Ume Restaurant

Owner-chef Kerby Craig is a rarity: a serious Caucasian student of a cuisine in which excellence comes from the soul, not merely a practised skill set. Supported by knowledgeable waiters and appealing, intimate premises, Craig’s dishes are highly creative and accomplished, combining Japanese aesthetics with a global twist. Poached barramundi may seem a little too sweet-fleshed for its shiro dashi butter, baby turnip, crisp wakame soy and yuzu dressing with sea herbs, but perfectly cooked charcoal-roasted wagyu - with yuzu kosho, grilled zucchini, ponzu and rice crisps - is nearly as rich as a family-sized block of Belgian chocolate. The fried cauliflower in an exquisite shiki no salad (with roasted heirloom carrots, dashi custard, wild herbs and soy and ginger dressing) is nothing like any cauli you’ve ever tasted. Mandarin tofu, frozen green tea, dehydrated cocoa mousse and mocha mandarin sherbet tart is a taste triumph deconstructed.

And … A menu guide to the many Japanese ingredients might prevent under-the-table Google searches.

THE LOW-DOWN
Vibe Japanese contemporary.
Best bit Knowledgeable waitstaff.
Worst bit Choosing drinks: you’ll want to taste everything.