Review Matsuri - Prahran

Put in a takeaway order for my sister's birthday tonight. It wasnt a good start when I was told my order would be ready by 5:55pm, and when I got to the restaurant at 5:50pm, the lady said it would only be 5 minutes. After waiting for 40 minutes, I finally got my order, unfortunately the kids had to eat something else because of the long wait. There wasnt even an apology. Based on the reviews, I thought food wise, it might be worth the wait. Sadly, it was pretty underwhelming. I think they must have made the hot food first, so the tempura was sitting around waiting as long as we did and was soggy by the time we opened it. The kaarage chicken was unimpressively bland, and the eggplant portion was small. On the positive side, the sushi and sashimi platter was presented beautifully, and tasted fresh. The sushi was well crafted but the flavour was a bit unbalanced. Overall it was an expensive meal and not worth it, especially for take away. Perhaps it is better when eating dine in. Disappointing experience overall.

delicious and tasty food with a good selection to choose from! dishes were all presented well and staff were incredibly friendly. the soup was lukewarm when served but given how busy it was and how quickly the food was served I cant really fault it and still enjoyed the dish! mochi icecream for dessert was a perfect way to finish the meal

Really enjoyed the Japanese cuisine here, had so much taste and was of a high standard. The staff were also so friendly but possibly just rushed off their feet a little! Highly recommended.

Such a warm atmosphere Japanese fine dining with a cool design! All staff were very friendly welcoming n vibrant. Absolutely I'm willing to come back and recommend to all. Crispy chicken, Agedashi tofu with decent sauce as well as etra special salmon sushi were breathtaking! Every food was month watering full of rich flavours well priced! Can't wait to go back again 😆 Ups u gotta try dessert as well! I luv ice cream dumpling!!!!!!

This is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in the South. It’s affordable and authentic with so many great veg options. I love the agedashi tofu, nasu dengaku and classic curries, which come in several vegetarian variations. I recently tried the veg okonomiyaki which is fresher and lighter than most as well as the delicious udon and veg gyoza soup. What I’m trying to say is that everything is worth a try at this cute eatery.

Had our lunch at Matsuri, good restaurant with nice interior design. Food were: 1. Edamame - suprisingly good 2. Mixed vegetable tempura - can be a little oily, but tastes okay 3. Takoyaki - very nice 4. Soba salad - this is a bit plain for me 5. Mains: - curry katsu - the curry is not that good - beef yakiniku - the beef is a bit chewy, but it taste good 6. Ice cream mochi - they gave vanilla and strawberry flavors, not really fan of this dessert Happy to go back but not for the curry and salad.

Delicious six course meal, great flavours and variety of choices, warm cosy venue and prompt friendly staff/service - dessert share platter was extra yummy; very highly recommended.

This is a beautiful Japanese restaurant, incredible atmosphere, surroundings and impeccable service. The food is absolutely divine. I highly recommend it. Thanks Beverley Cook, great referral!

I really recommend. One of the best in melbourne!�

Love the food especially the Char grilled salmon! The desserts are great as well!

Awsome food great drinks and top quality service �

Super good n yummy food. Will come back for more. ���

Everything was soooo good. Will definitely come back. Really good food and service. Staff is very friendly.

Amazing food and service.. highly recommend this place for Japanese food lovers. Would definitely come back.

Have been to this little place quite a few times and never seems to disappoint. Well worth a visit and not expensive at all. The staff are very friendly.

This is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in the South. It’s affordable and authentic with so many great veg options. I love the agedashi tofu, nasu dengaku and classic curries, which come in several vegetarian variations. I recently tried the veg okonomiyaki which is fresher and lighter than most as well as the delicious udon and veg gyoza soup. What I’m trying to say is that everything is worth a try at this cute eatery.

Full venue when we came in. The wait staff took nearly half an hour to take our order (even drinks), I was growing quite inpatient and nearly left. However after they took our order our meal came out quite quickly.<br/><br/>Ordered quite a lot from sushi, sashimi, dumplings, agedashi tofu, veggie stir-fry and veggie curry. I wanted the hot pot but that was a Winter only item. Anyway, it was all very tasty, only meal that let me down a bit was the veggie stir-fry as it was mostly just bean sprouts and cabbage. It could do with some Asian greens and mushrooms but the sauce on it was tasty although on the sweet side.<br/><br/>All in all I would come back.

Cute restaurant decorated with lanterns and Studio Ghibli themed wall decorations.<br/><br/>Pos: Potato Croquette was well fried with thin batter, smooth filling, best I've ever had. Tempura was unique, with veges cut into strips, lightly coated in crunchy batter and mayo drizzled over the top. Absolutely delish. The spicy pork belly Yokiniku hit the spot, flavourful and just the right amount of meat. Pork Katsu curry had amazingly thin yet crunchy batter, with the meat not too dry or undercooked.<br/><br/>Negs: Takoyaki had too much flour and was quite salty. Beef Udon had good udon, though the broth was salty and the beef was quite rough. The ice cream mochi had a really bland, non glutinous outer coating, not really what one would expect.<br/><br/>Overall, would come back again for the tempura and Yokiniku.

Came here with the eatclub voucher and it was really worth it and tasty. Only thing was they were understaffed so it took so long to take the order, get the food etc

Always busy and lots of reserved seats. Interested Decor and manga theme. <br/><br/>The udon prawns uses fresh ingredients but just too much salt. Feels like drinking salt water . <br/><br/>Spider roll was at least fresh and service was above average .

