Chotto Motto - Japanese Bar & Restaurant

Have been wanting to try this place for a while now after hearing a lot of good things and finally had the opportunity to dine in tonight. Well worth the hype.
Table staff were friendly and service was quick. We ordered the pork dumplings in sauce, pan fried prawn and ginger dumplings, chicken karaage and chips seasoned with Japanese curry chicken salt. Everything we ordered was tasty and well seasoned. The atmosphere and decor was also a huge bonus- felt just like stepping into Japan!
Would definitely recommend.

We stumbled across this place late at night looking for some food, and were quickly drawn in by the cool decor and promise of gyozas!

While the vibe and interior was very cool, the food was hit and miss. Despite being a lover of all types of dumplings, I personally didn't really enjoy anything. My mates enjoyed it much more than me, so your mileage may vary.

Great little Japanese joint with excellent, tasty food. Have been here twice now and love so many dishes on the menu. Great pseudo-retro atmosphere and friendly staff round the evening out quite well.

Came here with a friend on a Saturday, the place was quite busy but the atmosphere was nice and lively. The food was fantastic, and service was on point. Decor is interesting and very fun, would highly recommend popping by if you’re in the area!

Great food and a great atmosphere.

I loved the food but portions are small and prices are not reflective of the quality.

If you are serving a chip Japanese bites, the price should not be a fine dining.

I would love to be able eat here now often, if possible.

Service, vibes and food presentation was good, but food was a bit hit and miss! Some were really nice and some were just okay. The kingfish, fennel and gyoza were the highlights for us. We had high expectations for the cocktails and unfortunately they were not met. The corn was the biggest disappointment, it didn't have much flavour. We sat in the shed area which was a bit crowded, staff and other diners bumped into our chairs multiple times during our dinner and it wasn't the best experience. And these were soft chairs not hard ones, so we were felt the bump. For what we paid ($80pp), it just didn't have the "wow" factor at all for us.

Limited food choices. It seems more like a bar than a place to eat. Great if you're thirsty, but not if you're hungry.

Food menu doesn't have many options but food was overall good with decent prices. Good service and love the decor and vibes!

Food was so incredible, portion sizes were generous and so flavourful! The ambiance and the drinks were also amazing. Would 100% recommend

Really nice venue with approachable and friendly staff, smaller food menu than other places but more than makes up for it with the quality and wait times. Cocktails were also a highlight! Will absolutely come again

Always love coming back here. Super fun vibes and decor. Highly recommend the pork gyoza in chilli oil and charred corn

Went there for dinner last night for a date, it was so cute! Definitely book ahead, it’s popular so walk ins may not get seated.
Had the chilli oil king prawn dumplings, which were perfectly cooked. Sometimes the prawns can get overcooked but not these. They were perfect! Next time I’d like to try them in the yuzu - def recommend these esp as they’re their signature dish. Then the chicken karage which was crispy but the yuzu mayo was so light and delicious. 10/10. Finally we had the agadashi tofu, which was easily my favourite dish, I love the sauce they did that justice. The eggplant was fall apart melty and they got the fry on the tofu just right. We also got the house sake hot, which was a vibe.
Three dishes for two was more than enough, total cost was $86, so roughy $40 each. For the vibe, cute venue, really lovely people who worked there, delicious food - Would come back for sure.

Fantastic service. Moorish food. Great cocktails. Make sure you pick up the phone in the entry that tells your fortune!

Decent Japanese food but definitely modernised to suit other palettes. The decor was also quite nice.
Chilli oil is not quite mild so definitely give it a go as it had nice flavour!
Desserts are highly recommended especially the ice-cream.

Really fun place. Went for dinner and had a bunch of share plates, the edamame was particularly fantastic! It is a bit hard to get in which is the only downside but if you are willing to walk over and wait for some time, you can usually get a table. The outside area is great but inside is even more of a vibe!

Well decorated venue however that was the only highlight. Were only offered bar seating then tables for 2 sat empty. Then sat at bar for 30 mins before being asked if we wanted to order. Over a 60 min wait for 2 drinks and 1 main. Really wanted this to be a go-to place however service was poor, despite having enough staff, it was lacklustre. Gyoza was sludgy/falling apart on the base.: (

Creative atmosphere with all sorts of Japanese paraphernalia, great gyoza and a Yuzu Soda to die for. Well worth the wait!

Chotto Motto is a super vibrant and electric Gyoza bar in Collingwood, decked out with Japanese junk shop treasure in every corner. Everywhere you look there’s something quirky, unique and exciting, I felt like I had stepped into a different world. They specialise in Hamamatsu regional style of cooking gyoza which they hand-make daily. You have 3 sauces to choose from, as well as 3 fillings. They also have pan-fried options and other plates to share. I was super keen to finally visit having heard that their Crispy Chilli Oil is amazing (they sell it both in-house as well as across different stockists).

The highlight was the Chicken Karaage – beautifully crispy, juicy, and the curry mayo was a fantastic accompaniment; I really appreciated the creativity here and we could’ve had another serving it was that good. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by the Gyoza – they were a little lack lustre. The meats inside were seasoned well enough but didn’t pack a punch. The Crispy Chilli Oil was okay but the heat didn’t really show itself. The best ones we tried were the Shiitake & Chive, they had a lot more flavour to them because of the umami of the mushrooms. The dough of the dumplings was perfection – thin, silky and it didn’t feel like you were having more carbs than protein per bite. They were pan-fried nicely adding crispness to the soft texture.

I’d return to try some more of their menu, I am curious about their other sauces on offer as well as their sides. The Gyoza didn’t blow my mind but it’s still made fresh and in-house so I understand the appeal. It is a little pricey (e.g. $24.5 for 10pcs), so I was disappointed that I didn’t love it more. Perhaps my high expectations are what set me up for disappointment in this experience.

One of my favourites in all of melb! Chicken Karage is to die for, so many great drink options in the Japanese vending machine and beers on tap. Such a fun atmosphere and aesthetic, would highly recommend

Fantastic Japanese restaurant with a terrific vibe and wonderful staff! Try the espresso martini!