Wabi Sabi Salon

Ordered the fried salmon and it’s cooked to perfection, however their side dishes are a bit of hit and miss. Some were very salty, while some are quite plain. The zucchini with sweet corn combination is a little weird personally. We were seated upstairs and it feels a little cramp, and you could literally see everyone that comes into the restaurant and also see what they are eating 😆 For the price you are paying, you’re better off eating at some other places selling similar Teishoku sets. Toilets are extremely dark and located in the garden outside.

Vegan options available💚 The service was very good. Vegan dumpling was served boiled style. They come with spicy sauce, and it was good. Vegan Tantan Ramen was quite spicy, but it made me warm. If you don't like spicy food, I think it's a good idea to order it with a mild spiciness😙 Thank you for the delicious meal. ごちそうさまでした💚

📍Wabi Sabi Salon, Level 1/94 Smith St, Collingwood VIC 3066 @wabisabisalon This is not your ordinary salon 💈—it’s actually a Japanese restaurant that offers a variety of delicious bento boxes, with your choice of meat, seafood, or a vegan main. We ordered: • Today’s Market Fish – Traditional Grandma’s Nitsuke – $35 • Today’s Sashimi – $35 Both came with refreshing homemade osozai (Japanese side dishes), and my favourite had to be the tofu and the curry veggies 🌟 Don’t forget to check out their back door—the lanterns and neon light boxes made me feel like I was back in Japan. 🇯🇵 ⏰Hours: Mon - Tue 1200-1500, 1730-2200 Wed closed Thurs to Fri 1200-1500, 1730-2200 Sat and Sun 1200-2200 Save this for later 🍀

ORDERED: 🍱 Wabi Sabi Signature Teishouku with Grilled Salmon ($35.00) + weekend rate 10% + card surcharge I paid $40.21 here. REVIEW: Booking is so important! We were able to skip out on their massive queue on Saturday lunch. We were also running 10 minutes late and they pushed our reservation back as well 😅. So definitely keep them updated! They'll make real system changes. Not a fan: ❌ We ordered closer to 1:00pm, and I've never been served a Teishoku with two of the same sides. I assume the kitchen had run out, but that's on poor planning. ❌ They also didn't have any more onsen eggs. ❌ The drawn teishouku had 7 sides drawn, but we ended up with 6 - two of which were duplicates. From instagram, it seems like 6 is the standard. ❌ Being seated outside (streetside), it was a little hard to get service. After a while of waiting, I attempted to go to the counter but my attempt was rejected. We got table service shortly after. Loved: 🐠 The grilled salmon was cooked perfectly. Soft creamy insides and a crispy skin. It definitely saved my experience dining at Wabi Sabi! ➡️ So overall, definitely manage your expectations at Wabi Sabi Salon. I would also recommend booking if you're dying to go!

This is an amazing Japanese experience. Its been here for more than 20 years. It's non pretentious and beautiful Its simplicity. I was amazed at how well they cater for all dietary requirements such as vegan, gluten free, jains and more than enough for those who want non vegetarian options. Must try their Sets ... see pics of out sets.

Wabi Sabi Salon sits above Smith Street like a little Tokyo apartment, all paper lanterns, mismatched ceramics and shelves of lucky cats peeking out from wooden beams. Low lighting and indie jazz create a cosy hush, yet the open kitchen still lets you catch the sizzle of karaage hitting hot oil and the thrum of “irasshaimase” each time the door opens. It feels instantly transportive without tipping into theme‑park territory. Food strikes a smart balance between comfort classics and seasonal specials. We started with house pickles and gently smoky miso eggplant, followed by an oden pot that arrived steaming with daikon, tofu and a soy‑dashi broth perfect for Melbourne winter nights. The sashimi set was impressively fresh, slices of kingfish and salmon fanned like origami across hand‑thrown plates. Chicken karaage delivered the ideal crunch‑to‑juicy ratio while a vegan katsu curry swapped meat for panko‑crumbed pumpkin and did not feel like a compromise. Portions encourage sharing which lets you sample more of the menu, and the sake list ranges from crisp junmai to rich nigori if you want to explore beyond standard pours. Service is warm and attentive without hovering. Staff happily explain unfamiliar dishes, check spice and gluten needs, and top up water before glasses run dry. Bookings are wise on weekends; the narrow staircase and intimate dining room fill fast, though takeaway trays slide neatly into the footpath crowd when the wait list grows. Prices sit in the mid‑range for Collingwood dining and feel fair once you factor in the evident care taken with produce and presentation. Wabi Sabi Salon offers a mellow pocket of Japanese hospitality that rewards both quick weeknight drop‑ins and slower celebratory dinners. A ten out of ten in my personal point of view :)!

