ILZA JAPANESE CAFE DOCKLANDS

Such a wonderful cafe that has high quality food and service. The Docklands location was a bit hard to find (follow Google maps).

We got a lot of dishes and they were all amazing. The standout was definitely the starter Beef Balls the flavours were amazing. The drinks were nice but the matcha flavour was not very strong

I ordered the chicken karaage (large) and it was very fresh and crispy. The mustard sauce was good. It was slightly expensive though.
There is free water provided and cutlery at each table, you order via QR code and the food came very fast.

Been coming here for years, they've popped off and now have 4 locations, they open for dinner and have a larger menu. Everything is still fantastic and delicious. You can't go wrong.

Love their Japanese foods here! I really enjoyed their beef steak with rice! Love the grilled taste and the softness of the beef! It was really cooked well. :) everything was good! I also liked their cold match drink. It was refreshing. The staff were also accomodating even we ordered near closing time. :) we will visit again surely.

Lovely dinner, really enjoyed the Grapefruit cocktail. I was a little confused when I walked in, realised that I had to order through the QR code - would have appreciated if staff explained but I figured it out. Other than that it was amazing.

ORDERED:
🍥  Renkon chips with spicy mayo ($7.00)
🍚 Pork Belly Don ($19.00)

I paid $26.39 which includes the 1.5% venue surcharge and the card payment fee.

REVIEW:
✔  The renkon chips are fresh and crunchy. It doesn't have the stale taste that some restaurants do when they have their renkon chips fried a while earlier, so I would highly suggest getting these for you and frens at Ilza you wanted a snack before hitting the mains. 🍳

💖 The best was truly the pork belly don. Bits of caramelised fatty pork has flavour, with a drizzle of umami sauce and a perfectly cooked egg. You can pop the egg to add an ooze of creaminess. Salad and fluffy rice wraps up the meal and you're set for the rest of the day... until dinner.

➖  Service is efficient. Table is already set up with cutlery.
Booking a table at docklands is pretty tricky through their website, but the secret is to click directly on to "Reservations" and then follow the prompts!

[Hidden Gem 🇯🇵 cafe] your guide to Melbourne’s down-home Japanese dishes served in unpretentious surrounds outside Marvel stadium. 📍 @ilzacafe

Delicious food served in a cozy little cafe. Nice place to have Japanese style brunch. Highly recommend 😋

4.2/5
Cute hidden little japanese cafe. The food is decent but the portion is a little smaller than other cafes. Had their cheese burger curry udon and it was pretty good, although i wish they did provide some pickles or radish on the side. However, the onsen egg is slightly overcooked, it wasn’t runny:(
Salmon don is average. Their orange matcha latte is not bad, refreshing and not too sweet.

the food was amazing, but the portions were a bit small, but it's just right if you're ordering for yourself. the latte flavours were interesting yet delicious, but a bit on the pricier side. Worth it though! The vibes were more casual, yet cozy. It's a cute place to go with friends or for an intimate date.

Ilza is a hidden gem tucked away in Docklands, delivering a special dining experience. Each dish is a unique creation, and the prices are fair.

Had an orange latte and that was amazing, love the orange flavor, goes very nicely with the coffee.

I also got the steak, there was two layers of the steak and it was done very nicely, cooked just right and very flavorful!

Overall would defs return again, portions and prices are good too!

Best food and the staff is amazing and such beautiful people. Definitely coming back for ‘Peach Hana’

Absolutely loved Ilza!!!!

It is such a hidden gem in docklands in location that will surprise you.. you must be on the look out for it!

They have launched a dinner menu and it’s absolutely delish!!!

