Correction (9 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 5 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
A Japanese menu is easier to read once the format is named: an izakaya serves small plates to share, a ramen bar builds a meal around one bowl of noodles in broth, and a soba bar is built around buckwheat noodles. This page decodes each place in that order.
It covers five places in and around Northcote: three on High Street in Northcote, one in Fairfield and one in Alphington. Each was checked against at least two independent sources, among them OpenStreetMap, the venue’s own site and the Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG).
Two of the five have menu prices we could read. For the other three we say so plainly rather than guess, and we name whose listing each set of hours comes from.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyoza and small plates | Yokoso Izakaya | Gyoza | $13.50 |
| A bowl of shoyu ramen | The Dojo Ramen Bar | shoyu (soy sauce) ramen | $22 |
| Soba noodles and sake | Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar | see below | not printed here |
| Sit-down Japanese in Fairfield | Matsuya | see below | not printed here |
| Cafe stop in Alphington | Kissaten Alphington | see below | not printed here |
Yokoso Izakaya — 384 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
An izakaya is a Japanese drinking-and-dining room where plates arrive small and are meant to be shared. Yokoso Izakaya’s menu page, which it shares with its Moonee Ponds branch, prints Gyoza Pan-fried Pork Dumpling at $13.50 and Edamame, boiled soy beans lightly seasoned with pink salt, at $8. AGFG tags the place Fully Licensed, Vegetarian Options and Gluten Free Options. AGFG lists it closed Monday, open Tuesday to Thursday 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM, with Friday and Saturday running to 11:00 PM.
On the menu (copied from yokoso-izakaya.com/menu on 5 October 2026):
- Gyoza: $13.50
- Yasai Gyoza: $13.50
- Edamame: $8
Decoder: Yasai means vegetable, so the menu’s Yasai Gyoza, a pan-fried vegetable dumpling, is the meat-free version of the gyoza, also printed at $13.50.
The Dojo Ramen Bar — 333 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Shoyu means soy sauce, and it names the seasoning that flavours the broth. The Dojo Ramen Bar’s menu prints its shoyu (soy sauce) ramen at $22, topped with cha shu pork, ajitama egg, spring onion, nori seaweed and bamboo shoots. Cha shu is sliced braised pork and ajitama is a seasoned egg. AGFG lists it closed Monday, with Tuesday to Friday split into 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM.
On the menu (copied from dojoramen.com.au/menu on 5 October 2026):
- shoyu (soy sauce) ramen: $22
- Gyoza (Pork or Veg): $13
- jfc (japanese fried chicken): $15
- EDAMAME (V)(GF)(VG): $8
Menu says: gyoza come as pork or veg, five pan-fried dumplings with vinegar, sesame and soy sauce, at $13, and the site marks which dishes can be made vegan.
Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar — 257 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Soba are noodles made with buckwheat, served hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce. Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar’s own site lists Monday to Sunday 11.30am - 3.30pm with last order at 2.30pm, then 5.30pm - 9.30pm with last order at 8.30pm. Between those sessions it lists takeaway sushi and bento box only. AGFG tags it Romantic, Pet Friendly and Alfresco Dining. We could not read a price here, so none is printed.
How to order: treat the last-order times on the site as the real deadline, because the kitchen stops taking orders before the doors close.
Matsuya — 146 Station Street, Fairfield VIC 3078
Matsuya is on Station Street in Fairfield, a short hop outside Northcote. Its own site lists Monday 5pm - 9pm, Tuesday to Thursday 11am - 3pm and 5pm - 9.30pm, Friday and Saturday 11am - 3pm and 4.30pm - 10.30pm, and Sunday 4.30pm - 9.30pm. AGFG tags it BYO, Fully Licensed, Vegan Options and Gluten Free Options. We could not find a priced menu, so no amount is printed for this place.
How to order: AGFG tags it Takeaway and Delivery, so decide between sitting down and ordering ahead, and read the current menu on the venue’s own channels first.
Kissaten Alphington — 538 Heidelberg Road, Alphington VIC 3078
This is the least certain entry on the page. Kissaten Alphington is a cafe on Heidelberg Road, and we could read only a menu image link, not the dishes. Its site lists Monday to Friday 7am - 3pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am - 3pm. AGFG tags it Breakfast, Vegan Options, Pet Friendly and Free Wifi. We could not confirm which dishes are Japanese, so no price or dish is printed.
Menu says: nothing we could read, so open the menu on its website before you go and confirm it suits what you want.
Quick answers
Where can you get ramen in Northcote?
The Dojo Ramen Bar at 333 High Street is the ramen-focused place on this page. Its menu prints a shoyu (soy sauce) ramen at $22, and AGFG lists it closed Monday.
Is there a soba restaurant in Northcote?
Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar at 257 High Street is the soba place here. Its own site lists lunch and dinner sessions with separate last-order times, plus takeaway sushi and bento boxes between them, and we could not read a menu price.
Which Japanese places near Northcote are open on a Monday?
Yokoso Izakaya and The Dojo Ramen Bar are both listed as closed on Monday by AGFG. Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar’s own site lists Monday to Sunday sessions. Matsuya’s own site lists Monday 5pm - 9pm, and Kissaten Alphington’s site lists Monday to Friday 7am - 3pm.
Where can you get gyoza in Northcote?
Yokoso Izakaya’s menu prints Gyoza Pan-fried Pork Dumpling at $13.50, and The Dojo Ramen Bar’s menu prints Gyoza (Pork or Veg) at $13, five dumplings with vinegar, sesame and soy sauce. Both are on High Street in Northcote.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 5 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites and the Australian Good Food Guide. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 5 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Yokoso Izakaya: openstreetmap.org/5806706862, yokoso-izakaya.com, agfg.com.au/yokoso-izakaya-northcote-67598, yokoso-izakaya.com/menu
- The Dojo Ramen Bar: openstreetmap.org/6744765535, dojoramen.com.au, agfg.com.au/the-dojo-ramen-bar-40144, dojoramen.com.au/menu
- Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar: openstreetmap.org/12245827601, shimbashisobamelbourne.com.au/locations, agfg.com.au/shimbashi-soba-sake-bar-northcote-97918
- Matsuya: openstreetmap.org/5579882861, matsuyajapanese.com.au, agfg.com.au/matsuya-3218
- Kissaten Alphington: kissatenalphington.com.au/contact, agfg.com.au/kissaten-alphington-74641
