The most underwhelming experience. Like many other reviews have highlighted, there is definitely a disconnect between what Katori is trying to be, what it is charging to be, and what it actually is. Portion sizes. I went to take a sip of my $17 drink and decided no I really need to take a photo of this before my sip finishes the drink. The photographed drink is ALL I had, in its entirety that is what I paid for. I have ordered the same drink at another restaurant for the same price with maybe 3x the amount. Ridiculous. And everything else was so small, the wagyu tacos pictured is 2x the usual portion because we had to order more. You do not get what you pay for look IF the food is OUT OF THIS WORLD and I pay a high amount for the quality, that is okay, but this is not the case. The food is fine, not bad, not amazing, it’s okay. And the service! I know you don’t go to a restaurant for the service, but it plays a role and it was poor. You go to a restaurant for its food, and well in this restaurants case they lack of food. Honestly, if I had $1000 to spend on a meal worth $500 I would come again. Otherwise I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant really.

Ordered: Hana at $398.00 for 2 people 🌱​ Edamame ​🐠​ Premium Sushi Moriawase 🥛​ Oyster Shooter, Dassai 45 Sake Ponzu ​🥗 Tosaka Salad with ponzu dressing 🍵 Scampi Parmesan Cheese Miso Soup 🍖 Premium Wagyu Platter MS 9+ 🍳​ A5 Kagoshima M12 Sirloin Thin Slice with sushi rice 🥓​ Premium Cut Ox Tongue 🍄​ Mushroom toban on hot stone 🍜​ Warm dashi udon 🍡​ Mochi Dango with Matcha Icecream REVIEW: Booked Katori for my friend's birthday. Our key takeaway was that the service could've been better (noting it's almost $200 per head) but the quantity and quality of food and nice atmosphere almost makes it worth it. We food coma'ed out of there! What would enable Katori to be a 5 star next time would be: 1. Have the staff cook the meats i.e. when the bbq is on for the premium wagyu platter / premium cut ox tongue. Considering it makes up a third of the Hana dining experience, and the meat is thinly sliced, the timing is feasible and would definitely justify the high price tag. However, I really enjoyed a handful of moments during the dining experience: 1. Timeliness of pick up of empty dishes. Really liked how speedy Katori staff were in keeping the table at a manageable level. 2. Service in making the A5 Kagoshima M12 Sirloin Thin Slice with sushi rice. She made an event out of it. It started with brushing the thin slice on the bbq grill, to draping it onto the rice, then sliding a generous egg yolk on top. Creamy and delicious, it was piping hot which was yuummm. 3. First time seeing a grill that had the induction built IN to the stovetop table. Without the overhead ventilation system in typical kbbq environments, it definitely felt 'boujee-er' and without the pain of having the smell stick on to your clothes. 4. Premium Sushi Moriawase was beautifully presented. On a bed of ice and lemon slices, slices of sashimi were fresh. It ranged from prawn, to kingfish, classic tuna and salmon and some cool ones like scallops. Really worth the upgrade to this from the other set menu. 5. Mochi dango was fun and had a nice chargrill to it. I haven't seen mochi on dessert menus before, so it was great to try.

Firstly, not suitable for pram, only stairs to enter store Secondly, food is so average but cost is high, and lunch set is not worth it, beef tounge and unagi is quite salty, side dishes are like over night. Sashimi is ok, but not worth it. Thirdly, We wait more than a hour for one of our main and left with empty stomach Forthly, no serive at all. Please do void this restaurant

Anyone looking for a delicious #yakiniku grill restaurant, premium grade raw fish. Wagyu with high Marble, This restaurant you should try it. It's so delicious and fresh The atmosphere of the shop is luxurious and comfortable seat. The concept is very close to Japan. If you go to Osaka. What you can't miss is the Yakiniku. Bustling street at night No matter how many times I go back, I never get bored. But when I eat grilled meat at Katori restaurant. it solved my craving very well. We will come back for sure.

Booked Katori for Valentine's Day with my wife because we had a pleasant experience the last time we were there. Got a call 2 days prior saying that they only served a set menu on the day ($348 for 2pax) and no ala carte was available. Opted to keep the reservation as prior experience was good. Got there on the day and was seated. Got served NZ scampi tartar & scampi miso soup ( poorly put together tartar with prawn head soup on the side - very underwhelming ). Next was snow crab Katsu (crab in salad sauce on potato cake ) and conger eel tempura ( had to ask 4 times at 2 different wait staff just to get an overly fried piece of batter tasting nothing like eel ). Following that was Wagyu tamari sushi which was alright. Each of the things I just listed we got one piece each and the tartar to share. Now the main is 200g of M9 Wagyu short rib + M9 Wagyu fried rice ( abit too salty and sweet )+ Katori Valentine's Salad ( leaves / cherry tomato / little turnip things ). Ended off with Dassai Ice Cream ( with the lid from the container left in to remind you that no additional effort was put into making dessert aside from plating it ) The reason I listed the whole menu is to emphasise that everyone ate from a set menu so this should be advantageous to make timely. Service was slow, size of servings was ridiculous, drinks came after the 3rd entree, my meat was sitting on my table 15 minutes before the coals were placed in, coals were already overheated that even the manager had to check why the fire was so violent and both me and my wife left still feeling hungry. Paid $390 in total. Staff asked why we didn't finish the eel ( which was served last - it's an entree mind you) and I told her that pretty much nothing was to expectation nor was it pleasant or enjoyable in any way. She offered to take off the drinks but I asked her not to because they might as well get every penny from me as it will be a cold day in hell before I go back there. Went from praising them as one of our most memorable meals in Melbourne to already having my Macca's order in mind midway through the meal. Disappointing and fairly worried for anyone else considering to dine at this establishment. *photos of all the food aside from the soup* Judge for yourselves 😒

