Review Atami Japanese Restaurant - Pascoe Vale

Popped into Atami Japanese for dinner to get my Japanese fix, my first time visit, and seems like a suburban spot for a casual quiet night out. Okonomiyaki - a personal favourite the version here is as a seafood pancake which is thin and served with BBQ sauce, kewpie mayo, and Benito flakes. Pretty tasty and a nice start to the meal. Kaiso Salad - I got this seaweed salad to provide some balance against the mains and it's a very simple but tasty dish. Refreshing, slightly chewy texture, sweet with the dressing and yet a bit acidic, this helps cut through the richness of the pancake and the buttery sauce in the seafood in the teppanyaki. Kaisen Teppanyaki - prawns, scallop, fish, squid cooked in lemon butter sauce served on a sizzling plate A lovely medally of well cooked seafood presented sizzling as per the menu description and served with veggies. The butter sauce is very subtle, the ingredients are cooked in it but there is very little of the sauce on the plate itself. Solid tasty meal, this was more than enough for me and had to pass on the dessert section I was eyeing! #JapaneseFood #Asianfood #okonomiyaki #seafood #Teppanyaki #scallops #prawn #fish #calamari #salad #seaweedsalad #foodcoma #foodie #melbournefood @zomatomelb

Food was quite average. But the service and the setting were really good. Wouldn't visit again though!

Great Japanese food, probably the best I've had in Melbourne. Friendly staff who are very aware of the gluten free options available on the menu (and GF soy sauce). Will be back!

My favourite Japanese restaurant! Authentic and delicious food! Everything is really fresh! It feels like you are in Japan! Lovely staff.

We ordered wafu, garlic chicken, stir fry vegetables and chicken skewers - all of which was delicious and well-cooked. Food is good, honest and unpretentious. Unfortunately, there was a preponderance of bean shoots served with every meal - we've never seen so many outside of a green grocer. Service was prompt and friendly, however we weren't offered the menu to choose desert which we would've chosen if we'd be given the option - we were just provided the receipt. FYI - I'm rating this as a surburban, Japanese, family style restaurant, not as a fancy, high-end place because it doesn't pretend to be not should it be rated along those lines.

Moved away so hadn’t been for years. The food is so good. Better than I remember it! We had the B Banquet. Service is attentive and caring. The flavours are complex and prices are from a bygone era. Yum!

Lovely place with authentic Japanese food. So happy to have discovered this gem. No more going into the city for me!

I have been eating here for years. Always delicious food, always friendly staff. Highly recommended for an inexpensive night out.

Found this little gem after my first option was shut. Definitely didn't disappoint. The fish was fresh and the agadashi tofu was so good, which is usually a miss at other restaurants. The only thing o was disappointed about was the ice cream being store bought.<br/>Highly recommend, the service was wonderful and attentive. Definitely will be back 🍣🍣

Delicious and authentic Japanese food in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. The sushi is so fresh and packed with flavor. I especially love the futomaki & chilli salmon. I think the sushi is really the highlight of the menu. But, I have also tried many different entree and main dishes from the menu and have loved every single one. The only thing I really found to be subpar was the udon. My favorite thing out of the main dishes so far would have to be the garlic chicken. It is a really pleasant and creamy dish. I especially loved the addition of the tomato, which surprisingly had such a nice taste and texture and complemented the dish really well. <br/>I also like that Atami is generally pretty quiet. Sometimes its just nice to have a delicious dinner out while avoiding the crowds and noise. The decor and ambience is really simple, homey, and inviting.

Poor performance. Dim dank lighting, inattentive staff. Overpriced for what you get. Cold dry clumpy rice and sashimi with the basement membrane still attached. All aspects of the bento box were poorly conceived.

Ordered a Atami Special sushi platter, which was ready really fast! This is great, as other places usually ask for a 24 hours pre-ordering. Very nice staff, who called to let us know of a few things about the platter.<br/>The sushi themselves were delicious and very reasonably priced, though they were not 'extraordinary'. I personally LOVED the sashimi. My family and I would have enjoyed avocado within the rolls, but it's true they're not in season. <br/>My (very) sensitive tummy was also happy with everything on this delicious plate!

the decor of this restaurant has remained unchanged since the 80s. it's like being on the set of a 1988 Japanese movie and you can imagine yourself being in the outer suburbs of Osaka. contrary to an earlier review, it is run by Japanese people; we spoke to the waitress (who was really friendly by the way.) we ordered about 8 entrees to share, which came to $75. the sashimi was particularly good; I liked the home style feel of the agedashi tofu but the tempura was a little bit soft; the scallops were nice but cost $11 for four small ones- scallops are expensive I guess; the nasu dengaku was standard; the lemon squid was tasty and simple. overall, I'd probably try and get better value with a banquet (which I was told could have interchangeable items) or a lunch special. the sashimi was really good so I'd probably go back and eat that in summer (it was fairly cold in the restaurant in winter.)

