It’s been very difficult finding an affordable “omakase” in Melbourne. Most places go for 14 pieces at $200+ 😳 with a lot of extravagant visuals and decor to make the meal worth the dollar. But we chase quality, artisanship and gastronomy so when our friend T introduced us to Tempura Hajime, we were over the moon.
Located in Melbourne CBD, this 8-seater restaurant serves an intimate 14-course tempura omakase for only $130 pp. Add $10 and you get the sashimi version 🍣😉. We picked the former because a good tempura is a hard food item to come by. Shared this experience with A&T.
Located in Melbourne CBD, this 8-seater restaurant serves an intimate 14-course tempura omakase for only $130 pp. Add $10 and you get the sashimi version 🍣😉. We picked the former because a good tempura is a hard food item to come by. Shared this experience with A&T.
Omakase
Our first dish was the zensai, like a Japanese antipasto. From left to right:
This was chicken breast with sesame sauce. It was a fragrant and flavourful bite, quite straightforward. The oversupply of sesame sauce drowned out the chicken so we couldn’t taste the gritty dryness of the breast.
This was crumbled snow crab. It was delicate, fluffy and had a sweet taste to it. I don’t think there was any dressing used.
Lastly was the seaweed with yuzu dressing. We all liked this one because of the balanced sweet-sourness with the bitter-earthiness. I need to find these bowls for my own kitchen 🌸.
We were still served sashimi on the tempura tasting menu. As you can see, beautifully presented with delicate floral cuts of carrot and cucumber to accentuate the ocean floor vibes. There were 3 fish: salmon, kingfish, and mackerel – all fresh and tender.
To prevent me from repeating myself, all the tempura had a beautifully light coat of tempura batter (flour, eggs, water), with some pockets of air along the surface to soak up the dipping sauce. There was no residue of oil. It did not taste greasy or heavy at all. Each tempura coat was perfect and wrapped around the subject in such a delicate manner, they enhanced the food with a crunchy textural bite.
The various dips were: pink salt from Murray river (top left), vinegar (top left), lemon juice (top middle), daikon radish (top right), and tempura sauce (bottom right).
The various dips were: pink salt from Murray river (top left), vinegar (top left), lemon juice (top middle), daikon radish (top right), and tempura sauce (bottom right).
Our first tempura was obviously the classic prawn. This was a fresh and juicy bite of tiger prawn, perfectly sliced along the underbelly to create the beautiful elongated shape.
Next was a white kingfish, another fresh selection with a sweet, mild taste. The tempura batter was extra crispy around the tail end.
This was eggplant and chicken. It was a very flavourful and smooth bite. The chicken had been tenderised into a pâté, with a distinguished layer of eggplant on either side. We appreciated the sandwich-style of this tempura and that it was still able to hold its shape.
Oh my god, the sweet corn 🤤. I don’t know how the chef did it but wow, biting into this was literally like eating a flavour bomb of crunchy sweet corn. Everything held together despite how small the piece was. This one amazed us the most.
This scallop and uni was hands down, a-maz-zingggggg! 😍😍 We have no idea how the chef was able to cover the scallop in an even batter but on top of that, maintain the flavourful sweetness and creaminess of the two gems.
The sea urchin (uni) was in season, with a delectable sweetness and none of that briny taste. The scallop was buoyant and sweet. It was like eating a delicious diamond from the ocean.
The sea urchin (uni) was in season, with a delectable sweetness and none of that briny taste. The scallop was buoyant and sweet. It was like eating a delicious diamond from the ocean.
This sweet potato ball was another wonderful, delicious bite, elevated by the tempura coat. It was sweet and creamy, with a mild starchy aftertaste.
Next was the Alfonso fish from New Zealand. This was an aromatically sweet taste with a very tender texture. We could taste how fresh the fish was.
The tuna and avacado piece was a lot smaller than we expected. It was the size of a grape. There was a generous amount of Japanese mayonnaise on top, and it masked a bit of the tempura coating too. Taste-wise, it was a tiny flavour bomb of fattening avocado and salty tuna.
This was another crowd favourite, the unagi and wasabi. The eel was fresh and soft, coated in a sweet teriyaki sauce. The wasabi balanced the bite with its heated zing.
This was our last tempura, a prawn with white mushroom. You’ll be happy to know I (the mushroom hater) ate this with a smile because a) it was delicious and b) I could not feel the squishy mushroom texture amongst the crispy tempura flakes and thick prawn flesh 😆.
This was an enjoyable mixed seaweed salad to help complement and cut through all the tempura batters. It was mildly acidic with a lot of pops of freshness.
Our main dish was a kakiage-don. This was a vegetable and seafood tempura laid upon a bowl of steamed rice and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. It was flavourful and comforting. The contrast in the crunchy tempura and the pillowy rice was lovely.
Our palate cleanser was a shot of plum wine. Sweet, floral and the perfect touch.
The staff were very thoughtful of Mick’s palate and offered him a different wine for his cleanser because he ordered this plum one as his first drink 🥰🥺.
The staff were very thoughtful of Mick’s palate and offered him a different wine for his cleanser because he ordered this plum one as his first drink 🥰🥺.
Our dessert was a vanilla pudding with purple grapes. The pudding was fragrant and mildly sweet, heightened by the sugary syrup it was bathed in. The grapes were refreshing. Overall a light dessert and the perfect way to end the night.
Service
The chef did not speak much for this omakase. He cooked silently in front of us
and only spoke when indicating what our next dish was. We didn’t mind this at all because we were very focused on our own conversations 😂. He was the only chef serving 8 people. The server was amazing: quick on her feet, accommodating and kind.
Review
This entire experience reminded us of our omakase in Japan. Perhaps it was the small bar setting or the intimate lighting, but it felt like we had stepped into a magical portal from Melbourne to Tokyo 😍. The food was well-executed, beautifully presented and most importantly, delicious as fuck. Considering the price and the unique cuisine, we would definitely come back for another serving.
Here’s a blurry photo to keep friends anonymous. I actually photoshopped another version but it looked so bad I decided the original will have to do 😂.
As always, arigatougozamaisu, oishii shokuji ga aru (thank you and happy eating!)
Here’s a blurry photo to keep friends anonymous. I actually photoshopped another version but it looked so bad I decided the original will have to do 😂.
As always, arigatougozamaisu, oishii shokuji ga aru (thank you and happy eating!)
