Review Ichi Ichi Ku Izakaya - Melbourne

Very yummy food of exceptional quality. Cosy cafe with warm and friendly staff. They used by camera to take a photo of themselves when we asked them to take a photo of us (hence the upload)! Will definitely come back.

Great staff service, cozy atmosphere and of course delicious food, touches of fusion and classy finish whilst preserving traditional Japanese flavours. My favorite goto Japanese restaurant (only the South Yarra one) for brunch and dinner. Caveat: limited seating capacity. You might miss out on a very delicious special

I secretly hope not too many people stumble across this place. Its a true gem. Service is super friendly, food is amazing and the prices for what you get is great. Dont forget to get dessert.

Amazing, it is worth the cost. Really cozy, exceptional staff and excellent food! Beautiful place, everything is beautifully served. The Salmon Donburi comes in a good size and with a generous portion of fish. Warm sake is perfect. Highly recommended, I'll be back to try more of the menu and definitely all the desserts.

Smooth coffee and amazing vibe. Feels like walking into an interactive experience more than a cafe :) Also the blueberry coffee Timtam muffin is epic.

Good food but a bit pricey! Very small restaurant so gets packed quite quickly and you do feel the pressure to leave from the staff if it's a busy night which is understandable but I guess not great if you're just wanting to have a chill relaxing slow dinner. More suitable for a quick meal.

Awesome food. Cute little place. Our go to when hungry and at the botanical gardens.

Really good food, thoroughly enjoyed it. The only downside, small place with small tables and uncomfortable chairs. But really good quality food.

About a 10 minute walk from the tram, Ichi Ichi Ku is kind of accessible by public transport and south yarra is only a stone's throw away from the CBD.  <br/><br/>Ordered:<br/> 🍱 Bento/Japanese Lunch Box: a traditional bento box with a combination of their hot dish of the day (beef), assorted sashimi, seaweed salad, mixed leaves with sesame dressing, brown rice and miso soup complemented with a Japanese dessert ($24.00)<br/>🥞 Okonomiyaki: Traditional Japanese pancake with shrimp, cabbage, spring onion and ginger topped with tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo and bonito flakes ($12.00)<br/><br/>Review:<br/>I was craving sashimi and Ichi Ichi Ku delivered within their amazing bento meal. Seasoned rice, salty punchy savoury beef (as their hot dish of the day) and the perfect combination of veggies in sesame dressing filled us up.<br/>For me, an indicator of good miso soup if when there's tofu. There. Was. Tofu!!!<br/>A big boi mochi ball for dessert was the fairytale ending I needed.<br/><br/>The Okonomiyaki was cut up and delivered to us is cute little triangles rather than in the typical pancake form I'm used to. Nonetheless, it wasn't bad! <br/><br/>Inside is a little tight, so I'd recommend small numbers for dining if you're walking in. It's very cosy and the service is great - they're very diligent with topping up your water!

The Bao doesn’t have a very attractive appearance but it actually tastes really good. Highly recommended!<br/>Sushi rolls are amazing.<br/>Curry udon is pretty average!<br/>Seats are very uncomfortable, very cramped and small restaurant

All good, walk in friendly. A bit noisy, and spaces are crowd. Average taste, nothing surprised. House made wine with plum was great. Cheese cake was like a block of sugar...<br/>

Sososo good love the great ocean roll. Very crunchy, the crab eggs are fresh and crunchy, and it has scallops on it which I love. The curry udon is amazing. I did order bento box, I just mix in with the udon after I finished the noodles and it created another amazing dish haha. Or just order another bowl of rice and when you finish the udon noodles mix it in with the left over curry!

Overall pretty disappointing. Wouldn’t recommend the pork. Sashimi is cut very thick. Very tiny and intimate vibe. Plenty of better Japanese options around here.

Really lovely little place. We tried their benton which has a bit of everything you want. The sashimi in it was really fresh. And it has a generous amount of salad too. The okonomiyaki we had as an entré was awesome too.

I have been a big fan of this restaurant but hadn’t visited in a little while. Sad to see the prices have gone up dramatically and the servings are much smaller. The gyoza was $12 for 4 pieces which were bland with no char on the bottom. You can get ten juicy ones for $9 at Hakata Gensuke ramen as a comparison.<br/>They have also reverted to disposable chopsticks which feels wrong in a sit-down restaurant. Service is ok. Will be going elsewhere for my sushi craving from now on.

The hidden gem for all sushi lovers. Not too far away from city and small seating restaurant serve the best sushi me and my partner ever ate! The gyoza also worth the try. Highly recommended 👍🏻

The food here is generally pretty good with my staples being the steamed veggies and nasudengaku ( eggplant ) . However, the sake salmon don in my opinion is a little bland and heavy on the brown rice. Plus the price is a little steep .

