Kenzan Japanese Restaurant in Melbourne

If you are after an authentic Japanese dining experience, this place is one of the best in Melbourne CBD. Everything they serve is beyond excellent. I dine here very often and I highly recommend it!!!

Nice atmosphere, but cant get quite busy and noisy.The waiters/waitresses were very friendly.We had the lunch set.Sashimi in one of the lunch sets had bone in it which was a bit disappointing. Otherwise the sashimi was fresh, miso soup was delicious and tempura was great (light batter and not too oily).

One of the fanciest Japanese restaurants I have been to so far. Price wise, definitely on the higher end but the quality of the food, services everything gave it justice. We were recommended the unagi rice by the staff and it absolutely did not disappoint, probably the tastiest unagi rice I have ever had. We also had the sake don with salmon which was also very tasty. Perfect spot for a date night for sure!

An all time classic Japanese restaurant serving up really good Japanese sashimi, sushi, lunch boxes etcI always go during lunch because of their lunch boxes and always walk out very satisfied because of the variety of little dishes they serve. I highly recommend if you’re in the Melbourne CBD area.

A very authentic Japanese restaurant. The food was phenomenal and just like what you would experience in Japan - the warm towel, the right soy sauce for sushi, real wasabi (not those artificial ones), freshly made pickled ginger etc.

Much larger inside than expected with plenty of seating. Lovely service and great Japanese food, as per expected on the dearer side but absolutely worth jt. The smell when you walk in makes you salivate!

Overall excellent restaurant. I dont blame the owner but this restaurant is too noisy for me.

Ordered their sashimi & sushi set to share, and one main for us each including salmon, chicken and unajyu don. We also ordered lobster miso soup each. Everything was decent and satisfying. Their service is definitely worth a mention!

Amazing meal.🤩Nice atmosphere and super friendly staff all around.Food was simple but done properly.Would love to come back. 👍👍👍😋

Fantastic food, great service, was never keen on sashimi but Kenzan surely changed my view!

Awesome Japanese restaurant on the CBD. Good quality of food and services. Even though it is a bit pricey, the overall experience deserves the price.

This is actually my favourite Japanese restaurant! Not fusion! Not fusion! Not fusion! Authentic Japanese food.Fresh ingredient. Attentive services. Considerate presentation!Love this!

Small SUSHI & SASHIMI COMBINATION with miso soup, Delicious and very fresh.Very popular lunchtime business lunch spot.

We have been here a couple of times and the food was amazing. This time around they seated us in one of the special rooms that made the experience even enjoyable. The staff are attentive, the food is delicious and ambience is really good.I would compare the food to higher end Japanese restaurants in Melbourne like Kisume and Nobu etc but the price point at Kenzan is much better.We had one of the medium boxes and the variety was great. My favourites were definitely all the salmon options.Highly recommend a visit.

A traditional Japanese restaurant located in Collins Place with a sushi bar that can fit around twelve people and a dimly lit dining area. There is a bit of everything from the menu, great selection of sushi and sashimi and also sukiyaki and shabu shabu requiring a minimum of two people. A special menu was provided with some recommended dishes for the day as well as section for dessert.Ordered a main size deluxe sushi set which consisted of ten pieces (eight nigiri and two gunkan). Sushi was fresh and delicious with a good fish to rice ratio. For the selection of seafood in the deluxe sushi set which included chutoro, minced otoro, ikura and some fatty fish belly, it was definitely a good deal. Also ordered a piece of the otoro, scampi and flame seared wagyu nigiri which was off the menu. Expensive but the quality and freshness was there. For dessert, had the matcha crème brulée; texture was custard-like with a decent sweet matcha flavour; and the Japanese sweets bowl was delicate, pleasantly sweet and refreshing; enjoyed all the components in the bowl.Overall very tasty sushi and dessert and the service was good. For a better sushi experience highly recommend booking for the counter seat to see the chefs prepare the sushi right before your eyes. Also the ala carte sushi menu is quite expensive so better to order a sushi set first and then add on as needed.

