kambei japanese restaurant

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 ofgoodquality. we will definitely be back!

the course 1 had agoodmix 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 withgoodmix 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, butgoodvalue 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 quitegoodvalue, as 1 main will cut u back about $30 to $40. i will come back if i am in the area.

japanese food has been one of my favourite cuisines thus i found myself at kampei in ballarat. a free amuse-bouche of tofu and vegetables was a nice touch before we had our sashimi which was extremely fresh, beautifully cut and presented. the wagyu beef tataki was overwhelmed by the grated seasoned radish complimenting it. the vegetarian tempura was a slight let down as it was not as crispy as i would expect and was hoping to see more variety in the type of vegetables used. the chawan-mushi was perfect. for main, i had the grilled eel with rice and miso soup. the serve was generous and the eel was delicious but i would have preferred more sauce on it. overall agoodexperience and i would return. the waiter seems new and perhaps the waiting staff need more training.. one of them spilled the tempura sauce on our table when serving, and did not offer to wipe the table.

not bad.... for a regional experience. pretty good. very fresh and everything you'd expect from agoodjapanese restaurant in melbourne or sydney - but not outstanding.
service isgoodenough and they try. happy.

good value on the set menu~ had the $65 menu. overall food wasgoodexcept for the crumbed sea bream, squid and scallop.. not crunchy enough.
overall service is fantastic which got them a score of 4.

a nice little restaurant. the staff were very friendly and the service was fine. the interior of the restaurant is good, just don't look out the windows. everything was clean and well presented. there was agoodselection of japanese beers with a couple of different ones to the typical asahi etc, which i'm ashamed to admit i did not try as i can never go past some sake so i can't comment on them. the food was all nice apart from the tempura which is a personal dislike of mine. it was mostly nice with a few verygooddishes slipped in amongst it all. we had the banquet as it was the best value and it certainly filled us up. overall a nice experience but let down by the exorbitant prices.

you get more than what you pay. during my life i have been in many japanese restaurants in different cities and countries (though i never have been to japan) and this is probably my very favourite. is not a cheap restaurant, but the food is superb, the service isgoodand the place is quiet and nice. everything tastes fresh and delicate. probably the best restaurant in ballarat (if you like japanese food).

i cannot wait to go back again.

professional restaurant with world class service. the entire experience was wonderful. food perfectly prepared, raw fish opened my mind to howgoodit can get, saki tasters also taught me well. ballarat is lucky to have it.

consistently excellent. i have regularly been to kambei for about 5 years now with like minded people who all enjoygoodfresh food.
i cannot fault the kambei experience, the food is simple fresh, delicious and attractively presented- the service is terrific. i often order the set banquet because it is just so good.
the prices are very reasonable and i am sure kambei would rival any restaurant in melbourne, so how lucky are we?
keep up the wonderful work kambei!

best japanese in ballarat. excellent. fresh. resonably priced. attentive service. would recommend to all and any..i seek outgoodfood, this is one of my favorite places in the country town of ballarat

fantastic restaurant. authentic, delicious japanese food. asgoodas any japanese food i've had in melbourne, and rivaling what i ate in japan. we ordered the $40 weekend set menu and were more than satisfied with the quantity. smart, professional and friendly service in a lovely setting. can't wait to go again!

brilliant. we'd seen many agoodand enthusiastic review for kambei and had almost decided to visit when i realised that they have a set menu friday and saturday nights. for me this conjures up images of poorly prepared meals and mothers day dinners at local pubs and i almost let it put me off visiting. fortunately i didn't and so on friday night we made a booking for our usual group of 2 adults and 2 boys 14 and 11.

our visit to kambei certainly ranked as one of the best i have ever had to a japanese restaurant. the food was of very high quality, excellently prepared, pleasantly served and completely enjoyed. there were a couple of optional tasters in addition to the set menu which we also sampled. whilst the eel was not to the taste of our party - it was still agooddish. it was us that let the eel down rather than the other way around. so do not let the fri/sat fixed menu put you off.

i should also mention the "chicken and rice" on the kids menu. the youngest elected not to try the fixed menu and opted for this instead - and then had a second serve. this dish was far and away the best kids menu dish i have ever seen in any restaurant anywhere. if my youngest could have licked the plate clean he would have. for a more timid diner not wishing to face "japanese" foods of his fellow diners this would be agoodoption!

the wine list is excellent and includes sake (of course) as well as far less common (in australian japanese restaurants) japanese beverages.

like the thai restaurant in bendigo that we visited the previous night this restaurant in ballarat was well worth the drive - and since we had come from adelaide this is really saying something!

we chose to eat at kambei after reading the great reviews (especially the review by mel, a well-known ballarat food critic). kambei did not disappoint. the food was amazing (agree that the set menu is agoodoption), the staff attentive and helpful. i appreciated that the staff explained what each dish was and how it was prepared as it was served. it helped me to expand my knowledge of japanese cuisine and i imagine it would help someone eating japanese food for the first time to understand what they are eating. would travel from melbourne just to eat here. highly recommend.