Review Izakaya Chuji Japanese Restaurant - Melbourne

Good but could be so much better. Started with the chef’s tasting plate; the fish was fine but the rice was a let down. Not sure if they used sushi rice but was hard for my liking and not the quality you would usually expect. The tempura was fine, not great but not terrible. Also ordered the kushi platter (mixed skewers of pork, chicken and beef). The chicken was the best of the bunch, the beef was too hard and the pork was overdressed with sauce. Loved that they had Orion beer, highly recommend this drop.

Chuji is one of my favourite spots in the city. They are reasonably priced with tons of vegetarian and vegan options. I love nasu dengaku and agedashi tofu, both of which they do really well. They also have plenty a great Japanese beer selection, plus a craft brew and sake bar next door with even more options. No reason not to love this spot.

Food tastes a lot better than the decor of restaurant, which is a little dated. Portions are generous, so don't over order. Karaage chicken, pork skewers and pork katsu curry and potato croquettes. Plenty of seating, and service is friendly. All credit cards incur a 1% surcharge, which is pretty annoying. Don't forget the sake liqueurs!

Service was great, spacious restaurant and it seems to be a popular place. The udon was crazy delicious!! 5/5 Curry was okay, a little too peppery for my personal taste. 4/5 Ice cream taiyaki was disappointing, had the impression that the ice cream would be inside the taiyaki but it was just on the side. 2/5 Bonus is that they have Liven here so you get some cashback when you dine here, yay! Would come back for the udon!

Quality dishes, great cooking and polite staff! A fantastic experience while the are dying promotion via thefork. Spacious and comfortable seating, also bar seating for the lonely diner with discounts on drinks before 1730 on weekdays.

Good but could be so much better. Started with the chef’s tasting plate; the fish was fine but the rice was a let down. Not sure if they used sushi rice but was hard for my liking and not the quality you would usually expect. The tempura was fine, not great but not terrible. Also ordered the kushi platter (mixed skewers of pork, chicken and beef). The chicken was the best of the bunch, the beef was too hard and the pork was overdressed with sauce. Loved that they had Orion beer, highly recommend this drop.

Loved it! Great food. Great vibe. Takes me back to Japan. Quite busy but still excellent service. Loved the cerviche and tataki flavours. Sashmi platter was beautiful and fresh. Will definitely be back.

Had the best kingfish sashimi there. Good place for tapas. Friendly staff, good range of fresh/cooked tapas, made to order. A bit hot around the bar seats though. Great service, friendly staff.

Chuji is one of my favourite spots in the city. They are reasonably priced with tons of vegetarian and vegan options. I love nasu dengaku and agedashi tofu, both of which they do really well. They also have plenty a great Japanese beer selection, plus a craft brew and sake bar next door with even more options. No reason not to love this spot.

Always pass by this Japanese restaurant and really wanna try as it only opens for few hours everyday, and usually packed. <br/>Finally get a chance to dine here but quite disappointed for the food quality was not what I expect. The sashimi was thick but not fresh. The sushi rice was not firm and I couldn't taste any vinegar. Some dishes had really big portion but no taste. The good thing is they are not expensive, which good for a group of people sharing.

Good traditional Japanese sushi and sashimi, I dined with 3 people and we shared the chefs selection plate ($75) it had a great selection of sushi and chunky, fatty sashimi. It was plenty to give us a taste paired with karage chicken, which was nothing to rave about but still yummy. My only turn off was the staff who seemed to not speak English well and misunderstood what was ordered. They also didn’t have a lot of the sake that was on the menu which was a little disappointing. Other than that I would visit again for the sashimi!

I ordered teriyaki chicken donburj and my friend had soba noodle. Both were quite average - my friend only ate half of hers as it had an odd flavour and my chicken had a weird texture and flavour. I won’t be coming back.

Lively casual dining space, we sat by the sushi bar for a variety of small pickings, casual banter and drinks. Not too noisy, efficient and friendly staff. We started with gyutan (ox tongue) two ways with salt and butter. Both delightfully unique tastes of an oft underappreciated dish. The umeshu (Harutsuku from Kobe) with its sweet and mild tartness complemented well. Next up, assorted tempura was tasty but a bit batter heavy. Whole grilled ika (squid) cooked just right with a light soy sauce. Platter of yakiniku (meat skewers) was hit and miss: beef was a bit tough but chicken and pork were outstanding. A huge variety of food available, limited only by your budget and stomach capacity. Will surely visit again to try some more dishes.

Stumbled across this place by accident but was pleasantly surprised at what I found. A nice and humble restaurant that doesn’t really stand out but definitely a hidden gem. The menu has so much variety, it’s awesome! From sashimi to ramen to yakitori, you’ll find just about any Japanese dish you’re looking for here. The food wasn’t too bad for its price and staff were very friendly & attentive.

This place is has a very authentic Japanese vibe to it. The menu is very extensive. They have a lot of drink options and a lot of izakaya but also main dishes. I got a sushi/sashimi platter, takoyaki and yakisoba.