Amazing food! Every dish was so tasty, especially the gyoza and their grilled salmon. The hospitality was wonderful. Coming back very soon!!

Ordered 2 Bento Box take away from Ichi Ichi ku (salmon and daily special). Comparing to its sister store Ichi Ni Nana I was bit disappointed by the Bento Box from Ichi Ichi ku 😐😐 the grilled salmon was bit dry and small portion, the daily special was tempura prawn (3 prawns) was tasteless. Prefer to eat and order at Ichi Ni Nana more tasty and reasonably serving size.<br/>

I haven't been to Ichi Ichi Ku around 1 year. Ordered tori don today. Can't believe the quality of Ichi ichi ku's food is this bad now... This is $20 tori don, it is not $8 don... The chicken inside are all tiny small pieces and not fresh! The desert is still as good as usual.

I have only ordered desserts from this place: matcha tiramisu and black sesame cheesecake from Ubereats. The matcha tiramisu was so-so, very cream cheesy and the black sesame cheesecake was ok, very sweet though.

Quite an old-style quirky Japanese interior, but the menu is huge with lots of modern Japanese and Asian options.<br/>Love a beef short rib, and even though it's a Japanese restaurant, I can't help ordering it. It's more of a Thai inspired dish with the peanut massaman sauce, but the beef ribs were really tender and rich, you could pull it apart with a fork.<br/><br/>119 roll - surprisingly filling, this inside out roll has layers of flavour. The prawn tempura provided a crunchy texture, and the avacado and mayo brought in the creamy elements. Love the pops from the tobikko.

I’ve looked at the rating and decided to give it a try. Very disappointed. I don't know why the rating is so high? <br/><br/>The taste of the food is extremely ordinary, and the food variety is also the basic Japanese style. The service is just okay. OVERPRICED. Not worth for the money at all. <br/><br/>I ordered the curry wagyu don and wagyu don. When they came out, they looked like the same thing, I was a little bit confused. After I tried it, they taste totally the same. This can’t be right. I let waitress asked the kitchen the curry don served without curry. The kitchen said nothing is wrong. They’ve added in. I was like what kinda of curry that can't be seen by the naked eye? ?<br/>Once again I wanna waitress to double check with the kitchen, they finally find out they’ve made a mistake.... A total of two tables of guests in the bar, the kitchen can make it wrong...So by generating all these together, let me ask a question, whoever gives you the courage to price that high?

Food was super delicious, staff were really friendly. Well located right next to botanical garden, extremely clean and feels very cozy<br/>However it’s too pricy, although I would not hesitate to visit there again.<br/>

One of my favorite places to eat! Fresh food with great service. I highly recommend this place to anyone. Only thing is the prices are a little $$, but treat yourself!

Will come back for:<br/>+ Pork Gyoza<br/>+ Salmon Teriyaki<br/>+ Karaage<br/><br/>Ichi Ichi Ku is a rustic little Japanese eatery full of character and brings you to back to an old style Japanese eatery. But don’t let that fool you as the food here packs a punch. The food is modern Japanese and everything’s amp up in terms of flavours and textures. The pork gyoza was juicy, tasty and disappears in your mouth it was so soft. The karaage was super crunchy and came with a large dollop of shinny and velvety mayonnaise. And the salmon teriyaki had loads of textures and were morsels of delight. We also had the fried prawns which were ok, but possibly lacked a crunchy element. Service was friendly, but prices are approaching fine dining for the amount of food you do get. Overall though, this tapas style eatery is a great alternative to the usual Japanese fare. The menu is extensive and I can’t wait to come back to try out some of the other dishes!<br/>

Great food! This very small restaurant has a great vibe; the restaurant is decorated with beautiful Japanese prints and staff are friendly and attentive. The food is fresh and delicious but it is quite expensive. Large menu, large drinks menu too! I would go back - the pork gyozas are excellent!

We were craving for sushi and noticed this 4+ grade Japanese place on Zomato. We decided to try it as we were in that area that night. We didn’t have any prior booking but were lucky enough to straight away got a table. The decor was unique. It looked like an old style Japanese house. We ordered their popular sushi roll and a bowl of chicken katsu curry. Both of them didn’t really satisfy us and tasted a bit bland. The portion size was also too small for that amount of prices. The service and staff was great, though. They are friendly and attentive. Overall, it was just a so-so experience.

I have eaten in the restaurant and ordered dinner from here many times in the last year or so I’ve been in Melbourne. The food is consistently fresh and delicious. Their Nasu Dengaku and Sake Teriyaki Don are amazing. Highly recommend!

