komeyui

wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff & delicious food.. simplicity is at the core of komeyui japanese restaurant.

from the unassuming exterior flanked by tall floor to ceiling windows offering a tantalising glimpse into the warm, rich timber interior and smiling staff, the golden maple overtone of the tables, chairs and walls, the sleek uniforms of the friendly wait staff to the succinctly tempting menu.

everything about this place is inviting - welcoming you to delve deeper into its secrets.
when i stepped, the smiling hostess - whom i later learnt was the manager of the restaurant, ushered me in and sat me next to what i reckon was one of the best seats in the place, a little nook overlooking a zen-themed courtyard.

the sushi chef, stood behind the wide timber sushi counter, flashing a wide smile in greeting.

the manager was great, very professional - recommending us a host of popular dishes as well as a few specials she thought we might enjoy.

my dining companion was vegan and she suggested a few vegetarian options for us - the vegetarian sushi and the assorted tempura. we were offered pickled veg with tuna and they provided for him a special spinach pickle in sesame oil to have with his sushi.
for the meat-eater (me), she recommended the assorted sashimi and sushi, assorted tempura, chawanmushi and the soft shell crab sushi.

she also explained to us the process of how the food was made and how the chef-owner had imported a specially made large brass pot over from japan to steam/cook some of their specialty dishes.

it was these little details they remembered which really impressed us. most importantly, we weren't treated as just a 'number' - service was very prompt and personal.

we were offered a complimentary raw salmon platter as a welcome dish. it was delicious - paper thin slices of salmon, sprinkled with salmon roe and dotted with a thick seasoning.

there was a steady trickle of customers as we were served our food; many of them looked like regulars as they seemed familiar with what they wanted and seemed to know their way around the restaurant unlike us.

as we ate she would occasionally drop by to see how things were going, but made sure she didn't hover around while we enjoyed our food, which is great because sometimes staff tend to hover around too enthusiastically and this can be a little awkward.

food was delicious. the chef had done many little touches to the dishes - the sushi and sashimi were extremely fresh (a vibrant dark pink for the tuna, shimmery pink for the salmon, scallops were glossy and had a very slight bite) and the sushi were made from premium fish belly.

when we had finished i noticed the chef had dropped by to have a look at our plate, then whispered to the manager who came by and asked us to turn over the oyster shell i thought was a garnish.
there were two very plump looking uni (sea urchin) under the oyster. it was a very pleasant surprise and delicate touch from the chef.

the roasted duck was a textural experience, soft meat with the slightly salty crunch of the potato chip under it.
the soft shell crab was delicious and beautifully presented, very creamy yet crunchy wrapped in ariceroll.

by this point we were not only full, but extremely satisfied by the entire experience.the manager came by and suggested we try their desserts.
we thought of declining as we were full but she suggested a entree sized matcha ice cream to soothe our bellies.

it was not a bad idea at all.
a well portioned brick of matcha ice cream with wine soaked plum, strawberry slices and matcha sauce - very delicious!

if you had to choose only a few i'd recommend the roasted duck, assorted sushi and sashimi and the soft shell crab roll as they are really good.

overall it was a great experience, matched with great food, wonderful staff and a wonderfully skilled chef with attention-to-detail and professionalism.

a definite recommend to bring friends and family for any occasion.

a gorgeous sunny autumn day and perfect for a long walk and a spot of lunch! komeyui has been on my list for a while and finally we make it! once a greek, then french – it seems japanese is the right cuisine for this spot and there is a decent number of tables already seated 20 minutes after opening. the komeyui website speaks about the food philosophy of japan and how this has translated into the food served at this wonderful restaurant. “kome – rice, the mainstay of the japanese diet. yui – knot, a word that is full of emotions, harmony and health, whether it is binding, make, become attached to, and unity. the komeyui symbol – symbolises a traditional japanese group meal where family and friends gather together and sit around the table on which there is a large hotpot and a tray ofricedishes including gohan (steam rice), and side dishes such as natto (fermented cooked soya beans), temaki (hand-rolled sushi), yakizakana (grilled fish) and miso soup.” the all wood sushi bar has a ve

amazing onigiri and definitely a favorite. komeyui uses its unique tech to cook the japanesericeballs onigiri, they really stand out, you will actually be amazed by just a simplericeball. not to mention their fresh sashimi and sushi, u cant go wrong with komeyui if u are a fan of japanese cuisine.

komeyui is one of my all time favourite japanese restaurants in melbourne!

i’ve honestly tried a lot of items on their menu and they have always been really amazing and super fresh.