Came here on a Groupon- so amazing value for money. Takoyaki was disappointing and very soggy and under cooked. Edamame had sesame seeds which I feel elevated the dish significantly. Salmon salad was amazing and very tasty. Mains were stock standard but filling. Sake was on a bed of ice which was very interesting. Mochi was underwhelming and the skin way too thick and chewy :( otherwise amazing experience!

I hadn't heard of Matsuri but saw it on Groupon and decided to give it a go. Definitely glad I did! It was such good value.<br/><br/>The restaurant itself is quite cute, it's small and is decorated nicely with fairy lights and lanterns. Staff are attentive too. <br/><br/>We got so many dishes with the voucher, but the highlights for me was the Salmon Salad and the Chicken Katsu Curry. <br/><br/>I'll be back again next time to see what else they have to offer!

Slow service, only 2 people were on the floor while the restaurant was packed on a Saturday night. Food was underwhelming, expected more. Takoyaki was drenched in mayonnaise, tempura was dripping in oil and the pork katsu was fried too long.

Used the groupon and came here with my bf, the atmosphere and deco was pretty nice floors a bit sticky tho.<br/>The lighting was not photo or ig friendly at all, very dark at night on the lower level hence the flash.<br/>Greeted and seated, the groupon provided a 6 course meal + drinks per person, most of the course were shared items so i would not say its 6 courses per person which the title misleadingly suggests. With the groupon it was relatively worth and was able to try a bunch of menu items without breaking the bank.<br/><br/>The items we were able to try was:<br/>- Edamame <br/>- Eggplant tempura<br/>- Sashimi salad (very very little sashimi, cost a bit much on its own if not for groupon, but tasted very good)<br/>- Takoyaki (very nice)<br/>- Beef udon and Chicken Yakiniku (both very yum)<br/>- Small Mochi icecream for desert (the name said desert platter- which was misleading imo)<br/>+ warm sake each (very nice)<br/><br/>Staff seemed to be lacking on the night we went, was not greeted out— sounds conceding however it was just something I expected from a 4~ restaurant.<br/><br/>Wont be coming back anytime soon as the location is a bit in the middle of nowhere (pt-wise).

I visited Matsuri with my friend on a busy Tuesday night. We waited to be seated however the waitress told us we could sit upstairs but then walked back into the kitchen. It was odd just to be left and not to be shown to the table. We were given some menus and then a waiter came and asked us if we were having the set menu. We said no. So then he informed us there was one if we wanted it. We didn’t as my friend is vegan and so she couldn’t have it. Eventually our order was taken by the waiter then later a different waitress came and asked us what we had ordered. The whole thing seemed very unorganized and time consuming. The water glasses were cloudy and the individual plates had a large chip out of one. Fortunately the food was quick to be served and what we got was correct and looked great. My grilled salmon sushi, although it looked amazing the rice seemed hard and undercooked and there was so much sauce it overpowered the whole dish. My friend seemed to enjoy her meal though. I was a bit disappointed that there was no option to have a mixed sushi dish as 8 pieces of the same thing was a bit much for me. The $17 price tag was also high I thought. I did see that many people have used groupons at this place so maybe that’s why the waiter assumed we were having a set menu and why the dishes are expensive without. I don’t think I’ll return, it was not a stand out experience for me.

The food was good. But the customer service was non existent. We were seating Saturday night 6:30pm. Not even busy. After 15 mins we then had to wave down the waitress to get some service - no apology nothing. Then our food came but still waiting for drinks. Think we had to wave her down 4 times to get service. There was zero checking up on the customer ! And even paying at the end my partner was waiting for ages when he’s the only one waiting to pay. I would never go back considering all the other restaurants in Melbourne who actually provide customer service. Matsuri please train your female staff better

Overall score: 17/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>in 5 words: affordable healthy Japanese in prahran <br/>*<br/>Review: this is quite a cosy Japanese place. The score is more reflective of how value for money this place is. Portions were big! My partner bought a voucher and we had a 5-course meal here. I was very satisfied!<br/><br/>First up was the takoyaki - it was full of flavour and I loved the accompanying bonito flakes. The cold soba noodle salad was delicious thanks to the sesame oil sauce. The chicken katsu curry don lacked potatoes, but the yummy curry sauce helped me finish the entire dish!<br/><br/>Some areas of improvement though - too much batter on the tempura and they didn’t provide enough sauce (and the Friday dinner crowd was so huge that the staff forgot to bring extra dipping sauce). The teriyaki chicken don was not as great - the chicken meat was a bit dry and there wasn’t enough flavour. Having said that, I’ll still be back because this place is really value and dishes were quite healthy (nothing was too oily!)<br/>*<br/>Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/><br/>

A small, locally owned Japanese restaurant. The food here is absolutely amazing and packed with great flavour. The staff are friendly, professional and accommodating.  I always have a fantastic experience here. Highly recommended!

Just discovered this place last week. Has great ambience with wood and lanterns and the food was delicious! We had the prawn tempura sushi roll, which was so fresh and tasty, the grilled chicken dish also a winner and the udon ramen with veggies which had a great broth. Definitely shall be back to taste more of the menu!

Been there with a friend. Not lots restaurant in this street so we decided been here. The eel and udon are really yummy, a large size of fried chicken in this nice price. Only one thing the bowl of miso soup smells like a rag (only the bowl not the soup) that’s the reason why they can’t be 5 stars.

