My old work colleague has been raving on about this Japanese joint that he absolutely adores and I figured why not hit it up on our next catchup. Gaijin is located on Commercial Road in South Yarra, just a bit further out than the other restaurants which means plenty of parking around. A reservation was recommended according to the website and so I followed the instructions, texted them and did not get a response. So my friend made the booking and BAM she got a reservation. Not a great start for me. Now, back to the night, the staff were super friendly and we were excited! One of the specials that night was the cheesy gyozas. I adore gyozas and I adore cheese and together, they were MAGICAL!
Cheesy Gyozas – $15
The soft shell crab was deep fried and was so oily that I couldn’t really taste the soft shell crab at all which was a shame.
Crispy Soft Shell Crab – $14
Deep fried soft shell crab, Gaijin special mayo, tempura crunch, masago
The miso eggplant was drowned in miso and the eggplant was unfortunately so soggy and didn’t have any structure at all. The seaweed salad though, fresh and delish and a great snack to nibble on.
Nasu Dengaku – $10 Seaweed Salad – $7
Now for the sushis. I let my friend choose and he got the Tasmanian roll and the Melbournian roll. Both were very fusion-ised and unfortunately they didn’t tickle my fancy. They either had so much mayo and everything was fried. However, the veggies roll for my friend’s glowing wife was DELISH! Loved it!
Tasmanian Roll – $15 All Veggies Roll – $11
Melbournian Roll – $15
The service was great, the staff were so attentive and made sure you were okay and the food came out real quick. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of the food. Sorry Gaijin but we won’t be back anytime soon.
Verdict: 🍷🍷
Food: 🍷
Service: 🍷🍷🍷
Value: 🍷🍷
135 Commercial Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Tel: (03) 9804 8873
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