Review Gaijin Japanese Fusion - Melbourne

I has a wonderful night at Gaijin, with my Mum and sister. The sushi and sashimi platters are a must try, and did not disappoint. I highly recommend if you’re looking for delicious Japanese fusion cuisine in South Yarra.

Gaijin is a little gem of a restaurant! Located within close proximity of the train station, it is convenient to get to and has a delightfully large range of sushi rolls to pick from! They also offer ALL YOU CAN EAT on Weekdays @ $55 per head. Good value and you can order to your hearts content! If you’re craving Japanese and particularly if you’re in the area, Gaijin hits the spot 👌🏻 The dishes off their ala carte menu were also delicious - you have to get their takoyaki! Comes with a generous sprinkle of torched cheese and seared salmon chunks. Also the volcano salad and tataki are really yummy 🤤

I think I’m in a sushi heaven now 🤤 Their Tasmanian sushi rolls are to die for, very delicious! This one is a must order They have a new menu called ‘Volcano salad’ $16 (it’s not on their menu book yet but you can order it). It consists of seaweed and crab stick salad with fresh salmon sashimi cuts and tempura crunch. It was pretty good 😋 worth to try! Their sashimi also great and fresh Stars of the show: Sushi platter $30 (4 types of sushi rolls,) - Spider vs Dragon (👍👍👍👍👍) - Melbournian (👍👍👍👍👍) - Tasmanian (👍👍👍👍👍) - Rainbow (👍👍👍👍) They also offer Sushi AYCE adult $42 and kid $15 Follow me on IG @kristinesubagiyo for more food reviews

Y’all I found one of the best Japanese restaurants in south Yarra - @gaijinmelbourne ! Me and my friends enjoyed every dish (except the teriyaki Beef sushi which was a bit dry and tasteless). I ordered the $36 sushi platter which serves 16 pieces of sushi (4 types can be selected ). The crispy salmon, melbournian roll and cheese sensation roll was amazing! The miso soup took me by surprise and it was quite authentic. Definitely would return to try the infamous Tasmanian rolls and other dishes. The sashimi and Chicken Karaage was also well loved by my friends who ordered them. My friend said she will definitely return for the Karaage. 😍 Check out more reviews at IG- melbournefoodiebabe

If you're starving and is craving for sushi for dinner, then you come to the right place. Although Gaijin serves all you can eat, a ala cartè menu with various of sushi selection is also available. This place is easily accessed, can accommodate quite a lot of people indoor, however, they have no outdoor seating. The staff are friendly and helpful, and has a decent price. I had a last minute booking and fortunately there were some spots left for an early dinner. If you want to have all uoi can eat sushi, make sure to finish everything as they have overleft charged. But of course it depends on how much left it would be. Overall, this is a good dinner option in the area.

ALL YOU CAN EAT: Fair prices for all this tasty and fresh food! Customer service is friendly and polite. To the people who says in their review that “the food take ages to come out”: Well lovely people, if you want fresh food, made on the spot for you, it takes the time that it takes! Otherwise go to a fast food! 🍣This place is superb! I’ll be back for sure! 🍜🍲 Picture below are : •salmon & tuna sashimi •dynamite roll •crunchy salmon roll/spider vs dragon roll •seaweed salad P.S. New Yorker roll were too good that I forgot to take the pic! 😝

Loved the sushi and sashimi platter at Gaijin! It was a perfect way to try many different pieces. The miso soup and sea weed salad were also delicious. My partner and I will be back to try the all you can eat soon!

Rainy night dinners near Prahran Market, Ganji Japanese Fusion a dinner spot known for all their AYCE sushi 22 types! A lot of rice so recommended for groups of 4+. . 🧀🥟 A friend recommended the off the menu cheesy seafood gyoza, and it was amazing! A blend of cheeses, great cheese pull, I'm coming back for this and I ain't sharing XD . 🍆 Nasu Degaku, roasted eggplant with sweet ginger miso and sesame. We love eggplant and this was really nice, not as sweet as Calia's and he said you can't taste the miso enough - but there's many kinds of miso out there. . 🍥 Seared Scallop with butter soy, mirin, bonito flakes and pickled ginger. I like it but don't love it, I've also never had seared scallops before, always getting it sashimi style. It really relied on that ginger, sushi ginger which is strong! . 🍣 Our big plate was the Gaijin platter with two rolls (half serve) from that extensive list, 9 assorted sashimi, seaweed salad and a side portion of the special salmon mayo salad. It also comes with miso soup but they forgot that. . 🦀 Melbournian roll - crab salad, cream cheese topped with spicy salmon, tempura crunch, masago, special mayo and teriyaki sauce. Delicious! This is the one with all the stuff on top of it. 🐍 His pick was the 'Spider x Dragon' with eel, soft shell crab but also cream cheese - where he discovered he doesn't like cream cheese in sushi XD Also I think I'm freaked out by soft shell crab... . Desserts? Always. His picks: 🍵Matcha creme brulee & 🍨 trio ice cream: matcha, red bean, black sesame. Two flavours had a little ice in them but the green one crystalized spectacularly with an even distribution... I thought it was undissolved matcha but he reckons it was cooled too fast or not cool enough when it went into the freezer. The creme brulee was excellent. . Service was excellent, I love that they have the two booths at the front that felt like a private dining experience. Do book if you want that table (for 4 people max). Highly recommend for date night, after confirming no one has a seafood allergy XD . 📍@gaijinmelbourne // Prahran Mkt 💵 Damage $90 (paid $40, won a comp)

I read some interesting reviews before writing mine - i think critics have been a bit harsh on this place....you get what you pay for (generally) so relatively speaking you could do far worse Japanese than this place. AYCE sashimi/sushi at 50pp is great value. The food was far from perfect but I would recommend a meal here! Some areas of improvement:<br/>-waitresses need to attend to AYCE orders more quickly. I found table service slow and slack<br/>-sushi rolls need less rice, and the rice needs to be drier. Much of the sushi quality is in the rice!<br/>-go easy on the sauces/tempura crunch. This would be better if there was less rice! Then you can taste the fillings more clearly<br/>-Food temperature needs to improve. Miso soup, agedashi and green tea were lukewarm at best. Sashimi should be served cool to cold<br/>I found the fish and fillings fresh and well seared. With the above improvements I would be willing to support a price increase for better quality sushi!