We received a Groupon voucher as a gift which included 7 dishes and a drink. The service was fairly attentive but did forgot to give us one of our dishes. <br/><br/>I will rate the dishes from 1-7 to my preferences.<br/>1. Matsuri Popcorn Chicken - Well cooked and great flavour<br/>2. Sashimi Salmon - Good texture and tasted fresh<br/>3. Soba Salad - Great flavour and quite filling <br/>4. Takoyaki - Cooked well, classic favourite<br/>5. Edamame - Was okay, could be a little overcooked<br/>6. Icecream Mochi - Mochi relatively hard, overall concept was good<br/>7. Miso Soup - Quite salty but did not have any tofu<br/><br/>Overall experience = 4/5

The set menu for two was really good. Great selection and variety with each course.<br/>The mochi ice cream dessert was something I’d definitely have again

We found this place through a Groupon voucher - $20 per person for a 5 course meal with drinks! All the food was delicious and plentiful, and the service was lovely as well.<br/><br/>First came the Edamame, which was served warm and salted. Always a good starter to snack on!<br/><br/>We then had the Soba Salad with Matsuri Sesame Dressing. A light and refreshing dish! The soba was perfect in texture and the dressing was so addictive!<br/><br/>The Takoyaki came next. This was surprisingly one of the best takoyakis we’ve ever had in Melbourne! The outside was very crispy, and you could really taste the octopus in the centre!<br/><br/>Then came the Tempura - consisting of prawn and various vegetables - which was a table favourite. The tempura was cooked very well - very light and not too oily. It was crispy and the batter was not too thick either. <br/><br/>Finally, we selected our mains. I had the Grilled Chicken Curry - the taste was quite average but the portion size was very big. However we also each got a serving of miso soup which was delightful.<br/> <br/>I’m glad we found this little restaurant! The Groupon voucher was definitely well worth it, and my expectations were exceeded. Would recommend giving this place a try if you’re in the area!

Friendly staff and excellent services. Group of us enjoyed the atmosphere and nice food. Five-Dish Japanese Izakaya-Style Dining + Drink from Deals. com.au worth for money. We will be back again.

We already think this place is a gem and we took friends who agreed. Every dish was excellent, loved the octopus gyoza, soba noodle salad, agedashi tofu, grilled beef and the ice-cream dumplings were very yum! Relaxed atmosphere, great service and great value for money. We'll be back with more friends!

<br/>Loved matsuri, The food is super fresh and delicious. The popcorn chicken is👌🏼. Staff and the vibe were also on point.<br/>Would recommend for sure

My group of friends and I came to matsuri for a birthday with a groupon voucher valuing at $19.50 per head, for a 6 course meal (inc rice/miso) <br/><br/>Overall I would say all dishes were quite mediocre, nothing spectacular but also nothing memorable, however this was my expectation as i am paying an affordable price. The highlight for me was definitely the tuna salad, it had an amazingly flavoured sauce! The only criticism i have is that for a 6 course meal, I still was not full after my meal, however that could’ve been due to the dishes i selected. <br/><br/>The ambience of matsuri is definitely worth coming for! Very authentic japanese vibes with a lovely studio ghibli soundtrack playing in the background. The service was also amazing, everyone was so nice and attentive and they were nice enough to bring a mochi ball out with a candle for the birthday girl! <br/><br/>Overall i would recommend coming to matsuri for a casual get together as they are yummy for their prices! Thank you for having us

Slowest service I have ever had!!! we were 12 people and we all received our dishes at random times, suuuuuuper slow.... I spent most of the time eating edamames while waiting...<br/>Food was average but to be fair, not too bad for 20 dollars<br/>

Came here with family via a Groupon deal. Considering the price, everyone was pretty impressed with the food and was decently full by the end. Waiters were really friendly and attentive too.

Came here with my mates on groupon vouchers. Some of the food was ok, staffs were friendly. The main sushi dish is ridiculously small, it is rather entree size. The menu stated it should be 7 sushi pieces but came out as 5, when we questioned about the quantity they said they cut it bigger so the quantity is reduced😦....service was slow, they forgot one of our mains so 1 person had to start their meal when everyone finished theirs. Would not come back as the value without voucher isn’t good. Given the waiting time and portion unfortunately

Delicious Japanese food and great atmosphere. Staff are lovely, and so helpful with vegetarian recommendations. Delicious sushi rolls and agedashi tofu, and some yummy desserts. Also Japanese beer on tap is a bonus 🍻 Look forward to seeing what these guys do next!

Delicious fresh food, wonderful atmosphere and spectacular service made for a pretty close to perfect night dining out. We came with a Groupon voucher but I would definitely come back even without, which is the highest compliment I give!

Found this place through groupon and decided to give it a try. The spicy pork belly was tasty with a decent serving size. Lovely staff as well. The place was nice and cosy. Overall a great place to hang out with friends! I'll be back!

Tried out this eatery with a Groupon deal. Good on the staff for not treating us any different. Staff was pleasant and attentive. As for the food it's all ok in flavours except for the Karaage Chicken / Popcorn chicken with Garlic Soy......it's delicious! Must try! It's not authentic Japanese if that's what you are after. But it's a nice little setup for catching up.

I went to Matsuri with my friends on Sat night. It was bit busy but staff were friendly and food was really nice. We ordered Edamame, Gyoza, Tempura and Spicy Pork was so nice as well as Popcorn chicken. You must try the Chargrilled Salmon Roll!!! I def go back to have it again. It was cold weather so we also ordered warm sake, was good choice. Then we had fallen ice cream with matcha cheese cake, were soooo good too.  I recommend book earlier to make sure you can have table prepared especially on the weekend.

