akaiito

we came here for my birthday last year before the pandemic struck. we ordered the tasting menu and were presented with a series of tasty dishes, with a few of my favourites being the sashimi platter,wagyutartare, edamame and the chicken. the dessert also added a lovely finishing touch to the whole meal. the food came out quickly so we didn't have to wait between dishes however the waitress seemed to linger around our table (and sometimes would even stare at us while we ate) due to the quiet restaurant (there was only one other table besides us). while i understand that it may be considered good service, it was a little uncomfortable. i recommended my friend to come here for valentine's day this year, however, was disappointed to see that the menu had changed drastically, with the new serving sizes decreasing to half of what is shown in my photos, despite no change in price.

excellent service provided by our waiter. fit out was atmospheric, with the grill at the centre of the action. we ordered a range of the skewers, the tsukune,wagyuand the pork belly were fantastic, charred and flavoursome.

i had the omakase dinner last week and we had great dinner here. the staff are friendly and also the chef who cooked the omakase for me. this omakase here is a bit different with usual omakase which usually they serve sushi but they serve yakitori instead. the first food was scampi with ponzu dressing, it was good choice to start, it was fantastic and that made a good first impression though. suprisingly all of the yakitori were so good! i love the sweet potato yakitori the most which i didn’t expect that would be my fav for the yakitori. very impressed with the marron, the octopus, and the last meal like a bento with a5wagyuand the truffle rice with scallop! last but not least, the dessert was average but it was okay. the price is $115pp which was very reasonable because we didn’t expect the foods will come that much. overall, very good value and experience. every dollar well spent here and we will denitely comeback again and try for the a la carte as well.

the best dining experience! such a beautiful space with amazing staff. reviews suggest the portions were small, although not wrong, i still really enjoyed my meal and left extremely content. having tried so many places, this is one of my favourites alongside nobu. standout dishes included thewagyutartare: melted in my mouth before i had a chance to chew. the uni gunkan: my first time trying sea urchin and was blown away by the smoothness and flavour. and the robata toothfish: the softest fish with the crunchiest skin. presentation on everything was impeccable. must visit! honorary mention to the salmon roe macaroon and the pumpkin tart, so unique and tasty. only downside was the baby sweet corn, i laughed when i saw it.

i loved the vibes at atmosphere at akaiito. intimate dark moody interior with the steady soothing tones of "japanese" inspired chill music, it's a place i can easily unwind.

ordered: setaku menu ($65pp)
small
🥟 akaiitowagyugyoza:wagyumince, truffle paste, spicy shell fish oil vinaigrette, prawn tartare
🦪 robata scallops (gf): yuzu, seaweed butter
🦐 robata king ebi (gf): king prawn, kombu butter, shellfish oil
+ 🥓wagyutataki:wagyutri-tips, spicy ponzu, leek, egg yolk, garlic chips (+$7pp)

large
🐔 tori koshi yaki: robata grilled marinated spring chicken, yuzu kosho
🍚 truffle fried rice (v): seasonal mushrooms, truffle paste, spring onion
🥩 char siu pork bo ssam: char-grilled char siu style pork neck, kimchi, ginger & shallot sauce, lettuce cups, ssamjang sauce

review:
from the small portion, i really liked the robata scallops. plump pieces and slightly sweet, it was like heaven in my mouth. i absolutely adore scallops at any of the higher end restaurants because it's fresh, and lightly chargrilled to give that incredible sear. would highly recommend this!

now directing the spotlight on to two of the large dishes: the truffle fried rice and tori koshi yaki.
the truffle rice was a little dry. wish there was some fat stir fried in to give a little gleam and a little moisture, but it was ok. niku ou still does it best 😝.
the chicken was a surprise success though! i don't expect much from chicken dishes in general, but the swab of wasabi and/ horseradish added that fiery kick to an otherwise bland dish. i took too much wasabi at one point and it blew out my brains, but it was too addictive!! truly a small but significant addition to the dish which made it memorable.

akaiito has really nice vibes that i gushed over in the introduction but the menu is not a la carte which makes this "set" menu a commitment.
also beware, small portions alert! which is why we had to order an extra portion ofwagyutataki to fill us up a bit more.

firstly, the interior is amazing! a+ for the ambience: from the dimly lit room with candles everywhere, red ribbon over looking some tables to the grill in the centre of the room, you can watch the talented chefs cook while you eat (resulting in drool even more🤤)

we ordered the $55 pp 6 dish menu + added an extra large dish (+$12 pp) and a mocktail each! (+$12 pp)
what we got:
🍣wagyusteak 36 days dry aged: 250gm fillet mb6+, wafu dipping sauce
🍣 robata scallops: yuzu, seaweed butter
🍣 tuna tataki: spicy daikon, ponzu, pickle onion
🍣 robata king ebi: ling prawn, kombu butter, shellfish oil
🍣 robata gindara saikyo yaki: char grilled miso marinated 51 tooth fish, pickled ginger, lime
🍣 truffle fried rice: seasonal mushrooms, truffle paste, spring onion, white soy
🍣 maki roll
🍹fruity mocktail
🍹sweet mocktail

i absolutely can not fault the food! my favourite was the tooth fish (hands down the best piece of fish i’ve ever eaten) and my boyfriends was the wagyu. we also recommend the scallops and the ebi but honestly i loved all the dishes- not one dish i didn’t like - everything was beautifully cooked and flavoured to perfection, and the presentation is stunning.

