Tataki (Elsternwick) 09/2011

There seem to be Japanese restaurants in every suburban shopping strip. Not infrequently they advertise their dishes with window displays which I find discouraging but his can be a mistaken view.
Tataki, which I'm told means something like "be happy" at 470 Glenhuntly Rd. fell into that class. It's a small place, simply furnished exuding a quiet air, perhaps because it was only half full when we were there.

An entree of Gyoza, five of them, filled with pork and vegetables, ($7.5), were just half the price, and much more to my taste with a touch of mirin sweetening the dipping sauce, than the ones at Heirloom. Age Dafi Dofu, crisp deep fried bean din a soy based sauce were undistinguished and not really crisp at all.We followed this with an eggplant with a miso paste which tasted as good as it looked. A very successful dish that I have not seen before was a mixed seafood offering in a white sauce. The accompanying salad on the plate was aesthetically unusual. The textural and taste contrast here were such that I would have preferred the salad on another plate however the sea food was excellent. A prawn tempura, three prawns and vegetables ($17) also had a slightly wine sweetened dipping sauce. The batter could have been lighter but it was a reasonable dish. Tataki duck ($27) eight portions of roast duck with home made miso paste wrapped in crepes, a version of Peking duck, was especially satisfying. They are licensed and accept BYO. Open daily for dinner an Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and also serve takeaway meals. Theyalso have a function room that seats 30. I would not hesitate to stop by here for a casual meal.Score: 13.5/20







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