Been to this little hidden gem twice, absolutely LOVED it. Top quality food with very reasonable price. $65 tasting menu is a great way to try their food if you have never been here before, it will not disappoint you and its worth every penny. The bonus is the service. Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Glad something extraordinary finally opened in the Macedon Ranges.
I would love to give this place 10 Stars if I could! Gareth and Eriko have started something very special in Woodend. From friendly, smiling front of house staff to bang on, おいしい Japanese cuisine which is the best I have had outside of Tokyo, this place ticks all the boxes! I only hope that us "locals" can get a table when the cool and trendy Melbournites find out how amazing this place. All the best with your exciting journey!
Did not expect to find this absolute gem in Woodend! Firstly, the service was impeccable. They were able to cater to our every request, and even accommodated changes to their set menu, which is usually unheard of.
Every dish was curated with fresh, authentic flavours. The star of the night was the wagyu beef bao; I cannot recommend it enough!
We've been to countless Japanese restaurants, but this is the first in Victoria that truly took us back to Japan. I can see why this place is always booked out. We'll definitely come back as soon as we can!!
Rated: 4.5/5
To try:
- Maguro yukke; the quail egg adds to the richness of the tuna and avo with the wonton crisps being the perfect delivery system, be sure to spoon that sauce on!
- Wagyu yakiniku beef bao; this was a beef heavy bao. It was delicious, the bao struggling to hold the generous serving of thinly sliced wagyu beef marinated in a delicious marinade, soo moreish
- slow braised pork belly; perfect balance of umami, sweetness from the apple miso and fresh addition of coriander
- mio sparkling sake; a fresh sake with Moscato grapes, so delicious fresh and crisp.
To skip:
- ika tempura salad; definitely a thai inspired dish, the batter wasn't quite tempura and didn't quite compliment the calamari
Overall a great find in Woodend, staff were lovely and so helpful with local recommendations. I highly recommend giving Kuzu a visit if you're in the area, try to book though as it gets quite busy!
Kath's Food Indulgences
+5
A wonderful addition to the Woodend food & drinks scene!
The food was of high calibre and each bite was packed with flavours that were satisfying and well-balanced. The staff were all so polite and charismatic, and made the overall dining experience even more enjoyable.
Pictures include:
- Zucchini blossom tempura
- Oyster shooters
- Wagyu beef tataki
- Miso cream scallops
- Sashimi poke don
- Ika mentai carbonara
#japanese #fusion
This fabulous restaurant doesn’t need my positive review as it is absolutely humming with happy customers and quite difficult to get into for dinner. We had lunch, without a reservation, and the place was full on a Friday. The food is just amazing - complex, subtle and beautifully balanced. The service is warm and attentive, the atmosphere convivial and very attractive. We are lucky to have such a special local Japanese restaurant of this calibre.
I had a beautiful Mother’s Day lunch at Kuzu. The food was stunning - a veritable banquet, with dish after dish of exquisite delicacies, all perfectly presented (see my photos for some alluring examples) The service was perfect - warm , well paced and very professional. We are lucky to have this gem in our neighborhood, if only it wasn’t so hard to get in! They also catered for my mother’s ‘pescatarianism’ with classy, well matched alternatives to the meat dishes.
Oh my goodness what a dining experience! We had the extraordinary 12 course Takeko set menu. Service was AAA+. What an absolute hidden gem. Thanks very much guys, a memorable anniversary for us 🙏
A fantastic food experience. Everything was delicious, staff were super friendly and very knowledgeable in both food and drinks. Can’t recommend Kuzu Izakaya highly enough. We will certainly be returning
Amazing dinning experience, dishes have unexpected layers of flavour and texture.
Would recommend everyone to come and have a try!!!
Very friendly and cheerful staff, they knew the menu and were helpful with both the food and drinks choices.
The food was fantastic, the flavours all on point. The bao was just a little salty but not so much that it was bad. Pleasantly surprised and will be back.
Delicious Japanese food - thoroughly enjoyed every dish that we selected. I couldn’t pick a favourite because there were so many standouts! The seafood was so fresh and soft - it just melted in our mouths. The decor and vibe of restaurant was very relaxed and welcoming. Staff were super lovely and attentive. We’ll definitely be coming back! Highly recommended.
Had such an amazing dinner last night with my 12 year old son, it was his first time at Kuzu and absolutely loved it. The service 5 star particularly the beautiful young lady that looked after us I think her name was Amelie or Emily ? Seriously good
Highly recommended without any doubt.
When it was first suggested to me to book a Japanese restaurant in rural Victoria I was highly skeptical, having spent a lot of time in Japan. However, Kuzu far exceeded my expectations and was as good as any restaurant that I have eaten at in Japan (and a lot better than some.)
We had a GF Takeko Omakase which was exceptional - only one photo because we were too busy eating.
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