Like stepping into a cute cosy corner of Japan for lunch. Really welcoming vibe in there not pretentious.<br/>Well balanced bento (perfect yakiniku beef, clean miso, sesame salad w/edamame and yummy lil pickled side dishes) lots of healthy Japanese "tapas" and fresh sushi too! Coming back for dinner asap!

This place is cozy and the staffs are very friendly. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Chapel street, this is just a short walk from chapel st to high street. Can't get enough of the char grilled salmon rolls. I order it everytime, dine in or takeaway and the quality never changes. I also had veggie tempura and chicken skewers which we're very tasty. The tiramisu motchi for dessert is a must try as well. If you love matcha, they have ice cream & cheesecake. If you just want to chill,have great japanese food or beer, you must try this place! Don't forget though to book in advance on Friday & Saturday nights as it can get very busy!

This place was DELICIOUS! Every meal that came out was so tasty. Quick, friendly service and reasonably priced. The eggplant dish is a must. I don’t often get over this side of town, but I would return.

I came for a dine and noticed new management came in. They are very accomodating and asks the customer, especially a local like me, of recommendations and suggestions with regards to the menu and the service (which is a plus!!) It is great that they consider their customer. Nice people. Great food. Excited to come back again and refer to my friends!!!

Truly amazing food, horrendous service. With that said, it’s worth a second chance. I am sure it will not disappoint but first impressions count and aren’t easily forgotten.

Nice place, great staff, NOT authentic food!! I lived in Japan for over 3years, this is not Japanese food. We had Ebi mayo, sashimi, okonomiyaki and a few other things. For some reason they deep fried the okonomiyaki then put it on a hot plate and the bottom was burnt...it was terrible! The ebi mayo was soaking in oil. <br/>Go if you want to have gyoza, edamame and a beer.

Not sure if this is the same Matsuri others may rave about. I noticed on Yelp someone said the original Japanese owners had sold out. We thought it was good, but far from great. I'd recommend the Unagi (eel), which was well prepared and a generous portion (for eel). $5 Japanese beer is a good thing too. But our other mains weren't fantastic, and the little bowls of rice that arrived with our mains were room temperature at best, which was jarring with the hot eel fresh off the skillet. We were the only people eating so it wasn't like they were juggling lots of orders. Gotta get your don sorted a little better if you want to be quality Japanese.

I've dined here around 8-10 times over a 6 year period. Its a smart casual restaurant with reasonable service. The gyoza are always great and last week was no exception. <br/>In general I'd say this restaurant is declining, food standards seem to be slipping, awkward, overseasoned food which is clumsy, obvious and lacks finesse and refinement. <br/>Yakiniku is a dish that's a favourite of mine and I often order it whenever I frequent a Japanese cafe. This was the first and LAST TIME I'll be ordering it at Matsuri. It was salt overload. Seriously the level of salt would have been deemed illegal if there was such a thing. I dine on Japanese frequently and I honestly have NEVER tasted anything so hideously salty. It was inedible.<br/>Run of the mill Japanese deserts are on offer Green tea (Matcha) and black sesame ice cream are fairly good-EXCEPT they are served in a bowl with corn flakes. Yes. <br/>CORN FLAKES. <br/>Some of their tofu dishes are pretty good. <br/>Bbq skewers (notably capsicum and beef) were tasty but again, intensely, overly seasoned with salt. <br/>This used to be a consistently good Japanese option but its now slightly below average. Time for a chat the chefs about clumsy over salting.

Matsuri has seemed to have been here for years and as a local have sadly never been. Dinner was terrific. Goyza, sushi and udon with veg. The service was exemplary and the fresh food shined. More veg dishes please but yummo.

Bit of a harsh score as their service is lovely but regarding food, unfortunately it wasn't all that great. A lot of reviews say differently but it might have just been a bad day or batch. We ordered the prawns and I had high expectations due to their high rating on zomato and I love the dish at ichi ni nana but I was disappointed. The batter was slightly raw, and the prawns were definitely not as fresh as they could be for 14.50. It also left a puddle of oil at the bottom of the plate when the prawns were picked off. Also ordered the seafood okonamyaki and no exaggeration, there was legitimately 5 pieces of small pieces of chopped of octopus legs in the entire fish. The batter or pancake was very heavy and just not all that great :/ the salmon with beanshoots was wayyyyyy too overpriced for 3 square pieces of salmon as seen in picture for about $20 on the top of my head.

The vegetable udon noodles are pretty good here. I have been eating them on and off for the past 4 years and they have been fairly consistent. The staff are polite and lovely.

I was introduced to this gem by a friend who lives locally and is Japanese. You wouldn't realise it walking by but it's an absolutely delectable discovery and authentic to boot. The gyouza and dipping sauce were the standout but the sushi was also delicious and fresh. It was very busy but the service was still friendly and efficient. The pricing was quite reasonable also. Absolutely delightful

Great little hidden restaurant, either for few drinks and a meal with friends or quick bite to eat. Sushi is always fresh, never run out of edamame like some Japanese restaurants we have been too. That creamy sesame dressing is delishious!

