kambei japanese restaurant

as a regular patron of this restaurant i recently discovered that there has been a change of hands to kambei. although the food is still delicious, the service was absolutely appalling. it's lost that true attentiveness the previous owner gave each and every customer. i do hope they improve or this well loved restaurant will be a thing of the past.

tonight was our first time out at kambei restaurant. we went with friends who recommended it for some quality japanese dining! it was quiet being a sunday night and so the service was great, though i imagine it to be regardless of how busy it is. some of us ordered the full set menu, one had the wagyu beef main, another the tempura seafood and veggie main and i had the assorted sashimi. the presentation was really nice and everything was fresh and of good quality. we will definitely be back!

always high quality food and experience. i love everything about kambei - the atmosphere, quality and authenticity. the set menu is recommended and a great way to experience traditional meals i would otherwise not know to order. the service is always exceptional!

fresh and delicious. venturing to ballarat for a 3 day conference gave us the opportunity to ask locals where the nicest japanese restaurant was.
the unanimous consensus was that kambei was number one.
it is without question that the masses were right!
from the welcoming smile to the receiving of the cheque, this truly was a marvellous experience.
one could not ask for tastier, fresher japanese food. 10 / 10.

the best!. ballarat is so lucky to have such an amazing restaurant which has delicious, authentic japanese food, for a reasonable price. the service is brilliant- shinji especially is wonderful! definitely our favourite restaurant in ballarat, and our favourite japanese restaurant of all time!

booked for saturday 6:30pm. was seated looking against a false wall. was hungry so overlooked this. was handed a single piece of paper as menu. choices very limited. ordered teriyaki chicken meal and tempura meal. edamame beans were far from fresh and plump. stringy and shrivelled. inedible. miso soup tasted like packet mix from supermarket. rocket salad with a couple of small cherry tomato halves with a nondescript dressing. hardly taste of japan. chicken was cooked adequately but sticky sauce was not so, more like watery gravy substance. extremely disappointed when compared to my last meal here. over 12 months ago. will not be frequenting kambei again. the dining experience at kambei is just another victim of profit over substance judging by the meal received. do not recommend a meal here at all.

normally wouldn’t write but i was so disappointed with my dining experience it’s made me put in a review.

came here bc the reviews were great but arrived 6.30pm on a saturday night to be presented with a one page menu, no beef or chicken dishes, just seafood. was also told they had run out of tempura for the day as well.

for the price they charge, i would expect my food to be of at minimum decent quality. our rice was mushy and overcooked, the fish that came part of the side dish was cold and the fish was over cooked, it was unpleasant to eat and the edamame beans were so small, 80% of my bowl didn’t have anything inside them at all!

and one more thing, they helped pour a tiny serve of soy sauce and walked away with the rest, we had to ask for them to return a couple of times.

for anyone wanting to go, don’t go by the pictures as they are old. they have changed their menu. ratings no longer reflect the quality and their service they use to provide.

what an unexpected find in rural victoria. awesome japanese food. prices are a bit on the steep side but well worth it. highly recommend the miso cod.

the course 1 had a good mix of entree and sashimi and grilled salmon with rice and miso soup. chiwanmushi was silky and delicate! the kingfish sashimi was quite good. vegetable tempura was separate to the course and its portion was quite enough to share between 2 to 3 people. the tempura was fried very nicely and crispy with good mix of vegetable.

my score 4.5 stars.  j & i had dinner here a while ago on a 2 night foody getaway to ballarat.  restrained & peaceful interior set the scene for a memorable evening.  service was laid back, but fabulous (in keeping with the whole vibe of the place).  head guy was very helpful with selection of food.  in the end we shared one standard set course & one extended set course.  stand-outs were:  all the sashimi (but esp the kingfish), chawanmushi, assorted tempura, matcha ice cream (j) & black sesame ice cream (me), miso black cod (probably the best dish of the night along with the kingfish).  i could take or leave the wagyu beef, but then i'm not a big fan of red meat anyway.  a great time was had - not cheap by ballarat standards maybe, but good value compared to high quality places in melb...

a lovely japanese restaurant, their food are really fresh and delicious. if you want to save on your pocket, get their takeaway bento at $50, $40 and $30. if you want to stay then be prepare to spend a bit more. for a family of 2 adults and 2 growing kids, i spend about $140. however, we loved everything about them. their bento sets are quite good value, as 1 main will cut u back about $30 to $40. i will come back if i am in the area.

beautiful little restaurant that i definitely wouldn’t have expected to find. i got the kambei course for 40aud that included edamame, small dishes, sashimi, grilled fish, rice, and miso soup.

really even the sashimi and small dishes at the start would’ve set you back 40aud at any japanese restaurant in the city. flavours were rich and simple and the food was filling.

will definitely go back!

this is a beautiful place with great service. the food and the service are the real japanese deal. the ingredients are fresh and top quality

kambei is the best restaurant in ballarat. this is the must place you should go if you are after authentic japanese. the food is amazingly fresh - especially sashimi. i selected their course menu which restaurant staff recommended. i was glad to take their recommendation. i enjoyed the beautiful food and nice friendly service. i will definitely visit this restaurant again!

ambience 6.5/10
service 7/10
food 9/10.
food was outstanding, without question the best in ballarat. authentic and amazing, this quality could easily stand up in japan. service reasonably good/ok.
ambience -the vibe of the place is slightly cold and not the nicest.
if you want some amazing japanese in ballarat you cannot go past this place.
fairly $$$ but worth it for a splurge.
amazing to find this quality of food in a regional town.