Had the Hanabishi course for 2.
Sashimi was fresh and the sampler of all appetizer were all yummy in their own special way.
The salt crusted barramundi was a highlight as they bought it out and table served it by separating the salt crust table side.
the addition of scampi and unagi nigiri were simply delicious as they both melted in the mouth (picture not taken).
A refresher of yuzu sobert after the main was amazing as the sourness and sweetness of the sobert settle the tummy for the next course
The Wagyu was a little disappointing as it was more of a salad was 2 thin slices of meat. Was expecting more of a steak.
The assortment of dessert were all well balanced with sweet and acid.
The whole experience was great. Just wished the Wagyu course was a little more exciting
We ordered agedashi tofu for starter - it melts in your mouth! For mains, we got a lunch box and a rice dish. And or course, you have to order the dessert, we loved the green tea creme brûlée! Overall, their service was super quick and the staff was attentive.
Excellent dinner in Hanabishi. We started with fresh sashimi which is in beautiful presentation. And the sukiyaki was absolutely delicious with fresh wagyu slice, which with beautiful fat marble. Yum!! That really reminds me of the food in Japan!! The price is worthy with high quality food and excellent service. Definitely we will come back again.
Hanabishi is a semi upscale dining experience, good for business lunches and the like. It's not super "authentic" Japanese by my understanding, but it's fresh and tasty nonetheless. My table shared a delicious New Zealand Pinot that made me reconsider my disdain for reds. We shared some California rolls for the table (standard but good), and I also got my own avo rolls (my opinion is similar for these). I also had agedashi tofu. They were a bit soft for my liking and came apart easily when I tried to pick them up. Flavour was mild but nice. For the area, I prefer Purple Peanuts or Brim CC. But for dining of this calibre (without purple rice or hippie curries), this may be a superior option.
Simply sublime, with some of the dishes even better than in Japan. The stand out dishes were the agedashi tofu, the udon noodle soup and spicy tuna sushi rolls (so good we ordered another serve). The cod was beautifully presented but would have benefited from some rice - you have to pay $4 extra for rice. I just assumed it would be part of the meal so some guidance from the wait staff would have been appreciated. The tempura scampi was watery and clearly from frozen seafood and very overpriced for what it was. If you want water, ask for it, it isn't provided automatically. But overall, a beautiful calm setting and sensational food.
Peaceful calm Japanese place. Loved it. Sushi was absolutely delicious . I also ordered miso cod and scampi tempura . Just waiting for that to arrive
Fabulous Japanese food. Fresh sashimi and the tempura was crispy but not oily. I especially enjoyed the fresh wasabi and ginger. I will definitely return!
刺身の盛り合わせ$37は新鮮で一番いい、和牛サラダ$29.5の中和牛は3枚だけ、うな重$27はちょっと小さいけど美味しい、すき焼き$58/pplの値段はちょっと高いでもうどんを付けたからお腹いっぱい。まぁとにかく、女の子と一緒に行けば大丈夫、男にとって量はちょっと少ないかも。ウニがない。
A client took as here for lunch and I ordered the sushi and chicken bento box. Very delicious!! Everything was very fresh and full of flavour. It was off king st so very central in the city.
Good ambience with friendly and attentive wait staff. More importantly, food is tasty and well presented. Strongly recommend you to bring your friends and family
We found this restaurant after the Korean bbq a few doors down had a long wait, and it was meant to be.
We went with a set menu $130 per person as we weren’t sure what to order, and were blown away.
The food was amazing, beautiful flavours, every dish was a wow dish.
From the super fresh sashimi to the literally melt in the mouth wagyu.
Words do not do this restaurant justice and we strongly recommend a visit.
$320 for two adults set menu plus four glasses of wine. Great value for an amazing restaurant, incredible food, fantastic service.
Has been sometime, since we visited this place. Seems the hands have changed to new chef. Opinions, used to be the old fashioned authentic style, now with a touch of modern touch. Sashimi is always fresh as is should be, tooth fish, well executed. Many traditional dishes available, well portioned.
Overall, good clean venue, nice staff, fresh food, quiet traditional ambiance.
Good to take out on a special night for a chefs degustation or a casual dining at a reasonable cost for quality.
Absolutely love this place. The food is top notch. The Akio $78 banquet is definitely worth it - good value for what you get!
The food is well executed, all different and unique. The ingredients are treated with respect. The flavours are balanced and does not over power or mask the original flavours of the core ingredients. Such fine technique and well thought out.
The customer service is fantastic.
Scrumptious food, fair price, excellent customer service - definitely a keeper!
Yes yes yes the food is awesome 😎. I really like this place. The seaweed salad is great. Sashimi is on a bed of ice and lovely. The food is a little pricy and service is top notch. Worth trying and really a great Japanesse cullenry experience.