This place amazing<br/>Great food<br/>Good atmosphere<br/>Good price<br/>Been coming here for almost 3 years <br/>And i've never had a bad meal.<br/>I will come back again😘<br/>

Food 1.5 = hmmmm I'm on the fence ... The wagyu beef Hamburg was really yummy! Really good patties! 😋The chicken dish was nice too but tempura set was baddddddd .. Very oily! Good tempura shouldn't be oily (the paper underneath is to show that tempura isn't oily - this one is oily wet sheet ☹️)<br/>Decors 1 = very nice eastern feel & look<br/>Service 1 = friendly service

Wow! This place is so good!<br/>All 4 of us were very impressed by the quality and quantity of the food, entrees and mains.<br/>We also enjoyed the variety of dishes in the menu with many tasty options to choose from, including vegetarian. <br/>Every was well priced with decent service on a fun Friday night.<br/>Definitely recommend and hope to come again!

This place is amazing! My friend and I went here and we were so impressed with the menu that we couldn't decide what to eat. So we ordered all the entrees, yes the whole lot hahaha <br/>The waitress was concerned and tried to talk us out of it, telling us there would be too much food. But she didn't know how hungry we were.<br/>The food was delicious, and the entrees kept coming, and we managed to eat the lot except for some rice, hahaha. <br/>The bill was very reasonable too, given the amount of food we ate and the service was very good. <br/>I can highly recommend this place and we'll definitely be back! Enjoy 😄<br/>

Was staying in Windsor for a couple of nights and was feeling a walk to find some good food. I happened to walk past this place with a friend and we thought why not. We made the right decision, the food was absolutely yum and the service was just as good. The food is also reasonably priced. I'll be coming back here again for sure.

Matsuri is a great little stop for a good Japanese feed, there's plenty of variety on the menu and the food usually comes out pretty quick, the staff are friendly and the price is right!

We ordered quite a bit for takeaway. The sashimi was definitely the best. It was super fresh and of good quality. Loved the sashimi scallops. Takoyaki and vegetable okonomiyaki were average. The potato croquettes were just crispy deliciousness. However, the rolls were probably the most disappointing. The layer of rice on the outside was way too thick and the filling combinations weren't really interesting. I really wish they would make sushi with the fresh fish and scallops that they have.

I noted that this place is usually always busy. I have been here twice and I really liked this place. I remember on my first time we ordered takoyaki, edamame, and sushi. I have to say that I had better takoyaki somewhere else. I don't think I will ever order that here again. The second time, we had some tempura, sushi and udon. It was good. The service was also pleasant. I will come back again for sushi!

Each dish I had was ahhhhhhmazing!!!! <br/>The vegetarian gyoza was quiet complex for a veg dish! <br/>The kaarage chicken was a modern twist on what I find a staple of my Japanese order...... Did I love it? Absolutely!!! Crunch, verses great chicken with a sweet twist, accompanied by a garden salad with the traditional mayonnaise.... <br/>The veg pancakes were BEYOND!!!!! I actually had a mouth orgasm! <br/><br/>The service, ok, but it was a no muss no fuss approach which is sometimes refreshing!<br/>

Good atmosphere and great service. We ordered Tempura prawn and veggies, potato croquette and okonomiyaki. All were quite tasty and would order again. For main we ordered a beef dish (can't recall the name) but it came with a serve of rice and miso soup. We found parts of the beef dish salty and peppery. Probably wouldn't order that dish again but would come back to try other dishes.

Food was grate will come back very soon. Could not believe I didn't find this place earlier. Service good food did not take long at all even though the place was almost full

My local Japanese take away spot. After visiting Japan I found this place really good for your traditional Japanese dishes such as Takoyaki, Gyoza and karage. Don't expect to be blown away it's not a fine dining restaurant it's just delicious food at good prices that taste the same as you would find everywhere in Japan.

I have been here at least half a dozen times and every time I got the food is absolutely delicious. Highly recommend the soba noodle salad, it's a hit every time. On my last visit they accidentally overcharged us and then caught us as we were about to leave to give us a refund. I was really impressed with their honesty.

I eat here at least twice a month the food is amazing and so is the service.  I have tried most things on the menu and what I have tried so far have all been tasty, pleasing on the eye and a joy to the tastebuds.

The takoyaki octopus balls were a hit - a golden exterior encasing a wonderfully creamy and tasty batter. Lathered in takoyaki sauce and mayo, a sprinkling of aonori and finished with dancing dried bonito, these were demolished in no time. Agedashi Tofu Next up was the Agesdashi Tofu - which actually turned out to be deep-fried tofu with onion, broccoli and teriyaki sauce. Looking back on the menu now, it does indeed read th

The waitresses are always so friendly and welcome you with a smile.<br/><br/>The menu is traditional Japanese and there are some Matsuri specials that you can't go past. One of these is the Spicy Tofu & Advocado served with Nori. You wrap the tasty filling in the crisp Nori - amazing!

Love this place. The food is yummy, delicious and great price. Been many times and will keep going. The vege dumplings are amazing!

Very disappointing dinner. The skewers were definitely reheated and sashimi was wafer thin and spread across the plate to look like there was more.

Not good!!!!. I got a Bento box with "grilled" chicken. I'm pretty sure everything was just chucked in a microwave and re-heated. I ordered at 5.40pm. I only live a 5 minute walk away so I walked up to get my food and back again and it was pretty much cold by the time I got back (6.00pm). The food itself had ZERO flavor and didn't fill me up. I would definitely think twice about going here if it's your first time (like it was mine). I don't usually write these kind of things but on this occasion I couldn't resist.

