Akaiito is a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, serving deluxe seafood in a broody black setting. The Sentaku Menu was $55 pp for 3 small dishes and 3 large dishes.
We dined as a group of 6 before Christmas and had no issues booking a table last minute. On top of the Sentaku Menu, we also got a few additional dishes to share so the individual bill was approx. $150 pp. The prices have decreased but this isn’t updated on their website so the numbers here are the most recent changes.
They served our sashimi, sushi and nigiri first so I’ve posted in the same order.
We dined as a group of 6 before Christmas and had no issues booking a table last minute. On top of the Sentaku Menu, we also got a few additional dishes to share so the individual bill was approx. $150 pp. The prices have decreased but this isn’t updated on their website so the numbers here are the most recent changes.
They served our sashimi, sushi and nigiri first so I’ve posted in the same order.
Additional
Our first dish was the Platter of Market Sashimi with 24 pieces of fresh seafood for $60.
It included the staple salmon, tuna, kingfish, hamachi, scallops, scampi and roe, displayed beautifully on a chilled plate. The cut was thick but a tad small in size. One lucky person got the scampi so it was a bit unfortunate we couldn’t divide the value evenly but otherwise, not a bad start to the meal.
It included the staple salmon, tuna, kingfish, hamachi, scallops, scampi and roe, displayed beautifully on a chilled plate. The cut was thick but a tad small in size. One lucky person got the scampi so it was a bit unfortunate we couldn’t divide the value evenly but otherwise, not a bad start to the meal.
This was the Kingfish sashimi for $20.
It was 6 thick slices of hiramasa kingfish with daikon, kombu, chives, and truffle ponzu. The sauce was delightful, coating the fresh body of the fish in this salty, tangy jacket. The truffle flavour was a subtle enhancement to the bite. And the shredded daikon balanced everything with its neutrality.
It was 6 thick slices of hiramasa kingfish with daikon, kombu, chives, and truffle ponzu. The sauce was delightful, coating the fresh body of the fish in this salty, tangy jacket. The truffle flavour was a subtle enhancement to the bite. And the shredded daikon balanced everything with its neutrality.
Okay, moving on to the nigiri. The Salmon Belly (Tasmania) was $7 each.
The portion and ratio were just right, with the tail coming off the rice ball. The salmon was buttery and melted in our mouths with its fatty goodness 🤤. It had a sweet and light fishy flavour, complemented by the vinegar rice.
The portion and ratio were just right, with the tail coming off the rice ball. The salmon was buttery and melted in our mouths with its fatty goodness 🤤. It had a sweet and light fishy flavour, complemented by the vinegar rice.
This was the Chu-Toro (South Australia) for $8 and WOW! We didn’t expect the caviar 😍.
This luxurious bite was perfect with the sweet tenderness of a freshly-sliced fatty tuna, the salted amplification of caviar and the grated ginger. All you could hear was mmmmmm-ing around the table. It was definitely a favourite of the night. We ordered the chu-toro over the o-toro because we were hesitant with the ‘market price’ however, we have no regrets for picking the leaner cut.
This luxurious bite was perfect with the sweet tenderness of a freshly-sliced fatty tuna, the salted amplification of caviar and the grated ginger. All you could hear was mmmmmm-ing around the table. It was definitely a favourite of the night. We ordered the chu-toro over the o-toro because we were hesitant with the ‘market price’ however, we have no regrets for picking the leaner cut.
Next was one of my favourites, the Scampi (New Zealand) at $9 each.
I wish I had a better group photo for this deliciously creamy crustacean. The scampi was sooo creamy and sweet, balanced by the hint of lemon. The tobiko roe added a crunchy texture to an otherwise buttery bite.
I wish I had a better group photo for this deliciously creamy crustacean. The scampi was sooo creamy and sweet, balanced by the hint of lemon. The tobiko roe added a crunchy texture to an otherwise buttery bite.
This was the Red Snapper Ikijime (New Zealand) at $6 each.
It was a lot less fishy in taste than its neighbours but still had a compact smack of flavours. The orange garnish (I think it was a type of roe) was slightly salty, contrasting and intensifying the sweetness of the fish.
It was a lot less fishy in taste than its neighbours but still had a compact smack of flavours. The orange garnish (I think it was a type of roe) was slightly salty, contrasting and intensifying the sweetness of the fish.
