Long after sparking Melbourne’s love of Japanese food, this local gem still shines

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Whether you’ve been coming to Misuzu’s since it opened last century, or you’re discovering this quirky Japanese restaurant for the first time, you’ll be folded into the world of Misuzu Kawano as you walk through the door. Every artefact has a story, the staff are longstanding and warm, and the food has endless special twists.

In 1994, when Kawano opened the first tiny version of her namesake restaurant, Japanese food was a rare curiosity in Melbourne. Kids didn’t get sushi rolls for after-school snacks. Local farmers weren’t planting wasabi. Asking for panko crumbs at the supermarket would be met with blank looks.

Times have changed, and Misuzu’s has changed too, expanding from that initial takeaway and 12-seater to today’s three-premises span in leafy Albert Park. There’s a grab-and-go counter in the centre, a lunch parlour on the left, and a more sultry nighttime space at right, plus room for spillover dining and functions upstairs.

Even though Kawano sticks to the kitchen, you feel her touch in everything. Red lanterns swing above tables on the broad pavement. Delicate porcelain light fittings are made to resemble tofu. The upholstered timber bar stools are crafted by a local carpenter to resemble vintage theatre seats. There’s a sense of artisan layering, which is even more impressive and moving when you discover that a fire tore through the place 18 years ago and Kawano and her Australian husband Warwick restarted from scratch.

The menu is a broad and familiar array of raw fish dishes, tempura vegetables, crumbed and grilled meats, curries, salads and gyoza, and though the restaurant’s branding touts an “authentic Japanese experience”, it’s mostly authentic to its creator. Kawano left her sleepy home town on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s major islands, and came to Australia without a plan in her early 20s. She started cooking dinner for her housemates and they loved her food so much that it sparked an idea. Thirty-one years later, here we are.

An early hit that’s still on the menu is a spin on nasu dengaku, the baked eggplant that is a Japanese staple. Kawano’s version has the traditional glossy miso coating but is then layered up with parsley sauce and a tofu skewer. It’s a lovely combination: sweet, bright and squishy.

Creative dressings and sauces are a specialty. Blended raw carrot vinaigrette is tossed through salad, dill oil brings extra dimension to green mango and chicken salad, and beguiling shiso vinaigrette cuts through sweet, rich pork gyoza with gorgeous frilly edges.

You see the same adept layering of texture and flavour in the seaweed crumb for the tender calamari, and creamy bechamel with its golden crispy bits clinging to plump baked Hokkaido scallops.

The offering gets quite eclectic, especially at lunch, when there’s udon with laksa flavours and wok-tossed prawns with rocket and crunchy soba noodles.

Over the decades Misuzu’s has been around, Melbourne’s sushi scene has leapt to ever higher standards. The offering here holds its own, with a careful selection of quality seafood, lovely knife work and delightful presentation. For the price, it’s excellent.

There’s avid attention to rice, too, not just with the sushi but also in the proud offering of a bowl of biodynamic brown rice to accompany meals. It’s as nutty and wholesome as the whole experience, boosted by a friendly little drinks list with wine, dozens of sake options and cocktails.

Many Melbourne shopping strips have their own version of Misuzu’s, Japanese restaurants of longstanding that kids grow up in, returning with their own families, passing on a love of teriyaki chicken skewers, prawn and avocado maki, or gingered pork belly. These places are treasures and it’s never been harder for them to stay afloat with costs high and customer spend uncertain. Whether it’s Misuzu’s or not, this is a happy reminder to love your local so it can love you back.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.