however, the servings aren’t really generous (was tiny 😭) so i wouldnt come on an empty stomach. our hunger was not satisfied after all the dishes and even went to maccas haha (shoutout to maccas $2 for 2 hash browns deal on the app that day) i also wasn’t a bit fan of the mock tails too, tasted a bit watery and diluted... but maybe from the ice melting after all the photos? idk 🤷‍♀️

overall the food here is amazingg, ambience is one of the best out there and i would definitely recommend this place! (provided you’re not starving beforehand)

4/5 experience!! waiters and staff were very cooperative, attentive and willingly to take care of their customers. price was great for the quality of the food, presentation, and food was served quite fast aswell. akaito has really nice ambience which resale added to the atmosphere of the restaurant. overall thoroughly enjoyed the food, service and ambience of the place

100% must try; truffle rice,wagyugyoza !!

⭐️ 4/5 stars

🍓 food - we got $65 set menu for 3 small dishes and 3 large dishes and also 9 piece sashimi for $29 as a starter. the food was amazing, we loved thewagyutataki, king prawn and truffle fried rice. the ribs were a slight let down as it was mainly bone and no meat was on it. however the flavour profile was still nice.

🥝 ambience - the ambience at akaiito was amazing! the red ribbon is such a unique feature with dimly lit lighting and candles everywhere. if you walk past the robata/grill, the aroma leaves your mouth watering.

🍒 service - service was great. staff were friendly and helped out when needed.

quite honestly the decor is amazing, but this place is overhyped and overrated by restaurant influencers on instagram and social media.

portion sizes may fill female guests but males have to eat 4 or 5 portions to be sort of full. food cooking techniques are very simple and offered at many take away and sushi train restaurants.

however sashimi is nice and sliced well, but beef is questionable as to whether it iswagyuor just normal beef.

we had the $55pp for 3 small and 3 large which sounded very appealing. the food itself was fine with interesting modern options from sashimi,wagyutataki, and toothfish cooked in the robata. the portions of the food were odd, some of the small dishes came out bigger in size than the large (e.g, the fried squid “small” dish was triple the size of the octopus which was a “large” dish, with a mere 6 tiny pieces of tiny cubed octopus..., same size as the tuna tataki..also a “small).

all the dishes also came out so quickly - mixing the cold and hot, small and large dishes however we waited a very long time for our lastwagyusteak large dish to come out, causing that awkward momentum in dishes and us finishing everything else for about 15 minutes before thewagyucame out. unfortunately it also didn’t live up to expectations as it seemed like they just theee thewagyuon the plate (pictured) messily with some meat pieces well done, some pieces, medium rare. nothing like what we saw in instagram and what othe reviewers received. this left abit of a sour end to our night sadly.

this place has so much potential with a lot of room for improvement needed if it wants to compete with kisume a few doors down.

was drawn in by the photos of decor. $55 for 3 large and 3 small dishes. we had the oysters, sashimi platter, and scallops for smalls, wagyu, king prawn and toothfish for larges. waiter did not offer to take our jackets but did so for the couple next to us. likewise when offering water. we were simply just assumed to want still water. minor service issues, but very noticeable.wagyuhad a good amount of chewy fascia, giving my jaws a workout. if you come here, consider that the robata grill is the main focus.

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 luxewagyufried rice, addictive wok fried edamame and duck leg san choy bao.

overall a stunning venue serving quality modern japanese food 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.

sleek, sexy and brooding best sums up akaiito. in a nod to its name, meaning red thread of fate, red thread installations hang and snake along the ceiling, and the dark marble, black granite and dim lighting thrill your senses before you even begin to enjoy your meal.

we dined at the bar downstairs – red thread bar, and had the opportunity to try the chef tasting menu which features tapas that is exclusive to the bar and not the main dining room. thewagyutartare and thewagyufried rice were definite highlights. the tartare was paired with crunchy seaweed cracker, playing on different textural elements. the fried rice had generous chunks ofwagyuwithin, and was beautifully seasoned.

the wok-fried edamame and lotus chips were delightful snacks to nibble on while sipping on cocktails, and the deep-fried skewered meats were crispy and tasty down to the last bite. of course, dessert is not to be missed. the namesake dessert consists of a strawberry mousse sphere, honey mascarpone and dark chocolate cream -a perfect balance of flavours and textures.

a thoroughly enjoyable meal and a great overall dining experience.

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 fusion japanese dishes. 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 thewagyutartare, duck leg san choy bao, akaiito gyoza,wagyufried rice, lotus chips, edamame.

really enjoyed the charred edamame and i highly recommend it. thewagyutartare was presented well and it went well with the seaweed crackers to give that extra crunch. thewagyufried rice was cooked well and there were chunks ofwagyuslices. 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.

overall
akaiito provides a mediocre and forgettable dining experience, with some standout dishes, such as thewagyutartare 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 thewagyutartare (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 thewagyunegi-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 thewagyu& chicken skewers.

drinks
we ordered a cocktail and a mocktail, the japanese old 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.