Dined here for Mother's Day. Staff were friendly and helpful, accommodated our pram easily without fuss. Mom and I ordered the seafood bento, very well priced with good portions and most importantly it was yummy. Thanks for a good night. Would definitely be back!

Never again! Waited 40 mins for the entree and I had to send it back. Under cooked slops of rubbery pancake. Also sent the main back as not chicken fillet ( as mentioned on menu ) it was leg and neck!

Great place for Pascoe Vale. All the food was good and the service was friendly. We had vegetable tempura (lovely and lightly battered once the excess was shaken off), futomaki (sushi rice wasn't sweet thank goodness), gyoza (well cooked, juicy pork) and age dashi tofu (as good as my home cooked stuff). For $34 we walked away stuffed, which is unusual for a Japanese restaurant.

👍 Agedashi Tofu<br/>👎 Lack of ambiance<br/>😐 Would I go back? If I was craving Agedashi Tofu because it's close to home.<br/><br/>Have visited this restaurant twice. Once for dinner, one lunch. Both occasions we have been the only diners in the restaurant - makes me nervous when this happens. Agedashi tofu was the best of the dishes.

For a local, we are pretty happy with it <br/>Great sushi and gyozas<br/>Decor inside us nothing to rave on about <br/>But if you and the family want an easy local dine in- then Atami are a good option <br/>

Not bad at all. I've never dined in but the take away was great. I've also only eaten sushi/sashimi but everything seemed fresh. Hubby happy with his noodle dishes. Prices a little expensive for a quick take away night.

Owned by Chinese (we believe) but a good honest local serving tasty home-style Japanese fare.    Really nice fried udon, Japanese fried chicken, sashimi (though tuna was cut a bit too thickly), well cooked tempura prawns and deliciously tender eye fillet in a miso sauce, served on a sizzling hotplate.  Commercial miso soup and non-Japanese rice were negatives.  The dining space was pleasant, and the service warm and friendly, especially with our 2yo running amok in the restaurant.   BYO and a decent range of sake and Japanese beers.  Their lunch specials are meant to be fantastic value.  Not many people eating in on a Sunday evening; this gem deserves more custom.

This is the ultimate review. You have to accept it for what it is. It's a suburban restaurant selling fresh Japanese food which is very reasonably priced. I've been a regular for 10 years with my family. The decor is tired and staff assistance can be hit and miss. If these things are important to you then you might want to look elsewhere, but if you want to enjoy fresh Japanese food in the suburbs then this is definitely the place. The food never disappoints. That's the most important thing.

Travelling alone on a very chilly winters night and after an exhausting day, I sought refuge at the Atami.  I was drawn by a friendly smile.  I ordered agedashi tofu, yosenabe and an intoxicating hot beveridge to set the mood.  The yosenabe was more like a steaming seafood hotpot for two.  Initially overwhelming in terms of size but no match for my healthy appetite. The Japanese word for delicious is "oishii" and it was. The waitresses were very friendly and engaging.  The décor was a little dated but so was the pricing.  After exchanging a few delightful stories, I left the warm hospitality back into the bitter cold regretting not staying a little longer and exploring the option of a Japanese desert.I hope I get the chance for a second encounter on a future trip to Melbourne.  Overall the experience left me with a positive and memorable impression that I shall never forget.  Next time I will try the sukiyaki.

Love this place! I've been a couple of times and it's amazing. The food is fantastic and the service has always been lovely and attentive. It's only around the corner from my house so I can definitely see myself becoming a regular :)

Discrete but attentive service, themed interior, we had the banquet and liked all the courses particularly the tempura vegetables. Reasonable prices.