Rice in sushi wasn’t like the usual japanese rice that sticks. The rolls fall apart very easily once picked up. Decent portion

This restaurant was chosen by a friend to celebrate a birthday. The ambiance and the environment was homy. <br/><br/>There are so many choices in the menu which I really like. It caters for everyone who arent that hungry to famished. At some point I wanted to order all the fish roll!<br/><br/>As i was indecisive, I ended up asking the staff for their recommendation noting that I am a pescatarian and that I do not eat meat and only fish. I got a tasmanian roll and crispy soft shell crab as per the recommendation. <br/><br/>Was very happy with my order but the kitchen staff has merged part of my order ( tasmanian roll and chicken roll). I thought that chicken roll was the soft shell crab. Its my first time so I wasnt really sure what to expect. I thought the crab was in the roll until the lady brought the other dish which was the soft shell crab and telling us what i was eating was the chicken. <br/><br/>At the end of the meal, I gave them my feedback that the food was really good and worth the money. However, they should be careful with the dietary requirements of the customers. The staff just retorted to an ingenuine response acknowledging my feedback and telling me that she will pass it on. <br/><br/>NOT GOOD ENOUGH. <br/><br/>Surely its a lovely place to eat at. The portions are good and I love the plating. BUT, would not suggest this to people who have specific dietary requirements. Staff does not care and does not take ownership of their mistakes. Would I come back? Not in the next 3 years, and if they have a new management.<br/><br/><br/><br/>

You must know about it before you go there . You are going to waste money from wrong priced menu. Kingfish sashimi did picked bone out properly. Tuna sashimi was the worst quality ever. chicken Udon was green. The collar change from the wakame juce into miso base. (Ingredients wasn’t good , it was wakame, few diced tofu, funge mushroom, 1 piece of crumbed chicken thigh and noodle with soup for $20) <br/><br/>Additionally, POS machine was broken when we tried . It wasn’t big deal but problems was every bad experience was just in the first time visit. There are no second time .

If there was anything I was most mad about was the temperature of the sashmi/rolls for 100 dollars we got warm sashimi, that wasn’t even cut up properly. So much vein left on it. When staff was asked what the temperature was served as they didn’t know. So disappointed we left and didn’t stay for longer then twenty minutes. There was no thermostat in the fridge for the temperature. Disgusting. When asked what the temperature of the sashimi cabinet was, person behind bar could not answer. Some serious Food safety breach here.

Me and my partner enjoyed a lovely dinner here. We ordered the Melbournian roll, Dragon vs Tiger roll, sushi and sashimi combo as well as seaweed salad and gyu tataki. I loved the sashimi and nigiri, it was such good quality for the price. The gyu tataki was a bit chewy but the flavours were nice. The rolls were pretty decent. I would definitely come back here again! 🌸

The staff were very friendly, Albert was very kind to us and made the experience worthwhile

Great food and very reasonable price. Love their melbournian roll, all the food are tasty and fresh. Only issue is most of the food on the menu are deep fried or full of mayo, that is the reason they are so tasty but not good for waist line. Overall happy with my indulgent.

😱Lizzie’s first impression: the staff are really friendly and I always come back here because their sushis are actually so delicious. This place is not too fancy but the ambience is great. <br/><br/>🍩Lizzie enjoyed: I love the names of their sushis. Think Rainbow roll, Dragon Roll, tuna bomb and baked dynamite roll - everything was DELICIOUS. I loved them all as they're filled with different sauces and textures despite them being sushi. <br/><br/>🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: parking is horrendous especially on the weekends so make sure you get in nice and early. <br/><br/>🥇Lizzie rates overall: not too far out of the city and really worth the travel - especially for a good Japanese feed.

My old work colleague has been raving on about this Japanese joint that he absolutely adores and I figured why not hit it up on our next catchup. Gaijin is located on Commercial Road in South Yarra, just a bit further out than the other restaurants which means plenty of parking around. A reservation was recommended according to the website and so I followed the instructions, texted them and did not get a response. So my friend made the booking and BAM she got a reservation. Not a great start for me. Now, back to the night, the staff were super friendly and we were excited! One of the specials that night was the cheesy gyozas. I adore gyozas and I adore cheese and together, they were MAGICAL!

Thanks and sorry for staying till 10 :)

I came for the sashimi all you can eat, I thought I can try all sorts of sushi n sashimi. But they are very smart, they serve every sushi by 8 pieces ( with extra rice as well), if you can’t finish it, they will charge you extra as well. So basically you can only try two or three kinds of sushi. <br/><br/>Don’t feel very comfortable with these conditions. It feels like they are waiting for you to pay extra.

I have always loved Gaijin. The Tasmanian Rolls and the Dragon vs Tiger Rolls are to die for🤘🏻. The restaurant really stands out its brand represented in the name, Gaijin for being a Japanese fusion restaurant. The staffs working are very nice and I can see that they are very well-trained. Overall, will definitely come again and is very recommended even if it’s just for Ubereats whenever anyone is craving for sushi.

Modern Japanese fusion that is tasty and good value. Have always enjoyed my meals here and would definitely recommend Gaijin to those in the South Yarra precinct. Friendly staff.

I am so sorry, I dont want to be rude, but I didn't enjoy the sushi here..<br/>But I think the problem was sushi rice. it was taste like just cool rice. I couldn't taste sweetness or acidic. Also too much rice for one sushi roll(but I understand that we ordered all you can eat sushi roll course, so thats how they make profit I guess)

My favourite dinner spot for sushi! Always so tasty and great value for money. The staff are always so friendly too. My favourite is the rainbow roll and karaage :)

Great atmosphere, perfect for date night! The staff were quite oblivious to customers who were ready to order however make up for that in their friendliness. The manager even came and made sure everything was going well. The quality of the sushi and sashimi was excellent. My favourite is the crunchy scallop roll as the textures were all so different but it all went so well together. We had the all you can eat option, however it is hard to eat $50 worth of sushi/ sashimi pp therefore I would recommend ordering from the a la carte menu. I would recommend this place.