Matsuri take away. Take away just now<br/>Cold and yuk!!!

Be careful and check the bill,we had extra things on it, which we did not order.<br/>Water for the table when we arrived would have been great,had to ask many times.<br/>The food is good.

Great food. Went to Matsuri and had a myriad of entrees <br/>The food was delishs and we were all full<br/>The tofu and pancake are fabulous as is the Gyoza and salmon and avocado roll

The Forgotten Table..... Where do I begin? Called days before to reserve a table, was advised there are no reservations, just walk in.<br/><br/>Arrived at Matsuri only be greeted at the door with a lovely smile, and the question "Do you have a booking?"<br/><br/>Notheless we where seated promptly......and then promptly forgotten.<br/><br/>It took at least 30 min to be asked if we were ready to order. Notheless our order was taken....and then promptly forgotten.<br/><br/>1 hour and 30 minutes passed, our order had not arrived, as such we were asked to reorder again and offered the Edamame Beans from the Apology Menu...<br/><br/>Nonetheless we were advised our order will be out shortly.....and behold it did, albeit incorrect.<br/><br/>After enduring the above, we proceeded to ask for the bill, to which the request......you guessed it, was promptly forgotten.<br/><br/>The minute we were seated, if it wasn't for the enjoyable company I was with.....I would have promptly walked out!<br/><br/>Will never go again, and will advise all my friends and family, to never step into Matsuri .....and I will not promptly forget.

Loyal customer- GONE! Afte.... Loyal customer- GONE! <br/>After eating at Matsuri many times with friends, I will be going no longer. Since the change of management the place has lost it's authentic feel. The new owner seems very fake and money hungry. Needs to review her service standard. Disappointing because the food is still good, just doesn't feel like a nice place to be anymore. Moving on down closer to Chapel Street I suppose!

Favourite local Japanese joint. Service and food are always great. Love the take-away bento boxes.

LOVE IT!. I am in love with this place. I travel 30ks to get here for dinner. They have amazing vegetarian options. Agadashi tofu is delicious (every other japanese place has not been able to replicate this successfully) and spicy avocado tofu is wonderful. Every meat eating friend I have ever brought here has also been very happy with their meal.

Worst take away experience ever. We ordered takeaway over the phone only a small dinner for two people. They said it was take 30 minutes. We arrived at the restaurant 35 minutes after the order expecting our food to be ready. It wasn't. After the girl ignored us for 15 mins we finally got the chance how long the order would take. She told us then it would be another 5-10 mins. At This time it had been an hour. We noticed half our dishes (hot dishes) were waiting on the counter whilst the other half had not even been made. We then returned to the restaurant after 20 minutes expecting out food to be ready. It wasn't. Very concerned we then asked again how long food would be. She replied very curtly 1-2 minute without any apology. She then proceeded to ignore us for 15 mins whilst the hot food got cold. Finally over an hour and a half later she started packaging the good that had been sitting there which is now stone cold. When we questioned the woman about the cold food she lied and said they were fresh. After all this we ended up just leaving angry and hungry

Best vegetarian experience! .... Best vegetarian experience!<br/>I come all the way from Ferntree Gully for Matsuri! The agedashi tofu is crisp and full of flavor. I also love the spicy avacado tofu rolled in seaweed. I have never been somewhere that does tofu so well. Will always come back!

Terrible dashi, terrible service. I've spent a lot of time in Japan, and this is not authentic cuisine in the slightest. Dashi is mega sweet and the agedashi tofu doesn't even come with a dash sauce. When the tempura for your tempura udon comes out 5 mins before your soup it doesn't quite cut the mustard. Wont be going again.

Was ok but better Japanese can be found on bridge rd Richmond- decent local but not a destination restaurant

Delicious!!. We came in tonight and had a fantastic dinner - everything was outstanding.<br/><br/>We had an entree of the chicken karrage which was so big it could have been a main. Fresh fried chicken with one of the nicest fresh salads I've had out ever. Just the salad alone was to die for.<br/><br/>The mains was the beef and chicken sizzling plates with lots of cabbage, sweet and salty sauce and broccoli. Just so perfect. The rice was perfectly cooked and all of the waitresses were fabulous. Super friendly and the food was out fast and it was fresh. <br/><br/>A quick walk from home so this will be a regular for sure. With sparkling water and a beer the price was $55. A bargain for such great food and service.

The tonkatsu there is ok but not spectacular, but the okonmiyaki was not good at all and drenched in oil. The staff made a mistake on our bill and gave us another table's bill which we didn't realise and paid. A staff member chased us down in the streets and asked us to come back to the place to adjust the bill... Not only that but they were then going to overcharge us.. I have never seen that and it really tarnished our customer experience and we'll never go back nor recommend to go there.

What a fantastic local Japanese restaurant. Great service, tasty dishes, and fantastic prices...I would highly recommend the pancakes and the pork noodle soup with vege gyoza.

Excellent service and very friendly staff. Meals lacked flavor and could do with improvement. Very affordable, so it has great potential.

What a great find this was.... unassuming little Japanese cafe that serves delicious dishes, beautifully presented at a reasonable price....will be back soon!

A frustrating experience. Service and meals were slow. Salads overdressed and too sweet. Very disorganised. Sashimi was good but not what menu detailed.

I love this place. Very high quality, authentic Japanese cuisine. Lovely staff. Can get a bit squashy inside as they're so busy, but it's no problem.

