ILZA - Box Hill South, Victoria

Julie

Exorbitantly priced for such small portions (including the drinks). While the strawberry matcha was OK, the size is insanely small for the price you pay, it's mostly ice, and you can easily get better and more at other places. To give you an idea of the size, they cut regular straws in half to use for their cups. The matcha flavour isn't that strong, either (not a surprise given the vibrancy of the green, see photo).

The onsen egg atop my curry was ICE-cold, straight from the fridge, and was a solid object, making for a bit of a shock for a dish that is meant to be served hot. The curry itself was incredibly basic with no complex flavours -- it just seemed like curry cubes cooked without additional vegetables or seasonings. The tempura dipping sauce was overly salty and the tempura batter itself was VERY thick, making the tempura chewy and dense rather than light and airy. No appreciable light crunch that you'd expect from tempura. It was like eating rocks -- just look at the photo. That batter is not right.

The service is typical QR code ordering.

The atmosphere is so nice and it's such a hidden find that I really wanted to like this place, but the food is so disappointing for the price point, both in flavour and portion size.

Shuman

A gem in the burbs. Loved the food, service was on point and real helpful.
One of the best japanese cafes I have been to.
Even on a weekday lunch it was busy so reservations is highly recommended.
It will be our go to place for Japanese grub.
Oh pocket friendly as well.
Paying in cash gives you a 5% discount.

Nara L.

Beautiful and homely café! Just perfect vibes for a brunch or small outing with friends. Food all looked amazing and staff were very pleasant. Loved the range of unique food and drink here as well! 🥰

D G.

I absolutely loved my experience at this restaurant! The modern Japanese fusion cuisine is a delightful blend of innovative flavors and traditional elements that truly stand out. The presentation of each dish was as impressive as the taste, making it a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Plus, there is plenty of parking available, which makes it incredibly convenient for diners. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique dining experience!

E. T.

Great little Japanese Cafe for brunch with friends! Between us we had the soft shell crab, lotus fries, curry udon (can't recall which one), fried tofu, and a selection of baos. Also had their matcha tiramasu which was delish but a little lacking in the matcha flavour. Their iced matcha however was on point, not too sweet, however it didn't come with a spoon or straw? The matcha was sitting at the bottom and was just a cup of milk needing to be stirred and only had a big soup spoon - really my only complaint about our visit. Ended up using the tiramasu's spoon to stir. Everything was delicious and came out quickly. Easy to book a table online and use their QR code to order food. Would be keen to visit again

Mandie L.

The food here tastes comforting and delicious! The drinks here are also phenomenal! I especially love the matcha and black sesame lattes - you have to try them or you’re missing out! The cafe is quite small with minimal seating, so I recommend booking a reservation online before visiting.

An N.

We love this hidden Japanese restaurant. Although it is small, food is delicious. We love the matcha latte. Peanut latte is a bit too sweet. We ordered salmon tartare, perfect taste! Meat ball Don went also well with tartare. Udon is a bit light, but we love it. We do not like the short cake much as the cream has a slight bitter taste and the cake is too soft.

Ricky

This place was hidden in the middle of residential houses. Nice and quiet environment away from the busy streets. Scanned the QR code and a good menu selection with plenty of food and drink choices on display. The bao and the chicken karage was good. I was expecting japanese rice with the unagi don but wad given the normal rice. The unagi tasted quite nice though. The chicken curry sauce was nice and I used it on almost everything. The nama chocolate was very dense and flavoursome but I couldn't really taste black sesame from the cheesecake though. I would try the other Ilza outlets and check them out.