Another crowd favourite was the Kingfish Belly (South Australia) at $7 each.
The kingfish was sweet, with a strong and clean taste despite the fatty contents of the cut. It was not as mouth-watering as the chu-toro but still as delectable for a belly part. The perilla added a subtle mix of minty and liquorice flavours.
The kingfish was sweet, with a strong and clean taste despite the fatty contents of the cut. It was not as mouth-watering as the chu-toro but still as delectable for a belly part. The perilla added a subtle mix of minty and liquorice flavours.
The BBQ Freshwater Eel (Taiwan) was only ordered by Mick and Aaron. It was $6.
The eel was caramelized and full of flavour. Despite how intense it was, the taste was still clean and not overly saucy at all. The sliced scallions and grated daikon brought a neutral, earthy taste to the bite.
The eel was caramelized and full of flavour. Despite how intense it was, the taste was still clean and not overly saucy at all. The sliced scallions and grated daikon brought a neutral, earthy taste to the bite.
Ooooft, the Scallop was imported from Japan and it was delicious 😍. It was $6 each.
The portion was huge, overshadowing the vinegar rice. It was so fat and buttery, melting in our mouths with all its creaminess. The seared crust was light and the finished brush of soy sauce was the perfect amount of salt. The tobiko roe added a crunchy element to the creamy bite. It was amazing and made us miss Japan so much.
The portion was huge, overshadowing the vinegar rice. It was so fat and buttery, melting in our mouths with all its creaminess. The seared crust was light and the finished brush of soy sauce was the perfect amount of salt. The tobiko roe added a crunchy element to the creamy bite. It was amazing and made us miss Japan so much.
Small Dishes
Our first small dish was the Robata Scallops with yuzu and seaweed butter. We got one each.
The scallop was fat and creamy but slightly underwhelming when compared to the nigiri. It was a good thing it was drenched in kombu butter and torched to a caramelized perfection. This elevated the scallop’s creaminess, giving it this beautifully charred and sweet flavour.
The scallop was fat and creamy but slightly underwhelming when compared to the nigiri. It was a good thing it was drenched in kombu butter and torched to a caramelized perfection. This elevated the scallop’s creaminess, giving it this beautifully charred and sweet flavour.
Next was the Wagyu Tataki with sweet ponzu and spring onion. We had 3 slices each.
These were thin slices of seared wagyu steak, enhanced with grated daikon and pepper on the skin. The wagyu was very tender but this may be due to the thinness of the slice. The pepper was strong, leaving a lingering spice on the tongue. The wagyu was drenched in the ponzu sauce, and with the scallion curls, it added a citric sweetness to the bite.
These were thin slices of seared wagyu steak, enhanced with grated daikon and pepper on the skin. The wagyu was very tender but this may be due to the thinness of the slice. The pepper was strong, leaving a lingering spice on the tongue. The wagyu was drenched in the ponzu sauce, and with the scallion curls, it added a citric sweetness to the bite.
Our last small was the Robata King Ebi with kombu butter and shellfish oil. We had one each.
This king prawn was very, very buttery, cooked magnificently. The charred flavours and chives enhanced the prawn taste, and this was balanced by the touch of lemon. It was so well cooked, we were able to eat the entire prawn, head and all. It was delicious and crunchy, and we definitely confused the waitress with our empty plates 😂.
This king prawn was very, very buttery, cooked magnificently. The charred flavours and chives enhanced the prawn taste, and this was balanced by the touch of lemon. It was so well cooked, we were able to eat the entire prawn, head and all. It was delicious and crunchy, and we definitely confused the waitress with our empty plates 😂.
Large Dishes
The Robata Gindara Saikyo Yaki was another favourite of the night. It was a miso-marinated 51 toothfish, chargrilled to perfection and served with pickled ginger, grated daikon and lime. This was one dish between two people.
You can never go wrong with miso marinade. The combination of umami, salty and sweet flavours of the miso elevated the tender flesh of the toothfish, creating this mouthwatering bite. The chargrilled touch caramelized the fish. It was so friggin’ good, we could easily eat another one each 🤤. The simple accompaniments really complemented the fish.
You can never go wrong with miso marinade. The combination of umami, salty and sweet flavours of the miso elevated the tender flesh of the toothfish, creating this mouthwatering bite. The chargrilled touch caramelized the fish. It was so friggin’ good, we could easily eat another one each 🤤. The simple accompaniments really complemented the fish.