I booked this restaurant via SMS (they say to if it's not during business hours), and even though they got my name wrong (somehow), the booking was there and we were seated right away and given menus at the same time (I hate waiting for menus. I just want to dive right in).<br/><br/>There's an abundance of choice here, though some things look like they could be a bit repetitive (like the music they had on loop). We ordered two starters to share - the salmon tartare and the karaage chicken. The salmon tartare made no mention of being spicy. It WAS however a bit spicy, and had my tongue on fire pretty rapidly. I wish I'd known, as I'd have chosen something else. It was nice enough, but there was something in the sauce that was overpowering, and needless to say, I wouldn't order this again. The chicken kaarage was nice, but nothing overly special. I've definitely had nicer elsewhere.<br/><br/>For mains, we got two lots of sushi roll dishes to share and they both were so good. We got the Chicken Curry Rolls (Grilled chicken, avocado, cucumber served with curry sauce and sesame seeds) and the Crispy Salmon Rolls (Deep fried salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, topped with masago, Gaijin spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce). The salmon inside the rolls with the cream cheese was really, really good and would easily come back here for those alone. <br/><br/>Pretty much the only set back was asking for them to bring us cutlery and them coming with a fork only (then having to ask for knives later), but if that's the only fault, then ... <br/><br/>I can see parking would be a pain on a busy night, but tonight we got a space right outside. The restaurant itself is minimalistic but with a nice funky vibe, and overall the service was good. Prices are average. I think during the week they have an "all you can eat" for around $40 which isn't bad.<br/><br/>Would I recommend Gaijin to friends/family? Yes I would.

We do not go anywhere else for Sushi! Gaijin do affordable and delicious Japanese food. We always over order because we love everything on their menu. I'm sure we always shock them on how much we order. Best part about Gaijin is they do All you can eat! Although they only have a few staff on the floor, their service is impeccable and friendly. They are very professional and accommodating. Presentation of food is beautiful and we always enjoy the chef recommended items. Thank you to the team at Gaijin for always satisfying our cravings!

WORST JAP EXPERIENCE! <br/>For starters, they served up kingfish sashimi that was off. The rest of the fish on the platter looked slightly brown and the wasabi barely had any flavour to it. When we brought this to their attention, she said she would give us 5% off the bill. But since we had barely touched the platter, we asked to cancel the dish. She tells us that their fish is ordered fresh everyday. ~Hard to believe considering there was only one other table of 4 dining at the time. Plus, it was ridiculous to argue when she hadn’t tried our fish. After taking her sweet as time ‘discussing with manager’, she came back saying she was the manager and had tried the fish (in the kitchen).... When I caught her out on her lies and said this would potentially give us food poisoning, she became extremely rude and said to bring in a medical certificate. Highly unprofessional and ill-mannered. I would not recommend anyone dine here.

STAY AWAY! POOR SERVICE & FOOD IS NOT FRESH! <br/>Gaijin platter: the kingfish was discoloured and foul- tasting because it was off!! The rest of the fish on the plate did not look fresh either so we asked the waitress to cancel the dish. Beware: they use sauces to cover the ill taste. Wasabi wasn’t spicy, would even go as far as saying it was flavourless. <br/><br/>Customer service was horrendous! The waitress was so rude when we advised her of the foul sashimi. She claimed that the chef tried the kingfish (we did not see this so not sure if it actually happened); of course she would say the fish tasted fine. We were offered 5% discount even though we didn’t finish most of the food. The waitress went to discuss with management and came back half an hour later saying she was the manager.... but then she said she couldn’t make the managerial decision to discount the bill. She then became extremely rude when we said it was not acceptable, she said to bring a medical certificate if we do have food poisoning. No empathy shown and highly unprofessional. Would not recommend anyone to dine here.<br/><br/>Overall bad experience for 2 hungry girls that had to go to another restaurant afterwards and hopefully we don’t get food poisoning. <br/><br/>*Only giving 1 star for the spicy scallop. <br/>*We eat Japanese food on a regular basis and have never encountered bad fish.

It was pretty stock standard and ultimately, despite the seemingly extensive menu of options, the flavours and combinations were all just a bit same/same. The sushi themselves were freshly made, but not made with much perfectionism and refinement. This place could do with a little more love and passion.

Super fresh sushi roll!! Tasty and perfectly rolled. <br/>I had one with smoked salmon , cream cheese , avocado and topped with sesame seeds. Delicious !<br/>I ordered trough Uber eats but I will definitely pop into the shop. <br/>100% recommended <br/>

What a nice little place to dine. Came here for my sister birthday and I have to say, what amazing service and very attentive staff! Their food is delicious and very decent portions. Will be back here for sure

Friendly staff. Food is hmmm unexpected (e.g gyoza with melted cheese on top), but the food is tasty. I guess that’s why the place is called fusion.

Gaijin, located in South Yarra, is a sushi roll specialist. They offer w huge range of sushi rolls at $15 and other classic Japanese light bites and shared dishes as well. They also offer all you can eat sushi deal from 42 pp. <br/><br/>Sashimi <br/>Price: $10<br/>Taste: 🌝🌝🌝🌝<br/>Good price point. The salmon sashimi was very thick, quite generous. It was fresh, not fishy at all. The spicy scallop was okay as well, it was a bit spicy. It definitely satisfied my sashimi cravings! <br/><br/>Baked Dynamite Roll<br/>Price: $15<br/>Taste: 🌝🌝🌝<br/>It was okay, but not wow. It had crab stick as fillings, which wasn’t my favourite. It was still a good dish, though. The mayo was very tasty.<br/><br/>Sushi Platter<br/>Price: $30<br/>Taste: 🌝🌝🌝🌝<br/>This is your best bet if you want to have a bit of everything. It contained 4 rolls of my choice. The ones I chose were tasmanian roll, dragon vs tiger roll, spider vs tiger roll, my personal favourite, crunchy spicy salmon special. Definitely recommended.<br/><br/>Overall, if you want good sushi rolls with good value, Gaijin is definitely the place. With good range of menu, from classics to unique dishes. It definitely one of the go-to Japanese place.

