The singular pursuit of perfection defines a meal at Koichi Minamishima’s eponymous temple to sushi. Down an unassuming Richmond back street in a hushed, reverent, dark room you’ll be served a procession of perfect morsels across two hours that showcase Japanese omakase at the highest echelon.

Whelk with tobiko might precede textural octopus brushed with sweet soy that tastes like an ocean walk. Prawn with kelp, torched engawa (flounder from the fin), charred sea eel and oily mackerel flown in from Tokyo are just some of the fish you might be served draped over perfect fingers of rice on any given night. O-toro tuna, the most prized belly piece of the most prized Bluefin tuna will feature, was well as – for those who dare – whisper-thin slices of fugu, the deadly pufferfish that only the most skilled sushi chefs can safely prepare. A bowl of Yarra Valley salmon roe seems decidedly out of place after such exotic mouthfuls. A tight, expensive wine list features an extensive selection of sake and teas, with knowledgeable staff on hand to help navigate.  

It will take you months to get a booking and cost $185 a head, but Minamishima is an experience like no other.

Must-eat dish: Fugu (pufferfish)