Finally, a place for proper tempura

It is no secret that Tempura Hajime is not easy to find.  So much so that when we made the dinner booking, the instructions on what to look for at the stipulated address was sent to us via short text message.

This is one of those places that truly comply by the old adage of "do not judge a book by its cover".  The narrow door, the office-style entrance lobby, another door and then the little counter at which we would watch the chef cook and serve the tempura dishes.  The oil was impeccably clean, the ingredients had been freshly prepared and we would be the only ones in the place for the next hour.  Ah, the bliss that early weekday diners get to enjoy in Australia.

I never thought I could end up paying to eat tempura in the degustation format.  Even as we were picking our own individual sake and tea cups, and wiping our hands on the warm towels, I was still wondering what on earth I was doing.  Yes I did pout terribly when I initially realised that SL had dared to leave me out of this reservation, but then I had heard too much of this place to miss out.  Even if it was tempura degustation style.  Again, what on earth was I doing there, fan of the sashimi?!


Hmm, a palate cleanser of sashimi and a light chicken mayo salad.  Refreshing, rather unexpected actually.  Ah, the sake in a hot bottle to ensure its continued warmth, perfect on this rainy winter night.  Kampai!


Then the quick succession of tempura, followed with special instructions.  Dip in the lemon juice followed by a smattering of Murray River salt, or dip in the tempura sauce with freshly grated daikon, or eat neat.  In between enjoying the freshness and surprising lightness of the tempura we were eating (can corn taste this sweet on its own?  How can wagyu beef sushi tempura taste so...not red meat?!) we could not help examining the chef at work behind the counter.  I became absolutely convinced that the most valuable item in the whole restaurant was the stainless steel bowl of tempura batter in the chef's hand.

The one we enjoyed the most - shiitake mushroom and lobster encased in the one light coating of batter.   The scent  of this alone, when placed ever so carefully on the light oil-absorbing  paper for our taking, caused us to pause for quite some time before we remembered that it was to be consumed warm.  The sea urchin roe wrapped in seaweed wrapped in prawn meat encased in tempura batter (below) was, however, no shabby runner-up.

Amidst the quiet conversation and multiple "kampai"s (the shot of refresher soda served mid-way was a pleasant surprise), Beansprout happily took pictures of everything that came within sight.  Alas, it was made abundantly clear to us that we were free to take photos as long as they were not of the staff.

The rain was still falling when we finally staggered out of the restaurant, stunned that what seemed to be a few pieces of tempura had managed to so utterly fill our appetites.  I was very glad that I had so pouted like a child in order to get to this dinner.

Then the door closed, and became once again what would seem a normal entrance to innocent passerbys, but what to us would hold a very different meaning.

Food:  4 out of 5.  Sashimi from Melbourne all come from the one place, so freshness is really the only gauge to worry about even when the plate is served with a perfectly formed rectangular piece of omelette that has "Tempura" marked on it.  Definitely the tempura set the next time, just so that the sashimi actually does not distract so much *shock horror, so says the sashimi fan*  The dessert could also be a touch more Japanese instead of panna cotta - perhaps something incorporating white sesame seeds or umeshu plum?

Service: 5 out of 5, no question about this one.  The Japanese are such formal, polite, anxious to please people when they are at work!

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 - we did really enjoy the feeling of being in a different world from the hustle and bustle of nearby Kingsway & St Kilda Road, and soft conversation suits us perfectly.  However, the (ever so faint) smell of frying oil that wafts across the room as the night goes on may irritate those with a more acute olfactory sense.

Value for money: 4 out of 5 - SL and I discussed this extensively when we left the restaurant, and agreed that the tempura set may have been simplicity in essence (incredibly skilled simplicity, the kind that makes you realise the skill of the chef that prepared them in the first place) but it was all about the experience as a whole in the end.  One is unlikely to find a tempura experience quite like this anywhere else in Australia anytime soon...