My first time tried Gaijin it’s pretty good. The staff here is friendly and they serve the food very fast. For me the food quite tasty especially for all the sushi here and the price is also affordable, it’s only $15 for all the types of sushi. Although, i am quite disappointed with the gyu tataki it doesn’t taste so good and it looks not really fresh. But overall i have a good experience to tried this restaurant because i am a sushi lover and this place is right for sushi lover because of the variation of sushi here.

Unfortunately this weekend I arrived at 9:05 pm (they close at 10pm) and was told to leave because they were closed. There were other groups still dining. Disappointing as we had been looking forward to this dinner in it’s coming weeks. <br/>Visited this place a few times in the past and loved the quality of the food - I’ve even purchased their VIP card!, however they do often sell out of all their popular menu items! <br/>

Being my first time here, and a very big fan of sushi, I was definitely disappointed with this place. Even though the restaurant had a big group to cater for, it didn't seem like I was welcomed as a customer. I was excited for the food, hearing a lot of good reviews from friends, however, a while ago. Throughout the night there was a few issues. Firstly, night was really busy so we were given takeout spoons and chopsticks. Next, water had to be requested three times during the night and lastly, there was an issue with the sashimi. No compensation in the end, which couldn't be helped; but regardless of the service, it was sad to see the quality of food didn't live up to expectations. Nothing special and honestly, too much rice. Will want to try this place again but not sure if it's worth it.

Slow service . Did the sushi on a Tuesday all you can eat and we were there for about 3 years they took so long<br/>Also all the sushi flavours were drenched in cheese and sauce. Didn’t enjoy it <br/>

To begin, I just wanted to highlight the staff here. They were so welcoming and friendly from the minute we arrived. We opted for the all you can meet menu $50 with sashimi. The quality of food....I was expecting better but it wasn't the worst. The sashimi was the highlight for me. The sushi plates were large and we definitely over ordered and took away to avoid any leftover fees. Perhaps next time I will try again and order individually as I don't think the all you can eat is worth the money.

Incredible food for a reasonable price. For entree, had the sashimi which was super fresh and generously portioned. For main had the tempura prawn with green tea soba noodles which was delicious but did have a very creamy mayo on the noodles. The group I dined with also enjoyed the meals. Overall attentive staff and fresh Japanese food

Food here is amazing! Sealed scallop is the best! There are so many different options for the rolls! It’s really worth it. I would definitely come back

Not the best sushi on earth but for the $50 all you can eat sushi and sashimi deal, Gaijin is pretty damn good! Sushi rolls had a bit too much rice and not a lot of filling but they were delicious. Gaijin also had a large variety of rolls to choose from. Highly recommend for hungry people!

Good atmosphere and reasonably priced. <br/>I would not suggest getting the buffet unless you're 100% certain that you don't get full on sushi rice. Otherwise, it's more worth it getting a single sushi set with a side-drink.

My friend invited me to have dinner here, he’s a Japanese food lover, he’s always looking for good Japanese around Melbourne, he said he has been coming to this restaurant for 6 years, and he still loves it! Nice place for catching up with friends or dating.

Gaijin is such a cute place! Be warned it is pretty small and can get busy on Saturday nights. They don’t do bookings so get in early! I went there tonight and had such a lovely time - the staff is helpful and did not rush us to leave our table etc. Beautiful fresh sashimi and fusion Japanese food that was all so tasty. Alcohol beverages are also available, including a range of Japanese beers. I would really recommend this restaurant for some quality Japanese food! 🇯🇵

I had a girls night out (total 8 of us) and we to Gaijin for some all you can eat Sushi. I never heard of this place and 1 of my girlfriends had a discount voucher so that was pretty much the reason why we went. <br/><br/>🔆LOCATION🔆<br/>Located on Commercial Road. I was able to easily catch the tram from the city and the closest tram stop was only a few seconds walk to the restaurant! Very easy and convenient, and quite close by to Prahran Market not that we could visit it anyways because we were that at night.<br/><br/>🔆SERVICE🔆<br/>Really not much service at all. The waitress was okay and didn't seem very friendly just took our order, went away and served the food onto the table. <br/><br/>🔆MENU🔆<br/> The options sushi range looked very interesting.<br/>If you opt for the All you can Eat, then you need to refer to the "All you can eat Menu".<br/><br/>You should take note of their Terms and Conditions:  <br/>* Only valid for All you can eat menu on this page (combos not included)<br/>* Valid for dine-in patrons Monday to Friday (No take aways)<br/>* Not available on public holidays<br/>*All patrons on the same table must take the same deal and price package, discount vouchers can be used for this deal.<br/>* Charges will be applied for left over dishes, and you can take them home (we dont like to waste food).<br/><br/>TIPS: We recommend to place your order as you go rather than everything all at once to avoid any penalty if in any case the order is too overwhelming (believe it, this has happened many times!)<br/><br/>🔆FOOD🔆<br/><br/>As there was such a large group, we were able to order quite a variety to share but having looked at the individual pricing of each dish, it's definitely worth going for the "All you can Eat" option. <br/><br/>Edamame, $6.00<br/>Seaweed Salad, $7.00<br/>Agedashi Tofu (6 pieces), $10.00<br/>Panko Salmon, $18.00<br/>Sashimi - 3 slices of salmon<br/>Dragon vs Tiger Roll<br/>Melbourne Roll<br/>Philadephia Roll<br/>Prawn Tempura Roll<br/>Spider vs Dragon Roll<br/><br/>🔆PRICE🔆<br/>All you can eat Sushi $42.00<br/>All you can eat Sashimi $50.00<br/><br/>As everyone ordered drinks, even with the discount voucher, we all end up having to pay $36.00 per person. I mean great that we got a discount, but if having to pay $42 for the meal, I really didnt think it was worth it.<br/><br/>🔆VERDICT🔆<br/>It was a good night out to catch up with my girlfriends. The restaurant was not very busy and order came out promptly.  I think we were quite over eating sushi rolls - I mean rice is quite filling anyways.<br/>The salmon sashimi was not fresh.  Although the rolls were interesting, and some were tasty, I didnt have a favourite. I would prefer going to a Japanese restaurant and having a variety of food to enjoy rather that just eating medi-ocre average sushi. The seaweed salad was clearly from a packet, edamame was overcooked, the agadashi tofu was very soggy and unfortunately not enjoyable.<br/>I won't be coming back here, really not worth it. I would rather pay a bit more to get better quality food.

