Wynyard / JAMES

I came to JAMES with my partner for dinner on the weekend, it's a lovely little spot on Clarendon Street. This restaurant has a wonderful take on modern Korean dishes with a fine dining twist. We had a selection of dishes, all of them were delicious but the two standouts were the Murray Cod and the Charred Cucumber. The fish was perfectly cooked, the skin was so crispy and the flesh melted in your mouth. It was so fresh and flavoursome. The charred cucumber was an unusual flavour paired with the smoked yoghurt and muscat grapes, but it is a must try! I also really appreciated that a few of the dishes used some native Australian ingredients, it was a really nice touch. I would highly recommend trying this place for a nice intimate evening out.

Pleasant find. Unassuming. Delicious food. Great service, able to share plates (meals are really tasty). Menu is refreshing, with a Japanese influence. For a 100 kg man the servings look small, delightfully however plenty of food and fully sated. See what a "Chef" can do as I had the potato cakes! Just amazingly delicious. I liked "James" very much and I will return for my special occasions.

A cosy restaurant serving delicate Asian leaning dishes with thoughtful, new flavour combination.

We have only tried the lunch menu.

So far, the stand out are the small plates. Potato cake is thinly sliced potato, stacked into a rectangular - its creamy like dauphinoise but with an ultra crispy skin.

Charred cucumber not only look very pretty, it delivers in flavours - refreshingly crunchy, sweet from the muscat and peppery from the shichimi (Japanese peppery spice).

Spanner crab ramen noodle is delicate and sweet.

Now, one of my pet comfort food in winter is drowning white rice with good, hot broth. I was very surprised when the duck broth with sticky rice dish is just like that. The broth has good depth, but for me, the ratio of broth to rice is somewhat unbalance. The duck, sans skin, is quite plain (the duck skin is paired with the chocolate tart). I think, I was not served the kolrabi kimchi, listed on the menu.

Hotteok is a popular sweet snack in Korea - it is usually made from yeasted flour/rice flour, filled with sweet things and pan fried. The version here is more like a donut - thicker, the texture more dense - topped with creamy ricotta and a crispy disc of black sesame seed.

There are quite a number of restaurant that anoint themselves as offering "new" / "modern" dishes, but I think James is more deserving of that descriptive than most wannabes. Definitely worth returning to try their dinner menu.

Service is brisk.

We had a lovely evening at James. The food was amazing and the service the perfect balance of friendly yet unobtrusive. Each mouthful was a delight. Thank you! Can’t wait to come back.

This will be the best dining experience in your life!
I would give them 10000 stars for the food!
This was the best food I have had in Melbourne!
Thank you guys!

James need to be update the menu they display online. Their Lamb dish online comes with broccolini and cashew cream, which in reality are seperate dishes, as shared plate/ tasting portions and style. No problem if that’s what you’re expecting, or if that’s what’s explained to you when you sit down. As it was, what we thought were mains were served at different times- fine, we shared. But when our desserts, which there could be no confusion around our desire to have served simultaneously were served 20-mins apart, we had to question the management of the kitchen.

The miso custard should be avoided as the salt tones of the miso were far too prominent to be enjoyable with the sweet of the rest.

The icing on the cake was the $14 side of “burnt carrot” which is was a single carrot cut into round uneven pieces- raw in some bits and soggy in others.

The highlight was the calamari which was beautifully cooked with a lovely balance of spicy, citrus, tang and sweet.

Although a small venue it was clear they were down a runner this evening and the staff were not swift enough to have this go unnoticed.

ORDERED:
Charred cucumber: with muscat, yoghurt, shichimi (v) ($14.00)
Cured Kingfish: with yuzu ponzu, shallot, buckwheat, lemon thyme, chive, mussel powder ($22.00)
Potato cake: with vinegar salt, black garlic ($16.00)
​ Potato bread: Nori Butter, Macadamia ($8.00)

​ Smoked Chicken: with teriyaki, burnt chilli, finger lime, mountain leaves ($27.00)
Lamb Rump: purslane, ssamjang, shitake powder, black garlic skin oil ($27.00)
? ​ Broccolini: with desert lime, cashew cream, pistachio, pear vinegar ($16.00)

Miso Custard: with almond biscuit, chocolate crumb, roasted koji yoghurt ice cream ($16.00)

NB: We spent $75.00pp (without drink), which was cheaper than James' set menu! And we were very full ​.

