Tucked away on the ground floor of an apartment tower, this pocket-rocket restaurant is every bit the hidden gem. With 18 seats — six of them up at the blonde wooden bar — it delivers high-quality, authentic Japanese food, beautifully presented in lacquered bento boxes. Of the six set menus, the most elaborate is the wagyu, which includes slices of the marbled beef piled high and accompanied with charred asparagus, zucchini and ponzu sauce. The bento itself contains an appetiser, sashimi, a deep-fried dish and a simmered dish.

Inclusions change monthly and may include raw kingfish and coral trout, chicken karaage, steamed black cod, wagyu croquettes, conger eel, pickled eggplant, and bonito and seaweed fish soup with chicken mince dumpling. All come with steamed rice and dessert. Yukata-clad Japanese waitresses are friendly and efficient while the chef-owner, who trained in Kyoto and Tokyo before working in the Japanese embassy in Switzerland, is ensconced behind the bar and happy to chat. Although a small restaurant, children are welcome, with a play area outside to keep them amused during Saturday lunch service. Sake, Japanese beer and a clipped but thoughtfully chosen Australian wine list complement the finely executed traditional fare.

Exceptional dish: Wagyu bento, with seasonal sashimi