Been here for few times. They have really tasty special salmon salad. Love it ! Also recommend the soft shell crabs. Crispy outside.tender inside. Also they served very fresh sashimi too. Great service and tasty foods

Will come back for:<br/>+ Melbournian Roll<br/><br/>What these guys do really well is to introduce lots of great texture to a sushi roll to elevate the sensation of eating sushi. We ordered the Melbournian and Tasmanian rolls and both were a delight to the palate. Lots of spicy mayo, creamy, crunchy and tasty bits. We also had the karaage which was really quite well done, and you can taste the clean oil they use to fry these. The mix sashimi was just ok though (maybe it’s the way these were cut?) and the miso soup lacks a bit of flavour. Will be back for the crunchy rolls though.

The taste really suit to my kind of taste. The portion was big enough which is the good things too. The staff was nice, and they have pretty much choices too.

I've frequented this restaurant many times over the years and although it may not be the most authentic Japanese in town, the food is tasty and I never leave here hungry! The sushi rolls are good fun, but on my most recent trip, I was really happy to see they've added aburi sushi to the menu. I have frequent cravings for these and they do a decent job.

Average, not the best sashimi and certainly not authentic Japanese. Service was good, miso was great, but that's about it. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat Japanese here.

Very friendly welcoming staff! <br/>Got the 50$ all you can eat, and it was very good sushi! Although I defiantly couldn't finish 50$ worth. Best salmon sashimi I've had since I've been in Australia.

We have been here three times now and each time the quality of the food has impressed. The sushi, sashimi and handrolls are prepared fresh and combinations of food are interesting and worth trying. The price point is also good. Girls- if booking a table in one of the two window tables don’t wear a dress! To sit down at the table requires awkwardly walking up onto a platform and trying to manoeuvre ones legs around without flashing every other patron.

I initially planned to get the buffet, but a friend of mine, who went for it, said that she ate too much and was ‘so full it’s not worth it’. And so I followed her advice, I ordered a la carte (baked dynamite roll and Melburnian roll) and I must say two plates of sushi were enough for the two of us. They were good, I loved it. Service was prompt as well. I think it’s safe to say that Gaijin is one of my favourite sushi places in South Yarra.

Very nice<br/><br/>Family dinner food was excellent <br/><br/>Sashimi was A grade<br/><br/>Sushi was excellent- great variety- excellent Sushi chef <br/><br/>We’ll be back to sample some more <br/><br/>Can’t wait.......<br/><br/>Toodles

I found this place slightly below average... The decor is good. Just the food was just a disappointment. The beef tataki was dry, soft shell crab had thick batter and the quality of sashimi was poor. I’m not going to be back

Spider vs dragon sushi roll is so so so yummy!!! Must also try the soft shell crab. Sashimi, sushi and Nigiri is above average. We will definitely go back again. Service is fantastic. The chilled sparkling sake they recommended is quite nice to have in a hot day.

The sushi here is not quite spectacular but was still definitely tasty. The 'flaming' sushi roll is one is recommend for those who like their sushi with a little kick! (And by little kick i mean very little so there's nothing to worry about) but the flavours are really nice. I forgot the name of the fish but the one pictured in the foil was a unique one I've never seen or tried before - i guess the mystery made the taste even more pleasing as i wished i ordered those more! But the rest of the sushi was quite average so id say this is a nice place if you aren't a crazed sushi fanatic like i am but just want a decent meal. The service was quite attentive too despite it being the busy dinner rush time.

Tried this place a couple of years back but never reviewed here. Love the Baked Dynamite. As it name suggests, the fusion sushi explodes with flavor. The creaminess of the sauce, the spiciness of the togarashi, all go really well together. My place to go for the fusion and modern sushi rolls in a dine-in setting.

My absolute favourite place for sushi in Melbourne. Incredibly tasty and reasonably priced. The decor could be fixed up a little, but other than that, I love this place!

Ordered bunch of sushi platters. Taste okay, too pricey. Atmosphere is not that great though, feel so empty. But yeah, probably didn't order the "right" menu..

Creative sushi, friendly service and a great menu! Gaijin takes creative and fun sushi to the next level and is one of the few places not to charge a fortune. We love their 4 half rolls (16 pieces) for 30$. Entrees and other dishes are great too! They also offer an all you can eat option for 50$. If you take it, don’t eat all day before!

So disappointing. Poor quality ingredients that didn't seem fresh. The sashimi seemed frozen... and the flavours in the rolls did not go well together. Will never, ever return!

We had $50 all you can eat menu for 2 people... recommended not to have all you can eat if you are only 2 people having dinner.. because all sushi quite large in size 12inch... size are the same even if you order by Ala cart thats mean if you order only sushi in the menu you up have such a huge platter.. so cant order anything else as you will get full... its good deal if you are in big group of 4people its just waste of money for two people. One of the staff requested to order all together as its take time to prepare sushi.. she didn't mentioned as the actual size of the is gonno be really disappointed.. with everything.. not fair with the price at all when you want to try all different type of sushi.

