• Maedaya (Richmond). Three years on, and still strong.

It was almost three years ago that I wrote my first post on Maedaya.  Since then, both the restaurant and Nouveau Potato have expanded.  Things changed.  So have we.  So I thought it only fair that I would do an updated post on one of my favourite Izakayas in Melbourne.

With a new section to the side, as well as the continued barbeque area upstairs, Maedaya now has the atmosphere of a real Izakaya too.   We recently went for a family meal, only for me to re-try everything thinking “I forgot how good this place is” and to repeat the whole process again a couple of weeks later.  The menu has been updated so that you order on the mobile tablets.  Staff are still friendly, polite and obliging.  Sake is still the speciality.  There are still many vegetarian dishes.

My favourite of the skewered rice cakes are no longer on the menu, so I tried the teriyaki mushrooms instead.  These were delicious, full of flavour from the sauce and the smokiness of the grill.


Edamame can be done plain or with chilli.  The chilli version is more-ish and we were almost fighting over spoonfuls of these.


The agedashi tofu is still good.  My dad claimed it to be “the best he has ever had”, which is no small comment considering he returned from a trip to Japan only a few months prior.  The tofu is silken, the crust crispy, the sauce tasty without too much salt and the top garnished with daikon.


The beans with sesame and miso make a plain vegetable grand.  I really enjoyed the miso flavour.


As an experiment, I ordered the croquettes with cheese.  I would not normally choose a dish like this but was hungry so wanted to try it out.  The croquettes were warm and full of fluffy potato.  The top was covered with grilled cheese.  They were tasty like a school kid’s snack.


The vegetable udon is pleasant with tempura and filling, thick noodles.

The good old mochi is a winner for dessert, even more so as it is filled with red bean.


The green tea and black sesame ice-creams are strongly flavoured whilst being delightfully creamy.


I really enjoy eating at Maedaya.  It still takes me back to Japan.  But unlike the country of seafood, Maedaya is great for vegetarians.

Maedaya Sake & Grill
400 Bridge Rd
Richmond 3121
03 9428 3918

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