Matsuri

Positioned quietly on High Street  lies this lovely little Japanese restaurant, offering locals the fresh and light flavours of Japan. There was no doubt that Matsuri would be the destination for E's birthday dinner - mainly because E has been urging us to try Matsuri, for as long as any of us can remember.

Though a small space, we were presented with a full menu - there was definitely no lack of options here. We let Birthday Girl take full control.

Pork Gyoza

We kicked off with Pork Gyozas - crispy skinned dumplings with a juicy pork and cabbage filling.

Takoyaki 

The takoyaki octopus balls were a hit - a golden exterior encasing a wonderfully creamy and tasty batter. Lathered in takoyaki sauce and mayo, a sprinkling of aonori and finished with dancing dried bonito, these were demolished in no time.

Agedashi Tofu

Next up was the Agesdashi Tofu - which actually turned out to be deep-fried tofu with onion, broccoli and teriyaki sauce. Looking back on the menu now, it does indeed read that it comes with teriyaki sauce...but then why did they call it Agedashi Tofu ? Mind boggling. 

Vegetable Tempura

An array of vegetables deep fried in a light and crispy batter served with tempura dipping sauce - think your typical trusty vegetable tempura.

Salmon Avocado Roll 

This dish was probably my favourite for the night - creamy avocado and lettuce enveloped in nori and plump sushi rice, topped with fresh salmon, drizzled in mayo and finished alfalfa sprouts.

Prawn Tempura Roll

We also ordered the Prawn Tempura Roll - bread-crumbed prawns, avocado and cucumber sticks wrapped snugly in sushi rice, dotted with black sesame seeds. 

Uanagi Don

Glazed in a sweet and sticky sauce, the bite sized pieces of grilled unagi (eel) smelt and tasted amazing. On a bed of hot steaming rice, it was accompanied with broccoli and zucchini, drenched in the same sweet and salty sauce.

Pork Loin Katsu

Last, but definitely not least was Birthday Girl's most anticipated dish of the night, the Pork Loin Katsu. Breaded in panko, the crunchy outer casing gave way to a moist and flavourful piece of pork loin. The side serving of cabbage salad not only added a touch of color to the dish, but went incredibly well between bites of the pork loin katsu.

Despite a couple of misses among a handful of hits, Matsuri is a cozy little resturant serving up quality Japanese food that is inexpensive and stomach satisfying.

Matsuri

406 High Street 

Prahran, VIC