanese establishment in Melbourne. I've always had it in my book of 'special occasion' restaurants.
Was lucky to have a day off and decided to pop in to sample the lunch menu. Went along with 2 regular Shoya diners :)
I opted for the Matsu set to get a taste of everything, priced at $38/head.
Sashimi and sushi was excellent - fresh fish, beautiful sushi. I wiped it off my plate before even taking photos!
Unfortunately, the Steamed Egg Custard/Chawamushi was oversteamed and a bit too solid.
Tempura crab and scallop was something different for me as I hadn't tasted it in this style before - nevertheless, a nice experience!
Truffle sauce wagyu steak was good.
Overall, nice dining experience. The wait staff was extremely polite and attentive, food service was prompt.
However it lacked the 'wow' factor I was expecting this time around.
The private dining area at shoya makes for a great experience, especially for a special occasion. But last time we dined it was so cold! I was freezing for the entire omakase. The food was good but a little underwhelming by comparison with kisume or Kenzan this time around. The fish didn’t taste as fresh as it should have given the prices of the food. However, the crab claw with wasabi salt was amazing. Since I don’t eat meat, certain items on the tasting menu were changed and I felt like I wasn’t getting the same value as my partner out of the meal. There was certainly nothing wrong with the food and the presentation was great. But I’ve been more impressed on prior visits and at other establishments.
Sunday night, sitting at the sushi bar with my partner looked after by the non japanese chef who I feel more Japanese than many.. Sit down, the young sushi chef will please you until you are an inch away from full. His ability as a chef is amazing, basic to modern taste, textures. Total experience is great when you can leave everything to the right chef. Loves his kirin ichiban shibori beer so make sure to order one for him too!! missing out on the 0.5 from us because of service. relying too much on the chef, need to assist him to bring it up a little notch. Dont forget its the chefs making the nice food your serving :)
A nice Japanese restaurant with a good layout across several levels. Dining tables are large and spaced apart, so you're not bumping elbows with other diners. It's a shame that they closed off the area with the traditional Tatami seating when we were there. When asked, staff said they close it during quiet periods and don't open it unless the restaurant is busy, so they can't predict when that would be.
Tuna steak was nice and fresh. The lamb cutlets were ok, a bit overcooked so slightly tough to chew, but the flavour combo was really nice. I tried the scallops with watermelon for entree and for some reason I really did not enjoy that - personally, I found that the scallops, konbu and watermelon just did not mix well at all, but I guess that's just a matter of personal taste.
The staff at Shoya are very friendly; the place also has a good selection of sake.
How many years Shoya has been opened ? I think at least 10 years , look at the food i have been served , one word, excellent!!Maintaining food quality is the hardest part for any restaurant & Shoya made it .Big thumbs up , Shoya can last for so long definitely for reason .
Good Japanese resturant in Melbourne, the best is sashimi and sushi. I like how they cooked the sushi rice, chewable but not very sticky, fresh resources.
Service is superb.
The service is wonderful, and they also have chinese service. Sashimi ice bowl and desert are my favourite, wagyo beef is my friend's favourite. We would love to come again🌝
Evening catch up with some friends, Shoya popped up as a choice close by. An unassuming front door leads into a traditionally styled Japanese restaurant, complete with polite and welcoming service staff who greet you at the door. Shoes off, we sat in one of the alcoves comfortably for the meal.
A platter of sushi and sashimi to share entailed very fresh and tasty morsels, finely prepared with delicate flavours that reminded me of sushi dining in Ginza. A warm udon with tempura Hokkaido crab had just the right balance of flavours, light texture and visual appeal to make the dish truly memorable.
Overall great evening, would certainly look to return for the set degustation menus next time.