SERVICE: 2.5/5<br/>There were a decent number of floor staff however service was unattentive and it was surprisingly hard to catch their attention for basic things like ordering or asking for extra condiments.<br/><br/>Food did not take long so that was good.<br/><br/>FOOD: 3.5/5<br/>It wasn't terrible but definitely a lot better out there. I was expecting better quality due to the reviews and it being part of the Good Food restaurants. I've had better quality sashimi and nigiri at smaller suburban restaurants so would not pay this price point here again.<br/><br/>We had:<br/>-Deluxe chef's special (sashimi & sushi platter)<br/>-Prawn and vegetable tempura (veg definitely lacked finesse, pieces were so chunky and thick - see pics)<br/>-Mineral water<br/>Total $99<br/><br/>Presentation of the platter was quite nice!<br/><br/>DECOR & AMBIENCE: 2.5/5<br/>I was quite run down and needed a good clean and face lift. I don't mind dimly lit places for creating ambience but I felt here was just bad lighting and dull. The sushi bar which is generally a highlight in similar restaurants was tucked away in the back, a little dingy and not so well kept so it ended up being unappealing sitting there watching while they make food.<br/><br/>KID FRIENDLY: There is enough space but I would pick somewhere else for family dining.

Small place in inner city. Traditional Japanese food, sake is good, sushi is just normal and fried chicken is over cooked at my time. I don’t think will go back. Very busy at Friday night.

I went here w my partner. The food was good, really good! <br/><br/>We tried a number of dishes including sushi which was excellent.<br/><br/>The potato salad was good too. I really liked the beef tartare, which was soft and just delicious! <br/><br/>The chicken skewers were ok, they tasted dry and there was no sauce or dip. The Japanese pancake okonomiya was really good, and the Japanese mayo is always tasty. <br/><br/>We tried a chefs flight of 3 sake and I can’t recommend them highly enough. At 60ml a serve they were the perfect accompaniment to our meal.

3.5/5<br/>Not the best place for vegetarians/vegan as there’s not much choice on the menu. I had the eggplant, edamame, vegetarian tempura, seaweed salad, vegetarian sushi & inari. These dishes were basically sides, there were no vegetarian main dishes. The food was good & affordable.

The Sashimi is not Fresh one piece is off . The staff notified us the market doesn’t open on Sunday. So ? Can not service not fresh sashimi. Even though no discount and no complementary things at all Pricy ....

Rating: 3.5/5<br/><br/>Visited izakaya with a 50% off dimmi booking, overall I was very satisfied with the food given the cheap price. Without the discount I would’ve felt that the oysters and sushi cone roll weren’t worth it, but i was very happy with the super juicy chicken karaage which paired excellently with their mayo, the fries and the volcano roll which was pretty spicy! <br/><br/>Overall, i think izakaya chuji is a great place for a cheap japanese meal to stop by, with some friends, however don’t expect amazing quality izakaya food as it is a casual place!

I had high hopes for this place considering it's rated 4.1 at the moment.  I really should have read the last 5 reviews.  The meal was outrageously disappointing.  We had booked a table at 6:15 because we had a 7:30 event to attend on a Saturday.  When we walked in the place was vacant but the floor was littered with rubbish and what appeared to be left over food from previous diners.  It was completely disgusting- I'm hoping their kitchen had better hygiene than the dining area.  While we were the only customers and there were about 5 staff floating around it took ages to order food.  When the food finally arrived we were further appalled at the quality.  We ordered the katsu don.  The pork schnitzel came out completely soggy like it had been sitting out for ages since it was cooked. The meat was chewy and tough.  When we complained the waitress said this is how it is served and because they cook it with egg it made the crumbing soggy.  We refused to eat it because it was disgusting and thankfully they removed it from the bill.  Next we had ordered the stir-fried udon noodles.  They tasted like Singapore noodles- cooked in heaps of grease and capsicum and onion.  Tasted like bad Chinese food.  We also order teppenyaki which was ok and the salmon belly sashimi was actually very nice but overall the experience cost over $100 and we left feeling like we'd have been better off going to a cheap ramen place.  This restaurant really needs to lift its game considering there are hundreds of other Japanese options.  I can honestly say its the worst Japanese food I've ever had. I would never recommend anyone go and certainly will not be returning myself.

The food here used to be delicious and consistent. But recently, not sure if they’ve changed management/chefs but the quality of dishes have dropped tremendously! Chiraishi zushi was not fresh, with the raw fish sliced unprofessionally in thick inedible cuts, with dark spots throughout the fish?! Completely revolting. Katsu curry don was so bland, it tasted like brown flourey starchy water on top of rice. Not sure what happened to this place but we will not be coming back here.

Rate: 3.9/5<br/><br/>☆彡 Came for a weekday 7:30pm dinner. Fairly crowded but still space for 1-1. Small-medium sized! We ordered: okonomiyaki, agedashi tofu, una don, beef tongue and matcha cheesecake<br/><br/>☆The good:<br/>- neat interior, friendly staff<br/>- authentic menu<br/>- beef tongue was tender and delicious<br/>- agedashi tofu was excellent with the mushrooms <br/><br/>☆Not so good:<br/>- more on expensive side; most of the food is not amazing amazing<br/>- matcha cheesecake is a bit small for $<br/><br/>☆彡overall, convenient standard japanese restaurant nice to gather with friends for drinks too!

Finally managed to get a table on a Saturday. I tried to visit once but there was only bar table available so we walked away. Great choice of menu and absolutely love their fried soft shell crab. I ordered unagi egg rice but I think I prefer them without egg on top. It covered the taste of the eel. Very happy with overall dining experience.

