Kaneda Japanese Restaurant – The Overview…
Food: mixed sushi, yakatori skewers, beef curry and chicken Katsu ramen
Ratings:
Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 4.5/5
The details…
Cosy and cramped Kaneda is a small, yet popular Japanese restaurant. While managing to retain that energy of an inner city noodle bar, it’s still very much a disposable chopsticks, coke in a can kind of venue, though there’s a slightly more refined edge to it and it does feel more upmarket than most. Their menu does almost everything you can imagine – from sushi rolls, to curries to ramen. It’s almost overwhelming to a point but honestly if you want something Japanese, they probably have it here. The staff are pleasant, cheerful and service was prompt.
We tried the mixed sushi, yakatori skewers, beef curry and chicken Katsu ramen. The sushi arrived first – looking both pretty and good value for $12. 6 pieces is a good sized entree for two. It held up well and was easy to eat. I liked the fact there were some slightly different choices in there too. It’s a great intro to sushi if you’re not sure what to go for, or a nice start to your meal. This was my favourite dish of the night, and for affordable sushi Kaneda is an excellent choice. I’d definitely like to go back and try more.
The skewers had 3 chunky pieces of chicken on each (you get 3). The chicken was well cooked and heavily drizzled in the rich yakatori sauce. There was a nice sweetness to them, and they’re pretty filling. An enjoyable dish, but they didn’t quite hit the highs of the sushi.
We opted for the beef curry, although they have a whole range of curries to suit almost any taste. We loved the thinly sliced beef and the fact that they just stuck to basics with the sauce, not trying to do anything fancy. There was plenty of rice accompanying it too. It was a generous portion, and there was meat in every mouthful. An excellent great value option.
Kaneda are certainly generous with their portions. The soup has a nice, mild fish flavour and was a huge serve. The miso flavour doesn’t rise up as much as it should, and if you ordered it for that reason only, you may be a little disappointed. However, ignoring that, it’s a really pleasant broth – packed full of ingredients as you can see from the photo. Flavour wise it was uncomplicated, and mild. They really hero the chicken and the natural flavour of the broth, and other than a little spring onion, there wasn’t a lot of strong flavours added with the other ingredients. It’s a clever contrast from the strong curry and I liked that it catered to a different audience, allowing everyone to have a favourite dish here.
Everything else…
Website: http://kaneda.cafeleader.com/
Address: 200 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Opening Times:
Mon 11:30am to 9:30pm
Tue 11:30am to 9:30pm
Wed 11:30am to 9:30pm
Thu 11:30am to 9:30pm
Fri 11:30am to 9:30pm
Sat 11:30am to 9:30pm
Sun 11:30am to 9:30pm
Parking: Bourke Street is not the easiest place to parking. There’s ample paid parking in car parks nearby though.
Getting here on PT: The 86 and 96 trams both stop practically outside the door. Almost any CBD public transport will be walkable to this central restaurant.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Kaneda Japanese Restaurant, Melbourne. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a restaurant won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.