Amazing meal.Nice atmosphere, super friendly staff all around.Food was simple but done properly. The tempura was light but crunchy, prawn had sweetness bursting through. All the tempura pieces had melt in my mouth softness but still had structure.Agedashi tofu had broth that I wish I could take home to pair with plain rice and eat all day.Teriyaki beef cooked perfectly accompanied by its amazing sauce.Would love to come back.

Fine Japanese food but not impressed with service at all. Only focus on local business crowd.

This place is honestly amazing. I walked in this evening as a single without a reservation on a busy night and received world class service despite coming in unannounced and alone. Friendly, professional service, and the food is divine. Kenzan truly deserves a place among the most decorated Japanese restaurants not only in Melbourne but in Japan as well. I cannot wait to return here!

Delightful Japanese restaurant with beautifully prepared and presented food. Everything we are was perfectly cooked and delicious. We tried Shabu Shabu for the first time and enjoyed every moment.

Okay, for the price, I have definitely been to better Japanese restaurants. I came here a few times before the pandemic and remember it being pretty good. I feel like both service and food quality may have have fallen by the wayside since then. The sushi and sashimi here is very good but everything else was good but not enough to justify the price. The place was busy, but even so we had food placed on our table and the servers left it but came back 5 minutes later to take it away, saying it was a mistake. We did order that dish but apparently we werent suppose to have it yet. We ordered the lobster tempura which was on special, it was $50 and though there was a lot of lobster, the texture was tough. I suspect it was overcooked. The lobster miso soup was also a little hard to eat as you had to get the meat out of the shell itself. Not so bad normally but it was in soup so a little hard not to get miso soup on yourself while trying to hook meat out of a lobster. I wouldnt bring a big party here again. I would suggest, a date night and a seat at the counter where the chefs are preparing the sushi to really appreciate this place. The normal items like the bento are overpriced and we were served the smallest scoop of ice cream ever for desert, but if youre only ordering sushi and sashimi, it would be better value for your money.

Most of the waitresses speak japanese, the sukiyaki and tempura moriawase were delicious, will come back

This is really one of the worst Japanese food Ive ever had in Melbourne. The beef is very tough and the sukiyaki is very salty. The eel roll is terrible! The rice for the eel roll was actually hot. The price is really expensive, I dont understand why it can be opened in Melbourne for so long, and the rating is still so high.

The best place ....!really trained chefs and the attentive and very nice dining room staff I will be back for sure! thanks to you kenzan! Vincenzo.

Love the corner where they reserve for us, cant complain any for the food quality, definitely one of the best Japanese restaurants found in CBD.But the portion was tiny, better expect to spend 200 dollar above if you have a big stomach.

Best Japanese in melbourne for 40 yearsMay Partner is Japanese and she was suprised that a Japanese restaurant of this quality exists in AustraliaAlways judge a Japanese restaurant by its miso soup and this one is outstanding

Went recently with visitor from New Zealand. Unfortunately felt very harassed to hurry and order as waitress came around every 2 minutes to check if we were ready to order.... Food was excellent in quality but watch the quantity. Ordered 15 pieces of Sashimi. Received 10 pieces with the manager saying 2 staff count the number of pieces on every order. As if anyone would believe that. As I said quality is sensational. Pity the service drops it from 5 stars to 2. Wont come again to be treated in this manner. Sorry.

Very fresh sushi and sashimi, highly recommended. Good service too

My go to lunch place (whenever I have the chance), never tried the dinner but I believe it is equally satisfying. Always had the Unajyu and Horenso Gomaae (appetizer spinach with black sesame), possibly the best Unagi I’ve had here in Melbourne. One thing about their cooking, none of them are overpowering, which is the right way in Japanese cuisine. Highly recommended! But do come early or later though, not midway, as it can get very busy.