REVIEW:
This is the best cucumber I've ever had.
Its smoky taste intertwines with every refreshing bite, adding a soft touch to the crunchy texture. Adding in muscat, which is one of my favourite grapes, brings in more sweetness and a juicy burst.
Yoghurt creams it all together, while the shichimi is a Japanese spice that was incredibly subtle. Didn't notice it at all!
Would also highly recommend the cured kingfish, potato cake and potato bread.
It's always the entree dishes that seem to be the best ​.

The dishes after that continued to either wow, or disappoint in one way or another. I found the mains (smoked chicken and lamb rump) served lukewarm and without any memorable flavour.
The lamb main was simple in presentation, and the flavours presented rapidly steered towards being a bit tiresome to eat. Although, they were both cooked perfectly.

Miso custard was great, except for the savoury undertone that presented itself with every bite. I know salt and sweet can sometimes work together harmoniously, but this felt quite jarring.

Interior is gorgeously minimal, but the music a bit loud.

Satisfied all my taste. Even got four mussels! Potato cake is buttery with crispy crust, well balanced.

We had $90/pp set menu which contains 10ish dishes, and both of us were not full, so we had to get something else to eat after JAMES. However, I still rate it 5 star because there was literally nothing I could complain about.
Ambiance was great, service was nice, each single course was absolutely impressive. From the combination of the ingredients, the texture of the food, to the presentation of the dish, everything was perfect. As I mentioned, the size of each dish was too small, just 1 or 2 bite, we finished all of them within 1 hour. I would reckon you order individually, so the size should be normal and can feed one full.

- AMAEBI // Dashi Buttermilk/ Pineapple/ Jalapeño/ Bullhornpepper/ Yuzu Caviar/ Geraldton Wax/ Prawn Oil/ Tarragon 21.0
- POTATO BREAD // Nori Butter /Macadamia 7.0
- CHARRED CUCUMBER // Muscat /Smoked Yoghurt / Shichimi 11.0
- POTATO CAKE // Vinegar Salt /Black Garlic Mayo 11.0
- BBQ CALAMARI // Fennel Kimchi /Pickled Kohlrabi / Olive Herb 23.0
- MURRAY COD // Muntrie / Gochuiang Emulsion / Bronze Fennel 31.0
- MISO CUSTARD // Almond Biscuit /White Chocolate / Roasted Koji/ Yoghurt Ice Cream 15.0

James is definetly my recent favourite restaurant in Melbourne. A hidden gem in South Melbourne serving Korean and Australian fusion food. I cannot stop raving about it because every dish I tried was divine. The choice of ingredients, the combination of different texture, the execution and presentation were just unbelievable. Every bite was a surprise and I was genuinely impressed by the creativity and effort from James.
Heaps of people recommended the charred cucumber! It was delicious but the Amaebi dish really got me. The freshness from the prawns, sweetness from the pineapple, nice kick from the jalapeño, burst of tanginess from the yuzu caviar, the umami from the prawn oil brought together with a mild buttermilk. It was heavenly amazing. My other favourite was the miso custard. The custard itself was salty but it was well balanced with the ice cream and the sweetness of white chocolate cut through the saltiness.
Food was sensational, good value of money (~$60 pp w/o drinks) and lovely vibe. I would try everything on their menu next time

Charred Cucumber, Smoked Yoghurt
Potato Bread, Nori Butter
Ebi School Prawns
Potato Cakes, Black Garlic Sauce
Kingfish
BBQ Calamari
Carrot, Burnt Butter
Lamb
Smoked Chicken, Teriyaki

James is noodle bar by day and wine bar by night, serving up a Korean X Australian inspired menu full of umami rich food. Everything about the venue is stunning, from the moody, romantic fit out to the intricately constructed dishes. It absolutely passed the vibe check. ️

I had no idea that I would ever have cucumber or carrot blow my mind and leave me wondering how I will ever eat it another way again. The Ebi Prawns in dashi buttermilk was full of flavour and the Kingfish was very refreshing. The BBQ flavour was prominent on the calamari as was paired brilliantly with the fennel and kohlrabi.