A very casual but typical Izakaiya offering a wide range of typical Japanese-pub (izakaya) food.<br/>Execution of food is quite average, but you really come here for casual drinks & snacks with friends...or a meal if you're particularly hungry.<br/>*The beef curry is deep & midly spicy with soft chunks of beef.<br/>*Oyako don is a very simple dish to cook but there's not enough egg to balance out the chicken. Still, quite tasty with the lighty sweet soy covering the rice and soft onion.<br/>The restaurant has been here for decades and is still quite popular with the students and Japanese community, so I guess they're doing something right, but for me I can say I at least tried it.

My all-time favourite Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. Authentic Japanese fare, in a traditional Izakaya setting. We return often for good quality food and sake, and great service from knowledgeable staff 🍶

A lot of dishes were very hit and mess. The wait staff were efficient and professional, the restaurant atmosphere were rundown and definitely needed some touch ups (apparently this is one of Melbourne’s oldest Japanese establishment). Takoyaki was crispy and well made along with the curry udon. However the green tea cheesecake was bitter and sharp, easily one of the worse ones I’ve ever tasted, the accompanying black sesame ice cream tasted like dirt too :( defiantly pass especially for the price ($11)

Great for a casual Japanese restaurant! Just note that the rolls can be really really huge! Everything seemed quite fresh and nice - just wouldn’t recommend the deep fried squid.

We came here for sentimental reasons - Melbourne has changed so much, yet Izakaya Chuji has remained in the same place 20 years down the track!  The food wasn't bad, but neither was it anything special.  There is probably too much on the menu, so everything is mediocre.  Best dish was probably the takoyaki.

Been coming here for over 20 years and came here on a Sunday night. Absolutely shocking service. <br/><br/>We were refused salmon belly and told they’re no longer doing belly on fish. What?<br/><br/>We asked for some sauce to go with the koragi and they refused because we didn’t order it? <br/><br/>Really? Isnt that what you do at a restaurant, order food and pay for it?<br/><br/>Shame. 20 years of history undone in one dinner. <br/><br/>Shame on you izakaya chuji.

I base all my points on food. And this is must eatery in melb. Good portioned Japanese food with loads of tapas variety. Ambience is not the best however, service is great. We ordered 7items between 2 of us and couldn’t finish it all. Gomu ice cream is a must try !

Served us expired sashimi set with fishy smell and the uni has to be refunded as it was like paste , also missed our order as well so not coming back here

Loved it. Great food - including some hard-to-find Japanese dishes - and a buzzy atmosphere. Excellent plum wine. If I had any criticism it would be that maybe they could use another staff member on the floor, but in any case the service was pretty fast and friendly. Good value too. Will definitely go back.

Ambience: cosy! but a little bit noisy<br/>Service: friendly staff, on the busy side<br/><br/>FOOD<br/>Yakisoba<br/>Pros: pork slices tasted really good!, really large serving<br/>Cons: a bit bland, vegetables could have been cut into smaller pieces<br/><br/>Katsudon<br/>Pros: yummy! classic katsudon<br/>Cons: small-ish serving<br/><br/>Yakitori<br/>Pros: smoky taste, great presentation, sauce was awesome<br/>Cons: small-ish serving<br/><br/>Mochi Ice Cream<br/>Pros: delicious! especially the sesame powder<br/>Cons: quite pricey ($8) for a regular sized mochi.<br/><br/>I recommend the katsudon the most amongst what I tried :)<br/>

Not the most decorated and fancy izakaya, but still a great place to hang with your friends for drinks. A range of drinks and plenty of snacks and dishes (filling or not filling) to choose from. Service is nice, dishes are fine but can be better? Volcano rolls were a bit dry with the cooked fish and the tofu is not cold enough... Takoyakis were great though. But afterall it wasn't a bad visit, look forward to try something next time.

Small Japanese restaurant with mirror decor to look more spacious. Ordered the specials: chili octopus, chirashi and oysters. Meal was quite pricey and portions were quite small.

I'm surprised the rating for this place isn't higher! I think the experience is definitely very dependent on what you order, since we ordered the udon and ramen dishes which were delicious, while another time I ordered sushi and sashimi and it was pretty underwhelming. I would definitely recommend the edamame entrée and the hot udon/ramen dishes. We've been here multiple times now and the experience has always been great.

I would honestly rate this place somewhere between 3.5-4 but it would be proven a bit difficult.. it is a Shochu and sake bar but I don’t exactly drink much normally so this review is purely based on their bites. The food was delicious but a little too ‘ordinary’ and plain in my understanding across all the plates we ordered. It lacked of wow factors, not even a tiny surprise but it was lovely smooth sailing dining experience. The most disappointing dish was the beef ribs. Bit of pieces was extremely chewy but the remaining on the plate was fine. I personally favour beef tataki and spicy tuna hand roll simply due to their subtle flavours and freshness but other than those impressions it got nothing additional to them. Overall it was a pleasant and casual spot to relax and catch up with friends over nibbles you would not feel the need to analysis or be curious about the food there. It was a simply no-brain easy to order type of restaurant you go to to share a laugh with people are comfortable being around.