Wayi Steak. The veggies that came with the meal were water logged, tastes like frozen veggies to be honest. The steak that came with this was awesome though

From the outside it is rundown and that unfortunately matches the inside. The service is slow and you do have to grab their attention to order . The food is hit and miss .. The steak is very tender , yet the dumplings were pretty bad. Shishimi was fresh. Wouldn't visit again I don't think as it's was a real effort to get their attention and it was really dreary inside.Could do with a make over

Yum. Good service good food.. I recently went to Atami for a Solo dinner, I found it very nice. The decor is quite traditional, the waitress' were nice, however, very nervous haha. The food came out very quickly and tasted delicious. I had the Wafu Beef<br/>If I'm ever in the area again I would go back. I would make sure I was hungrier though so I could eat more.

Great little local place. Food was very good and not overly pricey. Good menu, not just sushi!

Fairly disappointing, unlikely to head back. The California roll and Atami maki (inside out salmon, avocado, fish roe, cucumber roll) lacked vinegar in the rice, and lacked taste overall. The agedashi tofu didn't seem like it was fried in starch, there was no stretchy after-effect while it sat in the sauce. The Atami Kaisen Bento had over-fried oyster and fish, the salmon sashimi wasn't that fresh as it wasn't buttery, and broke down a little too easily while chewing.<br/><br/>Service was reasonable and courteous. Prices a little steep.

I bought an entree and and main for take away and found that the serving sizes were very small for the price. I also made the mistake of assuming that there would be steamed rice included with the main, and didn't realise until I got home. The food was mediocre, to average at best. I definitely won't be coming back in a hurry.

We went as a party of 3, having driven past this place for 18 months. It was probably in my bottom 3 Japanese experiences of all time. As far as authenticity goes, it's as Japanese as Kraft Mac & Cheese is Italian. I went with teriyaki chicken thinking it was a safe bet but was overpowered by the salty sauce. The gyoza was ok, and the garlic chicken overly creamy. The pickled bean shoots were way too vinegary - all in all, pretty disappointing. I don't think it's run by Japanese people which is always a bad sign.<br/>Give it a miss and get a pizza, or head into the city if you want good Japanese.

I've been a few times now & have never been disappointed. Good is delicious & very fresh! The service is delightful & you're never waiting too long!! Can't wait to return!

Disappointing. I decided to try out a local Japanese restaurant yesterday so I picked Atami for it's decent rating. I ordered temaki and the inside out sushi rolls here and my friend ordered grilled teriyaki rockling on rice. Unfortunately, the waitress assumed we were sharing the sushi, so the dishes came out one by one. This meant that by the time my friend's teriyaki dish had arrived, I'd almost finished my complete meal. This was not as upsetting as the 3 temaki rolls that were served (the inside out rolls were decent). The seaweed was not crisp as you would expect when cooked to order. Furthermore, the rice was overly sticky and the prawn/tuna/salmon served in the temaki was only filled half way. I couldn't finish this dish and I do not think it is worth any value. When you pay for temaki, it should come fresh at the least! <br/><br/>On the other hand, service, ambiance and prices are reasonable.

Best Japanese food outside of Japan!

Not a bad local Japanese restaurant nice sushi

Awesome food but amazingly slow service and you have to beg to get served for a drink

The food at Atami is really nice, but unfortunately the service lets it down. Slow and inconsistent. There were only 2 other tables in the restaurant, but it was impossible to get the staff's attention. Won't be going back :-(

The food at Atami is actually quite good, even great, but the dismal inattentive service more than cancels this out I'm sorry to say which is a real shame. On at least two occasions I had to leave my chair to order one thing or another. You'd do well to spend your hard earned elsewhere.

Underwhelming and Disappointing. After driving past Atami for months, my wife and I finally decided to give this place a shot for take-away dinner. We ordered the sukiyaki, teriyaki chicken and an entree sushi dish. Unfortunately, all three dishes were disappointing.<br/><br/>The entree sushi dish (for ~$10) consisted of roughly 6 pieces of sushi and 2 mini noris was passable, albeit a little small for the price paid<br/><br/>The teriyaki chicken was cooked well, but was quite bland; the promise of teriyaki sauce was never met. <br/><br/>The sukiyaki was disgusting. Cold, tough pieces of beef complemented by fresh brocolli, old cabbage and a broth that just wasn't quite right. This dish, at $17, was an out-right rip-off for the quantity, flavour and quality of the ingredients.<br/><br/>As much as I would like to give kudos to this local Japanese restaurant in Coburg/Pascoe Vale, I can't. For context, never have I written a negative review about a restaurant; however never have I been so incensed by the dismal quality of the ingredients used, the (lack of) flavours which accompanied them and the portion sizes.

