Gyoza Doraku

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sits on a strip of Japanese restaurants that sprang up at the Russell Street end of Bourke Street a few years ago. Every time I pass on the tram, I think, 'Oh yeah, I should probably go and eat there soon.' One day I did.

It was the lunch special that lured me in. It offered a range of small dishes with miso soup, a salad, rice and pickles for $9.90. I couldn't go past the gyoza (considering the name of the place) but teriyaki chicken and fried tofu were among the other offerings. I also succumbed to temptation and got a plum wine tasting plate.

My food came out first. The salad, lightly dressed with sesame oil and soy, was good preparation for the salty gyoza. The rice was an essential side after all that saltiness.

The plum wines were a little less satisfactory. I'm never a fan of ice for the sake of filling up a cup – if I'm given the choice, I'd rather be given something that looked like a paltry serving than have it watered down. Unfortunately, the plum wine tasting plate was heavy on the ice, and it being a warm day it wasn't long before I was drinking watery plum juice. It was an interesting opportunity to compare the different types of wine, though, and I'm glad I did it.

A $10 lunch in the CBD is always a bargain. This one was light but satisfying. I'd recommend it.

#cbd
#dinner
#dumpling_bars
#japanese_restaurants
#lunch
#city
#restaurants
%wnmelbourne