The Potato Cakes were straight up insane, next level crispy and complimented by the black garlic sauce. The Lamb was cooked so perfectly in a way I almost thought I was eating a steak. The Chicken was so succulent and bursting with flavour.

I honestly don’t think you could find a bad dish here, every single one left a great impression on us, bringing me to the decision this is easily one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne. The menu changes seasonally and will actually completely change in 5 weeks, so make sure you make a booking ASAP!

The concept of JAMES is wonderful – using fresh ingredients built around what is seasonally available. Based on recommendation, we ordered 7 dishes for a table of two and found ourselves thoroughly enjoying. Everything, though simple, contains a bit of a twist that adds modernity and flair.

Cured Kingfish ($21) is one of the faves of the evening! It’s citrus-y, savory, and every little bite of fish was coated with flavor. We loved the little crispy bits of onion and chives, and the buckwheat crisps were the perfect vehicles of transporting this into our mouths.

Charred Cucumber ($12) is such a refreshing take on the highly compatible cucumber and yogurt combo. The addition of grapes (of all things!) is brilliant, adding a sweetness that peeks through the smoky taste. Definitely the perfect snack!

Spotted Prawns ($21) highlight the prawns with the mild tasting buttermilk broth and the little kicks of sweetness pineapple and spice from jalapeno bits.

Potato Cake ($13) is an IG Dream come true. There are thousands of layers of pure soft starchy goodness, but outside? CRUNCH. The black garlic sauce is a great compliment that’s a little bit tangy and adds an umami richness.

BBQ Calamari ($23) is so glorious as well! Look at the char! The kimchi and fennel went weirdly well together, and the kohlrabi (white slices on top) adds a beautiful freshness to undercut the slight spice. The calamari bits are so well cooked, tender and bursting with flavor.

Smoked Chicken ($27) is a nice fun take on the traditional teriyaki. The addition of chilli and finger limes are delightful, and the chicken has a great smokiness about it.

Miso Custard ($15) leans on the savory side. It is fun to go through all the elements and decipher them. The yogurt ice cream is slightly tart, the white choc bits caramelized and sweet, balancing everything!

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Nice little cafe (now restaurant/cafe) tucked away in a lane way. I absolutely loved their coffee, salads, and baked good selections - perfect for breakfasts and lunches.

Beautiful flavours and lovely presentation for each dish but let down by the service when seated outside (almost like they forgot the 4 tables outside). It took an hour from entrees to order and receive our mains and we had to go inside to request more water. Highly recommend the “non” range (no alcohol) if you are doing Feb fast as well.

Had an amazing dinner here. Highly recommend the Murray cod and the desserts were unlike anything I’ve had before. 5/5

Absolutely fabulous place! As a Korean chef, I am so glad we can finally have this beautiful Korean inspired dining area here in Melbourne. Although James left a bit earlier during service (just because we are all fans of you, we knew how you look like ;) all dishes were on point, refine and devine. Definitely deserve at least one hat for this restaurant as even service was so smooth and professional. The restaurant manager Covi was looking after us for whole night with top level of skills and her own passion of her job. Definitely will revisit very soon with my other friends. The lobster dish and potato cake and bread are must try items and all desserts are something you should try all of them! They have beautiful wine list but also such a beautiful dessert wine as well which I usually give extra extra more point! Much appreciate for beautiful service and foods James and Covi!

Though all the restaurants use the same raw materials and ingredients, this place can still surprise you. I love the style of their interior design, showing a vibe of European and a bit Korean. You will have a holiday mood once you step in. I recommend potato cakes, cucumber and the mussels.

Located along a small alley, so it's
a bit hard to find here when you are hanging out on Clarendon St.
However, you are sure to get a good coffee here!

My wife and I were absolutely blown away. We have dined in many places around Melbourne and this is among the few we will return to many times. The venue has a subdued, modern theme going. The cocktails are insane, particularly the honeydew one. Wine selection wasn't overly large, but ticked all the boxes. The food. Wow. The food absolutely blew us away. Japanese fusion with a modern flair. The lamb, smoked chicken and murray cod were some of the best dishes we have ever had. I would highly recommend coming here for dinner for an intimate one on one or with a larger group. I suspect we met the owner but didnt get a chance to thank her personally. What a wonderful establishment.

Service was very friendly and prompt. Coffee and food were excellent. A little on the pricey side. Food in pics and coffee a little under $70.