Restaurant review: Belconnen's Hachiko is a Japanese restaurant perfect worth adding to the rotation

A new local Chinese restaurant, a new local pizza place, a new Indian ... It's a process that takes time, curating the perfect list. This leads me to this week's review at Hachiko.

Nestled away on Emu Bank, overlooking Lake Ginninderra, this Japanese restaurant is one of those (almost) hole-in-the-wall places. You could easily miss it, but once inside, it's a different story. Yes, it's small but with the expansive windows overlooking the lake, it doesn't feel like it.

We kicked the night off with some Yuzu Highballs - made from infused Kizakura semi-dry sake and carbonated water. It's a relatively sweet drink, but the part I loved about it, was that we were offered a selection of sake cups to choose from.

For dinner, we opt for the deluxe set menu ($90) and first out, are the Pacific oysters with pickled water chestnut and lime. This is one for people who like their oysters on the natural side. Yes, there is a little acidity from the pickled water chestnut juice, but the major element here is the oyster itself.

The special spanner crab heads out next, and we're greeted by a small crab and sea urchin ball, with masago caviar on top. There's not a lot of room to hide here - it's the type of dish, much like the oyster - that is meant to let the seafood shine. For me, though, it just felt like it was missing something - maybe some acidity - to elevate it.

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The grilled king prawn, on the other hand, delivers. Served with yuzu and garlic butter, nori and chilli, this dish is a great combo of spice and citrus tang. And we continue on a high with the Wagyu gyoza. The flavours are all there for me, plus the Japanese chimichurri side sauce is amazing. However, the pastry needed a little more time in the pan, to get that golden bottom on the dumplings.

The Chawanmushi is out next - a steamed egg custard with blue swimmer crab and enoki dashi - and it is packed full of umami. The custard was silky smooth and delicate in flavour. The enoki dashi broth was poured on top, with the crab on top of that, giving this nice kind of earthy feeling to the overall dish.

The tempura platter was out next, with a mix of carrot, zucchini, prawn and oyster. The batter was beautifully crispy and the seafood was perfectly cooked. But it was the seasonings on the side - nori salt, coriander ponzu and shichimi pepper - that were the main source of flavour. The vegetables, however, just felt a bit unnecessary. They didn't seem to keep their flavour in the batter process, meaning they were just a vessel for the seasonings.

The Australian Wagyu 6+ Striploin served with Japanese chimichurri, wasabi and nori salt, on the side, as well as sauteed potatoes, was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The meat was cooked well enough at medium rare that it didn't need the dipping sauces - but I liked the option. The potatoes were cooked alongside some mushrooms in a vinegar - possibly balsamic - giving it this slightly sticky coating. The dish also came out with grilled broccolini, served in miso sauce. This, while cooked well - with the broccolini still having that crunch - the sauce was more of a garnish than something that added flavour.

The final savoury dish was one most of us know well - miso soup. It felt like an odd option to round out the savoury dishes, but was warming and hearty nonetheless, with each come with half a green mussel.

For dessert, we had the option of either the yuzu lime tart or the matcha tiramisu, served with your choice of two ice creams - black sesame, matcha, green tea or cherry blossom. We choose one of each - both of the desserts and the side ice cream - so we can share.

Each of the side ice creams are light in texture, and when it comes to the cherry blossom, also light in flavour. The black sesame, matcha and green tea are all bold flavours, however, and as side dishes, a little overpowering. But if you had opted for them as a solo dish - which is an option on the main menu - that wouldn't be a problem.

The matcha tiramisu is nice and the matcha flavour is certainly there. They've opted for a sponge rather than the traditional ladyfingers, and a cream base, rather than a mascarpone. It's a lovely light ending to a meal but it's missing that boldness of traditional tiramisu.

The yuzu lime tart, however, is delicious. The pastry is light and has a nice crumble to it, and the custard filling is super smooth, with a burst of lime. The yuzu doesn't come through, but I also don't think it needs it.

Overall Hachiko is a great Japanese restaurant for those in the area. It's in a great location on the lake, the food is delicious, and there is something relaxing about being able to go somewhere for a good meal, close to home.

Address: 8/114 Emu Bank, Belconnen

Phone: 6156 9800

Website: hachikobelco.com

Hours: Lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Sunday

Owner: Vanessa Ji

Chef: Vincent Yu

Noise: Not a problem

Dietary: Limited options