Wabi Sabi Salon is doing some tasty Japanese Teishoku sets with a touch of Collingwood charm. We ordered both the Chicken Karaage Set and the Wagyu Set, and the Wagyu definitely edged out in terms of flavour. The Karaage was decent — cooked well, juicy inside, and had a nice double-fried crunch — but overall felt a bit standard. Reminded me of the kind I used to have working in a ramen joint, with a seasoning blend of spices and salts, but nothing that really stood out as unique. The Wagyu, on the other hand, was the highlight. Cooked perfectly, tender, and served thoughtfully wrapped with carrots and greens (think asparagus or something similar) — a well-balanced and tasty dish. Each set came with a variety of sides: • The tofu was enjoyable (though a friend found it a bit overcooked). • Cucumber salad was refreshing. • Beetroot cauliflower was fine as-is. • There was a green veggie I didn’t rate — maybe seaweed — and the miso soup had a lot going on but didn’t quite hit for me. At $35–40 per set, it’s definitely on the pricier side for a Teishoku meal, but that’s generally the range in Melbourne these days. We arrived around 1 PM on a Saturday and the place was packed with people lining up outside, so it’s clearly popular. Big shoutout to the service, which was warm and attentive. The only downside was the wait time for food, which felt pretty long considering the simplicity of the dishes. All in all, it’s a good spot with solid execution — especially for the Wagyu — but the price and wait time might make it more of a once-in-a-while visit.

I discovered this place via social media and was pleasantly surprised at how good the service and food was! I ordered their signature Teishoku with Cheese Hamburg and a mini sashimi on the side and it was so so delicious! Food was fresh and well prepared, the atmosphere was cozy, the servers were all really nice! I would definitely come back again! 😮‍💨

I felt conflicted about leaving this review, wary of spreading negativity, but this needs to be said. I don't want to bottle it up & I need the closure to move on from this. My experience began with awe at the amazing retro aesthetics & lively atmosphere. After a 10min wait for a table (peak hour), the waiter at the door gave us a 3 seater table. Another waiter asked us if someone had seated us there, as if we weren't supposed to be there. We didn't think much of it, & said the first waiter directed us there. A waitress gave us menus & took our orders at 1:10PM, based on the timestamp on my screenshot of their Insta. I was chatting to my friend (both of us were one of the few Asians there at this point) when we were asked to move to the upstairs bench so a group of 3 could be seated there instead. We carried our own water, napkins & cutlery upstairs. We lost track of time chatting until it was already 2PM; 50 minutes had passed since we first ordered. We should have checked after 30mins, but making sure they had our order was not our responsibility. My friend checked on the order, stating that about 1hr had passed since we ordered. The waiter replied, "what did you order? I'll look into it", & later to his credit as she was walking away, "sorry for the wait, our kitchen is really backed up at the moment". Good hospitality practice would have been to apologise sincerely & fast track a forgotten order to the start of the queue. Depending on restaurant protocols, complimentary drinks or a discounted meal would have been a reasonable goodwill gesture. Upstairs, a pair of white-presenting girls had just been seated & asked me if they go downstairs to order. I told them we had been waiting for 1hr; they should go downstairs to order if they want food. To our shock & dismay, both of them got their food within 15mins, while we were still empty-handed. The white-presenting trio we were bumped from our first table for were already halfway through their meal. This demonstrated that our wait wasn't simply an issue of kitchen inefficiency. It wasn't that the food was not being cooked, they had just chosen not to serve us. I am still in disbelief about the blatantly selective hospitality existing in Australia in 2025. What is disappointing to me as someone who has had 8 years of hospitality experience is not just that they lost our order -- but more importantly how they handled it. It happens, but the way a place responds shows their integrity. As a place that calls itself Japanese, there was a startling lack of Japanese hospitality -- it was saddening to see the nonchalant attitude, dismissiveness & lack of proactivity in solving our issue apart from, "its coming soon". By 2:30PM (1hr 20min later), we had tried to remain as positive by laughing the situation off & listing things we were grateful for in life, but it was becoming too much so we decided to leave. On the way out, she told the waiter we were leaving, to which he replied casually, "oh they haven't given you your food yet?" -- no further apology or investigation on what actually went wrong. It took us until after 2:37PM for us to get a bite, from Huxtaburger instead. Seeing Reviews, it made sense the extended wait time was a regular occurrence during a busy lunch hour. What didn't make sense was, the majority of customers who had a 40-60min+ wait time were non-white. Surnames like Yang, Hutama, Jang, Teh, Yun, Yen, Singh, Ding, & Tangtanawit. Whatever the reason, this reads like discrimination as other reviewers have pointed out, & isn't a good look, especially at an Asian eatery partially staffed by Asians. Am I wrong to feel indignant about yesterday? There are worse things in life than what happened. This review is not intended to be vindictive. While these events won't hurt the business, they've repeatedly hurt customers. I hope this prompts them to improve their practices, so these issues are minimised & managed well when they do occur. While I have lost 1.5hrs of my life I will never get back, this doesn't have to happen to others. Wabi Sabi, please do better.

