Kobe Jones has always been near the top of my lists of places to eat – there was no better opportunity than taking up the Groupon Deal! We chose the Summer of Seafood Degustation menu.
A couple of hours before our reservation time, the owner called to check if we were still coming. He also read my “special request” comments that I had put down when I made the booking – and confirmed the same.
The venue itself was a beautiful setting – I liked how the teppanyaki and casual dining were in separate rooms – this meant that your precious clothes would be protected by the smell of food should you choose to opt for a more casual setting. The interior was alluring, luscious and inviting. It was also very well temperature-controlled, the staff would often gauge how the diners were feeling and would ask if you’d like for the heater to be turned up or down. The only downside was that the the restaurant itself did not have a washroom – and was a little walk away located in a food court nearby.
I must say, the food was pretty spot on, I loved every single dish but the one, which I will get into detail below. Here is the **menu** with a brief outline of what comprised of each dish.
Number One Special – flaming balls of crab salad with avocado wrapped in Hiramasa kingfish and nori, baked with a secret sauce, topped with bittersweet soy glaze. This was the perfect way to start the course, even being ignited by a flame; as if signifying the beginning of a Food Olympics.
Seafood Poke – these were absolutely adorable. Tiny little charcoal cones with tiny bits of fresh sashimi. It looked like a toy. It was a nice play on texture and flavour, but I wished it was served a bit bigger.
Nigiri Omakase – the tuna and kingfish were a part of our chef’s selection for the night. The sashimi as well as the wasabi was perfectly fresh.
Volcano Roll – there were decent sized pieces of scallop served alongside a buttery, creamy sauce – it was literally out of this world, I have never had anything like it before! It definitely should be eaten together with the sushi rolls. After finishing the sushi rolls and scallops, I did not fail to lick the plate clean of that sweet, creamy and buttery goodness.
Dragon Egg – fits in your mouth in one bite and instantly melts into your mouth. The tuna tartare as well as the avocado… complimenting each other with a sweet, yet salty combination of flavours.
Salmon Moyashi Hand Roll – this I thought was pretty average. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing. Just tasted like a boiled salmon hand roll.
Miso Citrus Lobster – lobster tail was absolutely phenomenal. It was juicy, it was succulent, and better yet, came at decent sized pieces. This was served alongside some steamed broccoli and carrot on the side.
Alaskan crab gyoza – this tasted like Mac and Cheese in a gyoza, which to me, should never, ever go together.
Soft Shell Crab with Yuzu Mayo – beautifully crispy and flavourful soft shell crab – I must say it is one of the top 3 I have had in Melbourne. It was also cut evenly into two halves, which allowed for a very mess-free experience. This saves the embarrassment should you take upon the task to spoon-cut a full soft shell crab in front of your first date, being ever so careful, but only to have it seen flying off the plate and hitting the floor in a very… very slow motion. Recommended.
Miso Soup – you can’t really stuff this one up, it was done well.
Ama Ozen – Kobe Jones’ famous dessert – this was a HUGE matcha creme brûlée with selected mini cakes alongside their trademark edible chocolate chopsticks. The cheesecake minis were not that good – it was mushy and the texture was a bit weird. There was also some decadent black sesame ice-cream, whilst the cheesecakes were topped with precise slices of strawberry and oranges. Also, a complimentary matcha-roll cake was served up for the birthday boy.
I must say that the service at Kobe Jones was impeccable. They were so attentive and accommodating. To explain, the table in front of us mentioned to the waitress that there were too many raw seafood options as his wife was not too keen on eating more raw seafood. Despite them picking the Summer of Seafood deal, Kobe Jones was extremely accommodating where they not only changed, but personalised and tailored their next dishes to their preferences according to the many other options available.
The only downfall was that it took 3 hours for all the food to come out, so if you’re in a rush to make a movie or an event, be sure to let them know your time constraints. Overall, the whole experience and food was an 8.5/10.
📍G16/18/38 Siddeley St,
Docklands VIC 3005
(03) 9329 9173