Tempura Hajime

An aesthetic Japanese vision lies improbably behind this nondescript South Melbourne doorway. A simply furnished dining area has 12 seats circling a wooden counter, where owner-chef Shigeo Yoshihara works his magic from two oil-filled brass pans. A temple to the art of frying, Tempura Hajime is a singular dining experience that has won acolytes since opening in 2007. And indeed there's something beguiling about being fed one morsel at a time, the only choice being between a dipping sauce with daikon or Murray River salt and lemon. The lengthy tempura roll-call includes a single, perfect prawn; zucchini stuffed with spicy salmon; and a scallop bisected with a piece of nori and sea urchin. The set menu has non-tempura bookends - sashimi and perhaps poached chicken in creamy sesame dressing to start, and sushi followed by cooling yoghurt panna cotta with a splash of Cointreau to finish. All wonderful, but it's the tempura you'll be thinking about for days to come.