Welcome to Gaijin.
This place is dangerously delicious, I tell you. Just down the road from the Emerson, it’s unsuspecting from the front, so you’ve probably walked past it several times without realising. The signage is small and the décor is authentic, but move past the minimalism and you’ll find a treasure trove of food here - Japanese fusion with a focus on creative sushi.
Each dish is a mish-mash of Asian meets western influence with plenty of tempura and sauces, but don’t be afraid to ask for them on the side if you prefer. We kicked things off with the soft-shell crab and salmon tartare. Both lavished with Gaijin’s special mayo – yum.
Next, some sushi. Since we had fully committed to blowing our diet we opted for the Tasmanian – crab, salmon, avocado and nori with a tempura shell. An amazing combination of flavours and texture but definitely one to share with your bestie – all to yourself and you may feel the need to unbutton…
Finally, being the lover of spring rolls that I am, we had the teriyaki beef which was glazed to sticky perfection. All the dishes here are very reasonably priced, most between $10 and $18. And if you want, you can sit in traditional Japanese zashiki seating (on the ground with a low table).
A little sweet trio to round us off (which has firmly converted me to mochi balls of the tiramisu variety) and it was time to head on home. After all, it was a school night.
If I haven’t convinced you yet, then you’ll be thrilled to hear Gaijin does all-you-can-eat specials Monday-Thursday eves: $42 for sushi and $50 for sushi and sashimi. Guess you know where to find me…
Where: 135 Commercial Road, South Yarra 3141
Phone: 03 9804 8873
Bookings: Recommended
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Photos by Krissie.