Komeyui

Every neighbourhood should have a reliable Japanese restaurant, but with Komeyui the folk of Port Melbourne have struck gold. Decked out in pale timber, with a carefully tended garden to one side, serene Komeyui combines a gentle ambience, attentive service and classic Japanese dishes to create the ideal local eatery. It's perfectly placed for a midweek meal when cooking seems too hard, yet impressive enough to bring a guest or celebrate a milestone. Former Kenzan chef Motomu Kumano has mastered all the standards, from plump gyoza and sweet sashimi to feather-light tempura and wagyu tataki. Far more interesting, however, are the lesser-plied dishes, such as chilled slices of duck breast with a soy and red-wine sauce on wafer-thin potato chips; succulent slow-cooked pork kakuni in a delicate broth; or chan-chan, a Hokkaido speciality of grilled salmon with miso butter sauce. Flavours are balanced with knife-edge precision, and there's a broad range of sakes, shochus and Japanese beers to complement the meal.