Forgot to take pic on some of the foods that we ordered but anyway, this is our second visit and as the first one, everything was good. Service were friendly and very fast (well, they are japanese) but my friend complained that the white fish inside the chirashi was fishy, which i didn’t try coz i was already way too full. But other than that, everything was great and definitely will go back n dine here.

Of the 8 dishes ordered would only recommend the squid and French fries. Surprisingly very average food, the sashimi was probably the biggest let down. Huge chunks of old fish barely edible. The sake was nice. The staff were very nice

My new go to Japanese place! <br/><br/>Their gyutan, both flavors, were terrific! I had their cold tofu, gyoza and karaage as well and they were yummy.<br/><br/>Although they are on the pricier side, it's definitely worth the price! And their service is amazing as well, the staff were attentive and food was being served at a quick pace.

Stumbled upon this little place which reminded me and bf of the little restaurants in Japan. I ordered the Oyaku Don which was really plain. It literally was just boiled chicken with egg on top, lightly salted and a little sweet with plain rice. Although that was disappointing, the place seems pretty popular. The sushi looked really good, so I'd give that a try if I was to come here again. Chips were good though.

See review for Nihonshu bar. These two venues provide both a fantastic dining experience and a cruise bar atmosphere through a broad many of both bar foods and restaurant dishes and an extensive liquor list.

Love this little place. It is quite good for a late night meal. Japanese Izakaya style, the portion is quite big. The deep fried squid with spicy mayo is 10/10 and soft shell crab is yum. Great selection for sake. Old wooden interior design. Easy parking on the quiet day. We really enjoy it.

Delicious Japanese food, gluten free karaage available and great shochu/chū hai! Ordering is easy with numbered menu items and ordering sheets at your table. <br/>Kanpai!

Was really affordable and decently sized so that i could get the tempura udon and still share gyoza and ribs with friends. The sake was really nice and well priced. The tempura was quite nice but the menu did not include a wide selection of ramen which was quite disappointing and it seemed very oriented around sushi which personally isn't my favourite. Would go back for the sake but am more likely to go to a specialist ramen place for dinner.

An izakaya located right across the entrance Big W at QV. While they do offer an impressive array of food on their menu, the tastes aren't very authentic. The sushi wasn't very fresh, and the broth for the udon I had was quite watery. You're really better off visiting Tetsujin or Hotaru for better-quality sushi at a much cheaper price. The staff weren't exactly friendly either. You can almost feel the 'get outta here' vibes as they eye your table. So amazed by how there are long queues for this place!

Was disappointed that it took 20 mins to get 6 overpriced mini eel rolls, seems the sushi chef only started to work on it after we'd asked about it (we were sitting at the bar right in front of him, and there was no apology whatsoever)<br/><br/>Friend ordered the ramen and it was nothing special.<br/><br/>Ordered the j-chips as it was recommended on the menu, but that was the most disappointing of all. Tasted like McDonald's chips that had been left out sitting for 20 minutes, with a sad sprinkle of seaweed seasoning. Kewpie mayo helped make it more edible.<br/><br/>Friend and I had upset stomachs after eating here. Will definitely not be returning. Hope we just ordered the wrong items.

Two words: Sashimi Deluxe. Came here repeatedly for that. Generous cut and nice combination. Soft shell crab is equally delicious. Match that with a nice warm sake and you call it a day.

First time here and disappointed. The exterior of the restaurant suggests fine Japanese food and a cosy environment. But the interior definitely suggests otherwise. <br/><br/>We ordered a sashimi plate, beef tongue and croquettes.<br/><br/>The sashimi was not fresh and cut overly thick. For a sashimi lover, I struggled to finish it. The soy sauce was definitely not the type intended for sashimi.<br/><br/>The beef tongue was tasty, but didn't taste very authentic. <br/><br/>The croquettes were large in servings, but disappointing in quality. They tasted powdery and were watery inside, the filling just drips out with each bite. I suspect the croquettes were from the freezer.<br/><br/>The decor is out-of-date. Cutlery is cheap plastic plates, dishes and disposable chopsticks. The ordering system is just weird. You mark your order on the sheets of paper found on your table like you do in most Malaysian restaurants. Pointlessly, each person places their orders on their own sheets, however staff kindly advises customers that orders will be placed under the same table and no split bills. <br/><br/>If you're after a quantity over quality, by all means give this place a go. But if you're after quality food, service and atmosphere, think twice.

This restaurant in the CBD is a great little find. Great food with timely delivery to the table. I would class the sushi/sashimi/nigiri as slightly costly however the quality is certainly there. 
This is more of a family style restaurant, self filled order forms are collected by super friendly staff and delivered without much of a wait. 
We visited on a sunday evening and were one of 5 tables, so i would imagine if it were busier there may be longer wait times.

Came here for dinner with my family, and it surely did not disappoint! The portion sizes were much bigger than expected, and we didn't end up finishing it all! However, all the food was very tasty! I recommend their special seafood "pizza" and their crab croquettes!

Came here for dinner before heading to the theatre. And only stumbled upon it after looking for nearby places to dine at close to her majesty's theatre. We ordered small plates to share, sashimi platter, fried squid, hosomaki and stir fried vegetables accompanied with house sake. The service is excellent, staff are very attentive, and friendly and they provide you with an order docket that enables you to select your order (by number). Makes it impossible to make any mistakes! The food came out very quickly and was well presented and tasted even better. Will definitely return as we were very impressed with the price and quality of the food.

