Sushi Monger

Working in the heart of the city, inconspicuously disguised as a 'suit' during the week, I'm grateful that I'm surrounded by a number of reliable places to have lunch at or take away when I'm under the pump. Being in the city, I try to keep my expenses to a minimum so I can indulge in fabulous food during the weekend. One of my go-to places that I can always expect a good meal for under $10 is Sushi Monger. If you head there during peak lunch hours, you can easily spot it out by the long line of people queuing up outside.

Most recently, I have been quite enamoured with the Salmon Chirashi Rice. With a mix of Salmon sashimi, Seaweed Salad, Tamago (Egg) rolls, Mushrooms, Inari and salad on top of a bed of seasoned rice, it is not a large portion and only just fills me up but doesn't leave me feeling bloated and suffering carb-coma aftereffects. The Salmon sashimi is fresh and almost melts in your mouth.

Salmon Chirashi Rice

I decided to mix it up once and ordered the Mix Chirashi Rice which included both Salmon and Tuna Sashimi. I went around 3pm so I'm not sure if it was because I came late or it's like this normally, but I only had 2 cubes of Tuna Sashimi and the rest was Salmon. It worked to my advantage though, as the Tuna Sashimi did not possess the same melt in mouth quality.

Salmon & Tuna Chirashi Rice

Another dish that I regularly order when I'm in the mood for waiting is the Chicken Katsu bento box. The Chicken is hot and tender covered in a crunchy batter that goes well with the katsu sauce and kewpie mayonnaise. On the side compartments of the bento box are seaweed salad, a springroll with sweet chilli sauce and a mixed salad. It is a very filling and satisfying meal.

Chicken Katsu bento box

They also offer a great Sushi Roll combo which is great on the wallet. 2 Sushi Rolls with Miso soup goes for $5, an extra roll totals it up to $6.80. Considering these rolls are filled with firm, well-seasoned rice, good filling ratio and freshly rolled, I can never go past Sushi Monger. I once tried Sushi Sushi on a whim and after the first few bites, the difference in Sushi Monger's quality in comparison to Sushi Sushi's quantity > quality was noticeable.

Sushi

I know a lot of my friends cannot go past Sushi Monger for a quick, good valued Japanese lunch and I agree. The guy who takes your order is always friendly (the former temporary guy was an absolute grinch i tell you!) and food is generally served in a timely manner. You will most likely leave reeking of food but at least you've had a good feed.

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Value: 9/10
Will I return? Yes, I always come here whenever I am craving Japanese.


Sushi Monger
17/309 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9663 0899