Again another Japanese gem. The place served us with some amazing Japanese food. While my friends were enjoying sushi and beef, I was happily enjoying my veggie dumplings and veggie curry udon. Both the dishes were perfect and I loved it! The ambience is pretty good with all the walls covered with pictures and the service was good too.<br/>Service - 4/5<br/>Food - 4/5<br/>Ambience - 4/5<br/>Value for Money - 4/5

Amazingly delicious and fresh sushi. The ambience of the place also supports the japanese vibe, as i feel i’ve been whisked away to a hidden a small hidden tokyo restaurant

What a gem! Quaint place + cozy, perfect for small groups. Didn't have to wait too long for a table on a Friday night . The food was absolutely amazing! Had the eggplant, pork gyoza, chicken karaage and wagyu curry udon. Udon was definitely the star. Will come back to try the sushi !

A tiny Japanese izakaya that dishes out some amazing Japanese food! The menu was similar to their sister restaurants (Ichi ni nana) and featured a nice mixture of traditional and modern/fusion Japanese fare. My favourite was the salmon teriyaki hakosushi, followed closely by the pork gyoza which were some of the best gyoza I've ever had! The 119 roll, unique to this restaurant, was also quite delicious.

Dear Ichi Ku, I simply asked you staff member to ensure lid on take away miso soup is secured before handing over, I admit in a tone which conveyed dissatisfaction given my work attire prior to meeting now soaked in miso soup. Blonde waitress with nose ring berated me 4 times and this is the irony, accusing me of being rude. <br/>I didn’t receive an apology all I received was rudeness. <br/>Ichi ku, my point conveyed was quite valid. Check the lid of the miso soup prior to handing over to customer. Furthermore, front of staff with nose ring needs to refine customer service skills. <br/>

Very good customer service!! With a big group of 7 we were afraid it'd be a tight fit but they were very accommodating.<br/><br/>We each ordered all the different types of udon, with sushi to share; the wagaya curry udon is delicious! Tender sliced meat with curry sauce left me wanting more 😋😋 Will definitely come back again!

The food was yum and their portion sizes were pretty good. The hot rolls from their specials menu were delicious and we also had the obi mayo, pork gyoza and banoffee pie for dessert. The staff are friendly and service was prompt. There is limited seating and they don't take bookings but it is worth a try if the wait isn't too long.

We ordered through deliveroo so we had this meal at home. I truly enjoyed it! We ordered the Sake Teriyaki Don, Tofu side with mushrooms and spinach, Karaage chicken and Buta Pork dumplings. All of them were amazing and enjoyable to eat. My fave was the tofu. Five stars from me.

Cute little place with amazing, fresh food. Banofee pie is to die for!! My partner and i come here regularly and never it never disappoints.

Just trying out this restaurant, because we want to have a fushion sushi roll, Hot roll, ichi ni roll and 119, taste really good, the presentation is good as well, Is beyond expectation. we also got gyoza and Tuna tataki was really good, perfect size sear tuna, the sauce is the winner, combination sweet and sour from the yuzu and a hint of kick chilli to it.<br/>Once try This place, definitely a coming back. they really put a thought into what goes into one meal. Is not cheap but appreciate what ingredients are used, store and freshness and cook as ordered.

Amazing food! Everything was delicious. The staff is really friendly, and they make you feel welcome. Perfect for a special occasion. We are definitely coming back.

Aaammmaaazzzziiinnngggg... sushi and dessert I could not fault. Highly recommend, the food is so delicious and fresh and the service is perfect. Everyone is so friendly and efficient.

It's a small place but it's how I like it. Nice and cosy. <br/>Great selection of foods from sushi, tapas, udon, rice, salad, dessert. Delicious, not too salty not too sweet. <br/><br/><br/>

4.5 out of 5 for me personally. <br/>The sushi was sooo delicious, and the sashimi was so fresh. The portion is pretty good too. The last time i ate was sooo satisfying.

Love this place. Consistently good service and food even take away. Best salmon teriyaki udon I've ever had! Recommend the dragon roll as well.

Sushi was nice; but not worth the $10.50 price tag for one roll!! The flower carrots were cute but did not make up for the fact that this place is overrated and DISGUSTINGLY overpriced !!!

Cute Japanese place with a very cosy setting. Food was delicious, good portion size and really fresh. I had teriyaki chicken and my friend had the teriyaki Salmon. We eyed out their sushi masterpieces on a neighbouring table which looked really good too.

