Tempura Hajime, South Melbourne

Dishes consumed and converted into a Food Baby in September 2014.

 

Starter:

“Ever feel like having someone professional cook just for you? Tempura Hajime gives you the opportunity to have just that. For our wedding anniversary weekend, we were able to get two seats (in the restaurant that seats approximately 13 people at a time) on the Saturday night. The options for dinner are limited as Tempura Hajime specializes in Tempura (a cooking method where food is deep fried in light batter). We selected the 10 course tempura degustation with sashimi. Each serving was unique and delicious.

Note: Dish spoiler alert below. ”

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Summary:

Name – Tempura Hajime

Cuisine – Japanese

Price – $$$$ (Approximately $80 – $90 per person for the degustation menu)

Area – South Melbourne

Meal – Lunch Tuesday to Friday and Dinner Tuesday to Saturday

Website – http://tempurahajime.com.au/

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The Food:

The Tempura Hajime Entrance

The dining room

Orange juice and a water

Sashimi starter

Sashimi starter

Sashimi starter

Sashimi starter

The table setting

Asparagus with sweet corn

Prawn

Eggplant with chicken and a Sweet Potato

Seaweed Salad

Tuna with avacado

Zucchini with spicy salmon

King dory with shisho leaf

Scallops with sea urchin

Mushroom with Prawn Mince

Alcoholic Cleanser Shot

Sushi platter – Tuna, calamari, seared salmon, seared king fish, seared wagyu beef, tamago and a California roll

Tamago (Egg)

Yogurt Jelly with Moscato Sauce

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Rating:

Overall rating: 4.5/5 Seconds Please!

Ambiance: 4.5/5 Seconds Please!

Service: 4.5/5 Seconds Please!

Food: 4.5/5 Seconds Please!

“Tempura Hajime is a hidden restaurant in South Melbourne. Located on the busy park street, it has a concealed entrance near an apartment block. The writing on the window was the confirmation we found the right place which said “Tempura Hajime”. The restaurant had a very exclusive feel. We were guided, through a lounge area, to the rear of the restaurant to be seated. The decor was simple and modern. Seated around a single kitchen area, the deep fryers were just visible behind the splash covers. The dining experience is always better when you can watch the cooking process.

We were immediately greeted as we entered the front door, where we were then led through a lounge area prior to entering the dining area. The staff were very courteous and professional when serving us. I enjoyed the fact that all the staff appeared to be Japanese, fluently speaking the native tongue when prompted by other guests. All the Tempura dishes that night were cooked in front of us by the chef at the kitchen area in front of us. The sound of bubbling oil could be heard as we waiting patiently for the batter to cook. Our dishes were regularly cleared by the attentive staff during the meal.

My husband and I both selected the 10 course tempura with sashimi degustation menu. Our last memory of tempura was in Japan, where the tempura was cooked with such light batter, it left almost no oil on the oil absorption paper. In my opinion, Tempura Hajime was the best tempura we have had in Melbourne.  Each piece was coated in a crispy light batter which was very easy to eat. There was a great variety of different ingredients which made up the tempura we tasted which made each tempura dish exciting and left us wanting the next piece. The fish was good quality and fresh.

Loved the dining experience, but note the hefty price tag. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would happily return for another special occasion. Until next time.”

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End

Melbourne Food Baby