Onigiri Kitchen And Sake Bar

The Verdict

Onigiri Kitchen And Sake Bar is Melbourne’s new intimate Japanese-inspired eatery with a simple mission—perfecting the beloved Japanese rice balls, and serving up premium Sake to match. 

Dedicated to sustainability, the team sources ingredients from their 35-acre farm, Ferndale Organics, including organic produce, wild honey, free-range eggs and Japanese ingredients—think daikon, shiso, wasabi, yuzu and mustard. 

Playing with the staple ‘cheap eat’ of Japan, which is traditionally moulded into a triangle and wrapped in nori (seaweed), Onigiri Kitchen and Sake Bar present a paired-back menu, showcasing eight modern takes on the snack. There’s Onigiri with Kimchi spicy fermented vegetables, a chicken breast, cucumber, wasabi and mayo number, as well as one with stewed apple and honey. 

Each Onigiri is made fresh daily onsite and kept at a more traditional and ambient temperature of 15 degrees or below to ensure that the crispness of the seaweed remains intact. 

On-brand with their contemporary approach, the venue unites European and Japanese cuisines in their side dishes—they take Latkes (a traditional Jewish potato pancake) and pair it with a Japanese-leaning Yuzu and apple sauce. For a more hearty side, there’s chicken Klops (German for meatballs), on a bed of lettuce, with a chilli and vinegar sauce—a cultural fusion done right. 

As the name suggests, the team is dedicated to serving up some of the highest quality Japanese-imported drinks, with a raft of small-batch Sake (from fruity to dry editions) beer, Japanese wine and tea—all imported directly from boutique Japanese producers. 

With humble back-stories, the beer comes from a one-woman show that brews in Tokyo, and the green tea is from Umegashima—a high-altitude tea-growing region—cultivated by a husband and wife duo. 

The shopfront illuminates Little Collins Street, with its warm lantern lighting, polished timber finishings and rendered-style walls—a sanctuary-like space designed by Mitchell & Eades. 

Onigiri Kitchen And Sake Bar’s commitment to sustainability transcends to the tableware—it’s crafted in their own pottery studio, using unique Japanese clays, glazes and tools which are made at a pottery studio on the farm grounds.

Image credit: Annika Kafcaldoulis