I have postponed eating here since I moved to the area 4 years ago. It all seemed too small, too crowded. Finally I was pushed. And pleasantly surprised. Small area, very popular. All the food was genuinely good, good choice of sakes, excellent speedy service and an eclectic crowd of youngish locals. But, you can’t book, you gotta wait. And the seating is kind of primitive stools and close. Didn’t seem to worry the relaxed locals who all looked happy. Secret to getting a seat - arrive prior to 6.3o pm or after 8pm. Think it’s occasional for me. <br/>Geoff Birtles

Average (non Japanese style) Western style breakfast menu and overpriced, not recommended breaky. I would go other cafe such as ISIT cafe for Western style breakfast, million times better.<br/><br/>Delicious sushi roll and gyoza.<br/><br/>Waitress seems very ignorance and unhappy.<br/><br/>No split bill (sometimes they do, depends on your luck)

Never expect my first review on Zomato would be a bad one. This place was one of my favourites for the last three years, it’s the restaurant I’d always recommend to my friends. Don’t know since when, but the quality’s not that good as before. Also the menu’s changed, but not in a good way to me ( eg. one of my favourites: spider roll is gone and the new ichi ni roll simply doesn’t rock ), everything I ordered was a let down. My boyfriend and I were both disappointed and won’t go back again.

Visited Ichi Ichi Ku for a double date night on Valentines Day.. The place is tiny and it was bursting at the seams with people eating in and people picking up takeaway orders. The food was delicious but the service very slow. I think the kitchen may have mucked up their ordering system because people who ordered after us were at times getting the same items we had ordered before us. We felt bad because we kept having to ask the waiters when our food was coming because we had to be at the movies at 8.45pm (we had a 7.00pm dinner booking) . Still, the food was delicious and I will be back. Maybe for takeaway next time. It may just have been the fact that it was Valentines Day and busier then usual..lets hope so :) The waiters were helpful in explaining the best items on the menu and how much to order.

Food was quite disappointing considering we spent $100 for 2 people. we ordered:<br/>•dragon roll: the mayo blocked all flavours and avocado was missing from the roll.<br/>• wagyu curry udon & don: 'wagyu' was very dry with a hint of burnt tatse and curry was obviously the S&B Golden Curry from Woolies. <br/>• dumplings tasted overly porky.<br/>• agedashi tofu: was boiled instead of fried and without much taste.<br/>plus we had to wait 20mins n the seating was very limited and extremely squeeshy.<br/>A long way to go!

Went for an early dinner yesterday and the place was empty, so we got seated rite away. The place is really small but there's a lot of jap decorations going on so it really boosts the atmosphere. We ordered three dishes to share and two drinks<br/>1. Nasu dengaku - grilled eggplant with miso glaze, it was really sweet and yummy but there's a bit too much sauce for my friend's liking which I didnt really mind as it was sweet.<br/>2. Pork gyoza - probably our fav dish, the filling was really juicy and just flavourful. There are only 4 gyozas in one serving, so make sure to order more. <br/>3. Ichi ku sushi roll - the fillings were good and it had scallops too on top, the only downside was the rice. They used brown rice which I didnt mind but it was not seasoned well so it was tasteless. <br/><br/>Service was good since there were only two tables and food came out within 15 mins. Will probably come back to try their breakfast menu and dessert selections.

Delicious food, friendly staff, very nice place! I will see recommend this place! The sushi amd buns are amazing one of the best sushis I have try.

The restaurant located in a quiet street with great atmosphere. We arrived there at about 6:30 pm. The place is not too big, only about six tables in it. We had to wait for 15mins. There were a couple came after us but the staff served them first. It was a little bit annoying. After seated, we ordered ichi in rolls, mixed sashimi, wagyu don and a bottle of Japanese saka. I loved the mixed sashimi which were really fresh and rich taste. It was my first time to have saka and I liked it. Light taste with fruity flavor, it’s a good choice for a foreigner to try Japanese wine. Oh, btw, radish pieces on wagyu don were my favorite. Lol

I picked up some takeaway here last Saturday night. I chose the spicy tuna roll, chicken bun and vegetable gyoza. My favourite dish was the chicken bun with crispy chicken and mayo - super tender and really delicious. The spicy tuna roll was nice. Topped with a generous piece of avocado and a nice hint of spice. The vegetable gyoza were alright, not my favourite flavour-wise but still pleasant. Overall it was very nice food however, a tad expensive for what it was.

Good service, good food!!<br/>We ordered bento box, wagyu don, wagyu udon and Ebi rolls, the taste are fantastic! Especially the sashimi in bento box are very fresh, wasabi are freshly made, and the wagyu are tender and juicy!! <br/>But the food portion are small, my 10 years old boy was still hungry after he ate the wagyu udon.

Ichi Ichi Ku is a small japanese restaurant situated in South Yarra. We walked in on a midweek evening and thought we would easily find a spot but soon realised this place gets so busy every day of the week. <br/>After a couple of minutes we were lucky to be seated and ordered soon after. Dishes came out promptly which is always a positive. <br/>We ordered the Chirashi Sushi & Wagyu Beef Udon as our main dishes and sushi roll on the side. The Chirashi Sushi was such a delicate and refreshing dish,exactly what I was after that evening. I noticed it was one of the most popular choices as many people were ordering too. As much as I can try to, I won't be able to explain the flavour of the wagyu udon, all I can say is WOW!!! Tender beef and delicious soup, would definitely recommend this dish. Ichi Ichi Ku uses only brown rice in their sushi. I personally approve this choice as I prefer it to white rice. The sushi roll was jam packed full of ingredients and topped with quite a bit of fish roe, yummy!!! I will most certainly return for more great japanese food.