Last night I went to Izakaya Chuji to catch up with some friends that I hadn't seen in years. Ordering food was a bit confusing for some that were sitting with me. For those heading to Izakaya Chuji you get a piece of paper where you can mark down what you want to order. The word: 'Pax' on the ordering docket is not referring to the Pax Convention (sorry couldn't help myself haha 😂) but is referring to how many people that one ordering docket is for. You can have your own individual ordering docket paper but really I don't see the point of it considering that they don't place orders into their system under individual dockets instead it's for the over all table number so you still can't split the bill or just refer to your docket to be able to pay (which I thought would be a smart idea). If you order something that says: order a minimum of 3 (such as sashimi or kebabs) - even though it is one menu item you shouldn't put 1 on the docket instead you have to write 3. What I really appreciate is that the staff are very helpful when they take the dockets. They re-read and check your order for you and correct any mistakes you may have made on the docket. Also if it looks like you have ordered too much they will advise you of this! I find this really kind - some restaurants wouldn't care how much you ordered because they would be thinking of the profit they would make but in this case the waitress cared for the customer and thought more about the possible waste of food. That's very high class customer service right there!!<br/><br/>I really enjoyed the plum wine that they have there - menu item U1 - you really have to try it if you like plum wines! Was definitely a highlight of the meal. <br/><br/>I ordered the 3 pieces of salmon sashimi (or in Japanese language it's called sake sashimi - which I was so surprised that salmon and the drink sake share the same word but are pronounced differently!! You really do learn something new every day!) The salmon sashimi had very thick slices so they were very generous with their servings! <br/><br/>I also tried the scallop, avocado and cucumber sushi rolls. Were quite nice - I really liked the chargrilled scallops on the top of each role but I found the actual inside of the roll which only contained avocado and cucumber to be quite bland and dull. <br/><br/>Also if you are going with a big group and using your own individual ordering docket please perhaps consider taking your own pen! I think we were only provided one pen between every 4 people and so it took a lot longer to order because we didn't have enough pens. Haha.<br/><br/>I also liked how much wine they put in the glass. If you refer to my photo you can see they poured the wine way above the marking on the glass!

Izakaya Chuji is a no-fuss and casual dining spot for some more affordable Japanese food. To be honest, the inside is a bit dingy, and the decor and plating is outdated and not very visually appealing. But it has a good variety of food, a basic range of drinks, and fairly cheap and fast. They don't do cocktails or anything complicated, but you can order drinks from the bar connected to them (Nihonshu Shochu and Sake Bar). The food can be hit and miss in terms of taste and quality. At these prices, you're paying more for speed and volume than quality. The fried food tends to be good. The gyutan shioyaki was clearly cooked ahead of time and unconvincingly warmed up - it was really thin and tasted nice but very cold and oily. The volcano roll, labelled as a top seller, was nice but the "cooked fish" appeared to be canned tuna or the likes. I've had the sashimi before, which I had no complaints about, and the portions were incredibly generous.

Fantastic place with a large variety of dishes on the menu. The seafood pizza is a must try, I'm sure to order it every time I visit.

Haven't visit this restaurant for years, found it lost its character and food quality. Shushi are not fresh, service were bad, and way overpriced. They even use the cheap plates, cups and once off chopsticks. Highly NOT recommended!

Gyoza at Izakaya Chuji, a Monday dinner special. Sadly these weren't very good, below average. My prawn gyoza was more like veggie gyoza with the occasional small prawn. Too much onion and filling. Low quality. Tastes like what I'd expect frozen from the supermarket. Not recommended even at $4.50. It was that bad.

I’ve been here a long time ago with my bf but all we ordered were donburi meals and they were decent. I have grown out of simply ordering donburi, so my bf and I came back to try their other dishes. The interior is just a long room, it’s not very interesting unless you are seated near the framed pixel art.

The sushi tastes ordinary at best, and not fresh. The table soy sauce is far from good for sushi as well. The undo noodle serves with little ingredients with only one piece of small prawn and two slices of vegetables. Even take away sushi in the super market tastes far way better than this one. Not recommended at all.

Izakaya is a cosy little Japanese Eatery perfect for easy, no fuss meals. The food options include all the Japanese basics as well as daily specials from time to time. Flavours here are decent, but I do find the seating a bit too cramped. Kani Cream Korokke (3 pcs) $9.9 – White Sauce & Crab Meat Croquettes

Only 3 stars from me I'm afraid. Even taking into account I am always going to be disappointed with Japanese food after having returned from Japan, this was just OK. The interior really is quite dingy and I didn't even want to put my handbag down on the ground on the carpet. Food was OK, the sushi is clearly pre-made as my 'volcano' sushi came out a couple of minutes after ordering and had that refrigerator feel to it. The udon noodle soups were fine, the agedashi tofu was weird - the tofu itself was good but the sauce was gelatinous, normally the tofu comes in a broth. The pork gyoza were nice but took ages to come out, the prawn gyoza were fried and I didn't really know I was eating prawn as the filling was so finely minced. It seems like a popular place though, and was full by the time we left (on a Monday night) so it must have some level of appeal but not for me.