Great service. The waiter is very good at talking you into ordering food. He didn’t lie about the oysters though. They were really good. The eggs were a bit of a let down but the sashimi platter. Oh my gosh, I was in food heaven. Everything was just perfection. Just melts in your mouth. The eel was packed with flavour. Overall I had a good experience
I love this place! I've been here twice and both times, the service was great and the food was even better. The menu were simple and typical Japanese, yet everything we ordered just seemed to hit the spot. The only dish I didn't like was the chawanmushi which was rather bland. The soft shell crab and tempura soba were both great - simple yet tasteful. Sashimi was super fresh and the presentation looked amazing! With its amazing food and lovely dinner ambience, this quickly became one of my favourite places to dine at!
UPDATE: LUNCH MENU IS A MUST TRY. SUPER AFFORDABLE FOR 5-9 COURSES.
Unbelievably fresh sashimi!!! One of the freshest I have had so far. Great variety menu - lots of speciality dishes (you have to try chef's signature dishes....they will absolutely wow you!) And the chefs and staff are sooo friendly! Such a great experience. I didn't do the degustation this time but I'm definitely coming back for more :) to give you guys a preview of how good the sashimi is, check out the photo! And the photo doesn't do it justice - go taste it for yourself.
My friend and I found this place in Market Lane after being told by Hu Tong that they couldn't squeeze us in. We asked to be seated on the mats like true Japanese diners and they were happy to oblige. We ordered a bottle of rośe to share, and also some edamame, duck shoya style, the kani ravioli, teriyaki chicken, two miso soups and the combination sushi and sashimi. Food came out after about 15 minutes and they staggered the dishes from there on in. The sashimi plate was the standout with a variety or rolls and fish, and what I think was authentic wasabi. The duck was also delicious. My friend loved the ravioli. I think the chefs here would be authentic Japanese chefs given the caliber of the meals. The bill came to $185. Special shout out to the heated toilet seats! Thumbs down to keeping the sad looking lobsters in a fish tank. Get fresh ones that don't suffer for ages!
Best value lunch set in the city.
Although on the pricier end of $25-$30, the portions and dishes are extremely filling.
Sushi, Sashimi and the ice cream dessert were my favourite. If possible, definitely request for the tatami seats where you can take off your shoes.
Will go back.
Ordered:
1. The vegetarian degustation - since I don’t eat raw fish, it makes sense to order the vegetarian set, the waitress was very friendly and informed me that I can order the standard degustation and they can change the raw meat out but I feel bad so I stick with the vegetarian menu. It was an interesting experience, some dishes are better than others and the flavour combinations was interesting. The cooked avocado was a bit weird and the soup was a bit salty. The dessert is light and refreshing. I give this degustation 3/5. The menu did warn us that the flavours for the vegetarian menu won’t be as intense as the standard one.
2. Steamed egg - full of flavour, I wanted to try to black truffle one but it was way too expensive compared to the standard steamed egg, since I already ordered degustation, I felt bad ordering another expensive dish on the side
3. Brown rice tea - good tea
Will I come back: yes and try the black truffle steam egg dish
Lobster sashimi and truffle chawanmushi were definitely a highlight for me. I have never tried lobster sashimi and was certainly impressed with how it went. Presentation was incredible, although might be confronting at first as they literally serve you the head. There was another dish I had, with a red meat wrapped in some sort of green leaf - that was amazingly tender and full of flavour too. Absolutely beautiful flavours and no wonder as this restaurant has won a few awards. Ambience is rather romantic inside with dimmed lighting, attendants were friendly and didn't rush any service and were quick to clean and crumbs or unnecessary items off the table.
We got a lobster miso, sashimi to share, unagi and 8 pieces of sushi each. The food was delicious and super fresh. The stand out was the sea urchin and the soup. Pretty pricey but well worth it for a special occasion.