some of my faves would be their:
wagyu tataki (love the thin crispy potato that you wrap each piece of meat in, their soy sauce coated egg yolk is such a great dipping ‘sauce’ too).

make your own ‘don’ a.k.aricebowl with your choice of sashimi - as a treat i’d go with their chutoro, uni and salmon.

the service has always been good as well. it is on the pricier side, but you are paying for their high quality ingredients. definitely worth a try!

best sushi place in melbourne! they have the best sushiriceand freshest foods! the food is totally worth the price! one thing i don’t like about the restaurant is the cake corkage is $25 for a cake!

update (02.2022)

ordered:
jan chef's tasting menu 'natsu' ($220 per person)
🦪 baked oyster with ruffled wagyu
🥚 egg tofu with shrimp, mullet roe
🥩 tataki with smoked tuna
🐟 sashimi
🍵 surinagshi with asparagus, dried scallop
🦐 cocoon (with prawn instead), une veloute sauce
🥩ricemalt japanese premium wagyu with mustard foam
🐟 nigiri
🍮 mizu shingen-mochi as raindrop cake, soybean and mascarpone
☕ tea or coffee

review:
second time back, five months later but felt like the previous july/aug dinner was better.
this menu felt like it tended to lean towards more harsher flavours with really savoury strong baked oyster, bland light tofu, strange pistachio rolled smoked tuna which was not amazing.

however, there were some great dishes. the sashimi featured a partially flambéed salmon that has the light subtle flavour, but also featured that iconic warm grilled taste.
my second favourite was thericemalt japanese premium wagyu. i love mustard sauce with my beef in general because it adds a kick while adding in a nice undercurrent of flavour. the wagyu was soft, and the amount was perfect so i wasn't overwhelmed by the savouriness of the dishes.

mizu shingen mochi was less mochi, and more so a raindrop cake. it was delicious, and had a lovely brown sugar milk tea flavour. essentially bubble tea, in solid form!

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komeyui is one of the luxury experiences that i allow myself once every couple of months. absolutely amazing experience!

ordered:
july/aug signature dinner, a ten-course tasting menu featuring seasonal local produce and traditional japanese techniques ($220 per person)

🥧 kingfish tart
🥬 scampi with steamed turnip
🥩 cured kangaroo tartare
🐟 premium sashimi of the day
🥚 sweet potato mochi
🥣 niku-jaga gnocchi
🥩 john dee 9+ wagyu with onion tomburi sauce & vegetable puree
🥃 custard apple shooter with yukari pearls
🍣 chef's premium selection nigiri
🥧 yuzu pudding with genmai-cha icecream and your choice of tea/coffee

review:
let's talk about my top 2 dishes!
🥧 the first would be the yuzu pudding with genmai-cha icecream. genmaicha is a brownricegreen team - translating to really light, airy earthy flavours. combined with the familiar citrus tang of the yuzu, this was a balanced and clean dessert to finish off the tasting course.
🥩 the second dish i enjoyed was the cured kangaroo tartare. i've never had kangaroo meat before, so was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was. comparing it to steak tartare, kangaroo was more flavoursome and tender. chopped up into smaller pieces, you don't really get that gamey flavour so i really enjoyed this new experience!

the dish that threw me off the most was the scampi with steamed turnip. although there was incredible skill in balancing a fragile dashi-broth lid on top, i really hated the blandness of the steamed turnip wrapped in scampi. there was no real flavour, so the texture of the steamed turnip threw me back to cramped chinese restaurants and loud noises.

in terms of atmosphere and service, i was very impressed. gorgeous interior, neutral colour palette with black accents - it was a visually appealing place that really makes you feel calm. friendly service where they talked about the additional ingredients in the dish - i really enjoyed the 2 hours allocated to us at komeyui.

had very high expectation for komeyui, its in my top wishlist. honestly the taste of all the dishes were all good, but nothing is out of the ordinary or unexpected. lobster in eggyolk and the foie gras dessert probably the ones that is interesting. service is okay. the thing that bothers me most is the timing on how they serve the dishes, at the beginning they serve all 3 dishes together on the table. and then take 15 for next, and the nigiri omakase, it took so long to serve between each that i got so sleepy waiting for all. i think theyre busy making the delivery order. the truffle doesnt have that strong smell as well. thericeis really good tho, they really deliver their rice

we happened to go on mother's day so they were full and quite busy, which may be partly why the service felt a little rushed (hence 4 rather than 5 stars) and less attentive than would be expected for a place like this. however! the moment i had the ootoro brushed with white truffle oil, i was sold. and i don't even like truffle! it's the first time i've ever thought that truffle actually enhances the flavour of something rather than overpowering it. would come back just for this one sushi type.

