Raku is precise, refined and elegant

It's a beautiful space, spacious and minimalist. The open plan kitchen takes centre stage here, with lots of seating available at the bar. There are booths for privacy, and in the warmer months, outdoor dining is an option. Where being seated at the bar is bit of a downer at most other restaurants, it's a highlight here at Raku - it's almost hypnotising watching the chefs work, plating up sashimi, nigiri and sushi with impeccable precision.

Raku's modern Japanese menu is comprehensive without being overwhelming. There's something for everyone whether you're a seasoned Japanese food aficionado who loves sea urchin or more into what I call "Japanese lite" kind of gyoza and tempura.

There aren't too many choices by way of wine by the glass, but there's a well-curated drinks list of cocktails, sake, beer and mocktails, plus wine, sake, whisky and gin flights, if you're feeling in the mood to try something new. I have a particular dislike for banana notes in my sake, but trying to explain this to our waiter proves difficult - he insists that there are no banana-flavoured sakes on the menu. I attempt to explain my preferences for floral styles of sake, but am only met with blank stares. In the end, I opt for a yuzu sour ($18) instead, which is refreshing and well-balanced, the floral citrusy flavours of yuzu and grapefruit complemented by the earthiness of thyme and ginger.

The àla carte menu is tempting, but the $80 set menu is even more so. To start, there are Raku's signature oysters. It's generous, two oysters each, finished with a savoury-sweet tosazu dressing and tiny diced cucumbers.

Tasmanian salmon tartare with yuzu miso is good too. Served with wafer-thin squid ink crackers, the fish is delicate and almost creamy with a subtle hint of yuzu that gives it a bit of a lift.

The set menu seems to be scaled down portions of all the highlights from the 32-page menu, meaning that we get to try more dishes (and make fewer decisions). There are a selection of small dishes in quick succession - tempura zucchini flowers with tofu and feta, seared scallop with jalapeno and green apple, wagyu gyoza. Each one is perfectly balanced; an exercise in restraint. The scallop is a perfect bite, the slight sweetness of the scallop set against the warmth of jalapeno and the crispness of green apple.

Both the sashimi and nigiri are outstanding. For sashimi, we're served generous slices of Tasmanian salmon, Japanese scallop and New Zealand snapper. We get two nigiri each - snapper with a lingering hint of chive and yuzu, and blowtorched salmon with truffle. The rendered fat combined with the richness and umami of truffle is just brilliant in its unconventionality. My dining partner who can best be described as a reluctant sushi/sashimi eater agrees.

Dishes are timed to perfection here. I watch the chef plate our nigiri almost exactly as I pick up the last piece of sashimi with my chopsticks. It's effortless, much like well-choreographed dance - as soon as one plate is cleared, another appears.

There's also a cherry tomato salad with tofu crème - the tofu is almost like an Asian version of burrata, creamy and fresh. Fried quinoa and beach bananas add texture and crunch, and the acidity of the tomatoes is a welcome palate cleanser.

It's hard to describe the elegant simplicity here at Raku. There's an adherence to traditional Japanese techniques, but with a modern flair that's all its own. The 150-day grain fed Scotch fillet is perfectly cooked over charcoal, served simply with three dressings - wafu, wasabi sour cream and rhubarb salt. White miso dashi is a lovely end to the meal, comforting and warm, rich umami flavours filling in the gaps.

Dessert is a deceptively simple affair of toasted sesame ice cream with caramelised almonds, sticky miso caramel and matcha wafer. The miso in the caramel adds a welcome savouriness and the crunch of caramelised almonds evokes an almost childlike nostalgia. It's a very sophisticated dessert, refreshing in its minimalism.

Precise, refined and elegant, tonight's dinner at Raku is one of the most impeccably crafted meals I've had this year. Service is a little snooty and lacking in warmth, which is a real shame. It could probably also do with a bit more training on the sake front. I can forgive most of that, because the food takes centre stage here, whether it's the theatre of watching it being made right before your eyes or the simple indulgence of being led through a perfectly curated modern Japanese meal.

Address: 148 Bunda St, Civic

Phone: 62486869

Hours: Seven days, lunch 11.30am-2.30pm, dinner 5.30-9pm

Owner: Hao Chen

Chef: Hao Chen

Vegetarian: Quite a few good options

Noise: No problem