Granted I have only ordered the mochi because my friends have raved about it but by god it was amazing. It was serve cold, but somehow it still retained a soft, pillowy texture. Inside is red bean, but I think the skin is mixed with strawberry as it has a nice pink outer layer with a slight sourness to it

I went for lunch and got the vegan bento box. It was great to see clearly labelled vegan options on the menu rather than having to ask. The bento box was delicious and I was very satisfied!! Would definitely visit again.

Love sashimi. The sashimi in this restaurant is so fresh and nice. Can’t help myself to go there again. The udon just make u feel so warm. Just enjoy it with frds

Came here for lunch with my boyfriend and I immediately fell in love with the decor and atmosphere in here! I ordered beef wagyu don and he ordered a chicken udon. The beef was alright, not the texture I expected to be. However, I do like his udon a lot. I’ll definitely order one next time :)

Love their food, taste and presentation are good. The overall taste is not very authentic Japanese and the desserts are abit too sweet for me, the shop is very small so we always need to wait fairly long for a seat. But overall is still a very very good eating experience for me😘

Cosy little Japanese place - food is great and the staff friendly and efficient. The seafood ceviche and dragon rolls are my favourite dishes here.

Easy to say this is the best japanese restaurant in melb hands down, great authentic flavours and fresh seafood makis. Every dish is made to satisfy your taste buds and not to mention the price is so reasonable for the quality of food. We had gyoza (well fried and seasoned), nasu dengkaku (must order we even added another one), ebi prawn (a tad salty), sushi sashimi platter (fresh produce and really good ginger wasabi condiments), 119 sushi rolls (Another must order! X2)

Came here with a booking and got a table as soon as we arrived. It was such a beautiful night at St Kilda and we got the outdoor seating which made the whole experience better. The service was professional and the food service was paced very well. I especially enjoyed my rainbow roll as the sashimi was fresh and still slightly chill, very flavorful. Everything we ordered was delicious and I would definitely come back again for quality food, service and ambience. Does not disappoint!

This place is tiny, and I'd almost say cramped, if it weren't for the atmosphere. The interior (which is a mix of traditional and modern Japanese style) combined with the jazz music and friendly staff all worked together to create an amazing dining experience. <br/><br/>Every item we ordered came out fast and looked impeccable. The flavour combinations worked very well together and all of the fish was clearly sashimi grade. Would recommend ordering the 119 roll and the cubed salmon sushi to see for yourself. <br/><br/>Ichi is one of those restaurants where you want to keep coming back to try everything on the menu. <br/><br/>10/10.

Was in the area and chose this restaurant because of the high rating. It's a very small restaurant with less than 10 tables. It was very busy when we came in, but we were lucky there was a free table. We had to move the table a bit because I was back to back with the person behind me and we bumped into each other several times. Service is friendly but not very fast. We ordered a special with pipis, which was lovely but very garlic-y. We also had the dragon roll and the salmon teriyaki. I didn't like the consistence of the rice, because it fell apart, but later I read in one of the reviews that this is because it's brown rice. I guess that's healthier, so I mind less :) Dragon roll was a bit too spicy for me, but it says it has sriracha so that's my own fault. Salmon teriyaki was a bit dry. When we paid at the counter we saw that they had a lot of deliveries for just dessert and the lady said that people especially get the banoffee. So we got a take-away banoffee to try it out and it was very yummy!

Good food<br/>Looks...filthy even though its clean<br/>Friendly staff<br/>Good location<br/><br/>Fresh sushi and good food! I went there only a couple of times. It looks interesting inside and out and the food is good.

Went there for a late lunch, the restaurant was quiet. I ordered gobo chips, tori gyoza, spicy tuna rolls, some nigiris and tofu ankake. Overall, everything was well seasoned and beautifully presented. The gyoza is my most favorite dish, super soft. The staff was a little bit slow and she even forgot our order but I didn’t mind it. I’m quite health-conscious so I like brown rice but the idea of brown rice in sushi just makes it lose the texture and flavor of original sushi. However, this is one of the most decent Japanese restaurant I’ve been to in Melbourne so far. Highly recommend it.

Customer services was odd I don't expect waiters to be happy 24/7 but when pushing your items down to the floor I expect somewhat of an apologetic behaviour or something as it was their fault but all I got was "opps". Very small place, not comfortable it did not have an atmosphere to it. The chairs were not pleasing to sit. There was meant to be a special occasion between a couple yesterday but the restaurant failed to deliever it. The food however was extremely good. I think I would order take-away next time. Have 1 lady from thai land she very kind and gentle thanks for that.