Gaijin offers modern Japanese cuisine situated in South Yarra, easily accessible by Public Transport.<br/>This restaurant is pretty popular with the "all you can eat" option on the weekday from 6PM - 9PM.<br/>I reckon this restaurant is the only Japanese restaurants around 10 KM of Melbourne CBD area that offers "all you can eat"<br/><br/>The restaurant had a great atmosphese and interior design. <br/>The customer service was attentive at the beginning but it wasn't very pleasant as it was near to the closing time. Perhaps the wait staff were rushing to close the store, although there were still couple groups in the other tables.<br/>Personally, it wasn't very professional as they kept ignoring us when we wanted to refill the drink.<br/><br/>We ordered:<br/>- Crunchy Spicy Salmon Special (Spicy salmon and tempura crunch topped with fresh salmon and Gaijin special-mayo) for $14.00<br/>For the Salmon lover, this would be the best choice because it was served with the fresh salmon on top of the sushi blended in with the great taste of Gaijin homemade mayo when you eat together.<br/><br/>- Dragon vs Tiger (Unagi, avocado, cucumber topped with torched salmon and teriyaki sauce) for $14.00<br/>The unagi was seared perfectly, seasoned well with the teriyaki sauce. All of them went perfectly with cream cheese inside the sushi rolls.<br/><br/>- Spider vs Dragon (Soft shell crab, tempura crunch, cream cheese topped with seared unagi and teriyaki sauce) for $14.00<br/>It was great dish, taste and crunchy but to be honest I couldn't taste the soft shell crab.Personally, I'd prefer the combination of Dragon vs Tiger.<br/><br/>- Baked Dynamite (California roll topped with diced scallop, crab stick and spicy mayo garnished with teriyaki sauce and green onion) for $14.00<br/>If you're a big fan of crab stick, you have to try Baked Dynamite because the shredded crab sticks were very generous with spicy mayo.<br/>Overall, The taste of the sushi was absolutely fantastic. The Gaijin homemade mayo was great, balance and very rich in taste.The sushi rolls were slightly smaller compared to the normal sushi.<br/><br/>Service: 2.0<br/>Taste: 4.5<br/>Price: 3.0<br/>Speed: 3.0 <br/><br/>Yay: The taste of sushi was fantastic with reasonable price<br/>Nay: The service was a bit slow despite the restaurant was not too busy during the night around 8:30pm. The table we sat a bit far and the staff were not attentive enough to check out on us every now and then.<br/><br/>Location: 135 Commercial Road, South Yarra, Melbourne<br/>Phone: 03 9804 8873<br/>Website: gaijinmelbourne.com

What an amazing little sushi restaurant this is! All rolls that come in either 6 pieces or 8 pieces are $15 which is quite affordable for the amazing quality of the sushi! We had the avo roll and the Tasmanian role (not pictured) and would recommend both! I don't think it's worth doing the all you can eat since with $28 (for two lots of sushi rolls) I was quite full. However, it might be worth it if  you're really hungry! Update: The sashimi dishes are great, they're only $10 and you can swap between just salmon, or salmon and tuna and more. I love this place.

Came for dinner with a small group. Decor and atmosphere is very nice inside and comfortable.. inside was pretty quite for a Saturday night. And Menu had a lot of sushi options, and is great for sharing. And prices are pretty reasonable. Service was super friendly, and the meals didn't take long to come out after we ordered. Karaage chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside... Sushi hand rolls were very flavourful and had lots of filling inside. Tried for the first time fried sushi handrolls, which was interesting and quite delicious.

Worst Japanese food I have tasted. I rated 1 only for the service. First of all, I am not those crazy fuzzy ones that criticise/complain on everything they eat. I legit thought I would be sick after eating their food. I am not a food waster but I had to leave the sashimi on the plate because it started to get sickening after having a few pieces. I think people deserve to know this restaurant should not be rated for 3.8 on zomato. I don't even know how did the business survive with these kinda food. If you have never been to this place, DO NOT waste your money! It was not even average food, it was disgusting. The sashimi was dry and sticky, colour was dull, made me sick even thinking about it. Deep fried Tofu, they did not use silken tofu, I bite into it expected the soft and smooth pudding like texture, but the tofu was hard and outside batter tasted/smelt like they used the old oil that has been in the deep fryer for days. Chicken karage, First of all, they used Breast fillet, which it should be thigh fillet. The batter does not have salt or pepper inside, the dish came with some vinegar instead of Japanese mayo. It was over cooked, and again the oil was a bit off, we ended up left so angry because we thought 3.8 was a decent rating and the pictures looked good. It turned out to be the worst Jap I have ever had.what a waste of time and money. Could of had 2mins noodles and be happy.

We had dinner with friends last night and was disappointed that the rice in the sushi was under cooked. The service was average and the staff collected our food while we were still going. This place used to be our go to Japanese restaurant when we crave for sushi and sashimi. I don't think I'll go back for awhile.

Being a HUGE sushi fan we checked out the $42 all you can eat situation at Gaijin. Unlike most all you can eat Japanese places this is effectively 95% sushi rather than any hot food. The sushi was fantastic (even if it was plated in an extremely strange way) and there were some interesting flavour combinations expanding on your traditional avo and salmon or chicken terriyaki pairings which was exciting to see. Western fusion is the concept behind the restaurant and the word Gaijin means foreigner. Unfortunately however, the food took an unbelievably long time to come which struck me as being a little unacceptable given the ingredients don't even require cooking. Because of the fact we were starving we kept ordering more food hoping that something may eventually appear and then of course got slammed with the wastage fee when one hour later everything came at once. Not sure if that is intentional by the staff but what could we do, it became lunch the next day. Wouldn't go back here

Nice little restaurant. The sashimi and the sushi rolls are really amazing. They have quite an extensive menu. Go for the rolls and the tempura. Simply devine. However the service here is very lacking. They have quite a few waiters but they just go past without clearing or asking whether you would like more drinks or food to order. Otherwise worth a try. And the pricing is very reasonable..

Went with a group of 5, and we all got the sushi platter, which seemed like the obvious choice for us as we could choose 4 sushi rolls for $30. The sushi was made to order, and was incredibly fresh! I absolutely loved the avo delight, the crunchy tuna and the prawn tempura. Will one hundred percent be returning here for the sushi!

