Compact, intricate and gorgeous, Misuzu's restaurant in Albert Park is constantly packed with diners hungry for innovative Japanese fare at reasonable prices. Packing a bar, café area and more formal dining area into this cosy space, the menu offers plenty of seafood and vegetarian options, and a lengthy selection of sake and local wines.
Misuzu's is an intimate restaurant with several small dining spaces, swathed in red lanterns that light up the trees surrounding street-side diners . It's always packed, thanks to the quality of the food and atmosphere. Though you're expected to turn up on time for your booking (or else), once inside the service is welcoming and the vibe is bustling but comfortable. Splashes of red and green brighten up the otherwise gracefully subdued decor creating an agreeably subtle canvas against which the staff whiz around, up and down stairs and around corners like Alice's white rabbit, in an effort to keep all bases covered.
On the menu you'll find all the usual suspects: plump sashimi and sushi; shards of capsicum, spring onion and green beans in a light tempura batter accompanied by a sweet dashi dipping sauce; satiny gyoza stuffed with chicken; and sweet teriyaki beef atop organic rice (brown or white – you choose) or soba noodles. Vegans and vegetarians are well catered for here and both might opt for sea veggies with noodles, if it's on offer. Close your eyes as you sip this soup and you could be enjoying a seafood broth, but instead your noodles swim not with the fishes but with slippery wakame, nori, kaiso and konbu seaweed instead – each offering a different and interesting taste and texture.