Do not waste your time and money here including health.<br/><br/>Same Japanese cuisine done by Chinese people.<br/><br/>Horrible ambiance and food suggestion..You will end up in 40 dollar charge 2 dishes...<br/><br/>I wasted for their Sushi and rice main course.. Dark and stinky diner and horrible communication with staff...<br/><br/>4 dollar extra for customization...STRICTLY Not an Authentic Hospitable customer friendly place.<br/><br/>Highly Avoidable..place..<br/><br/>Thank you...

I've really enjoyed their maki rolls. However, the main dishes are just too ordinary to justify the $25+ price tag. They taste like Japanese food you could get at a food court.

Delicious food! Large range of variety. The place is a little small though, not much natural lighting. Feels pretty dark and cramped inside.<br/><br/>Their salmon sashimi was fresh, and their chirashi and lobster roll sushi was amazzzing! <br/>

Went there with some friends. The food is really good but we were waiting for about an hr for a table at 6.30. It is a tiny tiny restaurant. The dishes are really small so for 4 of us.. With drinks and food was $250 and we weren't super full. Will definitely come here again. Lots of choice on the menu and the quality is good!

The food here are very tasty! The flavour is quite authentically Japanese. But the tables and chairs are very small. You can only have one dish every time.

One thing I must say : the Japanese server has very good service standards. The food was not meeting up to my standards as I feel the chicken was fried to an extent that it was quite dry and burnt, and my aji fish was so deep fried.... I told the server and she went to the kitchen to make me new ones. If only all the restaurants knew what customer service was all about. However, my partner's salmon teriyaki was grilled to perfection and it tasted nice. The sashimi in the bento 🍱 box was amazingly fresh. The rest of the items was nothing to shout about. Thanks for the excellent service !!!

Stumbled across this place on Zomato and had it bookmarked due to the high rating. On Saturday night, me and my partner were thinking of a place to go to when I thought we should try Ichi Ichi Ku! We travelled 40 minutes to get to this surprisingly small and quaint restaurant. We were lucky to get the last table without having to wait. I was expecting there to be a large dining area but on the contrary, there were probably less than customers who were sitting tightly next to each other. But you know what people say, good things come in small packages. The waitresses were super friendly and the menu had a lot of things I was keen to try. We settled for the great ocean roll, tori karage, tempura udon, aburi sashimi and a matcha latte. I honestly loved everything but the great ocean roll, which although had a great combination of ingredients lacked flavour. Definitely will be going again to try more of the other things!

Hip decor with a traditional twist. Service is excellent and polite. Izakaya style food is generally quite good, with a selection of desserts.<br/><br/>Verdict: nephrite Jade

Attention to detail is impeccable. Love the brown rice and organic cola . Lovely daily specials and the sushi and sashimi are mouthwatering.

Friendly staff with superb service! Fabulous food and great atmosphere. Highly recommend the 119 sushi maki, fresh made and top layer is melting in the mouth with the crispy ebi. Juicy Pork gyoza and yummy fried tofu that served with mushroom and vege!

Beautiful food. Portions are excellent, very filling and worth the value. Service is great too. Venue is a bit small for my preference, so good for small gatherings. Desserts are delicious and presentation is amazing!

One of my absolute favourite places to have sushi! Super friendly staff. The Maki rolls are amazing, try the the Ichi Ni Roll or the 119 Roll. Also must haves are the Yuzu Lemon lime and bitters and the chocolate Harumaki ( pictured) for dessert.

It is not too much good. Cheap ! Anway, i come first time and i think i will not come back because it is not really for sushi or sashimi. They limit about sashimi order, you just can order it only once time.

My partner and I enjoyed the food though we both think we may have got food poisoning from it! Very small restaurant so we had to wait for a seat wasn't that long of a wait before we ate... food was good we both enjoyed the whole lot. This is the second time Iv eaten from there though the first time was from uber eats. Disappointing we both got sick

Food is fine when compared to the other Japanese restaurants in the area (when I say Japanese restaurants these are mostly run by posers who give the impression your being served by Japanese people). Ichi Ichi Ku in that respect is authentic.<br/><br/>Only problem is that for the prices they charge and the small portion size, your left one wondering whether you would be better off spending a bit more and going to a fine dining place.

Lovely little place... love the Japanese twist in the breakfast menu...ordered the prawn benedict....a stack of prawn 'toast' ( with a black brioche bun instead of toast), Asian greens, poached eggs, hollandaise with Sriracha, and the crunch from a scattering of prawn crackers... Fresh, satisfying, and a lovely mix of flavours and textures. <br/><br/>Coffee was great... and with a selection of non dairy milks.<br/><br/>I am definitely coming back!

