Tempura Hajime

My first time at tempura place in Melbourne. Does not disappoint. Staff are friendly and service is precise and detail oriented as one would expect. Nice atmosphere. Dining during covid means max of 8 patrons at each serving. We went with the omakase + 🍣 which is good value for the extra $10. Need to book in advance. I felt very comfortable with dining here during covid. Thanks Hajime for a good night out.

Love that this is a cosy restaurant with only seating for 12 people around the counter. Booking is essential. Set menu is only available for lunch. Took a colleague there for lunch. We had the Sushi set and the Hajime Set. The sashimi was really fresh. Order the Hajime set if you want a bit of everything. Portion size is just right and price is reasonable for its quality. Great ambience too. If you like quality traditional Japanese food, you will enjoy the food here.

A wonderful experience! The service at lunch time was exceptional with freshly fried tempura, crispy and light without any oily taste accompanied by high quality sushi and sashimi. Carefully managed COVID safe environment allowed us to thoroughly enjoy ourselves having the tempura set and sashimi platter.

Tempura Haijime has a solid reputation for being the best tempura bar in Melbourne - and for good reason too. Upon arrival at the restaurant, you will be greeted by incredibly friendly staff members, who will usher you into a waiting lounge, and help you be seated at a 12 seater bar. Given the size of the restaurant, it goes without saying that you must book in advance, and arrive on time (especially if you are going to the 530pm dinner sitting). Throughout the meal, we watched the Chef make the tempura piece by piece. He was silent, calm and a pleasure to watch execute his craft. The tempura itself was excellent, with a killer batter recipe. The unagi, sweet potato, scallop tempura pieces were standouts for me. We ordered the $130 p/head course, which for the extra $10, was worth the additional sashimi items. Was it worth the price? Absolutely. If you’re looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion or to be transported to Japan, this is a great choice.