If you are after excellent Japanese cuisine that is a cut above the rest, do consider Calia. The restaurant chain has a few outlets and we visited the Lonsdale Street restaurant.
Location: Shop 31A, Ground Floor, Emporium, 287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: https://www.calia.co/
Menu items: https://www.mryum.com/caliaem/menu
We have heard about and seen the raving online reviews of this restaurant. It certainly did not disappoint. The staff welcomed us warmly and we were ushered to our table with no fuss. It pays to make a reservation, especially during weekends.
After a quick look at the menu, we placed our order and despite it being a busy Saturday night, we waited just 15 minutes before our dishes were delivered one at a time to our table.
First to arrive was a mug of long black coffee. The taste was bitter and bold, just the way it should be.
Next came the Miso Eggplant, a rather unusual dish. The top layer was caramelized and the sweetness contrasted well with the soft flesh of the eggplant below.
A bowl of Umami Fries arrived next. The clever use of crispy sea-weed slivers certainly raised this simple dish to the next level.
The star dish that night would be the Calia Wagyu Bowl with 63 Degree Egg. Do not be fooled by the simple layout. One bite into the juicy Wagyu beef forever changed our perception of how good beef should taste like.
For those who like their sashimi, the Chirashi bowl comprising of sustainably sourced fish on rice will indeed be a crowd favourite.
The Crab Udon had a light, delicate flavour to allow the diner to taste the fresh flavour of the crab meat that was well infused into the soup.
To wrap up the dining experience, we ordered a Boba Cake which looked as good as it tasted.
The experience of dining at Calia certainly made our week.
Do check out the restaurant out when you are in the Melbourne CBD.
We were so glad we did!