With a 92% rating I was expecting something slightly more amazing. While I enjoyed my meal at Matsuri, which I selected based on Urbanspoon reviews, it was just a good meal, nothing more and nothing less. I had the pork gyoza, miso soup and yakiniku beef. The one advantage of Matsuri is that the prices are fairly reasonable and it is BYO wine. I may return if I am in the area and in need of a feed.

Splendid!. Had a booking for a special birthday dinner and the food quality was good and fresh. Service was good and decor is tasteful with nice restaurant interior.

Best Japanese!. A favourite in Melbourne!

Love the food. Great Value and fresh!

Amazing food, fast and friendly service and really well priced! Awesome experience!

Great weeknight dinner place! BYO which we love and food always fresh and delicious! Service quick and friendly. Very reasonably priced. Great for groups also.

Service was slow, felt like we were being rushed out and many items on the menu weren't available

Honestly the food is superb. However, throughout waiting for the main meal the waiters kept on returning to the table to tell us they have ran out of ingredients despite other customers receiving the meal we ordered after arriving after us. They tried to give us a peace offering of green tea and explained how that was good customer service. Nice try. Waiters are a shambles and it is a shame as the food was great. Poor form matsuri, poor form

Great gyoza. The gyoza is handmade here and delicious and the service very friendly

So happy with this find! Matsuri offers fresh and interesting dishes. Was so happy with our Chicken Katsu curry, and the deepfried king prawns were amazing. Also, the pork gyoza was delicious.<br/>The only negative I have to say is the service was quite slow. However, it sort of adds to the charm of the place!<br/><br/>Definitely going back soon!

Blah!!! Totally over rated. Couldn't agree more Astrogirl, I searched this on Urbanspoon as a visitor & went out of my way to find what could barely be described as Japanese let alone fantastic Japanese.Wait staff didn;t speak a word of english but the worst bit was the food - MSG Chinese style glug that was a mystery until when we glimpsed the manager/owner? _ Chinese masquerading as Japanese. Cannot believe the so-called foodie centre Melbourne would rate this so well - avoid at all costs!!!!

Very Disappointing!. GIven the extremely high (95% at time of writing) rating that Matsuri has, I was bitterly disappointed with the quality of food and service at this highly recommended restaurant. I eat Japanese quite frequently and have visited Japan on a number of occasions. The entire experience at Matsuri was an embarrassment to Japanese food in Melbourne.<br/><br/>After finally attracting the attention of one of several very busy waitresses we were guided to our seat (we had a reservation), given menus and then ignored for a good ten minutes. After several attempts we finally managed to order a couple of beers, which were dumped on our table another ten minutes later. The waitress hurried off before we could order.<br/><br/>Finally, we order. We ask for a small serve of the sashimi set to be served for entree, then for mains we would like to share takoyaki, seafood okanomiyake and prawn gyoza. Of course, the takoyaki and okanomiyake come out first. We wait to attract the waitresses attention AGAIN to get plates so we can actually eat. The takoyaki are soggy and cold inside, obviously reheated, and the okanomiyake is soggy, oily and very cabbage and onion heavy. I could not detect any seafood.<br/><br/>By this time we have finished our beers, and would like to open the bottle of wine we have brought. We ask for wine glasses, and also some water, and receive both of these things but no water glasses! So frustrating!<br/><br/>Eventually our sashimi comes. It is lovely and fresh, but served in meagre, paper thin slices and there is a bone in one of the pieces of tuna. Prawn gyoza is brought out, slightly burnt on the bottom, and, after wondering whether we have been mistakenly given vegetarian gyoza, I perform delicate microsurgery in order to locate the tiny scraps of prawn contained within.<br/><br/>Guys, there are SO many better Japanese restaurants within a short tram ride of Matsuri. Try Ayame (Glenferrie Rd, Armadale), Aoba (High St, Armadale), Asatsuki (formerly Satsuki, Waverley Rd, Malvern East) and my absolute favourite, Asakusa (Waverley Rd, Malvern East).

Appetising cuisine, accomodating service, attractive prices, absolutely must visit. Delicious and innovative cold salads and hot mains; generous portions make a value for money meal; warm service, modern yet quaint ambience and byo round off a wonderful dining experience.

Great place, great food. 4 of us ate and drank like kings for $150 total. Def be going back. Byo wine. Winner.

Everything was delicious, beautifully presented & served with a smile! Loved it, will be back.

Great food lovely presentation a must to try.

Service is great and the ambience of the place is spot on. Food is excellent. Love love love the prawn gyoza's!!! Highly recommend it!

Holiday on High. Neutral tones, natural timber, polished concrete floors and funky light shades all combine to form a pleasant dining room. The front of the restaurant is fitted with concertina doors set back slightly from the footpath, creating a small al fresco dining space large enough for a pair of tables.<br/><br/>The menu at Matsuri appears to cover all bases offering up an impressive variety of dishes. Judging by the endless stream of plates appearing from the kitchen, salmon sashimi, tempura sets and yakiniku dishes on sizzling platters are crowd favourites.<br/><br/>A serve of chicken gyoza were perfectly cooked; crispy on one side, soft on the other. The fact a second serve was ordered should be a pointer that the juicy filling within was highly regarded.<br/><br/>The salmon sashimi was perfectly fresh if not the most premium I’d ever encountered.<br/><br/>The yakinuki beef was tender and extremely appetizing. All the yakinuku dishes are designed as sets accompanied by a small rice and miso soup, so bear in mind if you’re wanting to share and order extras accordingly.<br/><br/>The grilled scallop salad was pleasing. The salad itself was pretty standard, but the scallops had a lovely smoky flavour and were cooked flawlessly.<br/><br/>The only disappointing dish the entire evening was the spicy teriyaki salmon which comprised tiny pieces of parched salmon in a forgettable sauce.<br/><br/>Matsuri has quite a decent range of sake available at moderate prices. Unfortunately the wine list is rather dreary, however they only charge $2 per head corkage, so if you’re not into sake, bring a bottle.<br/><br/>Overall, I rate Matsuri amongst the better suburban style Japanese restaurants I’ve visited.

