akaiito

what a great find akaiito proved to be. newly opened we experienced great service and delicious food. we had a few hiccups with the order our dishes were presented, some things forgotten but the way this was handled by the wait staff shows they are committed to making akaiita up there with the bestjapanesemelbourne has to offer.

we started with oysters followed by wagu tartare served with crispy nori that we really enjoyed. sushi (nigiri) was perfect and the quality of the sashimi didn’t go unnoticed.

all items from the robata charcoal grill were so succulent we wanted more of each. we sampled the chicken meatballs & the tooth fish which was exceptional.

finished with the lamb ribs which were sticky and falling of the bone deliciousness but we probably need some steamed rice to help cut the richness.

the lemon soufflé was the perfect finish to a wonderful meal. we will return again very soon.

i came here yesterday for my bday dinner ! have to rate 5 starts because of the great food and super friendly service ! the restaurant decoration is very cool and warming , the beef tartae taco is one of the must try dishes i would recommend , the sashimi was very fresh and tasty ! 😍😍 and the price is also very reasonable compare to otherjapanesefine dining restaurant ! my table was served by ajapaneselady ! she is very friendly and enthusiasm and very polite to every customers ! we really enjoyed everything yestersay from akaiito ! will back here a gain soon . ❤️

the food was good, but the service was horrible particularly from the host. she was arrogant, and rude. to top things off, inspite of being vegetarians, she served us prawn gyoza only for her to say "it's not possible". there are betterjapaneserestaurants in melbourne and this sort of behaviour is only going to put everyone off.

🇯🇵japanesefeast (at home)
🏚: akaiito
📍: flinders lane
🛵: takeaway and delivery available!

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📝: craving forjapanesefood this lockdown? don’t worry, akaiito has got home delivery ready for you. so you can just wait at home while they cook up deliciousjapanesefood for you and deliver to door.

❤️: throwback to pre-lockdown dinner. loved the group dining deal they’ve got. check out their page for more info! so much food for such a good price. loved the optional truffle addition—made everything smell even more amazing 🤤.

akaiito is a very sleek and sexy venue hidden away on flinders lane. you can sit upstairs in the main dining area or downstairs in the bar, either location definitely delivers on mood and ambiance.

we attended as a group and sat in the “red thread” bar downstairs whose menu is made for sharing and has 3 sections: tapas, kushiage (deep fried skewers) and robatayaki (grilled over charcoal). we had an assortment of dishes from across the menu, highlights included the luxe wagyu fried rice, addictive wok fried edamame and duck leg san choy bao.

overall a stunning venue serving quality modernjapanesefood perfect for groups or couples to share. individual dishes can be quite pricey but there is a $55 feed me option that would be worthwhile to try.

a hidden gem without restaurant signage except for a subtle projection onto the pavement. without a doubt the bestjapanesei’ve had in melbourne by a long stretch. every dish is exclusively presented with mouth watering fresh ingredients, balanced with poise and sophistication. you will not be disappointed but wowed by just how good the food is in plain terms. let’s not forget the setting of the restaurant - love! and don’t forget to check out the newly opened bar downstairs. oh and have a look at the private dining room. it has the most spectacular projection. do yourself a favour and put akaiito on your list for your next treat with loved ones.

walk into a touch of elegance when you enter into akaiito, there is a different dining experience on every level. walk down to the red thread bar or walk up to a fine dining experience.

we dined in the red thread bar which is on the basement level and they focus on modern fusionjapanesedishes. loved the decor and red thread display that was elegant and classy. there is a spacious dining area on the basement level along with a bar and vip area.

there was a good range on the menu and we decided to try a few different varieties on the menu. had the wagyu tartare, duck leg san choy bao, akaiito gyoza, wagyu fried rice, lotus chips, edamame.

really enjoyed the charred edamame and i highly recommend it. the wagyu tartare was presented well and it went well with the seaweed crackers to give that extra crunch. the wagyu fried rice was cooked well and there were chunks of wagyu slices. loved the idea of including pine nuts in the fried rice as it gives it a different texture.