Best sushi we’ve had in melbourne! Kenzan is a bit pricey, but worth every dollar. The sushi platter was so fresh and filling. The fatty tuna is a must try, it just melts in your mouth!

Love the food and the place, have never seen so many Japanese in a restaurant. The staffs wear the traditional clothes give the authentic Japanese vibes. Grilled eel is the best. I really should know this place earlier! Hopefully I can dine in the private room next time, looks fantastic

We were there for my birthday trip to Melbourne. My favourite Japanese restaurant in Australia so far! The food is delicious and extravagant! The customer service is the best. They provided a warm towel for customer to fresh up and start the meal. The cold noodle was a free treatment. The tempura is extremely delicious 😋 I didn’t even get the chance to take photos because my husband was eating it😂 For those who love Umeshu Japanese plum wine, all the umeshu wines on the menu are fantastic! Because I tried all of them 😆 We will definitely comeback when we come to Melbourne next time! Highly recommended!

Dine in a very busy night. Sitting at the bar table, had been waiting for 10 minutes without being served nor asking for a drinks or something. This is a bit awkward because as a Japanese fine dining restaurant suppose to look after every single customer. Certainly not a good experience.All other customer were served with hot towels. Asked the waitress why? She said not everyone served with the towels. Another awkward moment. Because I am not a regular customer?The rest are good sushi and sashimi pairing with very good sake.So I would say the kind of services need to be improved. Other than that, good food and good environment.

Celebrated my birthday here, restaurant was chosen by my boyfriend. Fish was fresh, but i wasn’t greatly impressed by the small variety of fish that could be chosen from.The butterfish was talk of the town according to other reviews, but we did not find it as amusing as it was portrayed.Very proper and formal restaurant, staff were polite and nice.📷 Sushi and Sashimi Platter (Medium), Unagi Nigiri, Grilled Butterfish marinated with Special Miso

It was such a pleasure treat to dine in here celebrating a family members birthday. This place is different from other Japanese restaurant in its style. It still preserves a traditional taste instead of fusion. I ordered a set menu with minimum of two. Started with a hearty miso soup and followed with a dumpling. Then sushi and sashimi platter was as great and the beef and rice.The great food taste, the attentive as well as knowledgable staff assistance, and its easily access location, have completed my dining experience. Its ambiance has recalled my memory of having kaiseski during my travel in Japan back then. I definitely would like to come back here for another extraordinary dishes.

Super yummy food, kind, professional and attentive staff, and beautiful food presentation and restaurant decor :also accepting of a last minute booking.On their website, I wish they had a normal online booking system though.

When it comes to sushi & sashimi, Kenzan is still one of the best around town. But surprisingly, service has deteriorated somewhat compared to few years ago when I was last here. Full house on a weeknight..yes, but there’s still an expectation of service standards when you’re paying these sort of money. Rushed service, with poor attention to details. Pandemic-related staff issues??? Time will tell.

Just had lunch there! Can not wait to give the reviews.When some chef starts fusion tries to make modern Japanese cuisine, but Kenzan still keep pure and traditional Japanese cuisine!Watching sushi chefs working is like a show, the young chef’s wrist works like an artist making sushi, and that’s not just a show, he made good sushi!And the kitchen team made delicious salmon and eel as well, that salmon skin is been crispy than cook with sauce, that mix texture is surprising me a bit, but if the salmon can cook a little less will be perfect for me!The Lady waiter is super friendly and helpful! The young girl style is a bit hurry maybe was too busy.As a chef I would love to say that is the best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne!

For a grilled eel lover to know if a Japanese restaurant is authentic or not, from my personal perception is to see if they voluntarily give you SANSHO also known as Chinese pepper which gives u an unique fresh aroma and spicy numbing sensation when an Unagi with rice is being served.In Melbourne many Japanese restaurants dont give you sansho even I asked the waitress they even dont know whats that.Been many times, unlike some weird Japanese restaurant its quite a traditional one. Unagi with rice is very nice, although I can tell Unagi itself is still a frozen one, its quite tender and rich in flavor.When I was in Japan an authentic high end Unagi restaurant sells more than $200 for a freshly grilled eel. So I dont expect I can have anything similar in Australia.

