Kinya

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Our 3rd Visit and still the same people with smiles and great service. Food and prices are good for the location and setting. The Authentic Japanese style is a nice differnece. Service was quick and we had no issues at all. We will be back.

Sep 17, 2011 

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  3     

Rang Kinya several times to get a booking as I had bought some vouchers. As soon as the waitress answered the phone the first thing she asked was whether I had a voucher. When I said yes, she immediately told me that the restaurant was fully booked on Friday, Sat and Sundays, this was even before I told her how many people, which day and time, obviously they were only allowing full paying customers to eat at their restaurant on Fri, Sat and Sun.

If this was the case, than they should have specified this when they were selling the vouchers online. Anyway, finally managed to make a booking and arrived at the restaurant to be rudely greeted by a man who asked us immediately for the voucher. Freshness of food for a Japanese restaurant was quite poor. As I was eating their sashimi, I was a bit worried that I would get sick when I got home.

Quality of food and ingredients was below average. Service was rude. After this experience, I would be very wary of buying vouchers online to use at restaurants again. Would never recommend nor come back to Kinya Japanese Restaurant again.

Apr 12, 2011 

4.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  2      Value  3     

I too had been to the restaurant with 2 friends, on a Saturday night. We had a voucher stuff, and we tried to make a booking before hand and was told there is no more booking left for the voucher for the night. At the end we requested a call back if the boss decides to make the table open to us with voucher (vs non-voucher person). They rang back at 7.30pm and said we can come at 8pm! Given that it is quite a short notice, we said we will come at 8.30pm.

The first thing we arrived at the door was the normal greet, then we said we had a booking. The manager with a tie (same man I supposed that is mentioned at the other post) straight away asked for the vouchers and took it off our hand. Never mind, then we took our seat and looked at the menu. Selection is ok, price are on the pricey side. If you look at getting an entree, a main and a dessert each with some sashimi to share, your bill will come to around $50 per person excluding drinks. With the price point like this, I know where else I can go to with a greater level of service and food.

The waitresses are very nice and polite, except the manger with a tie - he actually started clearing our table when we haven't even finished the dessert. And when the bill comes, he said in a sarcastic tone that because you had the vouchers, it is only $13 ish. (The vouchers are not complimentary but we bought it at a great discount! It is not our fault but you chose to advertise your restaurant in such a way and hence do not give us this level of discrimination. Simply because we would not come back again given this level of customer service and we won't have good word-of-mouth on your business). We too have not been able to try the golden snow fish (their signature dish) because it is sold out?

Dec 12, 2010 

5.5 Average

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  2      Value  5     

I took my family to Kinya to celebrate my parents' anniversary. Ambience was lovely and situation where you can see the yachts and other parts of docklands.

Service however, was awful. I'm not sure whether it is because we used some spreets vouchers or if it was because we are asian. After we ordered, some 10 minutes later the waitress came back to say they didn't have any scampi left. So we ordered something else. Food was extremely slow to come. We were there for 1 hour 45 minutes. Food kept flowing for the table behind us though, a caucasian couple. They arrived after we did, and left way before we got all our food.

Then another 30-40 minutes later, the waitress came back to say there was no more snow fish, we were only allowed one. No more salmon, no more kingfish. It seems they were either out of almost everything on the menu, or were just reserving it for customers who were paying full price.

It was extremely unprofessional as it does not say on the coupon that you will be treated like a second class customer if you use the coupon. When my dad went to complain to the manager, he was told the food was coming. Then they forgot the tempura that we ordered. There was some mix up in communication between the waitress/system and the chef.

When we finally got all our food and were ready to leave, the manager/owner said... well, at least it's cheap! I have never been treated that badly at any restaurant before. Especially a so called "fine food" restaurant! I would never go back there again.

Dec 07, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

The first thing that struck me upon entering Kinya was the setting. Authentic Japanese setting, lovely view overlooking the Yarra Edge precinct and a contemporary Asian decor. The maitre d' was a little brusque though, and seemed keen to determine if we were the big-tipping, big-spending types these new ventures are hungry for.

The wait staff were attentive and charming and dressed in traditional Japanese attire, which added to the ambience. The food was delicious. King-crab gyoza for appetiser was a highlight, as was the wagyu tataki. For mains, the salmon teriyaki was fresh and full of flavour. The potato thingy it was served on was, unexpectedly, amazingly tasty. The tempura was nice too, although the ratio of prawn to vegetable pieces was a tad disappointing.

As the night wore on, the maitre d' loosened up and became chatty, talking about this and that and singing 'happpy birthday' with great gusto to our guest of honour. All in all, Kinya offers a terrific dining experience. The food was fresh and refined, the staff cute and energetic and the setting a cut-above what's on offer at Docklands.

Oct 17, 2010