It bugs me when someone says they ordered badly. Guests needn’t blame themselves for an average dish. Many restaurant menus have the odd disappointment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t winners, too – you just need to find them.

Katsumi, though a pleasant addition to the leafy suburb of Mortlake, dishes up a mix of hit and miss and could benefit from focusing on the Japanese classics, rather than trying to appeal to a broader audience. That’s not to say you can’t come here and have a great feed – you can. Plus, there are goldfish in the steps – real, fluorescent fish swimming in the glass steps. Naturally, they’re a hit with families with small children, who account for about a fifth of the clientele when we visit. The main dining room is a large, contemporary space, all blond wood and grey upholstery, plus there’s an alfresco dining area and a bar.

Chef Vincent Zhou has worked at Japanese stalwarts in Sydney such as Azuma and Ume, and can clearly cook, but when he flirts with fusion the results can be more miss than hit.

Seared and sliced rounds of Hokkaido scallop look stunning, but the butter soy overwhelms the molluscs. Miso cod is deconstructed and garnished with dots of avocado, not-so-edible flowers, dashi-soaked radish, and flakes of fish, looking like a Pro Hart gone wrong.

But then the classic agedashi tofu is brilliant, with its chew of batter and a rich dashi broth. The sashimi – snapper, kingfish, tuna, and scallop – are blood warm, and the nigiri of salmon, tuna, snapper, prawn, and kingfish are spoton. A menagerie of seafood tempura, meanwhile benefits from a light, crisp batter that lets the fish do the talking.

A willingness to challenge convention is an important tool in a chef’s culinary kitbag, but sometimes the tried and tested will do just fine, thanks.

Since Anthony visited chef Yang Wu has taken the reins in the Katsumi kitchen.