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Posted: 2018-04-23 06:03:59

General manager, Armando Favrin brings a steadying hand to the young wait staff, as groups of locals drift in to drink at the bar or sit out on the balcony overlooking the street.

The menu is a curious mix of classic and fusion, from agedashi dofu to twice-roasted duck breast with mushrooms and barramundi with artichokes and balsamic soy sauce.

With Yang Wu on board, anything raw is a treat. The chef's selection of mixed nigiri sushi ($19) is meticulous, the fish generously draped over hand-warmed rice – although the sweet-natured waiter has less idea of the individual fish than I do. Follow that with a top-value tempura prawn sushi roll ($14), the prawns still warm and crisp from the fryer, and you'd go home happy.

The fusion menu is seemingly designed to appeal to those who would rather be anywhere but in a Japanese restaurant. Grilled octopus legs come with smoky Japanese aribiki pork sausages, baked kipfler potato chips and a whippy salsa verde puree ($21) in a Jap/Italian hybrid that is lost in translation.

Sushi nigiri at Katsumi.

Sushi nigiri at Katsumi.

Photo: Anna Kucera

A rack of very nice Thomas Farm lamb from South Australia ($34) is char-grilled and split into individual pink-hearted cutlets, served with oddly shaped carrots, overly frazzled brussels sprouts, potato and cauliflower puree and a rough edamame and avocado crush. It's all very meat-and-three-veg, complete with a sweet miso mint sauce that makes it feel like you're eating a Sunday roast in a ryokan.

Desserts are pretty and precise, although a layered millefeuille of green tea crepes ($15) sandwiched with yuzu cream – quite a lot of yuzu cream – never quite transcends the fact you're eating a lot of yuzu cream.

Katsumi has Japanesed the former Grand Terrace Chinese restaurant.

Katsumi has Japanesed the former Grand Terrace Chinese restaurant.

Photo: Anna Kucera

At weekends, it gets ever more curious, as high tea and brunch menus mix East and West, from salami and avocado crostino to eel donburi and teriyaki chicken, with espresso coffee a feature. Crazy stuff, huh? It's all a bit wacky, but the care and the flair are there; and anything raw is the place to be.

The low-down

Katsumi Japanese Restaurant

Char-grilled octopus with Japanese sausages at Katsumi.

Char-grilled octopus with Japanese sausages at Katsumi.

Photo: Anna Kucera

Address 58 Tennyson Road, Mortlake, 02 8385 4949, katsumi.com.au

Open Brunch Fri-Sun 11am-3pm; dinner Tue-Sun 5.30pm-10pm

Vegetarian Several salads, vegetable tempura, and eggplant and mushroom mains.

Drinks Boutique Australian wines, the big three Japanese beers (Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo draft), around 20 sakes, and fun cocktails.

Cost About $135 for two, plus drinks.

Go-to dish Scallop carpaccio with butter soy and salmon caviar, $19.

Pro tip The seasonal cocktails can also come as mocktails.

Score 14/20

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.

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