I tried the sashimi and the fish was fresh, rice was well done!!The prawn dumplings and the tempura prawns 🍤 algo recommend! The tempura batter was perfect, light and crispy as it should be.Also I tried a roll with prawns and avo but e prawns has a strong seafood flavour that I didn’t enjoy much, But the fish selection it was just perfect!Friendly and nice staff! And good environment. I really had a good time here 🥰About dessert, I loved the texture of the shiratama! Green creme brûlée feels weird when you try the first time but then became addictive 😅After 4 you can park for 10 aud (flat ratejust next to the restaurant! Amazing

Is the best sushi I have tasted in the city tasty and full of texture and flavour, the place is fancy and you feel welcome from the very beginning, the waitress are kind, pretty and always with a smile, the music have the perfect volume.Definitely Ill be back!!!

An oldie but a goodie, consistency plays a huge part in why Kenzan is still one of the place to go to for Japanese cuisine. Fresh and quality sashimi, simple yet delicious flavours, and amazing execution. Love the grilled butter fish, chawanmushi, tempura, and of course the desserts. Impeccable service rounds up the experience here. Do check them out if you havent yet!

One of the favourite authentic Japanese restaurants located right next to Sofitel in CBD! Their Sashimi and sushi plater is one of my all time favourite, so fresh and delicious, well presented as well! Don’t forget the Green tea Cream brûlée for dessert! Price are reasonable and their manager provides an exceptional customer service!

This is a long standing Japanese institution in Melbournes dining scene and we went here for nostalgia.We had the chefs banquet which I felt is reasonably priced for the quality and quantity of food in the CBD.... however, my companion felt that its a little on the expensive side.Fresh and delicious sashimi and sushi. The teriyaki salmon option as the main was delicately flavoured and the salmon cooked very well.Service was friendly and attentive with water and tea levels being monitored.The only thing to note is that the ambience is perhaps not what you would expect for this price point. Its a busy restaurant and the noise levels can be a little high unless you are perhaps in one of the private dining rooms.

Pleasantly surprised with food quality and services. Portion of unagi was more than sufficient for us. Restaurant was very well patronised the evening we were there, yet dishes were serve according to our pace instead of rushing through to achieve higher turnover.

We were very much looking forward to our dinner but unfortunately our visit was not that great. Service was very slow and our wait staff was neither friendly or attentive. Food was subpar as well. We had a few entrees and sukiyaki beef, all taste very average. Might give it another try for their sushi next time.

great CBD spot for delightful Japanese food. love coming here for the sukiyaki and a glorious sushi fix. bonus points for excellent service.

I visited this restaurant for a dinner with my partner on one of these evenings. Service is attentive and friendly, good selection of drinks, wines & liqueurs. The menu is wide with the possibility of tasting or à la carte menus.We tried the large platter of sushi & sashimi combination, delicious. The oysters fresh & creamy served with ponzu vinegar, The à la carte eel nigiri was amazing. Essential dessert list. Ill be back to try the fresh scampi prawns

Love this place! Great atmosphere for mid-high range Japanese restaurant. You will be look at $70-80 per person. What absolutely need to order is the butter fish with miso marinate in entry. We finished all the way to dessert and decide to order one more dish of this...

Total experience is good, at least the service is better than some other restaurants. The staff are nicer. And they offer real Japanese dishes . It is with a wide space, which is not squishy to sit in and enjoy the food . Their teriyaki dishes with rice are fantastically good. Although it is on a bit of expensive side, it is worth a try.

Very authentic Japanese food. Delicious and generous portions. The atmosphere was ok as it was a bit noisy but the food made up for that all good. Price was not too bad for its portions. Will definitely visit again. Highly recommended place to eat.