Japanese Adventures @ Tetsujin

 4, Emporium, Little Bourke Street & Caledonian Lane, Melbourne VIC

9663 9993

 11:30am - 10:45pm Sun - Thurs

11:30am - 11:45pm Fri - Sat

New Japanese establishment Tetsujin has recently opened up around the start of this year on the top floor of Emporium. Having both a sushi train and Japanese BBQ in the same restaurant but on separate sections, it's a innovative concept that has everyone raving.

The sushi plates were all $3.30 unless they are marked with another price

The interior for the Sushi train side is truly refreshing, with bright lights around the sushi stations and to be able to watch the chefs prepare all types of sushi in front of you is simply superb.

The waitresses are really nice and are always attentive when it comes to things we need. With the electronic ordering system, it makes ordering and calling waitresses a lot easier.

(From top left to bottom right)

Grilled eel nigiri  (7/10)
The eel was tender and flavoursome with a (teriyaki?) sauce that complimented the dish in a great way. Though I have came here a few times after and the eel turned out to be quite inconsistent in terms of quality.

Seared Salmon Nigiri (8/10)

Compared to the other sushi train competitor I reckon Tetsujin's seared dishes are the star of the restaurant. The seared salmon nigiri was simply divine and I saw the sushi chef make it fresh right in front of me.

Seared Spicy Salmon Nigiri (8/10)

same as above, made fresh to order, which I highly recommend (order from the screen). The spicy sauce added a nice punch to the nigiri which made it more enjoyable.

Seared Scallop Nigiri (9/10)

This was absolutely the best sushi I had on the night, not also was it made fresh, it was tender and melted in my mouth.

(Top to bottom right)

Wasabi Crab Stick Nigiri (5.5/10)

The wasabi sauce overpowered the nigiri and I wasn't able to taste the crab stick due to it, so it was disappointing for me.

Salmon Nigiri (7/10)

You can't go wrong with a classic salmon nigiri, because if you somehow do, that's a no-go zone. The salon was tender and tasted quite fresh.

Seared Salmon Nigiri (Variation 2) (7.5/10)

I don't remember the exact name of the nigiri but it was another seared salmon dish. The sauce was the only difference, with this one having mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce. The sauces worked well together and gave a sweet aftertaste which was enjoyable

(Top left > Right >Bottom)

Lemon Lime Bitter (7.5/10)

The lemon lime bitter was nice and refreshing. I wasn't sure if they used actual syrup but it definitely tasted like it did.

Chicken Kara-age (9/10)

The chicken was absolutely stunning, it came straight out of the fryer so it was piping hot and was really tender. Though from the last few visits the quality of the chicken have down-graded and a bit inconsistent, so it's a bit of a shame now.

Lobster Salad Gunkan (3/10)

My least favourite sushi on the night, though to be honest I've never had lobster salad before so I had a high expectation, but ended up tasting very disappointing.

Prawn & Salmon Roll (6/10

Nothing outstanding, quite average and didn't give me a "wow" factor.

Tetsujin still remains as one of my top sushi trains in Melboune, competing against Sushi Hotaru. I would like to try out the BBQ some time so i'll be reviewing that soon.

Food - 7.5 / 10

Ambiance - 9 / 10

Service - 9 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 26.5 / 30