Came here yesterday with 3 of my cousins to have lunch. Interior was quite dark which made the experience very homey and comforting. I ordered the Matsu set lunch which contained:
Savoury egg custard
Cucumber pickle
Sashimi
Assorted sushi
Scallop and mushroom,quail tempura
Wagyu beef with truffle sauce
Steamed rice with assorted vegetables
Ice cream (matcha/vanilla)
All of this came down to $38
All of the dishes were absolutely delicious sashimi and assorted sushi were all very fresh and the salmon just melted in my mouth. The wagyu beef had a slight truffle flavour making the dish very flavourful.
Service was great our waitress was very attentive and friendly! The food came out very quickly. When we finished we were all bursting full.
Food are delicious and well presented. Really like the ambience of this restaurant and the tatami area that we get seated. Service was slightly slow as the restaurant was very busy. We will like to come back to try more dishes next time.
Down market lane you feel like all the restaurants are an institution. Shoya is no different. Awards on the wall dating back to 2000 makes you feel like this place may have passed it hay day. Let's make something clear, the food is very very good. The service is ok. The desserts are nothing special and when the bill arrives you can't help but think you can have equally good Japanese for half the price.
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Shoya was right next to some famous restaurants like Hutong, Flower Drum ect. During Saturday lunch time, the place was quite popular. We had the traditional tatami seats and we liked it.
The restaurant offered affordable yet delicious lunch set menu. Price was different depended on the set you get.
My set included two pickled side dishes, one steamed egg custard, sashimi set, assorted sushi, tempura of crab&scollop, diced wagyu beef steak, steamed rice, miso soup and one scoop of ice cream. All those cost $38. Well, every dishes was quite nice and full of flavour. The sashimi was fresh and the tempura was crunchy and the steak was tasty too.
*on the second visit, we went for dinner. Tried more special dishes, highlights were the small appetizers. We loved the king crab tempura with match salt; steamed oyster with salmon roes,sea urchins and foie gras etc...Shoya not only provide great authentic Japanese cuisine, but also give a little creative touch to the dishes. Have to say, the price is little bit expensive, but would love to go back for more nice food.
Excellent service. Superb presentation of food.
All goods made fresh, all sashimi cut to perfection. Delicious tasty Japanese night out! My favourite was the tuna fillet covered with seaweed, charred slightly with their special sauce 😍
One of the best memories I have here is when my husband proposed to me. Then on top of that is the most delicious food, drinks and fantastic service. Very pricey but worth the dining experience as the flavors and freshness is phenomenal. By far, my favourite Japanese restaurant!!!
Fantastic! Our waitress did an amazing job, she took the time to explain every dish and was very attentive. Restaurant had a great atmosphere, very comfortable and very Japanese. I loved everything about this place. We ordered the classic banquet, you get all the signature dishes and it's more than enough to satisfy most appetites. The Omakase was served with freshly grated Wasabi, something I didn't even try in Japan. Try the traditional seating area, for the full Japanese experience.
One of the best places for omakase. All the dishes which came out were impressive, beautifully presented and so delicious. We were wowed again and again and were so full at the end of it. So hard to say what was my fave dish as they all were delicious but I really loved the sashimi in ice ball. It was so fresh and beautiful. I wonder how long it takes them to carve each ball.
What a great dinner date place for a special celebratory night.
Dined here, and got seats at the sashimi bar in front of the chef. Would highly recommend requesting this while making a booking, it makes the dining experience very engaging and we loved getting recommendations from the sushi master, and watching him slice the fish was such an art.
We had the special entrees (not pictured), omakase sashimi platter (around $80 but value for money, as it included sublime ootoro (fatty tuna), other types of tuna, scampi, surf clam, kingfish... etc), some extra nigiri on the side, the tempura crab soba (not pictured) and the black sesame panacotta (such a light finish to the meal).
$250 including drinks for 2, so all up it wasn't a cheap night, but their toilet gets 8.5/10 - I had the best time testing out all of the Japanese bidet options!
