Osaka Bench

I squeezed into a tiny spot at Osaka Bench for a quick lunch the other day. Flinders Lane is always buzzing, and this little place was no exception. It felt very authentic - like I'd stumbled across a hole-in-the-wall joint in Osaka itself.

The menu was full of Japanese street food favorites, and I opted for the takoyaki (octopus balls) and a chicken katsu don. The takoyaki were perfectly crisp on the outside with a gooey, flavorful filling. The portion was a bit on the small side, but they were so good I almost ordered another round. The katsu don was exactly what I needed - a comforting pile of crispy chicken schnitzel over fluffy rice, drizzled with a savory sauce.

Now, be prepared for a no-frills experience. The space is tiny, and there's not much ambiance. But if you're after delicious, authentic Japanese street food at a good price, Osaka Bench definitely hits the spot. Just be prepared to wait for a seat at peak times!

This place is a little hidden gem right in the heart of the bustling city. We decided to have lunch at Osaka Bench while visiting Melbourne and it was a great experience. Highly recommended the chicken katsu curry don and Okonomiyaki with spicy squid/cheese. The food was authentically Japanese, not too salty and tasted amazing. They have enough spaces to sit about 10 people inside. Staff was nice and accommodating. The prices were fair. Overall, would definitely come back and highly recommended.

Small but cozy shop with very friendly and helpful staffs. We went there for a dinner without anything in mind so we didn’t know what to order, the staffs at the cashier were so kind to explain the difference between the flavours and recommend a few dishes. We had tempura, scallops, omu rice and okonomiyaki. Out of these, my favourite would be the omurice, it was warm when served and it had a rice filling with lots of flavours and a curry sauce on top which made it taste even better. The egg texture was on point which complimented the rice filling.

We had:
🥬 okonomiyaki + spicy squid with cheese
🍳 omurice - japanese curry flavour
🐙 takoyaki
🦪 giant hokkaido scallops teppanyaki

cute & cosy little spot. The food we had was delicious, with our favourites being the takoyaki and the omurice. Service was fairly quick and we were lucky that we didn't wait long in line but with limited seating, it's likely to get busy during peak hours. I'd go back again!

Featured:
🐙 Takoyaki ($10.50) - Great entree to start with. Had a good ratio of octopus to batter.

🦪 Giant Hokkaido Scallops Teppanyaki ($17.50) - These were grilled to perfection and tasted amazing.

🍳 Omurice with Japanese Curry ($17) - This was our favourite dish. The Japanese omelette on chicken fried rice topped with gravy was delicious 🤤 super easy to eat and felt like we could demolish 3 whole plates of this.

🐙 Okomiyaki with Spicy Squid ($19.50) - Crispy on the outside and custardy in the center. Some parts on the outside was a bit burnt/tough to eat but overall a very satisfying dish.

Enjoy the Japanese tradition food that cook right in front of you on the teppanyaki grill. Must order their Oknomiyaki or we know as Japanese Pizza. It is so delicious but be careful when you eat and it is still very hot in the middle. Fried Rice in the omelette is also amazing. We also had Prawns Tempura as our entree as well. The scalloped is so juicy n delish. What a vibe to dine in at Osaka Bench.

This place brings me back to Japan and it's amazing food scene. A lot of the iconic Japanese food - Okonomiyaki, Omurice, that's actually not common to Melbourne can be found here. Also has that small Japanese restaurant vibe. Highly recommended. Take note that it only has a few seats.

the curry chicken katsu don was good, big portion, but the rice is a little bit too dry. the takoyaki is fine. will come back to try the curry omurice

Amazing food. Excellent service! Great value for the portions you get.

Discover the taste of Osaka on this cozy bench. A small space with big flavors @osakabench_au

Must try🔥

🐙OKONOMIYAKI $17
🍳 Omu Rice $19.5

📍flinders lane

#melbourne #melbournecheapeats #melbournefoodie #melbournefood #melbournebrunch

Great value with large portions. Tasty but slightly on the salty side. Great place to try okonomiyaki.

Small restaurant, have some space to sit but Okonomiyaki is really good and affordable price. Staffs are polite and smile.

Great place for some clean and tasty Japanese food , it’s a tiny spot but the food is great. The curry sauce was less in our meal but when we requested for more they gave us more.

Very authentic Japanese feel to restaurant. The food was delicious and reasonably priced :)

Great food at an affordable price. Salmon and chicken katsu are really good.

🇯🇵 cute japanese food stall
🍱 salmon teriyaki bento
🍳 omurice japanese curry flavor
🍕 okonomiyaki
🍛 curry katsu don

🏠: @osakabench
📍: Flinders Lane

📝: Saw this place on Instagram a little while ago and was obsessed with how cute it was so I saved it to my to-go list! There are only a few benches inside and 2-3 tables outside 😆.

❤: We were stoked to see 🍳 Omurice on the menu! Cut it open and you’ll find stir fried curry rice underneath. They also have delicious 🍱 bentos. I got the 🐟 salmon bento and I got three pieces of salmon with crispy fried sides like spring rolls and 🍗 karaage chicken. Definitely very good for its price 🤑.

Glad to find this little stop
Simple comforting and yummy food

I was told the omurice is the most popular but at that time, I wanted this instead

(Omurice is only with Japanese curry flavour)

Note: Card surcharge 1.5%

Great little Japanese style restaurant. Seats are very limited ordered the Katsu curry don, which in the photos doesn’t look crispy, but can confirm the chicken Katsu were crispy and very tasty.
I would need to go back and try other items on their menu

Osaka Bench delivers! Tasty teppanyaki, delightful omurice, and curry. Friendly staff too. Despite limited space, flavours are limitless. A must visit for Japanese cuisine lovers.

Awesome little spot for a quick bite and a beer. Good prices, staff were on to it and food was spot on for a late night feed. Limited seating and "cozy" but it only adds to the vibe of the place. Would recommend