Great tasting food and excellent service. Loved all the meats and entrees too. The dishes were really flavorful.

Beautiful place for dine in with luxury Japanese menus to choose. Super Fresh sashimi menu and super delicious A5 WAGYU beef. Don’t forget to try Thai cocktail as well. It so delicious!! Really love the atmosphere when dining there. Staff was so nice to our table.

• Bbq: marbling speaks for itself with sweet subtle sauces • Foie gras bowl and wagyu bowl is very memorable- what I will keep coming back for. 10x better than any Calia bowl imo. •Wagyu niguri melted in my mouth. On 2 seperate dining occasions, I find that the restaurant pushes " drinks menu" way too hard which I get is for business profits but it gets to the point where it's super annoying. Friendly service but they come to our table too often even to fill water that was not even half empty. Regardless, I can't fault the food here. Everything tastes A1, full flavoured with a focus on high grade meats and sashimi. Here, you get what you pay for :)

Beautiful Japanese restaurant in central box hill area. The aesthetic of the restaurant is really nice, with lots of bright pink flowers when you walk in and dark-dim lighting in the interior. Highly recommend trying to boom one of the booths if you boom ahead of time, they are lovely. Highly recommend the Wagyu platters👌 We were here for a birthday so the staff were very helpful with keeping the cake a surprise and bringing it out when it was time. Thank you for making it an incredible experience!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Amazing Japanese BBQ Experience! I recently visited this Japanese BBQ restaurant in Box Hill, and let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! The food was incredibly fresh, and the flavors were out of this world. The meat was so tender and juicy, and the variety of options was impressive. I couldn't get enough! Not only was the food outstanding, but the customer service was exceptional as well. Luke, even on his first day, with the help of Stephanie went above and beyond to ensure that we had a fantastic dining experience. They were attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. It truly made our visit even more enjoyable. It was our first day in Melbourne, came for our honeymoon If you're looking for a Japanese BBQ spot with incredible food and great customer service, this is the place to go. I highly recommend it! 🍖🔥😄

I have to confess they got a great quality of meat. This including sashimi and wagyu MB9+ But it is also on a pricey side so this reastaurant would be perfect for a special occasion. Service was amazing, friendly and attentive Too.

The restaurant is definitely above the standard and truly bringing in the Yakiniku spirit to Melbourne. They have an extensive menu including very nice sashimi, and menu you find in izakaya. The meat selection is comprehensive and the waitress recommended a perfect portion for us. They have the Australian MS7-9+ as well as Japanese A5 Wagyu. Truly amazing and reasonably priced (compare to other authentic Japanese Yakiniku). Definitely will visit again!

The food and presentation here is top shelf. The only thing that stopped me giving full marks was the service. At times it felt really rushed and had to ask multiple times to clear the empty plates. I didn’t like this one incident where one of the wait staff all of a sudden took over our table to cook the meats (never came to offer help in our previous hour) without asking us and decided to put wasabi on our expensive wagyu meat and then place the cooked meat on the dipping sauce plate!!! Stupid and unnecessary. Besides the below average service, the wagyu beef here just melts in your mouth and the cocktails were also of high standard. Parking around here can be hard also, might need to park on side streets where most are free after 6pm.

One of my favourite yakiniku places. Superb beef quality, excellent service Other than the beef my favourite dish was the ini chawanmushi its smooth as silk and flavours are well balanced it’s just perfect

Tiana was amazing she took really care of us during our dinner. All my orders were taken care of and she waa very personable. She remembered it was my husband’s birthday. Definitely one of our favourite places to celebrate special occasions. Will be back soon! Thank you Tiana.

Amazing - can't wait to go back again! Food was absolutely amazing and the service was really good too!