It’s funny, you don’t think high quality and exotic Japanese on King St, do you? You think the complete opposite let’s be honest (nudge nudge, wink wink). Jokes aside The Dear Luncher has now experienced a couple of Japanese places on King Street and has been impressed both times.
Everything about this venue is superb- the service, ambience and of course- the food. Attentive service was consistent from the beginning to the end of our meal. We started with water then ordered wine and also green tea. The four of us tried as many dishes as we could without overordering. A citrus dressing made my green salad pop with flavour. The sushi and sashimi was so very fresh and tasty. Our miso was hot and flavoursome. Duck special was well received as was our tempura vegetables with dipping sauce. Meat ball in broth was a tasty appetiser too. Agedashi tofu was delicately presented. Not expensive but with the feel of an upmarket restaurant - I could not fault Hanabishi.
Had Hana Matsuri lunchbox one afternoon for first time. What a great experience!
You could find dishes with different temperatures, tastes and textures beautifully presented in this lunchbox. It was simply amazing.
Sushi roll are the best!!!!!!!!!
Sashimi are so fresh and black cod fish is a surprise. We also tried unagi don and assorted dessert, but there's nothing special.
Staff are attentive and friendly.
Hanabishi is real japanese fine dining. A very suitable place to go on a date or celebrate something special. It is a low key place but very spacious and comfy chairs.
We ordered the Akio's Choice $78 which is 5 course. On top we had a cold bottle of Dassai 50 sake as well as huge palm sized tasmanian oysters which was incredible and absolutely fresh.
I really enjoyed every dish. The sashimi's were fresh, cocktail appetisers with sea urchins in shot glasses, sweet walnuts and oven baked artichokes was very enjoyable and my favourite was the desserts with coconut sorbet and a wonderful green tea creme brûlée. Absolutely beautiful.
ordered hana matsuri for lunch set.
very filling. sashimi is good, they are fresh. the chicken teriyaki is flavourful too. tempura is fried perfectly and not oily. definitely worth the price.
Top quality Japanese at the western end of the CBD. Maybe best in the city?? It is on King Street but this is well worth a visit at lunchtime. The Bento boxes are not cheap but are absolutely top class. Go upstairs for a bit more privacy.
I have only come here twice (on special occasions, because it's super exy) but each time has been good! The restaurant is cozy, and we love the dinnerware (please tell us where you got the oyster blue plates :P) The staff are all nice and informative, and everything we've tried so far has been great ^_^
Featured on GoodFood guide and TimeOut, Hanabishi is a premium traditional Japanese restaurant that offers extensive list of seasonal and quality crustaceans including scampi, abalone, oysters and premium high grade wagyu beef. Their lunch bento boxes are popular choice for business professional. I had their their Hana Fubuki $67 which came w miso soup, sushi, sashimi, tempura, wagyu beef, meatball, grilled miso fish, spinach w saseme dressing etc... What a treat! But I still prefer Minamishima and Akachochin, or Heirloom's bento box, better value for money.
Came here for dinner. In short, Hanabishi is expensive, decadent, and very good.
We had the otoro sashimi, a sashimi/sushi platter, the wagyu gyu-sashi, the kurobuta tonkatsu, premium japanese wagyu steak, and had a bottle of premium sake on the side. We also finished off with the hanabishi deluxe dessert platter. Everything was fantastic, and well worth the splurge.
The sashimi lunch set is a must-try. It's beautifully presented and you get a miso soup, side dish of the day (today it was a meatball, and it was really yummy) and a salad plus a bowl of rice. Everything was remarkable! Sashimi was so fresh and soft... It left me desiring more. Salad just a bit overdressed, but good for stimulating the appetite. I was seated at the sushi bar as I was dining alone, and I was able to watch the owner-chef prepare all the delectable sushi & sashimi. He was really nice and when I couldn't get the waiter's attention he would ask what I wanted and tell the waiter. Such a great experience!
Apart from sushi, I had never had Japanese food before my experience at Hanabishi. As part of a meetup group, 7 of us were treated to a four course meal that included sashimi, sushi, gyoza, tempura, teriyaki, tonkatsu, and dessert! The service was excellent and the food was delicious. The decor was very classy. Definitely a place for a quiet delicious meal with friends or with a special someone. I am a fan!
Authentic Japanese restaurant in Melbourne.
Yes, a little expensive, but it's not just the food but the service, attentiveness, and the overall experience that come together with that pricey tag. Not a place I can afford frequenting, but if I want something authentic and special for a special occasion, I would pick this place for Japanese food.
Very fresh sashimi! Good food, but on the pricey side - nice for a special occasion! Very attentive service in a clean, modern dining room. Would come again!