in comparison to other high end sushi omakases that i have attended, thericeat komeyui was a little sweeter and the sushi pairings were less traditional (which isn't a bad thing necessarily) so there were some interesting new flavours to experience. the standard dessert that comes with the omakase though, was really not my thing. so we ordered a second dessert, okinawan sata andagi, which was amazing. freshly fried crunchy dough balls with a delicious black sugar (kokuto) syrup.

an upsfale japanese setting. every single element of the experience is well thought out and carefully crafted. great to come in for an intimate yet relaxing dining experiences. staff are excellent.

we ordered the signature dinner menu. very creative and adventurous yet still stick to a japanese tradition, unlike other fusion japanese places. stood out were: steak and morton bay bug,riceicecream dessert, sashimi assortment. i know it's a minor thing but the wasabi is absolutely exquisite. a japanese restaurant is pretty much measured by the quality of the wasabi paste in my opinion.


however, some dishes are questionable to me. the squash tart is great idea but someone flavours were falling apart, nothing to pull together. the mango granita - ok as i dont have big a sweet tooth, but it's refreshing and does it's job as a palate cleanser so you may love it! tofu in green tea broth - honest not great. the fried tofu needs something a bit better, it tastes like thai fish cake to me and im not sure about pairing with scallops.

all in all, a wonderful experience. i would still recommend the signature dinner menu if you want to try something really creative and differ, yet not at all fusion.

if you like more classic dishes, better go with a la carte menu and order your hearts out. everything will be amazing.

p/s it's annoying that zomato doesnt have great editing tools here. but my favourite dishes are sashimi andriceicecream. i think i might have mentioned that.

my favourite japanese restaurant. this place deserves a five star rating from the quality of their food to their service. they do have an amazing lunch special menu which has amazing bento box options. i would usually order their bento box for lunch as it has a good variety and it is perfect with a side ofriceand miso soup. the seafood and produce used is so fresh. their wagyu tataki is really good, and it goes really well with the cured soy egg yolk. the potato crisp gives it that extra crunch and flavour and brings the dish to another level. to all the japanese food lover in melbourne, be sure to try this spot

3.5 stars. we ordered from the a la carte menu and had a selection of nigiri, fois gras chawanmushi and other main dishes. thericefor the nigiri was quite hard but fish was fresh. other dishes were all decent but i felt like the price tag could have been better or bigger serving. ambience is really nice in the new restaurant but i wouldn’t come back for the a la carte menu.

i enjoyed my time here, there is absolutely no doubt on the quality of fish. it was fresh and not fishy at all, impressed with the foie gras of how smooth and doesn’t leave any bad aftertaste. sushi cake was easy to finish because thericewas mixed with furikake. it was a birthday occasion and they made specials for us and memorable day for the person. friendly waitresses & one of the best fine dining experience.

ordered: wagyu takaki, salmon teriyaki, mixed sashimi on top of seasoned sushi rice, and green tea crepes.

wagyu takaki: delicious and tender, has a hint of coated sweetness to the slices, and tasted best with the added flavour and texture of the fried potato bits (although it tasted like shallots).

salmon teriyaki: well cooked and seasoned- very flavoursome. mistakenly thought it would come withricebut it's just two cut pieces of salmon.

green tea crepes: enjoyable but the very small portion was disappointing.

overall: delicious dishes but quite pricey for what it is. on zomato it listed more varieties and selections than what we had on our menu.

komeyui is for sure one of the best japanese restaurants in melbourne. located in port melbourne, the place was small, with wooden furniture, giving it an authentic japanese feels. we started off with complimentary seaweed salad which was pretty tasty. the sashimi were all very fresh. the nigiri was delicious, thericewas the highlight. the kaisen don was definitely the star of the night, we chose salmon, ikura, uni, and otoro for the toppings. the uni and ikura were my favourite, although the otoro was sliced too thinly, but it was a perfect combination with the very tasty rice. the eel hitsumabushi did not disappoint as well. the chawanmushi came with a piece of scallop, probably the least special dish, but it was silky smooth. lastly, we were given sweet melon for dessert! love this restaurant!

love it! it has a nice cosy feel despite the simple decor. the sushi and sashimi we ordered separately was so delicious and made of a high standard - our test - when you pick up the nigiri thericedoes not fall. tempura was light and fresh , the steam egg was super smooth. if only it was cheaper otherwise it would have been our regular eat out venue! thank you for a wonderful dining experience!