Friday, February 18, 2011

Yu-U, Melbourne


This visit dates back to Cheesecake Boy's birthday a couple of year's ago.  I had to book a month in advance to secure us a spot for his birthday lunch.  

Yu-U is so perfectly Melbourne, in that it has that elusive quality about it. I mean even the locals had no idea what I was talking about when I was trying to secretly get directions from the visitors centre and concierge of our hotel.  I guess, if you are hidden in a lane way and your entrance blends in with the rest of the lane and its walls, you may very well not want to be found.

Now I had booked all the restaurants  we were eating at that week without telling Cheesecake Boy where we were heading and when he saw the graffiti door I was dragging him into he hesitated until he saw the sign and menu in the door way.  The only other time he has done that was when I was dragging him into Madang that's in an alleyway off Pitt Street.

The entrance

Inside, this place is serenely beautiful, dark and quiet.  People speak quietly here and you hear soft murmurs across the room.  The design of the place is that you sit around the kitchen and there are some private rooms available for larger groups.

Walking down to into the restaurant

Lunch is a simple affair here, you choose from a set menu.  I chose the seafood set which I would not normally choose and Cheesecake Boy always chooses the sashimi option whenever we eat Japanese. Both were nice and simply, after our big breakfast.

Seafood set
Sashimi set

Walking out and down the lane way, really who thinks there would be a restaurant hidden up there.  Only in Melbourne, got to love that.


I love the serenity of this restaurant but people say their dinner menu is quite special and different in that they offer choices that are not usually found in other Japanese restaurants.  I tried to make a booking for dinner last visit but had no luck.  Hopefully, one day I'll be back for dinner.  Now that I know, where you are.



Happy eating, Dumpling Girl.


Yu-U
137 Flinders Lane
Melbourne  VIC  3000
Ph: (03) 9639 7073

Yu-U on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

chocolatesuze said...

hehe that entrance certainly looked dodgy! i love finding a restaurant that surprises!

Dumpling Girl and Cheesecake Boy said...

Hi Chocolatesuze, your right, it really does look dodgy. Guess looking back if I hadn't done my research I would of been worried too.

Mel said...

A work friend just told me about this place today - I wonder if I could wrangle a booking for dinner over Easter...

Dumpling Girl said...

Hi MissPiggy, you should definitely give them a call, you never know. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you :)