Food is exquisite and incredibly fresh. Staff are really nice and helpful. Though its a lil overpriced ($180 for 2), I think I'd love to come back. Hahaa
Loved the sushi and sashimi there, Wagyu hotpot is just okay, nothing much special about it. But the Hanabishi deluxe dessert are so nice, satisfied with the food and service there
Hanabishi is probably my favourite constructed ‘set’ of Japanese restaurant in Melbourne.
Could this be one of Melbourne's most underrated Japanese restaurants? In the media and blogosphere, it is often overshadowed by the likes of Kenzan and Shoya, but having dined at the celebrated Kenzan, I must say that I actually prefer Hanabishi. It's definitely one of the best Japanese places I've tried in Melbourne...and one of the most vegetarian-friendly I've ever encountered both here and overseas. This Japanese restaurant has a separate, double-sided vegetarian menu! Score. My friend and I are big fans of the fresh elegance of Japanese brews, so we started with a Kirin each. These were served with an appetiser: for me, the vegetarian, this consisted of edamame beans. We then ordered up a storm of mindblowingly good Japanese food. My friend enjoyed meaty dishes of crab, abalone, and a chef's choice sushi/sashimi platter, all of which she said were wonderfully fresh and pure-tasting. Meanwhile, I savoured the rare joy of being able to choose from a broad range of options in a Jap
We went to Hanabishi Japanese Restaurant after referring to Urbanspoon in our iPhone application. We like the quality of the sushi they served, fresh and good quantity, really. However, it might be a little pricey for those who prefer a budget sushi resta
Quality. Extremely high quality food. Worth every mouth full.
Simple and great. If they claim themself to be one of the best Japanese restaurant in Australia. they have earned it. nothing much to say, but the best. everything is paid attentions to details. from the beginning to the end, amazing!! not too flashy presentations, but enough and quite down to earth.
Great Lunch. I used to go to Hanabishi for dinner until they decided to close on weekends. Lunch menu is excellent for less than AUD25 especially the Oyako Don set...sooo good!
A great Japanese. Food was outstanding. Service and ambiance was unassuming but excellent. Will definitely come again. Miso butter salmon a must.
An ordinary like. I cant say theres anything wrong with hanabishi, the food is good, fresh, the service is nice, but it is kind of place that lacks the wow factor, the premium sushi is actually pretty cool, just a little bit of originality may be needed
Night out with my son. Went here recently and had a fantastic meal. The tuna, salmon tartare and sashimi was fantastic. The service was excellent everything we tried we enjoyed. Would definately go back.
Amazing dining experience!. This place is a bit expensive but definitely worth it! Our group of six came here for a dinner a few weeks ago. The food is exquisite and incredibly fresh, and probably the best Japanese food I've tried in Melbourne. We received complimentary wagyu and pork meatballs for starters which just melted in your mouth! Our table also ordered the sashimi and salmon platters which were impeccably presented, and the seafood was also definitely some of the freshest we had ever tried! The tempura udon, soft-shell crab and Hanabishi sushi rolls were also delicious. The whole meal (including some sake but no dessert) ended up costing around $380 for six people, which is fairly decent given that it was probably some of the best Japanese food we've ever tried and everyone was quite full by the end of it. The staff were also super friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice dinner out :)
A taste still in my mouth!. Visited this japanese restaurant, I was very happy with texture of sashimi. It is hard to find taste like this in Melbourne. Thank you Hanabishi---I will come back again
Loved it. I still can't stop thinking about their amazing wagyu carpaccio... and we also had the salt crusted barra... very delicious indeed!!!
Beautiful Japanese! Mouth watering sashimi and sensational dessert. Great service...can't wait to return.
Authentic Japanese. This restaurant brings reminiscence of my dining experience in Japan. Fresh, delicious, good presentation, friendly Japanese staff, comfortable ambience...
It's not cheap though, but still cheaper than flying to Japan :p
Beautiful food, quiet restaurant and lovely staff. Highly recommended.
One of the best Japanese restaurants in the city. We ordered Hanabishi course set which cost approximately $120 pp but definitely a worthy one. Foods are fresh and beautifully presented. Great service. Will definite return to this restaurant again
Over priced. Food is fairly decent, but overpriced.
highlight of the meal was supposedly the hyped up kurobata pork, but it was overcooked in a tonkatsu, which really wasted the pork's juicy potential.
atmosphere seems slightly outdated
Always serving up fantastic authentic Japanese food! Superb quality. A great place to dine! Definitely recommend it.
One of the best authentic Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. You know this is good, because the Japanese love to go there. The food is always superb. It isn't cheap though - but no good Japanese place is.
Terrffic.. Down the road from Sud. An institution that has not let its game slip.
Cracker wine list. Food excellent. Service - lost in translation too often! Decor - well Japanese meets King street!
15/20
Forget the strippers, this is class. So my dear mother and I, after a hard day's shopping, wander down to this gem in a lackluster street. We wonder, after passing the strip place next door what we might be in for, despite the Good Food guide recommendation.
