Iori Japanese Restaurant

3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  4     

Where do I start. The arrogant waiter chastises a waitress infront of customers within two minutes of being seated. The drink order takes minutes to complete as the waitress speaks barely any English, insists on using a handheld electronic device she cannot operate so that three times I must reopen the drinks menu and show her again. 15 minutes later she returns to ask whether my entree is an entree or a main meal. 30 to 40 minutes later entrees come out.

Wagyu beef was nice but skimpy serving for $20. My beer is done and must finally call over the waitress to order another..at $8 each!. More than an hour passes before I complain about lack of meals while all around us people who arrived later than us are eating.

Finally, the boss man comes out and lets us know that our meals are being prepared now and it won't be long. Fish is by far not the freshest I've tasted. Sushi rice was gluggy and grainy, presentation of sashimi and sushi was below the standard of even Sushi Train. Even had to ask for wasabi which I was for some reason given two tubs of by two different waitresses. A nightmare of a dining experience.

Worst japanese I have ever had by far. Sloppy service, horrendous decor, sub par food. I could go on forever.

Feb 19, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  7     

Certainly one of the better restaurants in Canberra, and the best Japanese I've had there. We had a banquet which was beautifully presented and very quick to come out. Very fresh and flavoursome produce used, but is really what you should expect at any half decent Japanese restaurant.

Price was about average for the types of dishes on offer and the location of the place, it certainly wasn't cheap but the food was good enough to justify the cost. The service could have been better, but it wasn't so bad that it took away from the experience.

Jul 31, 2011 

5.8 Average

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  1      Value  6     

The food at Iori is definitely above the cut in comparison to other Japanese restaurants in Canberra. However, the service is really going downhill. I've been to Iori several times over the years and have always enjoyed my experience there. However, recently we were met with a very dirty looking waiter with greasy hair, dirty fingernails, and worst of all, terrible body odour! It was very difficult to enjoy the lovely food with him walking by, giving us wafts of his BO every time.

Jun 03, 2011 

3.3 Below Average

Food  10      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

Well worth avoiding. Fifty dollar prices with ten cent service. Slow and erratic service - half the table waiting with cold food - and this is after waiting for an hour.

Apr 15, 2011 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  8     

Easily the best Japanese in Canberra. They have a knack for giving comical names to their dishes, but how can you go past the "Real Eel Meal Deal", or the "GST (Great Salmon of Tasmania)"? Serving sizes are great, and food is true to Japanese style.

Also make sure to try their flavoured sakes, honey sake and apple sakes are favourites of ours. Service can be a bit hit and miss sometimes, but it depends on who you get. Nevertheless, highly recommended for a reasonably priced night out!

Apr 12, 2011 

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

Iori is an Izakaya, ie a Japanese pub. They serve cheap and cheerful Japanese food in a fun vibrant atmosphere. The food is very typical of what you get in Japanese izakayas. It's not fine dining, but not intended to be and as it is a great place to be lunch for dinner, authentic and good quality food for it's genre. I lived in Japan for 3 years and going to Iori is a good fix of everyday Japanese culture.

Oct 06, 2010 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

Iori has always been one of our favourites by Canberra standards. They still set the standard for wagyu beef in this town and I hope this continues. Try the Aya for a taste of what Iori has to offer.

May 27, 2010 

5.3 Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  5     

I love Japanese cuisine but I just go to Iori when friends invite me. I have given up ordering sushi or sashimi as the fishes are never too fresh to my taste. The food is not consistent. I went there yesterday at lunch time after 1 pm, and it wasn’t so busy. Even tough, I had to try to get the waitress attention a couple of times before ordering our meal. I am not a regular there but the service used to be better. My food was just ok.

May 19, 2010 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

Sushi rolls are always good, love the dragon roll and the crab roll. Tempuras are not good, batter is too thick. Most of the hot dishes are too sweet to me.

Mar 03, 2010 

3 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  4      Service  4      Value  2     

I went last night and ordered a crab tempura (main dish) for $25. They used to serve with rice and miso soup but I was informed that rice was extra for $2. The batter for the tempura was too thick and the prawn from assorted tempura dish wasn't very fresh. We ordered plain udon to make up for the lack of rice to discover udon noodles, shallots and seaweed in a strange sugary soup costing $10.

This was served after we had nearly finished our meal. The glass panel in front of me still had soap residues and the teapot they gave me for refill had tea stains streaked along the spout. Iori has lost its authenticity and consistency with dishes. I'm appalled with the hygiene of my surroundings and value/quality of food. I'm better off eating chips and instant udon noodles at home.

Jul 11, 2009