We came to Ichi Ichi Ku last year for dinner but was told there will be at least 1 hour wait so we decided to come back another time. This is a very small Japanese Izakaya with less than 20 seatings and they don't take booking. We finally returned but this time for lunch and was surprised there was no waiting list. We were seated right away. The staff here are very friendly and service is good. We ordered the Curry Udon with Wagyu beef, Dragon rolls, miso, Agedashi tofu, black sesame cheesecake and rice tea. The food is good but a bit over priced. I was expecting more generous serve of seared tuna on the dragon rolls but it was only a tiny piece. Love the interior design of the restaurant though but it's difficult to come in a bigger group given the seating capacity and no reservation policy.

Came here tonight with a friend for dinner. We came at 6:00 so we didn't have to wait for a table but very shortly afterwards the place packed out and people were queuing! We ordered the crispy tofu special and the vegetarian gyoza as appetisers (my friend is vegetarian) and they were both really yummy. The tofu was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, although I felt the gyozas could have been in the pan a little longer to give them a bit more crispiness. For main I ordered the Bento Box and had zero regrets with my decision! I paid $4 extra to have the salmon instead of the fried chicken. The box came with steamed veggies, salad, seaweed salad, a nice amount of mixed Sashimi, brown rice and miso soup! Very decent meal for the price! I would happily eat here again!

After reading so many good reviews, decided to try out for lunch.<br/><br/>Nice Japanese style setting, quite narrow space and make you feel like dining in Japan. <br/><br/>My partner tried out the bento of the day, which included pork mince balls, fresh sashimi, salad, miso soup and rice, quite standard bento box, nothing too fancy, I tried some of the pork mince ball, quite normal.<br/><br/>I ordered the wagyu curry udon, love it very much, I like they pan fried the wagyu beef before putting into the noodle. I was concerned might get too sick with the curry sauce, but I didn't feel that way, the curry sauce was very flavoursome, the thickness of the sauce was just right, the texture of the udon was bouncy and nice to chew, highly recommended.<br/><br/>We took away their desserts. The matcha tiramisu was surprisingly good, the flavour mixed very well together, love to have more pistachio nuts for the crunchy texture. The sesame cheese cake was good too, a little sweet, but i guess unavoidable for dessert, also have some red bean on top. <br/><br/>Overall quite pricey for the menu, but I think the quality of food worth the dollar, but I recommend the udon over the rice dish.<br/>

Sushi is sooooooo good here!!! You can feel its freshness :D We tried a lot of dishes so I can't remember exactly the names now but I assure you that all of them were just great! This spot is very well decorated and the staff is friendly and helpful. It has a great quality-price ratio so you should definitely go and discover this place!

Honestly overrated I feel, in terms of food quality. I had the chirashi bowl. Subpar. The fish was pretty average, not that fresh. Presentation was nice but so overpriced, can get much nicer food for cheaper prices in the city. Ambience overcrowded, it was fine... but *just* fine.

We were so excited to visit Ichi Ichi Ku - and for good reason! We were a little taken aback by its very humble size; it was packed but absolutely buzzing. Everyone was enjoying themselves and the smell from the kitchen was mouthwatering. Our waiter greeted and assured us that a table would be ready in 3 minutes, a welcome surprise. The table and seating arrangement was intimate but a LITTLE crowded, reminded me very much of a small-scale Chin Chin. Unfortunately the acoustics didn't do us many favours, it was difficult to hear the waiter and to try block out the conversations of our neighbours.<br/>The menu had character and was very diverse - so we appreciated our waiter's recommendations. Our Japanese drinks (plum wine and an imported rice beer) were delicious and perfect accompaniments to our food. <br/>Our orders came out sequentially and were designed to be shared. Each dish was flavoursome and beautifully presented. The quality of the seafood, namely the sashimi and caviar, was the best I'd had in a super long time - SO FRESH! The grilled salmon salad was my favourite; I don't think I've ever eaten salmon so perfectly cooked. <br/>Overall a very good dining experience, we left bellies stuffed and feeling content. Service was friendly & attentive and not once did we feel rushed. It was a pricey evening - $160 for two - but we were very happy to have finally experienced Ichi Ichi Ku!

This place is a real treasure. We were there just after the lunch rush, but enjoyed the most sumptuous Japanese-style food!  We were served by Curtis, son of the owner of the three establishments ... this is the second jewel in the crown ... but incredible.  Don't you DARE say it's too small ... this is pretty roomy as Japanese restaurants go.   Take the time to eat it with your eyes before tucking in ... beautiful food.  Yes, a bit pricey, but worth it.  Going again ...