Fantastic little local Japanese. The food was sensational , service great, just a terrific simple little local Japanese.

Food was wonderful, but the service was average. Would have had another drink, or dessert if they had asked.

Staff are excellent, food is excellent, vibe is excellent!

Authentic Japanese. Have lived in the area for over a year, and always noticed how busy this place was. Finally got a chance to go, and it didn't disappoint! Food was delicious. I was in Japan a couple of months ago, and the food at Matsuri was just as good. Had some Gyoza, tempura and Kushiyaki. Highly recommend. Good value for money too.

Great value for money. I tried Matsuri on a recommendation and was not disapointed. Service has never missed a beat and food is always very fresh and very tasy. Wonderful value for money. This is a restaurant to be enjoyed any ay of the week with family or friends- I would avoid taking business clients as I wouldn't want to ruin Matsuri's lovely atmosphere.

Anyone who says prices are too high here are deluded. Two of us just ate 4 filling dishes, plus a Sapporo and a green tea for $47.50. Huge VFM. Special spicy tofu and avo with nori was really delicate, yet lots of it and delicious. Okonomiyaki was standard and a little oily, but gyoza sublime. We love Japan and felt this was really authentic. Go. You will not be disappointed.

No need to travel to Japan no more to experience traditional cuisines and the rich culture, this place will make you believe you are really there. Flavours that will leave your tastebuds hanging for more, at reasonable prices. Although the quantity was small, the quality of the food and friendly service makes it all worth while. 11.3/10 highly recommend

Turning Japanese... Food = 3.5/4<br/>Service = 2/2<br/>Value = 2/2<br/>Ambience = 1.5/2<br/><br/>Total = 9/10<br/><br/>Very impressed by this local japanese restaurant.<br/>sushi and fried pork were delicious!<br/>cannot believe i have lived in area for over a year and only just got around to dining at this place!

Yum!. The food was delicious!! Great price, authentic tasting food & BYO for only $1.50 corkage per person! Awesome! Not to mention a good selection of Japanese drinks. Will definitely go back so I can try something different from the menu!

Happy customer. I have tried many Japanese restaurants that disappointed me lately so I was skeptical about this place even after reading the reviews but I have to say I am glad I gave it a try. The decor of the restaurant is nice. The lunch time special was only $12 and you get a nicely presented one dish of entree and main together with the rice and salad. Also get a miso soup. The sashimi was fresh and spring roll was tasty. The tempura udon was the other dish we got, the deep fried vgs were slightly bit too chewy and the prawn is curled rather than the usual straight fashion. Also no grated daikon in the dipping sauce but the udon was very al dente not too soft. Everything was nicely presented. Oh and the agedashi tofu was nice too! Maybe a bit too much sauce thats all. Finally, I am a happy customer! Ps. Not sure if they are Japanese though, heard the staff speak Korean. But who cares as long as the food is good and price not too much!

Fresh!!. Liked the fresh hand rolls. Fast service. Appears authentic. However slightly more $ than I would expect to pay.

Great little find!. Fresh hand rolls. Slightly more $ than I would expect to pay, however will definitely going back as are best hand rolls I have had!!

Matsuri. 5 star restaurant<br/>one of the best i've ever been - great style, mood, service and friendly kind ppl. Plus tastes awesome!<br/><br/>Just perfect for family dinner and large space upstairs is good for any parties. I personally recommend Kyoza and rolls. luv them so much

EXCELLENT QUALITY / VALUE. Must have been here a twenty times, the food is very reliable and well presented at excellent prices. The staff are lovely in true Japanese style. BYO is a plus and the red bean ice-cream is a must try ! Places like this set the standard for a quick Japanese meal or group dinner !

Quick service, delicious!. My partner had been pestering me to visit Matsuri for a while so tonight we finally got around to it. The decor is lovely and modern and everything was immaculately clean. It was fairly empty as it was late on a sunday night but the waitress was super attentive and made sure we had everything. She helped me pick out my meal as i was not familiar with much of what was on the menu. <br/><br/>I ended up having deep fried crumbed chicken thigh which came with a salad, rice and miso soup (i think it was the chicken katsu?). My partner had a grilled chicken dish. The dishes arrived very quickly and they looked and tasted amazing. I'm not a huge fan of chicken thigh but it was so delicious! Even the miso seemed better than most miso soups i get at other places. <br/><br/>We quickly devoured our meals and were very full by the end! I haven't had such an enjoyable restaurant experience in a while and it was very reasonably priced too. I was very impressed with Matsuri and I'll definitely be visiting again.

Delicious fresh food.. Although, quite alot of deep fried panko crumbed items.. Choose wisely (^-^)/

Not terribly exiting, but still hit the spot. Was a hoping the tofu wakame salad would be like kaiso but alas, it was not. I didn't dislike it, but the search for amazing Japanese in Melbourne continues.