WAYO Japanese Dining

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What a local gem of a restaurant. If you love Japanese food and innovative dishes then this place is for you.

If you appreciate reasonably priced mains for around $20 or less then WAYO is the place to go.

Or if you like dining out with friends where the courses keep on coming, try WAYO.

On the night I make my way there the restaurant strip in Flemington is humming. Dozens of people walk past, hands in their pockets, dawdling deciding which cuisine to try. So many choices and all of them, inexpensive. Forget Carlton and Fitzroy this has to be the new upcoming restaurant precinct in Melbs.



As I walk towards WAYO I overhear a couple of girls chatting after leaving a different restaurant. "Next time we have to try this Japanese. The food looks amazing."

I feel validated because that's where I'm heading.

My first impression is that WAYO is spartan with a simple, unassuming decor. The chairs make an echoey scraping noise on the wooden floor.



Couples are dining in the front part and their food looks enticing.

I'm there to meet a group to share multiple dishes so I head to the backroom which is quiet and has larger tables.

The first few dishes have arrived and I'm busy with introductions and opening my wine. Yes, BYO with a small corkage fee! I'm so busy with getting settled I tuck in and forget to take photos.




I enjoy the Yaki (Octopus pancake balls) their toasty colour contrasted with the crisp colourful salad., the pods of lightly salted edamame as well as the agedashi tofu - (fried tofu with Japanese mushroom thickened soy-based sauce.) ‘

By the time we have the Nasu dengaku (eggplant) my taste buds are starting to take notice and out comes my phone to photograph some of the amazingly presented dishes.

Owner-chef Akio Nakajima is not simply focusing on providing quality meals and bringing the Japanese food experience closer to Melbournians but his presentations are stunning.

I admit I'm not the biggest sushi and sashimi fan in the world but as the platters arrive I can't help but notice the artistry the sheer joy in the presentation; the juxtaposition of shapes and colours.



The dish this carnivore would head back for was the Japanese beef hamburger steak - a beef patty blended with caramelized onion, breadcrumbs and egg, and then glazed with mushroom demi-glace sauce. The texture and flavour of this dish was astonishing.



We finished with desserts including matcha ice cream. But the one I ended up putting on my Instagram was the cream Brulee because it reminded me of a glossy green billabong. The green was from the Matcha green tea sauce but underneath was a desirable crunchy top. A really special dessert worth the trip alone.



Yes, the surroundings are spartan but so much effort goes into the food plus the prices are quite affordable for such quality Japanese dishes.




Address
286 Racecourse Rd, Flemington, Victoria, Australia

Opening hours
Sunday 5:30 PM-9 PM
Monday Closed
Tuesday 12 PM-2:30 PM
5:30 PM-9 PM
Wednesday 12 PM-2:30 PM
5:30 PM-9 PM
Thursday 12 PM-2:30 PM
5:30 PM-9 PM
Friday 12 PM-2:30 PM
5:30 PM-9 PM
Saturday 12 PM-2:30 PM
5:30 PM-9 PM

Website
wayojapanesedining.com.au

@wayojapanesedining

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