We stumbled upon this place when we found out that Josie Bones a few doors down has closed. The service is really nice, very authentic. The food was pleasant, nothing too fancy. The decor and atmosphere was what I liked the most.

Wabi Sabi Salon could be a set from Kill Bill, it's just begging to be smashed up by some hungry ninjas. Not that I want that to happen - it's my favourite Japanese restaurant and I would be devastated to lose it! I admit there are other better known and cheaper Japanese eateries on Smith Street, but Wabi Sabi is a cut above, so if you want to make a night of it's worth coughing up the extra dollars. The second best thing about Wabi Sabi (the food being the first) is the different spaces. Over the years I've sat on cushions out in the garden where you can hear the dinky traditional music and little else, up in the mezzanine that's so low you need to crawl to your seat, and downstairs in the more standard restaurant space. My pick is definitely the garden - if you go with a group you'll have it to yourself so it feels like your own private restaurant. Another advantage of going with a group is that you'll be able to order a wider selection from the menu. The dishes are all designed to share, but with only 2 people it would be hard to get through any of the larger items on the menu, which means missing out on the whole fish. All the dishes are both simultaneously authentic and modern, most likely owing to the all-Japanese kitchen staff.

Wabi Sabi is an authentic and cosy Japanese restaurant in Collingwood. Service was great and there is outdoor seating which is perfect for larger groups. I had the Japanese curry with panko chicken. It was delicious and a very generous portion!

Wabi Sabi translates from Japanese to "Beauty in Imperfection" much like a the word Baroque. This style and imperfectious beauty is present in the restaurant's incredibly interesting contemporary Japanese food and the crockery itself. The relaxed atmosphere is wonderful, giving you free reign to peruse the décor and the menu and slowly make your way to the meal. The servings themselves go for presentation and quality of food over the quantity, and because of this I'd recommend not going there on an empty stomach. You'll end up getting a few more plate than expected and pushing the price up. And of course you'll wash these delicacies down with great imported Japanese and local beers, the perfect companion to Japanese food. The tables themselves are arranged rather close, so you may find yourself on a busy night practically sharing a table with another group. A friend talks of how she found herself and her friend sharing a table with a couple who were ending their relationship. Thankfully this only a once off, but can you imagine the awkwardness of the meal? I've only ever made more friends here, perfect for drinking further on.

Simply my favourite Japanese restaurant in all of Melbourne. Fresh, tasty sushi and sashimi, green tea and black sesame icecreams, incredibly sweet waitresses, cosy without being poky. Love it!

Went with a friend for dinner who had heard great things about this place and I wasn't disappointed! Food is absolutely delicious! We had the duck and it was tender and full of flavour. We also had the double-boiled pork which melts in your mouth and is super tasty! I liked having the option of having brown rice instead of white rice, which was a nice change. The waiter we had was really lovely! He was so polite and very courteous. The restaurant is also pretty cool! Keep an eye out for all the toys that are hanging around!