We tried the $50 all you can eat buffet with sashimi, ordered 3 rolls - the best was the crunchy scallop!! The portion for the rolls are big so don't order too much and miss out on eating sashimi. The sashimi portion was small but then again you can just order again ;)<br/><br/>We also tried their appetiser - edamame was steamed?! This was the first time I had it warm and I hated it. The other was this spicy scallop and crab roll dish which was more crab roll than anything, so best to avoid if you're not on the buffet. The service throughout was slow and inattentive.<br/><br/>The last thing that annoyed me was that when we ordered dessert, the waitress didn't inform us it was additional charge. The menu also state that everything on that page of the menu can be ordered for the buffet. There was no disclaimer for the dessert section that was squeeze on the same page. Dessert was bad BTW.<br/><br/>Overall, I don't think the buffet is worth it as the rolls cost $14 each and is good enough to eat by itself.

It was a basic dining experience.<br/>Nothing fancy about this place but fast and standard offerings.<br/>Food was quick, good quiet atmosphere.<br/>Staff were fine.<br/>Sushi was good and it's a cheap eat.<br/>Might be a good trusty place but don't expect them to blow you away.

Always on the hunt for good Japanese food in our neighbourhood, especially sushi. Unfortunately this place fell short. We opted to order from the à la carte menu rather than all you can eat. While there is nothing dramatically wrong with our meal, the quality and grade of the fish just wasn't up to par and not all that fresh. Veggie tempura was quite average and gyoza was somewhat bland. The place also got a pretty annoying floor that bounces every time someone moves. Only upside was the friendly staff and quick service.

Beside the fact that we probably ordered toooo much food, the quality of then seafood is great here ! Fresh tasting sashimi and great tasting handrolls. There's a large selection to choose from, but be careful not to over order like we did! (There might be fine for food wastage) Overall experience 9/10!

Disappointed experience!! Went as a group of 9 and had the sushi sashimi buffet, fusion just meant almost every roll had cream cheese in it. The sashimi was also a let down, the scallop was mushy. When we were paying we were told that the entertainment voucher cannot be used, which was not stated in the voucher at all.

Had dinner here with a party of 10, was really good, sushi was delicious and they handled the group pretty well, although we probably could've used and experienced server taking control of us and telling us what to do. Definitely would go here again.

Hot Green TeaEdamame $6 with Boiled Soy Beans lightly saltedAgedashi Tofu $10 Deep Fried Soft Tofu in Dashi Sauce with Bonito FlakesKaraage $13 Deep Fried Chicken Pieces, Lettuce Wrap served with Black Vinegar DipBaked Dynamite $14 California Roll topped with Diced Scallop, Crab Stick and Spicy Mayo garnished with Teriyaki Sauce and Green OnionGaijin Platter $36 with 9 assorted Sashimi, Seaweed Salad and Gaijin Special Salmon Salad, Miso Soup and half serves of:Spider Vs Dragon – Soft Shell Crab, Tempura Crunch, Cream Cheese topped with a Seared Unagi and Teriyaki SauceCrunchy Spicy Salmon Special – Spicy Salmon and Tempura Crunch topped with Fresh Salmon and Gaijin Special Mayo)Avo Delight $14 with Spicy Salmon, Tempura Crunch topped off with a combination of Salmon and Avocado and topped with Teriyaki Sauce

Tried the buffet with my 2 guy friends and was totally worth it! I love the selection of sushi rolls, unique and tasty (must try Melbournian and Tasmanian). We had a few plates of unlimited sashimi too! Agedashi tofu was good too, I had 2 serves. Love it! Would come back next time with more people.

Good service but food is of poor quality. Sushi rice was not good enough, aburi sushi served cold, beef was stale and fats were mushy, got a really strange part of a fish as aburi sushi. Seared sushi should not be cold. Really disappointed. The fried rice was decent.

The sushi was okay but the mochi tiramisu was horrible. Don't ever try that. Also, the staff (especially the girl) was grumpy and pestering us to order foods while we were waiting for our friend to arrive. 😕

Possibly the worst meal of my life....I wish the staff actually ate or tasted the food, only then would they realise that the food out is the same as the food in! DO NOT COME HERE!

A great fusion sushi place in Melbourne! They have a lot of unique sushi roll choices, Dragon vs Tiger roll is my favourite and Melbournian roll is my girlfriend's favourite. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. Food was quick and tasty!

Outstanding sushi rolls. Im not a sushi eater but they completely blow my mind. Cant expect more than this. Love their Fusion Sushi and service. Will definitely be back.

Went there for all you can eat, food was very average. I think if we had of not gone the all can eat option, I would hope they put more love and care into the presentation and quantity on plate. It was very busy an can sense it's like this often purely for the all you can eat option, but where was the aircon at? It was so much cooler outside then in. <br/>Lastly, they ran out of edamame!

We went to try out the all you can eat Sushi and Sashimi deal for $50PP. I hardly spend time writing reviews but this place was a total disaster! Horrible over cooked rice and bad tasting sushi. My girlfriend found a bone. I have no idea how they got good reviews but clearly overated. Good for someone going for quantity but very poor quality sushi. Waitress was a nice enough to offer us dessert on the house but we couldn't even bother to wait anymore!

I expected a lot from this place, but the reality was left a bit wanting. I do like the ambiance and service, no problem there, but the fish on my sashimi platter seemed dated where it had lack of bite. My agedashi tofu and deep fried soft shell crab was plated well, but their flavor just didn't blow me away. Fusion cuisine can be excellent, but you need to execute the basics and have great produce first and foremost. Bit of a let down.

Great food, terrible service. Came here tonight for the all you can eat sushi option. Sushi was great, good combinations and flavours. However my low rating is for the way we were treated. Every single waitress and there were 4 of them mind you were constantly ignoring us everytime we needed something. I talked to some other friends that had been there and the same thing happened to them, its almost as if it's a ploy to get you eat less and not get your money's worth by leaving you waiting and being ignored. The waitresses did not make eye contact at all, to get their attention I had to wave my hand in the air like a lunatic. Such a shame. However the extra hand helping, one of the male waiters was attentive & so thanks to him i got the wasabi I was waiting 15-20 minutes for.

