Egg Sake Bistro

I have been eating here since they first opened and have noticed the quality AND quantity of food serve drop dramatically. It’s such a shame, because in the beginning and for the first year or two it was wonderful — freshly cooked, authentic Japanese, delicious tasting and plentiful portions you could barely get through. Now the taste of the food and variation of dishes available is disappointing, it’s not nearly as Japanese as it used to be and the portion sizes are absolutely miserable — leaving me feeling hungry. It’s just so sad, because it was by far my favourite place on campus to eat. I won’t be going back

This is probably my favourite lunch venue on the UniMelb Parkvile campus. Personally, I find the bentos to be disappointing (if you want a good bento at Parkville, go to Tsubu at the 1888 Building) but the rice salads on the other side? Delicious! The salmon salad rice (my go-​to) is simply rice, diced sashimi, salad greens and wasabi mayo — delicious and filling. In winter, I am also a fan of the vegetable tempura udon, or the prawn tempura udon. Around the other side, opposite the bento station (which usually has an insanely long line, disproportionate to the quality of the offerings — please note: I am biased against this bento because the vegaquarian selection is both slim and grim, and mainly fried) is the best sushi on campus. Plush Fish may have held that title many years ago when it first arrived and wowed this captive audience with its wacky combo of sushi and coffee, but Egg Sake’s sushi selection and quality leaves them for dead. It ranges from your classics (salmon, tuna, chicken) to your wacky (smoked salmon and cream cheese, vege spring roll handroll!). Personal favourites? The cooked tuna and red onion and the teriyaki tofu. So take my word for it — go down the stairs into the belly of the Union House beast for a delicious lunch option.

Here’s the weird thing about this place: They have 2 sides to this bistro, so 2 entirely different menus — one is the special order side and the other is where you can make your own bento. I do not like the bento-​side at all, so I’ll review that first:
Bento Side: You make your own bento or bowl with the food they have in heating trays, which is simple and straightforward enough. Unfortunately, they’re pretty bad with keeping the trays filled so I had to change my order 3 times because they didn’t have what I wanted. The end-​product wasn’t that good either. Because some of the food has just been resting there for a bit, it ends up getting a bit rough (primarily referring to the chicken).
Special-​Order Side: I originally was not aware of this side (from the stairs leading down to The Underground, it’s on the left hand side), so after my 1^st experience with Egg Sake Bistro, I thought to myself «never again». But I ended up here again after my friend dragged me. Thank goodness because it bumped what would’ve been 2 stars to 3. I discovered the salmon salad over rice bowl, which is REALLY REALLY terrific — fresh salmon sashimi, diced up and served over a bed of salad greens, smothered in a delicious and slightly spicy Japanese sauce all over warm rice. All for less than 8 dollars and well worth it! They have other things on this side as well such as ramen, tuna rice bowls, and even a strange-​sounding taco rice bowl which if I’m going to be honest — not too keen to try it out.
NOTES:
~ You can add some condiments to your meal such as Siracha, sweet chili pepper sauce, soy sauce, and red pepper. They’re displayed in front of you so it’s a serve-​yourself deal. If you like your meal with a little bit more zest, keep this in mind!
~ NOT a good place to relax or study. The tables are shaky, the chairs are uncomfortable, and since it’s in the basement of Union House, has dim lighting that is hard on the eyes.
~ Grab and go? Check! The food comes out pretty fast and there never is a really huge line.
Egg Sake Bistro won my heart with that sashimi bowl and they’re consistent with its quality too. It’s worth a try if you’re a fan of Japanese food! There are only 2 Japanese spots on campus (this place and Plush Fish), but Plush Fish pretty much only serves sushi and little things such as onigiri. If you’re craving more filling meals such as rice bowls or ramen, try this place out!