I like the okinomiyaki and chicken teriyaki don.
Can have either as the main course if you're not overly hungry. The don does better at filling you up because of the rice.
This place does both Korean and Japanese dishes and if you're after something a little different, try the plum wine.

Approximate cost: $avg

I took my mother there for a birthday dinner, after receiving a "two for one" card in the mail box. I believe they've only been open since October, 2012, and I admit I hadn't heard of them before receiving the promo card. But boy, what a find!

I'm glad that we went early (5.45 p.m.) because by 6.30 p.m. they were nearly full (seats 30). It's small and cosy, but not cramped, and the decor is simple but appropriate for a Japanese/Korean restaurant. Everything looked clean and tidy, and we could see through to where the chef's were cooking.

We were greeted as soon as we walked through the door, and shown to a table. The staff were friendly and happy to answer questions about the menu. Compared to many Asian restaurants, the menu isn't enormous, but it has a good variety of food, and it's very reasonably priced.

There are 7 entrees, a selection of sushi and sashimi, and salads. Then there's Tempura dishes, a "Bento Box" (like a tasting platter), Hot Stone Pots, Hot Plates, Donburi (Japanese rice bowl dish), and Noodles. And if you've got room, there's several choices of dessert.

We opted for the Maru Tempura (Prawn & seasonal vegetables), and the Chicken Katsu (Japanese-style crispy chicken schnitzel with salad). Very good choices as it turned out, and we didn't have to wait long for our food. The serve of Tempura vegetables and 7 huge prawns was filling without being heavy, and the tempura batter was soooooo light and crispy, and not greasy at all. It was beautifully presented on a wooden boat-type plate, with a bowl of delicious dipping sauce (add soy sauce at your leisure). The Chicken Katsu was well-coated in a yummy crispy crumb mix, very tender and moist, without being over-cooked and dry, with a crisp and tasty salad on the side.

Unlike many similar restaurants, Maru wasn't horrendously noisy, and had a relaxing atmosphere, with a tempting mix of wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen. They have a "special" each week-day for lunch, with several dollars off the regular cost of the choice of the day.

They also do take-away, and are open Mon-Fri 11.30 to 14.30, and 17.30 to 21.00, then 17.30 to 21.00 Saturdays (closed Sundays). As it's almost opposite Flinders Medical Centre, there's not a huge amount of parking, but we got lucky with a spot right out the front.

We'll definitely be going back there, because there were so many things on the menu that we agreed we like to try (deep fried Octopus balls, Japanese-style seafood pancake, Salmon & avocado salad, sushi & sushimi platter, the list goes on ...).

So if you're looking for a change to the average Chinese restaurant, try Maru for some of the tastiest Korean & Japanese food you'll get. You won't be disappointed.

Approximate cost: $14.90

This place is a great gem located near the Flinders Medical Centre. It's a small but very cosy resturant, with a nice Japanese themed interior decor. The staff are friendly and food is prepared in good time. I ordered teriyaki chicken don while my fiancee tried katsu chicken don and we were both extremely happy with our meals. Will definitely be returning there soon.