If you’re looking for an authentic Japanese + Korean experience and cuisine, then this is it. The menu is varied and the cooking absolutely spot on. Humble and heart warming. Think of it as chicken soup for the soup. Vibrant atmosphere during peak times but there are lone diners who come here later at night, which really reminds me of Japanese culture. A true gem in an unlikely place.

The food quality was pretty good compared to a lot of the Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. Would give it a 4 star for the quality of food. There was no octopus in takoyaki, which was a bit surprise to me, as a lot of the comments mentioned they made authentic Japanese food. The service needed to be improved. We ordered the 4 dishes. One was forgotten and another was not on their ticket for kitchen. The place is fairly small, but it seemed their exhaust fan was broke down or they didn’t have a proper exhaust. Clothes and hair had oily smell after dine in.

Great little Japanese cafe with a very homely vibe. The ribs were awesome and tender. Melt right off the bone and in your mouth. Takoyaki is also great. Ice cream was a little too sweet and weak in matcha for our liking. Will definitely come back for the bossam. Loss some points for the service, for a restaurant, there was no table service. You need to sit down, look at the menu, go to the front to order, get your own water, sit down, eat and then go back to the front to pay. I think this could be improved and be more efficient. Otherwise, food is great, service could be improved.

Step inside and it feels like you’re in a small izakaya in Japan. Although the space is fairly small and cozy, the friendly owners work hard and fast to prepare your delicious and authentic Korean and Japanese dishes. My highlights are always the okonomiyaki and tonkatsu. The tonkatsu has a nice portion and good quality meat. We also tried one the specials, Houjicha crème brûlée which was devoured in seconds! Also they have Asahi on tap so what more could you want?! 🍺 Will definitely be back to try more on the menu.

Nice jazz music, great menu, cosy and family owned cafe offering authentic Korean/Japanese fusion. Highly recommended

What a lovely place to have Japanese meals. Food taste really good. If you live around this area we would highly recommend coming in and check it out. Staff were friendly too.

Authentic Japanese restaurant operated by Japanese owners. The small shop lacks attentive service, and parking can be challenging to find. The food is satisfactory, reasonably priced, but be prepared for longer-than-expected waiting times.

Great fun little place. Always a great feed of Korean and Japanese food and great choice of beers with a little supermarket out the back. Super friendly staff too, we love it!

Easy five star, with no hesitation. Everything was good, especially the ribs, it's a must try. I love the little shop at the back, and the warm atmosphere there!

My first time trying this little gem. What amazingly, delicious food and great ambience. Cosy and clean, we will be dining here alot more. It is also reasonable priced.

Feel like we're back in Tokyo, the food, the restaurant interior, there is a small little open bar space which really brings me back to my memories in Japan. Their food is delicious, the okonomiyaki is a must order menu

For years and years it’s been consistently great! Getting popular hasn’t made them any less authentic in approach. A Japanese & Korean husband-wife team makes the food taste real good, with heart :) The name comes from the fact all the carpentry is done by the husband!

Fantastic staff, patient and friendly. Rather authentic Asian food. Tucked away and easily passed. Gets really busy in the evening, daytime lunch highly recommended. Takoyaki was downed well and the mains we order was perfectly filling on a cold winter day.

Fantastic Korean+Japanese cafe that wouldn't be out of place in a hip inner-city suburb. I was a little worried from the description that the food might be generic "pan-Asian" but I needn't have worried: the two owners are Korean and Japanese respectively so the food and drinks are authentic. Great lunch spot if you're shopping at Chadstone - I just wish it was closer to the city for dinner!

I've been here twice. What can I say! Great food, great vibes! Watching the chef's make takoyaki is always a pleasure. Keep up the great work. One of the best cafes in town.

I like the environment here so much. It has a very warm atmosphere. There is also very delicious food here, the tofu and curry are especially delicious.

The vibes and service are unmatched. The staff were so nice and friendly. There was even a cute dog in there. Definitely will come back for a drink or two!

Second time at Cafe Carpenter. Always a splendid experience here with delicious food and a very cosy ambience. This time, we got the carbonara, Bossam (pork belly wrap), wasabi salt edamame and our usual pints of Orion Black. Come early as the place fills up very quickly.

