Yu-U

4.2
based on 5 reviews

5 reviews about Yu-U

rosep1
#3 in Templestowe Lower VIC
1387 reviews · 193195 points
verified email - 03 Mar 2014

So disappointing. Whilst it wasn't a horrendous experience (ie. we did not end up sick the next day, nor was the service rude or mean) it was disappointing in terms of the food served at the given price point.
This is a summary of what we ordered:
- Gyoza (4 small) $10; Just your average Japanese dumplings. Nothing special in the quality or execution. The herbs were a bit overpowering.
- Kara Age (Fried Chicken) $9; extremely oily fried chicken ribs and only 4 small pieces.
- Buta Kakuni (Braised Pork)$19; good flavours but unfortunately the pork was quite chewy and the serving was tiny, even though it came in a very large bowl.
- Chikuwa (Fish Cake Tempura) $11; tasted like fake crab sticks tempura style.
- Scallops & Mushrooms $23; the only nice dish of the day. The flavours were good and dish seemed well thought out flavourwise and on a textural front. The only thing was that there were only 4 medium sized scallops in this dish and the rest was mushrooms. I felt a little ripped off, as a result...

Staff: Staff were generally more friendly to what seemed like frequent patrons. Some had trouble comprehending English. Service was slow overall.

$19 Butak Kakuni, $11 Chikuwa, $3ea Skewers, $23 Scallops

Hi Rosep1, appreciated the detail. Sounds like the braised pork may have been cooked too quickly, otherwise the cut of meat was of questionable quality. As for the â??Scallop and Mushroomâ?? dish, we can see why you would be disappointed to only find â??fourâ?? scallops! From what you have described, this restaurant could certainly â??lift their gameâ?? considerably. Thanks for the heads-up! Reeces

verified email - 09 Nov 2012

It is such a Top class ... My brother recommended me to have lunch here..

It is such a great value for the quality of food and service...
I ordered the sashimi .. it was amazing .. Very fresh and delicious!!
The service has reached my expectation.. It was such a great experience..

verified email - 21 Apr 2012

Very hard to find - make sure you have good directions as there is no signage - it's down a little stairway - a bit fun to find and you feel like you are searching for something unknown and special.
Despite booking in advance we were seated at the sushi bar which was difficult as we were a party of 3 and conversation was a little bit tricky.
We opted for the set menu which gave us a wide range of tastings. We tried dishes that we otherwise might not have tried. Food was amazing! Yes it's pricey but well worth it in my view. I went there with my parents for my birthday and it was a lovely place for a special occasion.

Anonymous
verified email - 23 Dec 2010

let down by its cost. fun to find and a good experience. i booked 6 weeks in advance and could still only get an early sitting. was lucky the table was booked for 8.30pm rather than 7.30pm so we didnt have to rush. food was lovely. i like the small portions cos then i can fit more in, however, i just wish it wasnt so pricey! i am aqua ovo vegan and the waitress was very accommodating and offered me dishes which were not on the menu. love.

verified email - 24 Jul 2009

This place is always fully booked, despite the hidden location. There is only a Japanese character on a cloth marking a door leading to a basement to mark this restaurant.
Make sure you book at least two months in advance for dinner. Dining here is a very unique experience. If you're not in a group, you'll be seated at the counter, watching the chef cooking your food on the hot plate. However, if you're in a group, you'll get your own private room.
Expect to pay around $100 per person for a truly wonderful tasting experience of various Japanese delicacies.
However, lunch is completely a different experience. There is only one choice of menu per day for $15. The lunch is very yummy, but I find the serving is not big enough.

Write a review

Business Owners

Want more customers? Join the Happy Customers Program to promote your business with word-of-mouth.

Get a professional looking profile with no advertisements, access tools to attract more customer reviews, receive free marketing materials, use the Live Reviews Widget on your website, plus lots more...

See how it works

Upgrade Your Account