And, ahhhhh, there we are, comfortably seated with a waitress that seems to understand perfectly what we want, and suggests accordingly. I feel like I'm in Kyoto.
After the budget necessity of Fujisan, how delightful is it to have masterfully sliced sashimi? And I've never had Wagyu like this, perfectly on the cut so it melts on the tongue.
I would recommend this place very highly. It isn't cheap... which often is a good thing. :)
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Most underrated Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. Probably one of the most underrated Japanese restaurants in Melbourne - I rate this leagues ahead of the likes of Ocha and Shoya, not to mention bland places like Kokos, Kenzan and Nobu - but am surprised every year how this place does no get a mention in the Good Food Guide. Then again I probably should't be relying my food judgments on some journalists. Some of their recommendations definitely leave you wondering if the panel has any taste buds.
To start with, the decor in this place is ordinary (and that might be a reason it does not rate a mention on Good Food Guide). The opening times are also highly inflexible - only Monday to Friday. The wine list is not fancy.
But the food is superb and what I've noticed over the years is that Japanese people who know what they're eating choose this place over the aforementioned ones. To start with, their marble 9+ wagyu is an absolute stand out. One of the best I've ever had in Melbourne that it instantly melts in your mouth - definitely leagues ahead of the Shoya equivalent that I had the other day, not to mention this one isonly $68 or so compared with Shoya's $98.
The sashimi/sushi platter was a bit small in choices but was good nonetheless - I especially liked its eel sushi. The eel was very fresh and had one of the least intrusive sauces I've had in many years. The dessert platter was highly noteworth and I would definitely come back just to have it - it was very homely, yet had an air of quality about it.
Authentic Japanese. I've been to Hanabishi three times and I have tried as many different dishes as I could on the menu. The sushi rolls are just sensational. The highlight is the desert platter-- little portion of bits of everything on the desert menu, and the presentation is spectacular. I went there with a friend last time, just for the desert. Although the service is a bit disappointing as the staff seemed not to be able to understand us. Be honest, I would expect the service to be a little bit better with such a pricy menu.
Have been there several times. sensational Japanese - unmatched in ambience, service and food freshness and quality.
Old Stellar. Lunch crowd are mostly corporate clienteles but I still find their Hana Komachi Bento is still one of the very best of all Melbourne Bento.. $50 a pop but it's worth every bites n cents in your mouth!!! Dinner is good but Lunch is just better.
Beautiful Japanese. Fantastic degustation menu that almost moved me to tears. So good. Will give Shoya a run for its money if only the service were only a bit sharper and more professional.
The pentagonian toothfish is amazing and rightfully so for this really fatty fish. Others on the menu are your typical Jap fare but the presentation and quality of the produce really are good.
Hanabishi serves authentic Japanese dishes, always with good quality and friendly service. The lunch boxes (shushi, sashimi , tempura) are very good value, strongly recommended. Their dinner menu is even more interesting.
We’ve been here many times and surprised to find out that they’ll be closing end of the year. So better get in your reservation and get a good taste of one of the better Japanese restaurants in Melbourne.
We’re going to miss Hanabishi, hope they’ll come back again in the near future with Hanabishi 2.0!
Hanabishi, what a Japanese restaurant. You want your date to smile? This is the place. Price is reasonable, but damn, the food is for Rah! Oishi😋
Edit 31/12/2021
Thank you and good bye Hanabishi. I'm glad to be able to visit this place one last time before they close permanently.
Original:
Our go-to Japanese restaurant for special occasions. We visited again for their Valentine's day set menu. Lovely presentation, great taste and good service.
Price is on expensive side but it's worth it.
Absolutely 💯 Japanese food! Very authentic....the service wasn't very Japanese but its all right. The food was glorious 😋
This is probably one of the most authentic Japanese food experience you can find in Melbourne. Sadly they are closing down at the end of 2021. So if you can, go and give it a try before they are closing down for good.
Peaceful, quality food in a well managed restaurant. Huge menu and wine list to choose from. Friendly attentive staff who are delightful and engaging. Thank you.
Craving for something different while in lockdown, I chose this Japanese restaurant.
If visiting their restaurant, they are found in King St and are open M-F for lunch and dinner sittings. They are closed on Sundays but open on Saturdays for dinner. They have been a stalwart in Melbourne since 1989 and have a variety of menu options including vegetarian and gluten-free.
Recommendations:
Gyoza - six pieces of pork fried meat dumplings - perfectly cooked accompanied by a dipping sauce and small salad.
Hana Sakura - Sashimi, sushi roll, teriyaki chicken and miso soup - kind of a bento box with mixed items - [Also had packets of wasabi and soy sauce].
All up - great tasting food at a reasonable price point, especially for home delivery. Give them a try.
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