Only good thing on the menu was the salmon tartare.<br/>Everything else was a huge let down considering how high the ratings were. Spicy scallop sashimi, absolutely horrible! Wasn't creamy at all, it was like they had the scallop cooking in their sauce for days. Service was not the best either when they forgot to bring out one of our dishes and even had to come back to confirm if we got it like we were lying. Never again!

Given the expense and general poor quality of seafood in the UK (I accept Europe isn't far away), I snuck in a final Japanese(ish) meal during my final days at work. I remember my one and only experience at Gaijin very favourably when they had an all-you-can-eat rolls deal many years ago. - Agedashi tofu (deepfried soft tofu in dashi soy sauce with bonito flakes) $10 - the tofu was ok but not crisp enough, however the broth was overpoweringly and undrinkably salty;- Prawn tempura cha soba (prawn tempura served with green tea cha soba, shredded nori, Gaijin special mayo & mentsuyu dip) $19 - tempura was simple and tasty, the soba was ok but couldn't tell there was green tea in it at all;- Gaijin platter $36 - decent salmon and kingfish with standard tofu sashimi, a tiny bit of fluorescent green and tangy seaweed and a bit of diced salmon. The chosen half rolls were Spider vs. Dragon (a brilliant flavour and texture combination of soft shell crab, tempura, cream cheese, unagi and teriyaki sauce) and South Yarra (tuna, tempura and shrimp).

Rice was soggy. Picked out a piece of fish bone off a slice of kingfish sashimi. Told one of the waitress n she passed the comments to the chefs so it was slightly better. Service was good but food was very average...

For those of you who live/work in and around the city, boy have I got a treat to share with you. This week I discovered an absolute gem of a restaurant, it’s the perfect spot for when you feel like a cheap and cheerful meal. AND, it’s Japanese, my favourite. I know right!. Welcome to Gaijin. This place is dangerously delicious, I tell you. Just down the road from the Emerson, it’s unsuspecting from the front, so you’ve probably walked past it several times without realising. The signage is small and the décor is authentic, but move past the minimalism and you’ll find a treasure trove of food here - Japanese fusion with a focus on creative sushi.

Totally waste of time and money. I and my boyfriend was very excited to try our first all you can eat sushi. But it turned out terrible. It took 30mins for the food to be served which made you full for the next dish. Sushi was full of cheese and mayonnaise. Salmon sashimi was a joke, not even fresh. I had a creme brulee greentea which was totally burned on the top. The food was even worse than sushi sushi in shopping centres.

Pretty good food for the 'all you can eat' price for sashimi and rolls.<br/>The real deal is in the sashimi. The rolls are nice but the rice seemed a bit mashup lacking the translucent look. But hey can't really complain as the sashimi compensates.

Blink and you'd miss it. Small and unassuming place with delicious food. The eggplant was amazing, I think we had 3! Great spread of typical Japanese foods which were all very tasty! Lovely fresh taste to the sushi! The sake was also quite tasty. Reasonably priced!

To start we had the Nasu Dengaku baked half eggplant which was tasty although rather sweet. The crispy rice salmon was good, but was well deep fried and didn't have much to balance the fried flavour. For the sushi platter we did not really enjoy the baked dynamite sushi rolls, the chicken curry was fine but the crunchy and spicy salmon was the best. I felt the chef's recommendations didn't really hit the mark so when ordering I would suggest using your own judgement. <br/><br/>All and all our meal was of a good standard - I would say average for a Japanese restaurant. The staff were polite and attentive. Our bill of $80 with three drinks seemed pretty good value. We might be back to try some other items on the menu with a bottle of gewürztraminer or some slightly sweet white that I think would be a good match the mildly spicy flavours of a number of the dishes.

Cute place with really tasty and fresh food. <br/><br/>We came for the all you can eat option but sadly missed out due to a public holiday. Not to worry, the menu has plenty to choose from and we didn't leave disappointed or hungry. <br/><br/>Combo platter is recommended along with the half eggplant. Yum! <br/><br/>You will definitely enjoy 😊

Good food good service... cant complain. But i would say my favorite sushi rolls were spider vs dragon and baked dynamite... always get them everytime i visit Gaijin. Definitely will continue to come back and try other things in their menu.... 😁

This place is absolutely amazing... I just went there last night for the first time with my friends... We had sushi Rolls and sashimi and everything were so fresh and tasty.. Also, we ordered some appetizers such as Gyoza, big bang (enoki mushroom wrapped in baked salmon), they were so good... The service was impeccable. She explained everything clearly and patiently.. But, the highlight was definitely the sushi rolls, yum..yumm... definitely would recommend this restaurant to others. See you soon Gaijin.:)

Been here few times, great selections of sushi and service is great...................will definitely come back again

Casual Japanese fusion restaurant in South Yarra! <br/><br/>Great food for cheap prices and the restaurant is BYO!<br/><br/>We loved the creative flavour combinations and fillings for the sushi rolls. <br/><br/>The edamame and fried chicken were ok but we probably wouldn't order them again.<br/><br/>The highlight of this place was definitely the sushi rolls!

Have had delivery and take away from here twice in the last 2 months. Although the menu is really interesting the sushi could be a little more refined. I had the dragon vs salmon roll which was pretty good, the sushi rice a little sticky. The seared scallops were revolting, tasted very fishy and overcooked. The salmon salad used brown off cuts of the salmon and a overload of mayonnaise. I think this could be an amazing place but they need to up the grade of their raw materials to make better food.

Good food unfortunately service lets this place down. Speed and lack of service really effect the dining experience. Expect long wait times and staff with glazed eyes that ignore you as they walk past.<br/><br/>All you can eat was initially quick on the first order but every order sequentially got longer with average 45 minutes between meals, not including orders that were misplaced. My theory is they purposely do this to reduce the amount you can eat.<br/><br/>Eat here if you have hours to waste and have incredible patience.

Got a delivery from here via deliveroo and it was the worst japanese take away food i have ever had. <br/>Fried chicken: 2/10 not much chicken in there, the letture that go with it are off, its not green but brown<br/>Rice for $4 is less then a regular serve, its more like a half serve<br/>Soy sauce for the sashimi, is sweet.<br/>Come with a small sever of chop salmon as well, smell off.