Shoya has been one of my favourite Japanese restaurant in melbourne. However today's experience didn't meet their usual high standards. We sat there for a hour for our food and when it arrived they got the order wrong, not just the sushi and our dessert too! I found the communication between staff and the kitchen members might need some improvements. The food is still very delicious and waiter is very friendly, we will still return but hope next time we don't have to spend hours waiting:)
Over the weekend me and my girlfriend decided to have something nice. We ordered the business set for two, its about $60 per person. The sashimi is nicely present in the ice ball, the tempura lobster and the wagyu steak is delicious! We also added sea urchin cheesecake as additional dessert, but that was a mistake, doesn't taste anything like sea urchin and the cheese cake is dry. With additional $19 dollars dessert I expect something better
Fabulous atmosphere, fabulous service and fabulous food. My Japanese friend took me to lunch here and it was a most wonderful experience. We had the set lunches on the upper floor seated around the teppanyaki table at which a chief was preparing sushi to order with the fresh fish cuts on display in see through chillers. Our lunch serves were very generous on multiple tasty plates and bowls. Conversation was easy - without the noise and clatter of some restaurants - and our waitress was very charming and professional. I would thoroughly recommend Shoya as a lovely place to dine.
We visited on Saturday lunch for my friends birthday lunch. I requested “Horigotatsu”table which is floor level seated traditional style table. If you like experience Japanese culture, I recommend to book this table.
Food was all delicious and service was excellent. Thank you so much for wonderful dining experiences.
We went here for our anniversary! What an amazing experience. We had the set menu and each dish was absolutely delicious. I would recommend having sake or their plum wines with your food. Amazing staff and great service.
10/10 experience. Delicious and fresh Japanese cuisine elegantly prepared. The innovation and artisanal expertise of the chef shine through in every dish. Paired with professional and friendly service as well as an intimate ambience make for an unforgettable fine dining experience. We will be back!
Lovely atmosphere. A bit squishy but that's how it is like the real thing in Japan. Squishy restaurants ;).
Food quality is good for Australian standards. Sadly they ran out of A5 beef so settled for the sirloin. Overall food quality wouldn't compare to the real deal in Japan, but still decent nonetheless.
Prices are quite steep and quantities are small. Service is good. Cleanliness is top notch.
It is a nice place for friends or colleagues to catch up. The light and music are just about right. Service is really good. The quality of foods are excellent. Money for value I give 5 out of 5.
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The restaurant offers traditional Japanese dishes as well as contemporary dishes incorporating western cooking techniques. There is an extensive ala carte menu as well as a few degustation set menu of varying prices. Decided to try their 'Grand Shoya' omakase course and to my surprise every dish served was amazing:
- Demi soup served on the day was a snapper fish soup; deep and yet clean flavour
- Black cod, tender and very flavourful miso
- Treaure roll which is a seared thinly sliced A5 wagyu topped with fatty tuna, salmon caviar and foie gras; literally an explosion of flavours
- Premium sashimi ice ball looks stunning but probably my least favourite as I prefer the fish less chilled
- Hokkaido crab leg was tempura coated nicely as the crab flavour was not loss; you get a few big satisfying bites out of it
- Smoked lobster tail was cooked perfectly using sous vide and paired well with the butter sauce
- Kagoshima wagyu steak was very tender with a good amount of marbling as expected from A5 grade and the truffle mashed potato elevated the richness of the dish
- Dessert was three cake slices, all tasted rich but not too sweet. Totally didn't expect the truffle cheesecake to work so well.
Also sake is included to be paired with two of the dishes so the 'Grand Shoya' omakase might be a bit too expensive if you don't drink, in which case there are cheaper omakase options without the sake pairing as well as an extensive ala carte and sushi menu. Overall very impressed with the dishes served.
A great Japanese restaurant experience. Definitely some of the best tuna and salmon sashimi I have ever had. The A5 wagu steak was good, however it was let down with just average vegetables. The smoked lobster was sensational. Overall a great restaurant worth visiting.
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