One of Melbourne's classic Japanese restaurants. I have been to Izakaya Chuji many times, for the Japanese BBQ that they offer upstairs, the freshly made sushi by their sushi chefs downstairs, and typical izakaya dishes near the entrance of the restaurant.<br/><br/>Their BBQ, which I was served at many years ago, was of decent quality and staff was attentive. The dishes were slightly overpriced for their quality, but it is still definitely a viable option for Japanese BBQ in the city.<br/><br/>The sushi chefs downstairs are the stand-outs for this restaurant, however. They are skilled, friendly and efficient, serving well-made and delicious sushi, sashimi, maki and more. It is highly recommended to arrive early enough to secure a seat on their seat-limited sushi bar!<br/><br/>Other Japanese dishes served throughout the rest of the restaurant were somewhat lackluster, and while presented well and were of good quality, the dishes did not stand out from any other similarly priced Japanese restaurant that I have attended before. Staff were attentive as found during my BBQ experience, but were not friendly or welcoming.<br/><br/>I hope that Izakaya Chuji remains consistent or continues to improve by serving new and innovative dishes the next time I return.

Absolutely love this place. You can't go wrong with anything you order. The sashimi is delicious. The gyu sashi and yukke are delightful. Orion on tap as well as a superb choice of Japanese beer and sake. Friendly service. ❤️

I don't say this as a Japanese cuisine.Its completely dull and boring food with worst attitude.Drinks next door is ok and good service.Food is total outdated.Needs a competent chef and management.

Japanese drinks at its best, nice location however be in time to get a place, it's very popular place and seating capacity isn't great.<br/>Staff is friendly.

I came here for some Alcohol... And boy does this place have alcohol. A gorgeous atmosphere, great food and a variety of Japanese shochu, beer, sake and everything in between. Definitely the kind of place to visit if you're going bar hopping oriental style!

BENTO ... Never disappointed ..... they always delivered ...<br/><br/>I have never had a bad meal in this place, not the trendiest, funkiest, but just consistently serving what they do best, good, simple, traditional and authentic Japanese dishes.<br/><br/>Always a fun atmosphere and friendliest service, then again they are Japanese, they know how to greet and respect their patrons.

We came here to get some light meals and a drink and enjoyed everything so much. We ordered a drink each, the Squid Karaage, two pieces of Tuna Nigiri, the Gyu Sashi (rare slices of beef - the best!) and the Seared Scallop rolls. All of this and it only cost around $60. Will be coming back again.

Most of the dishes here were that grey area of just boringly "ok", apart from the eggplant dish which was tasty and soft. We were also surprised the takoyaki dish had about 10 more takoyaki balls that we expected, but almost sadly everything was just that average ok. The dishes spilled out quickly and all the waitresses sweet and friendly, I had hoped there would be a couple of dishes that hit up ahmazing given the place's longevity.

Not so nice at all, u Gus should not serve pork or chicken that is rot it's not very nice I open a restaurant before I know that pork and chicken it's got there own smell ..... But I know it's not like this ..<br/>This is Rot like so yuck ... !!!!!!??????@ WILL NOT BE BACK AGAIN FIRST AND LAST

Loved, loved, loved this place. Sushi is fresh and tasty. I was able to get my Japanese pickle fix also. There are some great Japanese beers available to go with your meal or if you feel the need for sake, you have seemingly endless choices. <br/><br/>We followed our deluxe sushi with lobster tail which according to my partners was grilled to perfection. I am a lover of eating whole fish (non of that fileted perfection for me if I have the choice) so I was tre happy when I was able to order the grilled mackeral, skin and all (yes fileted but still enough bones and skin to contain the flavour). Flavour hit galore. Smoky from the grill, fresh salty ocean yum, the lovely oil from the crunchy mackerel skin fulfilled my omega 3 hit. <br/><br/>I highly recommend this place but book to ensure you get a seat.

This is a good casual Japanese dining place. Good variety in menu...you'll get a good hearty meal, strong flavors, generous serving, quality level is decent without being great. <br/><br/>There's a good vibe and busyness with this place. Service is efficient and friendly. It has a sushi bar, dining area and drinking area. For such a small restaurant, they are surprisingly accommodating for kids. <br/><br/>but this is not a place that gives you refinement. Big piece, thick cut...For some, this translate to value for money. 😊 Gaijin Jap Cuisine. <br/><br/>Overall...good place for casual Japanese cuisine without killing your wallet (about $60-75 per couple) . A place to share food with friends and talk loudly without being frown upon. A place you walk out feeling completely filled and stuffed.

Delicious food. Great service and atmosphere. Highly recommend for authentic Japanese food in Melbourne. Come one come all. Come more than once. 140 times even

Went for a late-night snack about two hours before closing time, and despite it being close to closing, service was efficient and staff were attentive and helpful.<br/><br/>Spicy tuna and avocado temaki was nothing short of amazing - best tuna sashimi I've had so far in Melbourne! Same could be said about their takoyaki - perfectly sized and seasoned. <br/><br/>Pork gyoza, however, left much to be desired, as filling was scant and unseasoned, and accompanying sauce was tasteless, as well, resulting in a very strange, durian-like aftertaste. <br/><br/>Capped off with the adzuki taiyaki with matcha ice cream, and goma ice cream with adzuki paste. Ice cream portions were very generous. Matcha ice cream only had a hint of a matcha flavour, and was mostly sweet. Goma ice cream was much better.<br/><br/>Would probably visit again to sample more of the sashimi. <br/>

Good value meals. Fast service. If you're looking for a quick, no fuss meal, this is the place to go. I particularly like the various soup noodle dishes.