Loved this little place. It doesn't take bookings for lunch, only for dinner. It appears that it is a family run Japanese restaurant, where the furniture is homemade (hence Cafe Carpenter). It's very nifty and cosy, reminding us of Japan! The food was delicious and split between many selections of Japanese and Korean dishes. We recommend the following dishes that we had - pork okonomiyaki, Korean savoury seafood pancake, pork tonkatsu and the japchae (great portions of beef). There is also a little pantry area down the back where you can browse and purchase various bric-a-brac items like socks, ceramics, sweets, and drinks. Enjoy your visit 😊

Little Japanese and Korean restaurant. Staff are friendly and quality of food is great. You might need to wait for your food serve a bit when it’s busy because their kitchen is pretty small. This place will be our regular place to eat out.

Love everything about this cafe, ambience, menu, portion, food variety and taste. Even the chips are so well crafted.

A hidden jewel. Cosy and relax setting. Menu, not a huge selection but food quality is great. Staff are friendly. A great place to be for small groups. Can spend hours chitchatting with friends in mid summer nights.

A true hidden gem, we are lucky to live less than 5 minutes walking distance from this place. Food is amazing, the staff are lovely (sometimes not as attentive but to be fair it was very busy on our last visit) and love the atmosphere. You might have to wait a bit for a table but it’s worth it.

Hidden gem! Everything was delicious. Great atmosphere and lovely staff.

My wife and I dine here as often as we can. Easily one of our top favourite restaurants in Melbourne. Great food, atmosphere and service. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious and authentic Japanese/Korean meal!

Absolutely love this place, such a great traditional late night Japanese restaurant with delicious meals with a Korean fusion. Owners are a delight to make you feel welcome and comfortable. Plus a grocery section at the back where you can pick up all your favourite snacks!

Very tasty food (even pleased two old Greek grandparents). Food is authentic. I felt like I had stepped into a portal which took me to a small alleyway diner in Tokyo/Osaka. Three staff members prepared food for 7 hungry customers who ordered almost everything on the menu without any issue (something high end restaurants fail to achieve with an army of staff and 10 times the kitchen space). Keen to come back again ASAP. A hidden gem for sure.

Staff were really friendly, very cute little restaurant. Be sure to check out the little shop at the back for Japanese icecream and snacks. Food was really delicious, I was very impressed.

Best Japanese/Korean Restaurant!! Every dish was amazingly tasty and fresh. Friendly and passionate staffs and lovely atmosphere. Visited twice but both times were delightful.

Highly Recommend! Came here for the first time tonight; we didn't have a booking but were still able to be seated by the window. It's a small cozy resurant. We had the Japanese Katsu Curry and Korean Spicy Chicken. It was really delicious and was very traditional! I absolutly can't wait to go back and try more dishes. This is the best Japanese I've had in a long time. Thank you so much for the service and the food !

A quaint cafe offering a selection of tasty Korean and Japanese styled dishes. Friendly and welcoming service in a cosy casual setting. A wide range of dishes in the menu. The spicy beef ribs was notable with rich flavour and tender meat. The great matcha latte is also worth a mention. With limited seating, come early or expect to wait for a table. Can recommend and will come again.

cafe carpenter caters to those who seek for a casual intimate dinner in a small and almost eclectic restaurant. If I had said “surprise me” and my dinner partner took me here, I would have been suitably impressed. Reservations are recommended for dinner, it got packed pretty quickly on a Friday night for us. It’s natural to feel wary about restaurants which serve both Japanese and Korean cuisines. But boy, I had a pleasant and enjoyable meal here. The seafood okonomiyaki (always add cheese when the option presents itself) was one of the best versions I’ve sampled here in Melbourne. Crispy and delicious, I always find it a way to sneak vege in your meal without ordering a blatantly healthy dish. The Korean pork belly dish got the flavours right, but the meat was a bit tougher than what I was used to for rice bowls. The karaage chicken salad was crispy and delicious - certainly more attention was paid to the chicken than the salad, which needed a bit more seasoning. Our food came up to about $50 which was reasonable for a small business. Loved the little Japanese restaurant ambience and the Asian supermarket next to it too. Will be back!

Friendly staffs. Was able to accommodate our family of 9. Food was very nice. Nice ambiance.

Very very cute place, super authentic! Really cool how they have a grocery next door as well. Looking forward to dining at their Cafe space once open again!