Located a stone’s throw away from Melbourne University, Big Mama has become a well known Korean/Japanese establishment amongst my circle of friends. Located at 466 Swanston Street in the city, this delightful offering provides great food and excellent service, all at fantastic prices.

Upon entry, you are greeted with a polite welcoming, which for a neglected child like myself, is highly appreciated. The decor is beautiful. There is a genuine amount of care given to the appearance of the restaurant, and it is easy to see that they paid a great amount of attention to detail, right down to the accurate cartoon caricature of the owner- ‘big mamma’.

Big Mama serves Japanese and Korean foods. Prices on the menu are genuinely cheap, with little compromise on the quality of the food. I think for this review, the pictures simply tell the tale.

For the entree, the agadashi tofu, using very technical food review vocabulary, is yuuuuuuuuuummmmmm-o!

We had the Hotpot for two, which came at $32. Well worth it for a hearty meal. The dish came in a hot pot, and you watch as your food cooks infront of you. The beef, tofu, mushrooms create an aroma that tickles the tastes buds even before you have started eating. The dish is served with rice, and is excellent.

Another favourite is the bimbimbap. Hearing the sizzling sound of the bowl on the rice is almost as exciting as breaking the egg. Yes, I do live in a dull world. The combination of flavours, in addition to the crispiness and aroma in the rice that is created by the sizzling bowl is wonderful.

A dish that is also very very very very nice is the teriyaki chicken. Seething with the real taste of teriyaki, with burn marks and all, it is the most genuine teriyaki anything I have eaten. I apologise for not taking a photo of it, but perhaps, one day, if I am lucky enough, I may reward myself with another serving and will take a photo.

I have also had the seafood ramen previously, and again, I must reignite my dislike for frozen prawns, even at this fine fine place. PLEASE, no more!

Excusing the prawns, I must declare an undeniable bias towards my liking for the restaurant, the source of this bias is well founded. The place is simply excellent.

4.5 stars!