Melbourne’s best sushi restaurants rated, including Minamishima, Kenzan and Yugen

Melbourne is a long way from Tokyo but the Victorian capital’s love affair with sushi could not be much stronger. SEE THE FULL LIST

Yugen knows how to mke a meal. Picture: Gareth Sobey

Melbourne is a long way from Tokyo – 8100 kilometres, more or less – but the city’s love affair with the addictive culinary art form has a long history.

The first sushi bar is said to have been opened in 1977 (Kuni’s, since you asked) and since then the notion of eating seaweed and raw fish has gone from novelty to mainstream.

These days we not only know our sushi from sashimi but our maki rolls from ngiri, while the typical Australian trio of salmon, tuna and kingfish is being challenged by a dazzling repertoire of produce.

From large restaurants to tiny hole-in-the-wall shops and all ports in between, It’s easy to dream of sushi in Melbourne.

Here’s our guide to five of the best.

Minamishima

You simply have to try Minamishima.

The best sushi temple in Melbourne (and quite possibly Australia), this hard-to-find spot in backstreet Richmond could give the top sushi-yas of Tokyo a run for their money.

Behind the 12-seat wooden sushi counter, mood-lit for extra gravitas, sushi master Koichi Minamishimi and one chef offsider deftly palm lightly vinegared rice and top it with a rollcall of luxe ingredients.

You can expect velvety-rich Hokkaido scallops or just-torched tuna belly that explodes into rivulets of fat, but also expect the unexpected: jellyfish with ankimo (monkfish liver) paste and shiso leaf, perhaps, or the meatiness of alfonsino offset by smoked radish.

Nothing short of a triumph, it’s Melbourne’s must-do sushi ticket.

4 Lord St, Richmond, minamishima.com.au

Kenzan

The sushi scene’s revered elder, Kenzan has been doing its thing for more than 40 years and doing it extremely well indeed.

The menu extends to all the Japanese greatest hits, from tempura to agedashi tofu and teriyaki-glazed beef, but the ngiri sushi is the star of the show, whether you’re seated in the buzzing dining room or at the more intimate 12-seat sushi counter.

Even a California roll becomes exciting with vibrant pops of flying fish roe, while the smoky-sweet charms of grilled eel or the textural triumph of the ebiten maki roll – prawn tempura with roe and mayonnaise – are a sushi masterclass.

Collins Place, 56 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, kenzan.com.au

Yugen has self-described “sashimi florist” Alex Yu behind the counter. Picture: Marcel Aucar

Yūgen

With self-described “sashimi florist” Alex Yu (ex-Sokyo, Sydney) behind the counter, Melbourne’s latest raw fish offering is also one of its greatest.

At South Yarra’s new mod-Asian glamazon Yūgen, Yu’s sushi and sashimi are a work of art thanks to their stunning display of meticulous knifework along with an array of branches, flowers and edible greens.

You can go all out at this sophisticated bunker, where premium platters offer five different parts of bluefin tuna alongside abalone, uni, imperato golden eye snapper, scampi and paradise prawns.

But even entry level platters are a cut above. Kingfish, salmon and tuna are served traditionally, while you can expect snapper and scallop with dressings such as Sichuan mayo or chilli plum.

605 Chapel Street, South Yarra, yugendining.com.au

Chocolate Buddha

Sushi at Chocolate Buddha sure is a hit.

Melbourne is no stranger to the delights of the sushi train, and Chocolate Buddha’s contribution to the oeuvre boasts the extra fun of a “bullet” train that delivers a la carte dishes whooshing at speed to your seat.

But this parade of sushi is able to hold its own without the novelty factor. Prawn tobiko maki crusted in tempura crumbs, kingfish electrified with jalapeno and wagyu with the gentle fire of peri peri mayo all deliver reliable excellence.

A glam refit has kept this Federation Square favourite at the height of fashion, while the warmth of the service will leave you purring.

Federation Square, Melbourne, chocolatebuddha.com.au

Chocolate Buddha is a must-go for sushi lovers.

Shira Nui

Shira Nui offers all round excellence.

The pride of the eastern suburbs for almost 20 years, this Japanese all-rounder has won a cult-like following.

Much of that is thanks to the expertise of owner Hiro Nishikura, who is commonly found behind the sushi counter working magic with everything from the everyday (salmon, blowtorched to release the fats) to the inventive, such as the baked oyster sushi (an off-menu item regulars know to request).

Our advice? Give yourself over to the ever-changing daily omakase selection, which might include cod dabbed with tobiko (flying fish roe), big-flavoured mackerel perfectly matched with ginger, or the luscious miso-grilled ocean trout belly.

247 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley, no web