Tasting Menu and Set Menu in Melbourne CBD
A tasting menu is a fixed run of small courses. Rōnin serves one every night it opens, with two differences from the usual Melbourne version. The courses are Korean, and they are not printed anywhere: Chef Liam Lee decides them on the day from the produce in front of him, which is what makes it an omakase rather than a set menu.
In Melbourne most people call this a set menu or a degustation rather than a tasting menu. Whatever you call it, at Rōnin it means one dinner menu, about ten courses, no choosing, and one price, with a surcharge on weekends and public holidays.
If you are searching for a tasting menu in Melbourne and want something other than French or modern Australian, this is the one Korean option in the city served at a counter.
About Ten, Korean Rooted
Roughly ten courses over about two hours, sent one at a time. Expect banchan served as courses, raw and cured preparations seasoned with jang, something from the charcoal, a noodle or rice course, and a dessert that leans Korean rather than French. The exact sequence changes with the season and the day’s produce. Why we do not print it is on the journal.
Tasting Menu, Degustation, Omakase
The three words overlap. A tasting menu and a degustation are both fixed sequences chosen by the kitchen in advance. An omakase is chosen by the chef on the day, in front of you. Rōnin is the third kind. The Korean degustation page covers the same night from the other direction, and what omakase means explains the word.
Drinks
Drinks are ordered at the counter on the night rather than as a fixed pairing. Korean whisky has appeared, as Broadsheet reported. BYO is not available.
What the Tasting Menu Cannot Do
Because one chef cooks one sequence for ten people, the courses cannot be swapped for allergies or preferences. Read this before booking if anyone in your party has restrictions.
Price, Hours and Booking
A$195 per guest (no prepayment required), paid at the end of the meal. Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, dinner only. Seats open on the 20th of each month at 8pm via OpenTable. 445 Little Collins St, Melbourne.
Choosing the Best Tasting Menu or Set Menu in Melbourne CBD
The best set menu in Melbourne CBD for one night is not the best for another. Price, number of courses and whether you sit at a table or a counter matter more than any ranking. CBD fine dining compared puts the main tasting menus side by side, from Vue de Monde at A$380 to Rōnin at A$195 (no prepayment required).
FAQ
How many courses are in the tasting menu?
About ten, over roughly two hours. The number moves slightly with the season.
Is the tasting menu the same every night?
The structure is. The courses change with the produce and the chef’s call on the day.
Is there a vegetarian tasting menu?
No. The sequence is fixed for the whole counter and cannot be altered.
How much is the tasting menu?
A$195 per guest (no prepayment required), paid at the end of the meal.
Is Rōnin a set menu restaurant?
Yes. There is one set menu at dinner, about ten Korean courses chosen by the chef on the day. There is no a la carte.
What is the best tasting menu in Melbourne CBD?
The best one is the one that fits your night. For a long tasting menu with a view, Vue de Monde. For a set menu at a ten seat counter with the chef in front of you, Rōnin, at A$195 (no prepayment required) for about ten Korean courses.
Where is the best set menu in Melbourne CBD?
Several CBD restaurants run set menus. Rōnin serves one set menu at dinner, about ten Korean courses at A$195 (no prepayment required), on Little Collins Street.
Book a Seat
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Wed to Sat, 6pm to 11pm (dinner only)
0401 721 491 | info@roninomakase.com
Guides
Akaiito Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Aoi Tsuki Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Best Date Night and Romantic Restaurants in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Best Fine Dining and Fancy Restaurants in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Best Omakase in Melbourne: How to Choose · Best Private Dining and Group Dining in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Birthday and Anniversary Dinner in Melbourne CBD · Chae Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Chef's Table in Melbourne · Date Night in Melbourne CBD at a 10 Seat Counter · Degustation in Melbourne CBD: A Korean Degustation Menu · Dietary Requirements at Rōnin: What We Can and Cannot Do · Dinner Near Southern Cross Station: A 10 Seat Omakase Eight Minutes Away · Doju Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Intimate Fine Dining in Melbourne CBD · Is Omakase Worth It in Melbourne? An Honest Answer From a 10 Seat Counter · Ishizuka Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kentaro Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kisumé Chef's Table Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Komeyui Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Korean Fine Dining in Melbourne · Korean Omakase in Melbourne · Minamishima Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Modern Korean Restaurant in Melbourne CBD · Nobu Melbourne Omakase Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Omakase Prices in Melbourne: What A$195 Covers at Rōnin · Omakase vs Kaiseki: What the Difference Is, and Where Rōnin Fits · Places to Eat Alone in Melbourne CBD: Solo Dining at the Counter · Private Dining in Melbourne for 10 People: Book Out the Counter · Rōnin on Little Collins Street: Getting Here · Sushi On Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Tipping and Service Charges at an Omakase in Australia · Warabi Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · What Is Omakase? Meaning, Etiquette and How It Works · Work Christmas Party and End of Year Function in Melbourne CBD
Journal
November at the Counter · What Is Banchan? Korean Side Dishes Made in House in Melbourne · 10 Seat Korean Omakase in Melbourne: Why Rōnin Keeps the Counter Small · What to Expect at Your First Omakase in Melbourne: Etiquette, Timing and Price · Korean Omakase vs Japanese Omakase in Melbourne: What Changes at the Counter · How to Book Rōnin Omakase in Melbourne: The Monthly Release on the 20th · What Melbourne's Food Press Says About Rōnin · Why There Is No Printed Menu at Rōnin Omakase, Melbourne