Izakaya Chuji - Melbourne

Chuji is one of my favourite spots in the city. They are reasonably priced with tons of vegetarian and vegan options. I love nasu dengaku and agedashi tofu, both of which they do really well. They also have plenty a great Japanese beer selection, plus a craft brew and sake bar next door with even more options. No reason not to love this spot.

I had a good experience dining at this restaurant, which offers traditional Japanese sushi and sashimi. I visited with two other people and we shared the chef's selection plate ($75), which included a great variety of sushi and chunky, fatty sashimi. We also tried the karage chicken, which was tasty but nothing exceptional. Unfortunately, the staff seemed to have difficulty with English and there were some misunderstandings with our order. Additionally, some of the sake listed on the menu was not available, which was a bit disappointing. Despite these issues, I would still return for the delicious sashimi.

The restaurant provides a lively and casual dining atmosphere with seating options near the sushi bar, where we enjoyed a variety of small plates, casual conversation, and drinks. The staff was efficient and friendly, and the noise level was not overwhelming. We began our meal with two delicious preparations of gyutan (ox tongue) - one with salt and one with butter - showcasing the unique flavors of this underrated dish. The umeshu (Harutsuku from Kobe) provided a sweet and slightly tart complement to the meal. While the assorted tempura was tasty, some dishes were a bit heavy on the batter. The whole grilled ika (squid) was cooked perfectly and served with a light soy sauce, while the yakiniku platter (meat skewers) had some hits and misses - the beef was tough but the chicken and pork were excellent. The menu offers a wide range of options for different tastes and budgets, and we look forward to returning to try more dishes in the future.

This place is has a very authentic Japanese vibe to it. The menu is very extensive. They have a lot of drink options and a lot of izakaya but also main dishes. I got a sushi/sashimi platter, takoyaki and yakisoba.

I visited this restaurant with my partner and we had a great experience. The food was delicious, especially the sushi. The potato salad was also tasty. The beef tartare was soft and flavorful. The chicken skewers were a bit dry and lacked sauce. The Japanese pancake okonomiyaki was flavorful, especially with the Japanese mayo. We also enjoyed a chef's flight of 3 sake, which were the perfect complement to our meal at 60ml per serve. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant.