Double up, Dish of the Month

If your savvy about food in Melbourne, it's likely that you have heard of Tempura Hajime, and are either desperate to get a reservation or a very patient happy diner.

I'm one of the very happy diners but I didn't have to be so patient.

I've dined at Hajime on four occasions now, each time the menu has changed a little - and I do mean little - yet it's the constants that win me over. I dined there the first time back in March last year when it was about 6 weeks new. I loved it so much I went back again a few weeks later just to check I hadn't drank too much shōchū and blurred my perception -and it was better.

Each time Daisuke and Noriko have made me feel even more welcomed into their little dining space.

So without a moment of hesitation, Tempura Hajime is the holder of not one but two equally deserving Dishes of the month for January

Tempura eel in Teriyaki sauce and
Sea urchin roe stuffed tempura scallop

Sorry, just couldn't pick between the two.
I'm a huge eel fan usually smoked with any number of accompaniments, so I know a good piece when I see it. The eel at Hajime wasn't smoked, just delicately flavoured and in the lacy tempura batter that we love and then a dip in Dai's pot of teriyaki sauce. The sweetness balanced the goodness of the intense fish oils of the eel and the batter the necessary textural factor.

We already know how embarrassed I get taking photos in local restaurants, so I hope you can forgive my very poor image of the stuffed scallop, yet I think it helps you get an understanding of this morsel.

A large deep sea scallop, split and filled with sea urchin roe, the flavours are not light hearted, intense fishy and with a slight grainy texture two pieces is not enough.

One gorgeous memory I take away from my last visit to Hajime, was listening (it's hard not to when there is only twelve seats!) into a Hajime virgin couple. They were loving it, so much so that when the oyster was served the man just had to have another so asked if they could have a couple more as they were happy to pay whatever the extra would be. The sweetest response was returned, along the lines of "...I'm sorry we only have twelve for our twelve seats, I don't have extras".
This sums up Tempura Hajime in my mind, it's all about the quality, they are not there to make a quick buck and were absolutely horrified when they received 500 calls in just one day after The Age review.
I'm not usually patient enough to book ahead, but for Tempura Hajime, I can make some concessions.
Jack

Bookings at Tempura Hajime

Just a quick post to gloat about some upcoming reservations at Tempura Hajime.
I haven't tried to make a reservation at Tempura Hajime since the huge number of comments on multiple blogs, that they are booked out months ahead. So when I made a random phone call in early November and was told that they were booked out until the new year I was determined to make a booking for January. So on advise from the voice on the phone I called on the first of the month to book for the month following... with success. I am now the proud holder of not one but two 4pax reservations for different days in January.
The funny thing is I don't even know who PDC and I will be dining with yet, but can't wait to compare it with my experiences in March and April.
The funnier thing is, that I am pretty confident it will be just as good, if not better, as after I gave my contact details for the bookings and was asked if I had dined before Noriko asked "Is that the Jackie that dined with Simon?" I can't believe it, she remembered talking with us 9 months ago and remembered my name to identify me this time on the phone.
As I said in my older post, old fashioned quality service is alive and well in South Melbourne.
Jack
NB Do you think there is dollar value to be said for a confirmed 4pax on a Saturday night at Tempura Hajime? Could it be a Menu for Hope contender?

Tempura Hajime

In the interest of offering a balanced review, last night I revisited a little restaurant I dined at a couple of weeks ago. This place got me thinking, I'd 'discovered' it from reading a food blog site and was so enchanted by the entire package I just wanted to shout it from the roof tops. As you read more of my reviews you will understand that this doesn't happen that often... Anyway I was tempted, very tempted to send off emails to the food media and try and help this place get a widely read review, of which I knew would be fantastic. Give them a bit of a pat on the back. But the more I thought about it, I realised that even if I could write a convincing email and get the local press reviewers in there, "would they publish a positive review and then limit my chance of being able to get a reservation?"
I should explain, Tempura Hajime only seats 12, yes I know, how do they make money? I don't think from speaking with the owners that it is the main priority, they want to cook the best food they can and enjoy their work. How perfectly simple yet noble, it sounds like good old fashioned hospitality.
I was intrigued by the initial blog I had read,
http://levoyage.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!22CF7299170DC347!449.entry it mentions the owners and that they had set up Yu-u. I haven't been to Yu-u, whenever I have called for a reservation it has been 'fully booked, sorry'. So printing the blog review and proudly showing my discovery to my permanent dining companion, he asked "so have you already booked?".

Hajime is a tempura bar not dissimilar to what you would find in a Japanese city (I know, my part-time dining companion last night, who also loves food, has lived in Japan). It is a tiny, hard to find, hole in the wall kind of place, (quite like any cool Melbourne bar that if you have been to after a few drinks there is no chance you could find it again sober!) it nearly feels like a secret club. The owners where some of the original owners of Kenzan and then Yu-u, of which they decided where too big, therefore Hajime was born.

The menu is set at $66 per person, it's offered at the beginning of the meal, so any substitutions can be made for dietary issues. On both visits the dining sequence followed was, some sashimi and a little pickled salad then more than 12 tempura courses, a broth style main course with rice and then a dessert. Loving Japanese flavours it's great to put your taste buds in the hands of Daisuke and Noriko. With recommended shōchū and sake to share and taste, and the food just rolling out at a comfortable speed, it's a very easy dining experience.

The sashmi, I've seen included some perfect yellow fin tuna, john dory, gurnard and the most deliciously rich salmon belly. Next the tempura courses, a favourite was a sea urchin stuffed scallop, cooked with the highest attention to detail and sliced in half to expose the mustard yellow urchin. There are the usual oyster, asparagus, baby corn and a textural okra finger, but also more composed offerings such as chicken stuffed eggplant and a roll of garfish topped with 'plum paste' that tasted suspiciously like what I'd call tamarind.

The attention to detail doesn't stop with the food and service. We ate and drank from the most beautiful collection of eclectic pottery, all hand crafted and showing their new-ness. Being a seasoned restaurant eater I rarely get anxious in a dining room, but this is one where you want to sit up straight and eagerly await the next item, in the next beautiful vessel. I felt like a kid being taken out for suburban chinese again (but no ham and chicken rolls)!
The selection of sake cups that we were offered to select from, my permanent dining companion referred to as a 'some strange kind of personality test', of which I'm not sure if you could say I failed or passed. We were sharing two small bottles of sake and had to select two sake glasses each from a collection of about ten different shapes. I picked the two prettiest, delicate ones, he the two biggest and then laughed as I drank out of my 'thimble' and had to refill after a half sip.

Tempura Hajime has left me with the most amazing reassurance that old school hospitality is still alive and well. It's already on the mental list of places to take visiting family or food loving friends. I couldn't recommended it higher than the little contented smile I had on my face as I left after the first visit, and the second, and ... perhaps I'll see you there next time.
Jack

Tempura Hajime
60 Park St (look for the wooden door)
South Melbourne
Ph: 9696 0051
Open 6 nights, closed Sunday