Q I booked Tempura Hajime for dinner in April.
My husband and I enjoy Japanese. However, we went to Yu-u a few weeks ago and were completely and utterly underwhelmed. I think I read somewhere on your site about it having the same owners or something ? Nice dining setting but very uninspiring food.
I know John Leathlean liked Tempura Hajime. So I thought that was good enough as we always seem to agree with his recs.
But we are on a NAZI budget, and if I blow $200 on dinner ( I know this isn’t a lot, but it is on our current financial regime!), I want it to be fabulous.
I am a bit worried that maybe we just didn’t “get it” at Yu-u. And the fact we loved Ocha in Kew must mean we are Japanese food nerds ?
Should I risk it ??
Jacqueline A
A The owners of Tempura Hajime used to own Yu-u but they sold it a few years back. It is just a basic Japanese sort of place doing skewers, sushi etc. that looks quite cool.
Most bloggers raved about Tempura Hajime but it is quite a casual place with only 14 seats around a bar and really all you get is tempura and an intimate experience with the chef for a reasonable price.
But it is the best tempura in Melbourne and if that is what you are seeking as a Japanese food geek then try it.
But if you are looking for something really fancy like Vue de Monde for a really special night out it is not it.
Anyone else got some thoughts?
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I think Yu u has gone downhill considerably since it opened. Initially the food was great. Now I think it’s just resting on old laurels and a groovy interior. I’ve never been disappointed at Akita when you leave the food in their hands (ie not ordering off the menu) but I haven’t been for some time.
Yu-u has somehow faded over the past few years. I remember being impressed with it when I first went, and a couple of years later, it seemed completely lackluster. It may also be my tastebuds changing as I think as a teenager, I may not have developed my senses yet.
As with Tempura Hajime, a large part of it is the experience, and it is a good one to have. I can shamefully say I have been five times, but it is not something you oooh about unless you’re in good company that “get it” and know what you’re going to get when you go.
Also, last time I checked, I think they changed their 14 to 12.
Jill, Jess I think you are both right.
Jess, Five times to Tempura Hajime?
A. How did you get the bookings.
B. Who’s your daddy?
I agree Jill, Akita is great, and very reasonably priced. I ate there last week; four of us shared a large selection of the smaller dishes and paid only $150 all up (byo wine). The service is also great, friendly and attentive but very unobtrusive.
Yes Jacquie, Ocha IS that good.
Liked Akita, be it many years ago, Yu-u was OK-ish, we were not crazy about Hajime, all too much the same and we didn’t really get the “have you ever REALY had a prawn bit” which was most of the reason we went. The only non tempura courses, the salad, had rock hard cherry tomatoes in mid winter with seaweed, surely they could have found something more seasonal than that.
With Ocha’s antipasto always different, your guaranteed not to get bored. And, is only $20-ish.
How- I usually call on the last day of the month so I get the booking for the coming month with free reign. After the second time, I learnt that. They changed the booking policy after the influx from the age review, a while ago.
Five times, yeah, that wasn’t planned. It all just happened.
And my daddy? Myself. Oh, I miss employment.
I went to Tempura Hajime once just to see what the fuss is all about. Found the experience to be quite unique and the food fab, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t go back there for a WOW japanese food experience.
As for Yu-u, I also went because there seems to be raves about it and found myself disappointed. I would rather go to Maedaya if I’m looking for yakitori (and Maedaya is cheaper too)
I think one Japanese restaurant that gives you the WOW dining experience is still Shira Nui. Sit on the sushi bar and let the chef brings you the sushi! But that being said, the last time I went back was a year ago. I remember I spent about $90 per person, so with the current economic downturn, I don’t think I’m coming back anytime soon.
I’m now eager to try Ichi Ni!! Thanks for the review Ed!
Thanks everyone, we will still go there then, I think it’s going to end up being a “to do” place, just to get it out of our system. Then we can go back to enjoying Ocha and some of the other suggestions on this post.
Piere, the “have u ever really had a prawn” reeled me in too !
Hi all, quick report..LOVED IT !
Walked out happy as Larry. Couldn’t eat it once a week…but it was a great treat for a once in a while.
I think I would get even more enjoyment of just seeing newcombers reactions to the food and the tiny, intimate, dining setting.
Best bit was tuna roll wrapped in nori, then fried..we kept looking at the bit he’d trimmed off to keep our bits perfect and were like eyeing it off desperately !
Yum.
Jacqueline,
Very pleased you enjoyed it. And I think that’s the thing, it’s not an every week place but very special once in a while.
The Tempura-Hajime start-up owner Daisuke (who’s now suppose to have sold Hajime again), sold Yu-u to an ex-Kenzan chef a couple of years ago already. If anything, the Yu-u food has improved, its just that in reality Yu-u has always been like a higher grade Izakaya (Japanese tapas bar equivalent) for businessmen to take their mistresses to drink shochu/sake after work and make them drunk, hence they wanted no publicity in the press. It was never meant to be high end food, how can one compare it to restaurants like Ocha or Shiranui? Besides, Ocha isn’t even Japanese food as well – the flavours and ingredients are all Australian-biased, but cooked with Japanese sauces and spirit. Its even less Japanese than Nobu or Umami/Misuzu, which at least have some traditional resemblance. Even Shira-nui is Australian biased flavours with its heavily seasoned or salted sushi nigiris, or grilled/baked fishes and oysters.
Back to the topic – Hajime is probably the best tempura house in Melb, but again that’s a matter of relative measurement and how much you’ve been trained to eat Tempura. There are around 3 types of Tempuras available in general (further sub-divided depend on oil used for 2 of them), but mainly distinguishable by their batter. Hajime does it the authentic Tempura bar type, with its thinner and browner than normal yet non-flowered batter, I’ve certainly had better tempura in Japan of this type, especially with regards to the batter and non-oily batter qualities. Yet, the main attraction of Hajime to Australian customers is their unique combination of ingredients used for frying, a style copired from higher end, dedicated tempura houses in Japan.
The biggest flaw of Hajime to me is that, you’re forced to eat the whole Omakase set and you don’t really get to order what you really crave – is a la carte additional orders, even an option after you finish the meal ? Someone can ask Hajime. So in the set, you get only 1 tiny prawn the width of a pencil (this ko-ebi small prawn is authentic in Japan too, but at least you get more than 1 ‘pencil’ there if you want). You get more Set Menu choices at McDonald’s than here, but they’re charging $70 for so little food!
K
Thanks for that detailed analysis. It’s interesting to hear about the Australianisation of flavours in some places such as Ocha – more so than Nobu.