Small resturant that fits a dozen people only. Rediculous. Small table i could hardly fit on. Food was okay nothing amazing. The sashimi dishes were too small and costed way to much for what u get served. I was not satisfied paying a high price and left still hungry

Really good ambiance, we got a corner table, which is probably the best because it can get busy. I recommend getting there early. Food and service is great. I also recommend ordering little by little because it is much more filling than it seems.

While a little bit on the pricey side, this restaurant certainly serves very high quality food. The various sushi roles are to die for- our favourite is the spicy tuna roll! All udon and don dishes are great too.

Amazing service so friendly and cozy. amazing food, ready fresh. Thanks Kurtis for the amazing service, great bloke. 👍 🍣🍱🍘🍢🍡🍧🍙🍥🍲🍜

Beautiful food, beautiful atmosphere. The ichi ni and 119 sushi rolls were a refreshing and innovative delight on the palate. Presentation was definitely Insta-worthy and it was a rare moment where they tasted even better than they look. Unfortunately it is a slightly smaller space and a bit cramped, but the decor and vibes were charming and cozy. The staff were really helpful and lovely. Would definitely recommend this place.

Had early dinner here as we knw how crowded it could be if coming exactly on dinner time, we ordered more than what shown on the photos, all the food were awsome! Especially i love the prawn mayo, 118 rolls, and gobo chips (but not sure if its suitable for western taste). The bento and chirashi was good but i think they cut the sashimi too small cubes, prefer bigger. Bento and ichiku was ordinary, tofu ankake is not how i like it, as they didnt use white tofu, but others maybe like it. Their dessert, black sesame cheesecake was smooth and can really taste the black sesame, it was yummy but what special was the banoffee.. it was to die for.. i would just go back for the 118rolls and banofee ;) downside of this resto is u cant really sit as long as u want coz ppl are queing so its more like eat n go, so most of the time we felt rush as the waitre/ss kept coming to our table checking n taking empty plate (Again this is maybe the service that western ppl prefer, but not asian) so couldve given higher score but it was a minus plus experience, but overall the food and environtment was good.

Presentation is nice but food overall tasted bad. Ben to box was very small in portions and they served brown rice. Not a fan and I wouldn't come back.

The dining space is tiny but the food is delicious and reasonably priced! We were surprised to arrive at 6:30pm on a Saturday night and be seated immediately. <br/><br/>We loved the deep fried marinated chicken with mayo - so juicy!!<br/><br/>Our absolute favourite was the salmon teriyaki and Mayo Hako sushi! We have been craving it ever since! <br/><br/>We will definitely be back!<br/><br/>They also offer takeaway and delivery.

Yum! Had a really amazing meal with friends. We ordered several dishes to share (the best way to do dinner!) and everything we had was delicious!

Ichi Ichi Ku is amazing! 4 friends and I had to wait over an hour for a table because the restaurant is very small, and the only table big enough to fit all of us was taken up by some customers who took a while to leave. The waitresses were not happy that we had to wait so long so they said we could have a complimentary sushi dish!! How lovely! Not many restaurants will do this so I appreciate the effort the staff put in to make us happy. <br/><br/>The sushi here is amazing!! Their sushi is definitely the best in Melbourne!! I would strongly recommend the Dragon Roll, 119 Roll and the Great Ocean Roll (which was my favourite one!!) Their sushi is so soft, easy to eat and not dry at all!<br/><br/>The gyoza normally only comes with 4 pieces but because there are 5 of us the staff were able to accommodate for us! I love that they were willing to accommodate for us instead of making us order another lot of gyoza! We ordered the ebi (prawn) gyoza and it was delicious!! Makes me wonder why more Japanese restaurants don't serve ebi gyoza. <br/><br/>We also ordered the Curry Wagyu Donburi! This was VERY nice and had the right amount of heat. More curry sauce would have been nice. The wagyu was delicious and you could tell it was high quality meat.<br/><br/>We also ordered the Mixed Sashimi. It was very nice and fresh. <br/><br/>The highlight was definitely the Salted Caramel Cheesecake! The Matcha Tiramisu was interesting but wasn't very popular with our group. I think we would have liked it more if we had eaten it before eating the Salted Caramel Cheesecake which was so much better! <br/><br/>Ichi Ichi Ku also has a large sake selection. I would definitely suggest trying some different sake flavours!!<br/><br/>If you are looking for a place that is similar to dining in Japan, please go to Ichi Ichi Ku. The food is just as good as the food found in Japan and the inside of the restaurant teleported me back to Japan. The size of the restaurant, the tables and chairs are all similar to what you would find in Japan. <br/><br/>I really do look forward to returning to Ichi Ichi Ku! I am so excited to finally find such great sushi!

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If you are craving some deliciously fresh sushi/sashimi then we would highly recommend this small intimate restaurant that can provide you with all the necessary goods that will satisfy your tastebuds. Overall this place was worthwhile and we would definitely come again.