This was the Robata Tori Kosho Yaki; a miso-marinated spring chicken, char-grilled with yuzu kosho. This dish was 3 portions worth.
This chicken was delicious in its own way and, although paled in comparison to the toothfish, it was still an incredible bite. The miso marinade was just *chefs kiss* and tenderised the thigh fillets. The banana leaf wrap was aromatic, adding depth of flavour to the protein. Personally, I found the orange dip a tad spicy but it was a good burn on my lips 😅.
This chicken was delicious in its own way and, although paled in comparison to the toothfish, it was still an incredible bite. The miso marinade was just *chefs kiss* and tenderised the thigh fillets. The banana leaf wrap was aromatic, adding depth of flavour to the protein. Personally, I found the orange dip a tad spicy but it was a good burn on my lips 😅.
We ordered the Soft Shell Crab Maki Roll as an addition for $22. It had chilli mayo, cucumber and tobiko. As you can see, the portion was not divided evenly.
The soft shell crab was indeed a soft crunch with an intense umami flavour, balanced by the fresh cucumber. The spicy mayo and salty tobiko cut through the crab and were a delicious finish to the bite. It was kinda disappointing that two of the portions didn’t have these condiments because they definitely added dimension to the crab.
The soft shell crab was indeed a soft crunch with an intense umami flavour, balanced by the fresh cucumber. The spicy mayo and salty tobiko cut through the crab and were a delicious finish to the bite. It was kinda disappointing that two of the portions didn’t have these condiments because they definitely added dimension to the crab.
Our last main was the Wagyu Steak 36 Days Dry Aged.
This was originally a dish shared between 3 people however the staff brought out a third dish and said it was on the house 😍. Hopefully, that was true and not that they forgot our dish because free food sounds more appealing LOL so, in the end, one dish between 2 people and we had about 7 slices each.
This was a wagyu MB3+, dripping in its own fatty oils and tenderised to a soft, juicy mouthful. Even though the grade was not that high, it was still really scrumptious by the way they grilled the beef. The condiments were a wafu dipping sauce (salt, soy and sesame), grated daikon, wasabi and chilli. Simple and delicious.
This was originally a dish shared between 3 people however the staff brought out a third dish and said it was on the house 😍. Hopefully, that was true and not that they forgot our dish because free food sounds more appealing LOL so, in the end, one dish between 2 people and we had about 7 slices each.
This was a wagyu MB3+, dripping in its own fatty oils and tenderised to a soft, juicy mouthful. Even though the grade was not that high, it was still really scrumptious by the way they grilled the beef. The condiments were a wafu dipping sauce (salt, soy and sesame), grated daikon, wasabi and chilli. Simple and delicious.
Dessert
We ordered the dessert platter for $12 pp to finish the night. This was a mix of homemade Japanese cheesecake and matcha tiramisu.
This was the matcha cheesecake with coconut cream and rose petals. It was mildly sweet with a moderate amount of bitter matcha flavour. It was more creamy than cakey. The presentation was beautiful. This portion was shared between 3 people.
I barely caught the ingredients but this was a friggin’ delicious chocolate mouse on a tiramisu bed. It was like a crunchy brownie and everyone wanted more of it 😍. This was shared between all of us hence the blurry photo because everyone wanted a bite haha.
Finally, this was vanilla icecream on matcha tiramisu with fresh strawberries. The matcha tiramisu was good with a moderate amount of matcha flavouring. It was refreshing to eat.
drink
Everyone had a cocktail from the menu. The voted favourite was the Cobra Kai. Pictured above is my Red Thread; a Roku gin, St Germain, lavender-pink, lemon juice, raspberry and rose petals for $18. The lemon was prominent and the raspberry was tart so it was not an appealing cocktail to me.
Service
We were seated by the front door and out of the way from the main area so it was slightly difficult to get their attention. The service started off slow but once the food arrived, everything was well-paced. The staff were very friendly and as mentioned earlier, they gave us a free wagyu dish so bonus points to them 🥇.
Review
The quality of food was definitely premium with fresh seafood and appetising gastronomy. It was more of a deluxe cuisine than an experimental fusion. The music was a continuous oriental tune that really zoned us out, setting the broody mood.
Overall, we really enjoyed dinner and would splurge here again.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating! 😚
Overall, we really enjoyed dinner and would splurge here again.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating! 😚
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