I was in CBD and craving some Japanese food. Since we are already in the vicinity we went in here. The waitress was nice. I love salmon! So we ordered Sashimi and teriyaki salmon and juice on the side. I was really pleased with the meal that I went back again the second time. Overall, very good experience for both times I have been and I wouldn't mind going back to eat here again.

This is a repeat visit for my friends who raved positively about this restaurant/bar. We ordered heaps of food and the most memorable were the grilled beef and the assorted yakitori platter. We went to the sake bar, which is located right next door, after dinner and enjoyed some of the nicest Japanese spirits.<br/><br/>The atmosphere inside the sake bar was very pleasant and the staff was very attentive. A quiet cozy place to catch up with friends over a few drinks.

As a well-seasoned traveller to Japan and Japanese food snob who has lined up for three hours to get into restaurants in Japan, I gave this restaurant the seal of authenticity. <br/>I went to this restaurants with my uni mates who have also been to the land of Cherry Blossom several times. We ordered ox tongue, Gyoza, assorted Yakitori, Tori-karaage, Miso grilled eggplants, beef steak, assorted Tempura and Tonkatsu. <br/><br/>The dishes were simple yet sophisticated as expected from Japanese cuisine in which the quality of the produced is hi-lighted through minimalistic cooking process. <br/><br/>We were happy with our food though our wallets may say otherwise as the place is on the pricey end.

Tried a couple of dishes. Thought only the butter grilled on tongue was scrumptious :)) <br/><br/>Butter grilled meat can't go wrong :) <br/>With the spritz of fresh lemon <br/><br/>Hahappieats

Very attentive staff and the service is pretty fast. Food was pretty tasty and filling, although I haven't tried on the sushi. I ate a traditional katsu (pork) curry, which had lots of lovely Japanese curry in which to mix my rice and meat. Yummy, and a nice large serving.<br/>It is a nice place for small conversations even if it gets a little bit crowded later in the evening.

Japanese food of average standard, nothing much to rave about. A bit on the pricey side for the quality of food served. Will suit those who are in the area and too lazy to walk elsewhere for lunch.

Came here for a quick meal with the friends (there was only 4 of us) and it was probably the most expensive snack we've ever had. <br/><br/>However, the food itself was fairly decent. <br/><br/>We ordered the sashimi platter, yukke, deep fried soft shell crab, ox tongue and a couple of the tamago nigiri.<br/><br/>The portions of each meal was fairly small to share between two people, let alone four; with the exception of the sashimi platter. <br/><br/>The waiting staff was definitely a big win for me. All of the waitresses were immensely nice and were on point with everything! They were so polite and ensured everything was served in an orderly fashion.<br/><br/>The restaurant itself is very cosy. Very clean and has a relaxed setting. <br/><br/>To be honest, for the price we paid, there are better Japanese restaurants out there in the city and inner city suburbs so don't go out of your way just to try this one.

Overall, an average Japanese meal - both in price and taste. We had never tried quinoa gyoza before, which featured on the half-price Monday gyoza menu. These were disappointing - the gyoza disintegrated under the lightest touch of our chopsticks. The other items we ordered were quite tasty, but nothing spectacular; we particularly enjoyed the soft shell crab sushi.<br/><br/>Acav may be back.

Recommended by a friend, made a booking and accommodated right away. We had ordered for drinks the lemon lime bitters and grape calpico, $5 for a can of grape calpico, way way way overpriced. For food, we had ordered salmon and avocado salad, shiitake ebi hasamiage (mushroom stuffed with prawn), buta stamina (pork and vegetables) and lastly gyutan butter yaki (Beef Tongue in garlic butter. The Salmon and avocado salad was nice, mushroom stuffed with prawn in tempura batter, had no flavour even with the accommodating ponzu sauce, needed salt, pork and vegetables was drowned in teriyaki soy sauce, pretty average and lastly the beef tongues which were ok, slightly tough, possibly overcooked. So, the decor was pretty run down, food was average, didn't have that wow factor and lastly the service was great. They need to fix their menu cause on the website they have one menu and when you get their they have a different menu. Some of the dishes they didn't have such as renkon chips and red clam. Some confusion with the menu, for example when they have min 3, means you have to order a minimum of 3. Not sure if I'd come back, especially when drinks were $5 for a can of beverage

Attempted to make a booking online but when we arrived there was no record of it. So after a bit of discussion with a waitress they decided to seat us upstairs where there was a plethora of seating available. The service was quite slow and our order went to the wrong table delaying it even further. Over some of the dishes were enjoyable, but pricey for the quality and service. Will look for another izakaya place next time.

Best sashimi buffet! To Japanese food lover out there. this is the great place to have sashimi as much as you want ! Drop in on Monday night, buffet $45 per head. TOTALLY WORTH IT! Fresh, good quality sashimi, yukke, ox tongue etc. And for what I also come here for...DESSERT! Love black sesame ice cream (my best record is 6cups so far).

