Forget soggy sandwiches: tasty and affordable mid-week lunches are back at two Melbourne CBD gems

It’s a question as old as time: what to have for lunch today? And here at Time Out Melbourne, we totally feel you, as we too yo-yo between wanting to save money and bringing our packed (and at times, lacklustre) lunches to work, and going all out spending a week’s wage at boujee restaurants. Because, balance.

In terms of the perfect mid-week lunch, we know you want flavour and fulfillment, without the hefty price tag. Thankfully, today we come with Good News, letting you know two of Melbourne’s tastiest restaurants, Yakimono and Kisumé, both located in the CBD, are offering banging mid-week lunch specials. And we are totally here for it. Soggy sandwiches, be gone.

So what can you get your paws on? Well, Chris Lucas’ high energy Japanese restaurant Yakimino, found at 80 Collins Street, is offering a delicious bento box for $29.50 Monday to Friday, from noon to 4pm. Step inside the fiery grill-driven eatery and come away with a lunchtime feast featuring everything from edamame and wasabi dip with charcoal crackers, to fresh kingfish sashimi, pork gyoza, Tokyo grilled chicken and more. Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian and gluten-free options are also available at Yakimono.

On the days you need to impress a client, or perhaps you’ve planned a mid-week date and are after something a little more fancy, head to Flinders Lane and visit Japanese restaurant Kisumé, now offering an affordable two-course set menu for $44. Enjoy starters including kingfish sashimi with kombu, truffled soy and chives, or agedashi tofu with mushroom, nori furikake and ankake (a Japanese sauce made with dashi broth). For mains, try either the barbecue chicken with ponzu, mustard miso, spring onions and fried leek; Ora King salmon with silverbeet and  salmon roe; or tempura with truffled soy and shaved truffle – all are served with rice and fresh salad. The Kisumé Lunch experience is available Tuesday to Friday, from noon to 2.30pm.

Bookings for both restaurants can be made online, but really we say stroll on to Yakimono and Kisumé mid-week and dig into a delicious lunch that you can feel good about.