I'm starting to like it around here. Maybe it's the cheap produce at the markets or the cheap ethnic variety of restaurants around. I kinda like the new place I'm living in too if I'm honest. I don't think I'd heard of Seddon (let alone ever been there) up until a couple of weeks ago. It's a pleasant area with quite a lot of cafes within a small proximity and somewhere I can see hipster-ing up in the near future (some are there already).
Mixed in there is a well rated Japanese place. After my recent return to Samurai (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/samurai-melbourne-01-2016) some extra cheap Japanese food wouldn't go astray. Since I had to pickup nearby dry cleaning (the reason I visited Seddon for the first time) lunch was a good idea.
- Agedashi tofu (with ground ginger & daikon in sweet dashi) $9 - the winter warmer and pleaser is very nice here. The tofu has a crisp outside and the dashi is extremely strong;
- Tonkatsu (panko-coated home-made deep fried pork with spiced sauce) $11 - nice and crunchy although a little small for the price;
- Shabu-shabu udon (chicken salad with shabu-shabu style sesame dressing) $15 - I'll admit I thought it would be a hot dish and didn't read the description properly. The chicken was ok, minimally on the dry side and the dressing quite savoury;
- Soupless soba (sesame-fried fried, niku-beef & egg) $15 - I do like cold soba noodles with sesame dressing generally. This had much less sesame flavour but instead the specks of pink ginger really made it delicious. I liked it a lot.
I'll definitely be back for some cheapish Japanese fare. I don't think the sashimi smash will live up to legendary chirashi at Ume Nomiya on Gertrude Street (any hipsters heard of that place?) but I can dream. Additionally kara age, tempura and takoyaki staples will need to also be tested.