Tokosan

Slightly hidden on Greville St in Prahran, just down from the Prahran Library, lies a Japanese fusion restaurant bar with brightly coloured umbrellas and giant chopsticks hanging from the ceiling. Formerly an izakaya restaurant called Toko (a Prahran local favourite, which, we can reveal, is due to reappear in the CBD), Tokosan offers a fast-casual dining experience on the backdrop of Japanese-street style decor. More recently, it launched a new menu.

Tokosan’s menu is made for sharing: offerings vary from traditional Japanese treats like takoyaki (seafood balls), sashimi and your choice of udon, soba or ramen, to dishes with more of an Australian twist, such as ramen spag bol (say whaaat?), crispy chicken wasabi waffles and Japanese churros with wasabi chocolate sauce.

We went for the takoyaki along with a serving of gyoza (because you can’t go to a Japanese restaurant and not order gyoza) to start with. I am used to the octopus takoyaki offered at traditional Japanese restaurants (you could call me a takoyaki snob), yet the seafood ones at Tokosan, served on mini-skewers with takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayo, offered a slightly different, but still delicious flavour. We also treated ourselves with some fresh sashimi, which was sliced a little smaller and thinner than we expected.

When it came to mains, we were stuck between Japanese fried chicken, ramen spag bol, crispy chicken wasabi waffles and the pork ribbies, and the miso-marinated grilled king salmon. We decided to go with the salmon on recommendation from the staff. It came with a generous accompaniment of chilli miso sauce and pickled sushi ginger. We added a side of chargrilled broccolini with sesame dressing, because #health. Sesame dressing, in my eyes and tastebuds, is divine with pretty much anything, and it went beautifully with the miso salmon.

Sticking with the casual vibe, Tokosan has a range of weekly specials to offer up. On Tuesdays, prep yourself for an all-you-can-eat sushi night for just $29. Start calling your Wednesday nights ‘dumpling night’, because Tokosan has $1 dumplings and $5 bubbles all night long.

Touted as Toko’s ‘cheeky little sister’, the vibe in Tokosan is relaxed and the Japanese steampunk-esque decor, including an outdoor courtyard with a 16-metre long graffiti street art mural, makes you feel as though you’re eating in a Tokyo laneway. The tabletops feature Japanese art collages that resemble scrapbooks, and the women’s toilet at least, was graffitied with Hello Kitty symbols everywhere. The establishment also has a street-style vending machine (the kind you’d only find in Japan! 😉), a karaoke room with capacity for 20 people, and a cocktail list quaintly named after Kill Bill characters.

Next time you’re in the mood for some Japanese fusion cuisine, karaoke, or great cocktails, pay Tokosan a visit!

Tokosan
142 Greville Street, Prahran
Open Tuesday to Saturday, Dinner
tokosan-melbourne.com