Is Minamishima the GOAT when it comes to Melbourne sushi?

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There was a time when Minamishima’s supremacy was a given in Melbourne. Few other chefs attempted the level of luxury and precision that defines the work of chef Koichi Minamishima: almost no one had the connections to source the calibre of fish he required and so, in the years following Minamishima’s 2014 opening in an unassuming building off Bridge Road in Richmond, the restaurant’s status was unparalleled when it came to high-end, sushi-focused omakase.

These days, however, there are plenty of challengers to the throne. Kisume has offered an omakase which spans many courses, is jam-packed with opulent ingredients and costs $265, since 2017.

And over the past year or so, the options for this type of dining in Melbourne have expanded exponentially: nigiri-focused sushi omakase experiences are available in Port Melbourne at Asoko and in Kew at Sushi On, both of them costing far less than Minamishima’s $265 blow-out. In South Yarra, Aoi Tsuki takes aim at the luxury-seeking crowd with its $235 omakase.

And I wish I could tell you more about the offerings on Yugen’s second-level sushi bar or at Footscray’s Matsu, but I can’t because bookings at both are so difficult to come by. Maybe they’re just as good as Minamishima, maybe they’re better. But what good does that do us if they’re almost completely out of reach for all but the most dedicated keyboard warriors?

Part of the wonder of Minamishima is that while bookings fill up quickly, they
are attainable. A real person will answer the phone and talk you through your options; you don’t have to navigate a cold and unyielding labyrinth of an online reservations system, meaning it’s possible to plan that special meal and have it when it suits you.

And special it is. From the moment you step into the dark-walled room and are greeted by a smiling man in a crisp suit, you feel taken care of. Service is truly exceptional, soft-spoken but assured, and one of the pleasures of dining here is to see the level of care put into the guest experience.

Seating is at the sushi bar or one of a few tables. While the sushi bar gets you close to the action, there are two sittings there each night, whereas you can hang on to a table for the whole evening – all the better to luxuriate in the food as it comes.

There are bites here that will take your breath away.

The menu changes nightly, depending largely on the seafood available. But we started with a springy square of tofu made from black sesame, the flavour concentrated and savoury.

After that, the first of the nigiri arrives, sliced with expert precision and laid over rice that hovers on the edge of firm.

Some of the fish is sourced locally – like a King George whiting with a sweetish flesh that tastes of pure ocean – but much is Japanese.

The jellyfish is almost translucent, firm but silky, while kombu-cured snapper tastes lightly of umami.

I couldn’t resist ordering a special of puffer fish, showered in foie gras shavings ($36), but the notorious fish (eat the wrong part and it’s deadly) was my least favourite of the evening, being somewhat tough and flavourless.

Between the sushi courses were savoury treats, such as a glossy chawanmushi topped with tender abalone, or slices of wagyu that dissolve on the tongue like butter, served with a walnut miso.

One thing that struck me about Minamishima is the lack of flashiness, the understanding that the food will speak for itself without the dry-ice smoke and blowtorch theatrics employed by many of the omakase joints in town, especially the more expensive ones.

Those things are great for Instagram, but do we really want our food to be, well, content? Many diners do, but it is wonderful to consume a meal at this level where the food – the flavours, the freshness, the very in-the-moment feeling – does the talking. There are bites here that will take your breath away.

Given the gap in my knowledge of the more recent newcomers, I can’t definitively crown Minamishima the GOAT when it comes to Melbourne sushi. But perhaps it’s beside the point to compare these things – I often wish we were less obsessed with rankings and able to just take the experiences we have (at the table and beyond) and appreciate them for the pleasure they bring us in the moment.

What I know is that Minamishima offers a massive amount of pleasure – in the food, yes, but also in the graciousness of the service, the relaxed pacing and the care that’s taken through every moment of the evening. Those qualities are still as rare in this city as glistening, perfect, expertly cut sushi used to be.

This review was originally published in Good Weekend magazine