My wife and I have been trying all of the restaurants in Box Hill. This is one of the very best. The food is outstanding and artistically presented, the service is friendly and knowledgable and the decor is beautiful. It is quite expensive but it is great for a business or family meal where you want to spoil people. One of the best restaurants in Melbourne. Strongly recommended.

my partner and i just ate here at katori and i am beyond impressed with the food & service tonight from our lovely server tiana. she made us feel super comfortable and well looked after while spending our time here. i had the slow cooked wagyu with chinese cabbage and my partner had the wagyu platter. the wagyu was so delicious and absolutely melts in your mouth! we are definitely coming back here soon, with some friends next time to show them what they’ve been missing out on haha! once again thank you tiana for your outstanding service, cannot wait to come back and ask for you! thank you katori <33

I've had heaps of wagyu Yakiniku, but here it's the highest quality and you pay for what you get! The wagyu is just so soft and fresh. It melts in your mouth like it does in Japan. Authentic Japanese wagyu! This is honestly the best in Melbourne, but yes, portion is on small side, but you come here for the experience. Well done guys! Will be back!

We had the set menu and it was an experience, the food is so good! We also had soba noodles and a mushroom dish however only have a video of it but highly recommend, also the cocktails! Ps. Friendly and hospitable staff 😊

such a gem in box hill!! the unagi was so soft, chirashi box was perfection and the foie gras rice was so flavourful.

Tried the all you can eat wagyu sukiyaki lunch and it was amazing. The waitress was very helpful and brought plate after plate of meat as we asked for it. The tare was spot on and tasted just like what I've had in Japan. Meat was good quality too. Would not hesitate to have it again

We came for lunch to celebrate a birthday. Food was delicious and the waitress was lovely. We asked for dish recommendations and she did not disappoint! Absolutely recommend the wagyu nigiri with foie gras. Prices are definitely on the higher side.

I loved the food, but i wasn’t full at all. I feel like I could eat the whole wagyu platter by myself and maybe another one as well, but it is expensive as it’s wagyu. Super yummy food though and nice atmosphere :)

Fantastic experience. Fresh and high quality sashimi beautifully presented. Super efficient, receptive and friendly service by Stephenie. Will definitely come again!

Had a lovely lunch here - decorations were beautiful and the food is good. The service was very impressive and professional. The waitress Steph was extremely helpful and helped us pick out the best items on the menu to try. We will definitely be back!

Truly delicious Wagyu steak, fresh sashimi and you have to other the scampi! Very fresh and sweet. Not much vegetables as expected for a barbecue restaurant. Service was okay. Good selection of alcohol including sake and umeshu.

The most exy japanese restaurant in Box Hill～ nice service and fresh food！ I really like the Foie Gras with Rice，its amazing！ The grill is awesome，but tooo exy lol. average $70-80 pp/ $100+ pp (if you enjoy the grill)

Had the Sukiyaki lunch deal here a week ago and it was very value for money. Really enjoyed it! Beef slices were of very good quality and service was attentive and efficient. Will definitely come back again to try their other items on the menu!

The legends has recently launched a sakura premium lunch set with prettiest sakura deco!! The set comes with the most beautiful and freshest Signature Chirashi and very beautiful Sakura Cocktail💖 A Grade Sashimi was very fresh and the grilled prawn’s flavourful. We also ordered some extra items and guys the Wagyu Nigiri is a must!!🤯🤯 The foie gras rice is soo creamy BEST FRIED RICE! All desserts such as Choc lava cake and Yuzu Sorbet we tried were divine. Can’t wait to be back for more!

If you are after quality wagyu and sashimi for a special occasion, this is the place to go to. Had the set menu, was more than a hundred per pax, so definitely not an everyday venue for most. A little peculiar as you wouldn’t usually associate boxhill with anything fancy. Service was attentive, but the restaurant can get a little noisy when there are large groups, especially with the proximity of tables. But otherwise it’s awesome.

Had the Japanese A5 wagyu, really good cuts for the value. The barbecue set up is really good and comfortable; really good ventilation, the hot plate is in a really good position on the table and the heat from the coal lasts a decent amount of time. The meal felt very meat heavy though.. would have preferred more options of vegetables and rice (not rice bowls) to compliment.

Pretty modern & intimate nice menu. Food was tasty and waiters came when requested however Maybe not value for money since meat portions are smaller compared to other restaurants of the same league & doesn't tell you whether they are important and of high quality after cooked. Great to check out with family, friends or date but you will be ordering a range of dishes to be full.

First thing first service was appalling. Other than the floor manager, no one knew what service was. Was sat down and asked if we would like water and what kind of water we wanted. Answer: still water please. Response: ok. And waitress walked away and disappeared, no water given. Had to ask for water twice. The coal came out 30 mins before our meat came out so it was pretty inconvenient. When our set meat came and was placed down, no tools (tongs or scissors) were given sat there for 5 mins before I asked politely if we could get some cooking utensils, and later had to ask for scissors to cut the steaks.....Later asked where our other main of cold soba was as we finished 80% of our meat and turns out it was never entered. However, the quality of the cuts of meat were 100% delicious. But overall, if you ask me, great meat quality with the worst service for such a high price ($140pp) I would never go again and would never recommend anyone to go. There are definitely better Japanese Yakiniku places around in the suburbs.