We enjoyed everything that came but the curry udon cheese hamburger was a real highlight. The yuzu spritz is a fantastic cocktail and their lattes are great too- the orange 🍊 and Peanut Butter latte was so unique! Flavours all on point

📍@ilzacafe, Docklands

We had such a great time at Ilza Cafe in Docklands last week, absolutely loved everything we tried that night - will definitely come back to try their baos, desserts and everything else on the menu because our experience was sooooooooo good 😍

What we ordered:
🏵 Renkon Chips with Spicy Mayo $7
🥪 Beef Menchi Sando $14
🍛 Crispy Tofu Skin Curry Udon $18
🥘 Cheese Hamburger Curry Udon $23
🥜 Peanut Butter Latte $6.5
🍓 Strawberry Matcha Latte $7
🍰 Nama Chocolate $3

probably one of my fav modern jap cuisines around!
all the attention is in the details! complex dishes made simple, and made to be accessible for everyone to experience!

their lunch menu is amazing! get on the cheese harumaki and the meatballs! my fav!

they've recently released a dinner menu which is absolutely delicious!

coffees and lattes for your morning sessions, and cocktails, wines and sake for your evening moods

they make an orange matcha latte! fun one to try out!

would 100% recommend this place if ur in the area!

The best food I've had in Melbourne thus far. Highly recommend the strawberry matcha latte: it was life-changing. The mazeudon was impeccable, as was the katsu sando and baos. My friends really loved the matcha panna cotta too! I wish I could live in that restaurant, it was just that good :") <3

When I'm back in Melbourne, I'm 1000% going to come back here for more!

Food is good. Staff were not too friendly but quite helpful. We didn't book but they found us a table anyway. Service was fast and efficient. Space is really limited. But works in a way to make it feel like an authentic Japanese place.

The best kinda homemade Japanese food you'll ever taste only @ilzacafe

All their recipes are fusion Japanese and are homemade, so rest assured, the taste is going to remind you of comforting home cooked Japanese food.

A cute little aesthetic cafe tucked inside Marvel stadium, @ilzacafe is sure to surprise you with their fantastic flavors and delicacies

What we had:

Renkon chips with creamy spicy sauce, immensely crunchy, slightly salty yet a tasty appetizer that's so hard to resist.

Salmon steak with rice, salad and a poached egg, such a comforting, nourshing and absolutely mouth watering bowl of so many goodness. The salmon is simply mind blowing, the way it's cooked infused with so many awesomeyet unique flavors, that it's definitely going to make you fall in love with this filling bowl. This one is highly recommended.

Corn cheese harumaki, a fried filling of corn cheese, that's really delicious and a sweet side dish that's a must try. This creation is pretty different yet the taste of it's, is better than your regular corn cheese.

Matcha panna cotta with homemade pave chocolate, a beautiful yet a refreshing dessert creation, that's mildly matchalicious and impossibly delectable in taste. And that bit sized homemade Chocolate is so next level. The essence of the intense chocolate is so addictive and also tastes really divine.

Their food is truly one-of-a-kind that's absolutely different from the rest of the Japanese food available in the city. Moreover, their team of staff and owner are such friendly, kind and helpful people, who will make you feel welcome the moment you step foot into their lovely cafe.

So guys I'd strongly recommend @ilzacafe to all the foodies out there, because you're surely going to wanna visit this cafe again and again after having their such excellent quality, fusion and homemade Japanese food

Arrived on a rainy day and we were the first sit-in customers. The drinks blew our mind. The orange matcha 🍵 was refreshing, sweet, with subtle tangy notes of tangerine, a little overpowers the matcha notes - but still, flavoursome!

The cheese hamburger curry udon was hearty. The beef cutlet was so juicy and tender, the meat juice was oozing when I cut it into half. The onsen egg definitely enhances the mouthful flavour and smoothness to the curry.

Will definitely be back. Thank you for the welcoming service too! ❤

Would give more stars if possible. Fast service, fantastic + comforting food and a great atmosphere to top it all off. The strawberry matcha latte was perfect in terms of flavour and sweetness. The strawberry puree made it taste extremely fresh, and the crumbled freeze dried strawberry on top created a very pleasant aroma from the first sip alone. The fried tofu skin curry udon was unbelievably satisfying.
The texture of the sweet tofu, the perfectly chewy udon and the incredibly comforting curry made for an amazing and filling meal. Will definitely be coming here again! I can't believe it took me so long to dine here.