Izakaya Minami

Offering some of the most downright affordable Japanese food in the CBD, their food surprised us in its flavor and the portions are generous. The restaurant itself is flanked by a bar so its the perfect place to hang out both a bite and a drink Here’s what we had:
Mentai Jagaimo Yaki
We believe you can put Japanese BBQ sauce and mayo on anything and it’d taste decent - and this dish proves us right. Imagine a potato croquette with your usual okonomoyaki toppings and that’s what this is. Not too surprising in flavor but definitely a good snack.

Sashimi Moriawase
The Chef’s choice of assorted sashimi, this plate was exactly what you’d expect - light, with a diverse range of fish, and a must have if you’re craving sashimi. The salmon and kingfish were particular favorites of ours.

Wagyu Tataki
Thinly sliced and seared wagyu flanked with a citrusy dressing, this plate was fantastic. But, with the coriander, it reminded us a lot of beef in hot pot - but with neither the hot or the pot.

Ika Teriyaki
Too often squid can taste like rubberbands. Fortunately, that is not the case here with a squid dish that is tender, flavored, and cooked well. The teriyaki sauce in particular is something we’re not usually huge fans of, but it was light and complimented the dish perfectly.

Asaru Sakamushi
Definitely our favorite dish of the night - this dish offers an incredible bowl of neck clam egg noodle soup that is just a touch spicy. Hearty, warm, and very filling, we’d order this any day of the week.

The dining experience at Izakaya Minami is all class. The dark tile floors and rich wooden furniture create a warm and comfortable atmosphere which is nicely complimented by soft piano music. The large front windows, partially covered with draping vegetation, provide plenty of natural light. As far as the food goes, we were thoroughly impressed by everything we ordered. In particular, the slow-cooked pork belly was phenomenal, with melt-in-your-mouth slices of pork sitting in a delicious Japanese sweet soy stock. This place is perfect for all occasions, be it a first date or a catch up with friends, family or colleagues.

Good vibes. Sashimi and sushi is the best in CBD. Taste is for Japanese so I felt like I was in Japan. I hope there is more kind of Japanese sake especially spicy one (辛口).
Thank you. I'll be back soon.

It's a Japanese fusion restaurant and I recommend the clam noodles and grilled squid! I like it very much ~ there is also sashimi and sukiyaki, the overall taste is on the light side. The ambience is perfect for parties and dates, and there's a bar where you can drink!

Food was stunning to look at and eat. Staff were pleasant and informative. Excellent vibes had a large family near us having a good time too. Would definitely go again.

Had an excellent experience at Izakaya Minami. After some minor troubles with our order the owner made sure we were very well accommodated and provided excellent service to us. The food was also good and reasonably priced.

This is one of the best Japanese spots in Melbourne. Great location next to PTV, and is the perfect spot for a group of friends or for an intimate date.

The quality of the Wagyu beef was breathtaking. The smokey flavour has us craving it and wanting to come back every day!

The seafood was very fresh and we loved our Kungpao chicken too.

We would absolutely recommend this spot if you are after authentic Japanese cuisine

The food was generous and really affordable. Atmosphere is a good place to hangout with friends, chatting, having a good time, telling stories while consuming good japanese food. The staff was really accommodating and was quick to serve our food. Overall its a gold dinning with friends experience.

High quality sashimi and soup.
Very kindness employees thank you so much!
I highly recommend!

Izakaya Minami is a great Japanese restaurant. The sushi and meat are both very good, but the lamb ribs are the best. They're extremely soft and melt in your mouth. The service is also excellent.

Lovely Japanese restaurant in CBD. I’ve chosen it for dinner with my husband. Really calm atmosphere and great food. We tried a sushi platter, shake avo maki, miso soup, lamb ribs, buta kakuni (pork belly) with rice. Meat is incredibly delicious, so tender! Definitely recommend you to visit!

What an experience and bountiful flavours.
The menu is a combination of Korean, Japanese and random kung pao chicken so it should satisfy your needs.

Had the sashimi (10 pieces), spicy Korean fried chicken, unagi fry rice and wagyu with highballs. It was amazing. The food is fresh and tasty. Presentation is great. Service is responsive with a call button and the owner and waiters are really accommodating.

Highly recommended for dinner.

Authentic Japanese food, I love the cripsy eggplant the best the service is great too! Highly recommend:)

I absolutely loved my experience at Izakaya Minami! The food was amazing, along with the atmosphere and the service. I especially loved the salmon sushi and the sweet soy fried chicken. 5/5 I will definitely go again!

Izakaya Minami - Japanese food at its best. 4.8/5

We tried it after reading all the great reviews and they lived up to expectations.

Sushi
Was fresh and appetising, what a great start to a meal!

Mushroom noodles
Were beautifully cooked and flavourful.

Wagyu steak?
Was cooked impeccably, so succulent and tender it melted in the mouth.oh buttery goodness.

Clam egg noodle soup?
Was a well balanced dish, the clams were cooked just right, it was a joy to eat it.

Fried chicken
Was light and crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, just as you would expect a perfect piece of fried chicken to be.

Mushroom fried rice
Had a pleasant charred taste and every ingredient was prepared with care.

Green tea ice cream
Sesame panna cotta
Was a great dessert to finish an amazing dinner.

Thank you, Izakaya Minami for such delightful culinary experience!

Enjoyed our meal here. We weren't blown away but in general, everything was good. We ordered:
- fried honey soy chicken (really good! Not too sweet)
- beef tataki (this was weird, the meat was semi frozen but the sauce was good)
- clam noodle soup (this was fragrant and light, very nice)
- sukiyaki (soupless version. This was good too)
- chawan mushi (pretty good)

Will be back to try other things.

Just a chance visit with friends while strolling. What a find? Great space, no crowding, excellent service. We ordered some six dishes to share. Each was well presented and all quite different: sliced steak, chicken, pork, fish, baby squid and mushroom rice. Wines were reasonably priced as well. A most enjoyable occasion.

Amazing meals and cozy atmosphere. The staff were very friendly too, more specifically our server Wilson. Thanks for the amazing service Wilson, keep being awesome mate!

The hype isn't what it is set out to be. The pork belly was definitely the main star of the night as it was quite tender. Good experience but not somewhere I would visit regularly.

Fantastic meal, we are quite regular patrons now.never disappointed.new addition to the menu Sweet Potato Brule was very nice!