for a sweet ending, we had the classic signature which was the akaiito - red thread of fate. i really enjoyed the dessert as the ingredients worked well together and there was a good balance of flavours. the strawberry mousse sphere was light and wasn't too sweet and it was balanced off with a dark chocolate ice cream. really enjoyed the dessert as it was light and it completed the meal.

we tried the cocktails and were impressed with the mix of flavours, the yuzu cocktail was very light and refreshing and it complements the dishes really well. the staff is friendly and attentive and that plays a key role in the overall experience.

we went for a valentines day set menu and it was not a good dining experience overall. the food is not worth what you pay for. portion size was incredibly small, it left us feeling like we were being ripped off. we were not full and joked about getting a burger after a $400 meal. in the end we made popcorns at home lol. their cooked food (toothfish, duck, and wagyu) were good but not enough portion to really enjoy.

service was rushed, you can sense that they want you out so they can have the next seating ready. staff and operations were not up to fine dining standards they are charging you for. the decor inside is confusing, and lighting is not flattering at all.

we will not be back, and i cant imagine this place lasting a long time in a very competitive market like melbourne, which offers manyjapanesedining experiences with better value, quality and service.

overall
akaiito provides a mediocre and forgettable dining experience, with some standout dishes, such as the wagyu tartare and akaiito zensai, that features a sleek and romantic ambience with attentive and helpful wait staff. however, having ordered the 10 course tasting menu, our overall dining experience was marred by some truly atrocious courses (wagyu & chicken skewers) that were deficient in both texture and taste. many dishes also had similar flavour profiles, which resulted in an overall repetitive and monotonous experience across the menu.

service
the wait staff were very friendly, albeit slow to find us a table. they gladly assisted in stabilising our table, which was initially wobbly (ironically the table was propounded to be the ‘best table in the house’). they were very attentive in their table service and were prompt to clear our plates, refresh cutlery, top up water, etc. further, they ensured to place a candle on the final desert, as it was my partner’s birthday. one element that could be improved was that, when explaining each course, some wait staff were a bit hard to hear.

ambience
akaiito features a very modern and sleek open kitchen layout that provides a luxurious and romantic experience, which is perfect for date nights. the bathroom was also modern and well maintained. the music, however, could have been improved, as it was quite loud and bass-heavy, which was disruptive at times.

food
we ordered the tasting menu, which featured 10 courses. overall the dishes were quite hit-or-miss. while there were some dishes, such as the wagyu tartare (best dish in our opinion) and akaiito zensai, that are a must-try, there were others that were quite mediocre and forgettable, and even those that we would thoroughly not recommend ordering. these non-recommendations include the wagyu negi-ma (wagyu skewers), which were overcooked and chewy, as well as the tsukune (chicken skewers), which had the textured of a boiled meatball, tasting miraculously both undercooked and overcooked at the same time. we also noted that many dishes had similar flavour profiles, which resulted in an overall repetitive and monotonous experience across the menu. for example, the king george whiting tempura and the glacier 51 toothfish both had a very umami-rich flavour, and we noted that the chef used the same sauce to flavour both the wagyu & chicken skewers.

drinks
we ordered a cocktail and a mocktail, thejapaneseold fashioned ($28) and yuzu sunrise ($18) respectively. the pricing was quite expensive as compared to other, more high-end bars in melbourne; similar cocktails can be found in better bars for less, and the mocktail was severely overpriced for what was delivered.

the food at akaiito is hard to beat - and when you add value for money, it's unparalleled. i've eaten at some greatjapaneserestaurants around the city, and akaiito holds it's ground amongst them. the food was exceptional, there wasn't a single course that was a "miss", everything was on point.

the restaurant is fairly new, and with that comes some teething issues in the service department. even then, those issues are minor. the staff were very friendly and attentive, but bordering on being overly so, something that will probably self-adjust as time goes on and the restaurant inevitably gets busier.