Disappointing. I've been here a couple of times as it's the closest Japanese place to me but never been totally amazed. Tonight will be the last time I ever go. We ordered (take away) mixed tempura for two and when we got home were disappointed to receive only a single prawn amongst all the veggies - might as well have ordered (and paid for) the veggie tempura.<br/>My mixed seafood dish consisted of a few prawns and white fish and one tiny scallop (again paid a fair price for this). All in all we received fairly bland and stingy dishes for what I feel was way too much money. I do not recommend ordering seafood from here as you will be highly disappointed - I'm off to find the second closest Japanese place near me as the travel will be worth it! Never again.

Always good. We have been regulars for over 10 years now and they have never been disappointed. Yes the decore is a bit drab and the staff can sometimes be overwhelmed if busy but the food is consistently good and cheap. My family of four (children who eat more than us) walk out full for about $25 per head. I have eaten at many good japanese restaurants such as Koko, Kobe Jones, Hanabishi, and whilst they are beautiful I begrudge paying more for 2 people than what I pay at Atami for 4, and whilst the food might not be presented quite as fancy, the quality is the same.

If you live nearby, you're better off ordering a takeaway. Let's just say the dine in service can get a little overwhelmed. The food is quite good though except for the tempura which is under seasoned.

Don't eat here! The food is bland, the atmosphere is terrible and the service is bad. We came and ordered Set Menu B - wouldn't recommend to anyone. The sushi was average, mains were overcooked (beef aside, that was quite good!) - we held off on bothering with desserts etc as the experience had not been great, we reduced the bill and got out of there. If you're in the area and want good Japanese food then head to Moonee ponds - a couple of great places there. Avoid this one - it's sure to disappoint!!!

Disappointing, never again!. We placed a phone order for take away. Went to pick it up and the order had been misplaced and therefore had to replace our order. <br/><br/>The avocado in the avocado maki was unripe and crunchy.<br/>If your avocado is not ripe, simply say you're out of avocado, don't feed it to people.<br/><br/>My hesitation of eating Japanese in the 'burbs has been substantiated.<br/>Never again.

Fantastic!. Great place. The food is excellent and very reasonably priced - mains are $15-20, and there are banquet options for 2+ people at less than $40/person. We had a banquet consisting of some 8 or 9 different items, including miso soup, sushi and sashimi, teriyaki beef (amazingly tender!), seafood and vegetable tempura (with perfectly light and crispy batter), and matcha ice cream dessert. Service was also great, as was atmosphere (provided you don't have an aversion to J-pop music). I'll definitely be back.

Ate there last night - it had no atmosphere. The service was super slow and the food was ok. Was a little disapointed. Won't be rushing to go back in a hurry.

I love the way Atami is decked out with all the wood panelling and light boxes. The food was all tasty, great sushi even though the portions were a little on the small side. The music was also perfect. <br/><br/>I just wished that the staff were a little more attentive as my partner and I both had to ask twice to get some water.

Don't know why everyone raves on about this place. Took a friend there based on all the reviews. Food took forever to home out. Had main combination sushi/sashimi platter. Very ordinary, not tasteful. Sashimi had bones in them! After finding a sharp stab in the mouth twice in the sashimi I gave up. What type of chef would carelessly leave bones in such a delicate dish?! Especially when you pay almost $40 for the platter! Next dish was the beef sukiyaki. Oh my. By Japanese standards this place sorely fails. It was extremely bland, full of cabbage, barely any beef and the waiter forgot our egg for dipping. Based on what I've eaten, I will never return nor recommend to to friends. Best to stick with the restaurants in the city and get proper Japanese food.

One of the best Japanese places. This is definitely one of the best Japanese restaurants I have ever been to. I have visited countless amounts of times and have always been impressed... My last visit I had a steak and my gosh it was the most tender steak I have ever eaten.<br/>The food is clearly mastered to perfection and I have always been impressed. The service is also super friendly. If you're in the area and haven't tried this place... what the hell are you waiting for?!

Great value! Food was fresh and tasty. Great local Japanese for a dressed down eat in or Friday night takeaway.

Thumbs up!. Great little restaurant serving really wonderful food and great prices. First place I ever tried Sushi.

Wish i lived closer.... This is the closest quality japanese restaurant to me. beautifully fresh seafood, delicate and subtle.

With moderate prices and reasonable quality food, these guys are a good place for fri night takeaway.