Doesn't like it. What happened to this place,sashimi sushi used to be good but not anymore.sushi hard to finish and lack of flavour.not recommended

Worst pizza ever. Tried their food in special and called seafood pizza<br/>Worst ever too oily and feel bad for a week<br/>Food is cheap though

MSG??. Service was fine, but the food was awful. Left the most horrible tingling taste in the mouth. I wouldn't describe this food as Japanese. <br/>Paid $75 for untouched dishes and no one cared to ask why we didn't eat it:(

Izakaya Chuji is one of my favourite Japanese places in Melbourne.... Here you can choose your dishes from a long list of them. Except this time I could not go so RNIS went.... This is what RNIS told me. " The service there was bad...As for the food it was measly. We ordered a teriyaki salmon bento with Agedashi tofu. The serves were really measly for both the tofu and the salmon. The salmon was a little bit overcooked but the tofu was alright. I enjoyed the miso soup and the rice was just ordinary. The salad was very fresh but I didn't get the tomato or the kimchi.

Atmospheric modern trendy Japanese Izakaya at a price. The food is simple - the corn fritter is very simple but great fresh taste; the tuna tataki simply mind blowing for such a simple dish; the wagyu carpaccio sublime; and the best dessert - black sesame brûlée, will make your tastebuds sing

Doesn't like it. Worst sushi sashimi ever ate in my life.hard sushi with dry fish.too terrible<br/>Sashimi like big chunks and cut too badly.wont be back again

Worst place in Melbourne 本当不味い!. This place is so bad that I'm writing a review during my 8th minute of waiting for the beer I ordered after having to order my first beer twice as first time ordered and girl laughed and walked away without ever bringing beer.<br/>The place doesn't look like an izakaya, they've shoved as much as possible on the menu and judging by the rest of the place, so much of the food wouldn't be ordered often enough that it's either canned or sitting out back for ages! <br/>Although some of the staff are Japanese, some are not as owner and/or chef definitely are not as no Japanese person would serve over cooked tebasaki with tomato and salad! <br/>This place is a disgrace and it's only common courtesy that has stopped me walking out right now. <br/>Avoid at all costs!!

Best steak

Best ever. I am Japanese and i love the food in here,,,,maked me feel like my home,,,, ,will be back agaun

Really good. I always love the food in here.......<br/>Cheap and tasty and awesome drinks .chuji is best izakaya for me and my partner.

Whenever I am in the CBD region, I tend to stick to a few favourite spots as they have obviously be tried, tested and approved by yours truly. Trying new restaurants/ cafes is often a hit or miss subject for me, to which, may affect my mood thereafter. But as always, my favourite spots will eventually reach a point whereby I need to jazz things up a bit or I may lose my appetite overall. And so, begins the food hunt. I have been craving for Japanese lately and having been to not many restaurants in the CBD, I flicked open Urbanspoon, scrolled through a few websites and found a place that I may like. In terms of service, yes, attentive and efficient. Good explanation about the dishes/ platters available and food arrives at our table within ten minutes of ordering. Steamed edamame beans ~ some places over season their beans but here, it is just right. Sushi and sashimi platter ~  Yes, freshness guaranteed although I would like to see some improvements with the slicing of the fish..some pieces were a little..err...not the best looking ones I have seen :S Soft shell crab roll ~ crab was fried in clean cooking oil and the roll was decently sized. The chef had done well with stuffing it with just the right amount of avocado, tomatoes and deep fried crab pieces. Green tea ice cream ~ I have had a fair share of green tea ice cream in Melbourne and unfortunately, this is not something I would rave about although portion is generous here. Would like it to be a bit more creamy...

Izakaya Chuji This used to be Mark's and his parent's go to for Japanese before he met me. He took me here a couple of times for dates and I was never particularly impressed. But of it is the dankness of the place; it is very dimly lit but this combined with the rundowness of the decor (e.g. ripped seats) makes for a rather depressing ambiance. The food is in a similar vein to Izakaya Hachibeh (see below) but Hachibeh does it  better. The menu is very extensive and the prices are OK but there are certainly cheaper and better Japanese places in town...This place isn't bad, it's just been left a bit behind but better and newer places.

The service and food are great and not too expensive as well. Lovely restaurant for a lovely night out with friends.

The agedashi tofu was fresh but the skin was soggy. I received 5 pieces of salmon sashimi, which tasted OK. I was surprised at how much soba there was. The soba was cooked well and there was a bit of broth underneath, however, the flavour of the broth was so subtle I could barely taste anything so I seasoned it myself with some soy. Overall, the deal was pretty good value for $9.

The food at Chuji is really expensive and most dishes were merely mediocre or worst still, below average. It's seriously ridiculous how the bowl of Miso Nabe Ramen AUD $18 and tasted worst than instant noodles. I'd seriously rather go to Kokoro and Ramen Ya (cost is cheaper and way yummier) or even buy a packet of Indo Mee. The Agedashi Tofu AUD $8.80 and Gyozas AUD $10.20 were pretty decent but my friend didn't seem to like it. The last item, Small Sashimi Platter AUD $30 was not bad, probably the best item out of all that we have ordered but I won't be coming back again because there are cheaper & better alternatives.

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Horenso was good, not to say it’s great but the rice and miso soup were tasty.