i wouldn't be surprised to see akaiito rise as one of the new hottest restaurants in town in the coming year.

delicious, fresh, over the topjapanesefood that is overpriced. save it for special occasions. i really liked the chicken skewer with egg yolk particularly. sashimi was really fresh too and you could just taste the difference.

service was professional and attentive.

i was lucky enough to attend akaiito’s first vip event a while ago and what an experience it was!

behind an unassuming entrance along flinders lane lies this beautiful, classy and modernjapaneserestaurant. the stunning decor and romantic ambience is what strikes you first.

we watched the talented chefs in the open kitchen as they regularly topped up all our grazing plates. there was plenty on offer - from fresh tuna, ceviche, tsukune and the most delicious wagyu skewers ever.

downstairs by the bar, we had some lovely mocktails which were refreshing and light, and went perfectly with our canapés. the ceiling is gorgeous down their and definitely worth a visit.

overall, i had a really amazing time at akaiito. i will definitely be back to try their full menu soon!

thank you so much for having me!

akaitto is a new up and comingjapaneserestaurant nestled in flinders lane. as soon as you enter you are transported into a beautiful and classy environment with a dark interior and dim lighting perfectly suited for a special occasion or just a nice meal you won’t forget. the tasting menu offers a sample of all the best products from the menu. starting with the appetisers, the oysters are a delicious doorway into the meal, followed by impressive scallops and salmon bites that will leave you wanting more. the sashimi is fresh and delicate and tastes premium grade, and the wagyu tartare tastes as delicious as it looks. this is followed by tempura whiting which is in a mouthwatering sauce. the chicken meatball is accompanied by a yolk sauce lifts the meal to a new level. the wagyu is beautiful and the clams and mushroom rice that follow it are an absolute highlight of the meal. just about when your jeans are ready to burst the lemon sorbet made in house will refresh your palate just in time for an incredible dessert featuring strawberry mouse and dark chocolate ice cream that looks something like what heaven on a plate would look like.
this restaurant is not your ordinaryjapanese- it definitely has our 5 ticks of approval. the staff are lovely, efficient, knowledgeable and professional. the place has an open kitchen cantered in the dimly lit and spacious area.

my partner and i went to akaiito, or the "red thread of fate" which is a greatjapaneserestaurant on little flinders lane.

we tried the akaiito tasting menu. some ofthe highlights included seasonal appetizers, and wagyu tartare which was wagyu tri-tips, smoked egg yolk, nori, ponzu, shiitake mushroom and anchovy mayo. this was so delicate, soft and moorish.

them we tried a sashimi platter, which was tuna, salmon etc. the fish was deliciously fresh and really tasty.

the tsukune or free range bannock chicken meatball, egg yolk and tare was moorish. yummo!

the glacier 51 toothfish, well this was the for time i've eaten this, and it was perfect. this was served w nz diamond clams, shimeji, and dashi were delicate and so fresh.

the takikomi gohan or dashi rice, shiitake mushroom was delicious and it worked really well.

the first dessert was a lemon sorbet was incredible, some of the best i've tried.

the second dessert was called akaiito, or "the red thread of fate." this was strawberry mousse, honey mascarpone and dark chocolate ice cream.

this was dessert at another level. the strawberry mousse was incredible, and the honey marscapone and the dark chocolate ice cream was the best!!

we had such a great time and i just wanted to thank the owners for their kind invitation to visit their restaurant.

this place is definitely worth a visit!

we welcome the newest addition to thejapaneserestaurants in melbourne. nestle in the quiet side of flinders lane, akaiito brings us modernjapanesefoods with chic, sexy and luxurious ambience from an open robata omakase area, cosy bar and sushi counter – truly an ultimatejapanesecuisine experience.

yay: fresh cut tuna tartare, chicken robatayaki, wagyu negi-ma
nay: strawberry mousse sphere