Yuzu is one of those hidden laneway restaurants that is so Melbourne. Located in Church Lane in the heart of the CBD, it’s a Modern Japanese restaurant. Serving up sushi, sashimi, meaty mains & salads alongside cocktail classics, wine, sake and beer. During the day it’s a bustling cafe, but at night they dim the lights for a more intimate environment.
We started off with Pina Colada and Lemon Lime & Bitters, refreshing. They have happy hour specials from 5pm-7pm, including an amazing entree plate for $10. The plate had a delicious array of octopus balls, fried chicken, spring roll, dumplings and edamame. Yum!
Following that a super kale salad. It included perfectly cooked broccoli, with a generous serve of quinoa and a light miso dressing. This a really healthy & tasty option for those watching their waistline.
For mains, we tried the Miso duck. Wow! The duck had a great tempura crust and sweet miso sauce on top. Accompanied by pickled radish and cucumber, this intensely flavoured dish is a must order for duck fans.
Poached pears were our pick for dessert. The pear flavour was soft and gentle, complete with a coconut & oat crumb and honeycomb crisps. The menu said it had coconut, but I couldn’t really taste or see it. Regardless, a great dish. I’m glad they provided a dairy-free dessert option. The restaurant has intimate lighting at dinner, making food photography challenging. Luckily, the nearby sushi bar has great lighting, which is how I got the dessert photo.
The service was fast and friendly. Quite impressive for a restaurant so full. The bill was very affordable, this place is excellent value for money. If you’re looking for great Japanese food in the CBD, I would strongly recommend Yuzu.