Armadale’s Latest Neighbourhood Locale Blends French Finesse And Japanese Mastery In A Stylish Bistro Setting
Arriving in late 2023, Bansho is a new French-Japanese neighbourhood bistro discreetly tucked away on High Street, Armadale. Taking its name from a Japanese-Buddhist expression for ‘all-encompassing’, Bansho delivers an experience that seamlessly blends the timeless elegance of French and Japanese cuisine, with a la carte dining, separate sushi and sashimi menus and a drinks list that features local drops, French wines and Japanese sakes in a warm and welcoming environment.
Designed by Executive Chef, Tomotaka Ishizuka (Ishizuka, Koko, Kisume), Bansho’s bistro menu focuses on the traditional techniques and modern methods of French and Japanese cuisines, preparing a menu of small bites, entrees, mains and sides.
Dishes championed by the kitchen include:
- Chawanmushi – Spanner crab, celeriac, vichyssoise and Avruga caviar
- Crudité – Blanched asparagus, grilled broccolini, sweetpea marinated with kombu dashi, creamy asparagus and lemongrass foam
- King Prawn Tomalley – Australian king prawns, red miso paste, framboise sauce, cream cheese and topped with caviar
- Blue fin tuna tartare with daikon oroshi and wasabi ricotta
- Koji marinated duck breast – dry aged for one week, served with black garlic and beetroot purée, smoked eggplant and mirin red wine reduction sauce
- Fish of the day with katsuobushi beurre blanc sauce
Desserts regularly rotate to showcase the best in-season ingredients, such as Bansho pavlova with chantilly cream, rhubarb and yuzu sorbet, strawberry panna cotta with sakura ice cream, or choux au craquelin with matcha cream.
A separate sushi and sashimi section is executed by an experienced team of mostly female chefs, who arrive with many years of experience having previously worked both in Australia and overseas. Breaking away from tradition, the sushi and a la carte menus are not mutually exclusive, with customers able to freely intermingle the two. Sushi highlights include:
- Kombu-jime – cured King George Whiting, ponzu, shio kombu
- Raw Prawn – paradise prawn, yuzu zest
- Otoro – bluefin tuna belly
- Ikura Gunkan – salmon fish roe
- Engawa Gunkan – aburi flounder fin
A separate plant-based sushi menu is also available.
The drinks list comprises a collection of wines sourced exclusively from Victoria and France, divided by varietal and growing region and accessibly priced by the glass and the bottle. Japanese sakes are also available by the glass as well as a more extensive list by the bottle. Cocktails lean into more traditional Japanese ingredients; guests can sip on:
- Midori Sour – Midori, vodka, citrus and soda
- Sakura Martini – Sakura sake, Maidenii dry vermouth and yama momo
- Shiso Mojito – Spiced rum, red shiso, lime and ume
Bansho is the first foray into the Melbourne dining scenes for owners Larry Xie and Mira Wu, having previously run two Mugen House Japanese restaurants in Adelaide City and Glenelg. Partners in both business and life, Xie and Wu met whilst studying architecture at the Art Institute of Chicago and Bansho was born out of a love for both dining and design, with careful consideration of every aspect of the venue.
“My wife Mira and I both absolutely love French cuisine – we have had a lot of beautiful meals at French restaurants around the globe in cities like New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Shanghai and many more. We also share a deep love for Japanese cuisine, and we wanted to combine the two in a non-traditional way in a new concept here in Melbourne.
The name Bansho incorporates its ‘all-encompassing’ meaning, with this philosophy extending not just to the food, but to the drinks and the design of the space,” shares Xie.
Bansho’s interior boasts a relaxed yet refined approach to dining, with a sleek geometric art deco design featuring deep brown leather chairs, dark wooden table tops, curved velvet banquettes and brushed brass finishes creating a warm and inviting space. Designing the space themselves, Xie and Wu had specific a design vision for the restaurant and great attention to detail has been paid to all the finishes used in the space.
“Our goal was to create a space that was stylish yet relaxed, not formal or stuffy, to really highlight the bistro feel of the venue. We want our guests to come and enjoy Bansho time and time again, whether that be for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. The space complements our range of carefully selected Victorian and French wines and delicious food choices, all working together in harmony to create a memorable dining experience,” shares Xie.
Poised to become both a local Armadale favourite and a destination restaurant alike, Bansho offers diners not just a friendly neighbourhood bistro but a culinary adventure that tantalises the taste buds and sparks the imagination.
Bansho is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Bookings can be made via OpenTable or directly at 0493 707 391.
Image credit: Jana Langhorst
