The assorted vegetable tempura udon soup has a lovely creamy yet light broth and a handmade yuzu dipping sauce. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Zilla Tam, co-owner of Raijin, is completely enamoured of all things Japanese, and it’s a lasting impression she leaves on all who dine at her McKellar eatery.
Zilla’s husband Eddie shares her passion for the Land of the Rising Sun, and the pair form the perfect front of house/back of house duo at Raijin, with Eddie using his kitchen skills learned on the ground in Japan to turn out an impressive and specialised menu, and Zilla charming the customers on the restaurant floor.
Before conversations about Japan go too far, as they often do in the presence of Zilla, she’s keen to make sure people know that neither she nor Eddie is Japanese.
“We never want to deceive people; we love Japanese food and culture, but we come from Hong Kong,” Zilla tell Region.
Having opened the pretty little eatery in 2018, Zilla and Eddie have built a loyal following in Canberra, none of whom mind the fact that the pair aren’t Japanese natives and rightly so. At Raijin, the exceptional food speaks for itself.
Zilla Tam and Eddie Cho outside Raijin in McKellar. Photo: Zilla Tam.
If there was one philosophy that sums up Raijin, it would certainly be attention to detail. It’s in the carefully selected ingredients, many of which are imported from Japan, such as the Japanese oysters and uni (sea urchin). It’s in the sashimi, which is cut fresh from the whole fish for each and every order, and it’s in the use of the Miyokojima snow salt, because, as Zilla says, only the best will do.
Eddie and Zilla care about every detail because they want to honour Japan, a place that captured their hearts when living there and a place that they still travel back to every year.
What drew them away from their beloved Japan is a question I asked Zilla on my recent visit, and she laughed heartily as she told me that having kids in Japan meant she would have to make a perfect bento box for their lunches, which she couldn’t because she’s a terrible cook.
Lucky for Zilla, Eddie is skilled in the kitchen, making it possible for them to pursue their dream of opening the restaurant. Sitting down to try a few dishes, I found out how skilled he is.
Zilla suggested that I try one of their most popular dishes, karaage chicken, but on this day, I had a deep craving for good sushi, something that, outside of fine dining establishments, has been getting harder and harder to find with the pre-made, chilled food court variety being ubiquitous.
Eddie’s sushi is handmade to order and everything you hope for. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Just as I suspected, this sushi is handmade to order and abundant in fresh flavours, with the tomago (Japanese rolled omelette), avocado, cucumber, and crab meat being topped with the gloriously orange tobiko (flying fish roe).
Zilla tells me that the rice vinegar used in the sushi rice is also imported from Japan, and although that comes at a cost, they can’t bear to compromise, so they stick with the pricey ingredient. And frankly, it’s worth it. The sushi is the best I’ve had in many years.
I chased the sushi with an assorted vegetable tempura udon. I was again impressed by Eddie’s delicate touch with this gorgeously creamy yet light broth, fresh, crispy tempura and a delightful dipping sauce that Zilla tells me Eddie hand-makes using yuzu to give it the slight tartness that offsets the fried vegetables perfectly.
I wash it all down with a pot of genmaicha. This Japanese green tea, which is combined with roasted rice, isn’t trending like its ultra-green cousin, matcha, but it’s always got my heart, and this pot of genmaicha really hit the spot.
The last time Region caught up with Zilla and Eddie was during COVID, when they were giving away free meals to the community despite the tough times. Zilla and Eddie are now focused on raising funds for a local animal shelter.
Zilla talks openly about the community that has formed around Raijin. She says that her customers have watched her kids grow up and vice versa, and that when she first came to Australia in 2003, that type of community was what she was looking for, and she’s so pleased to have found it through the restaurant.
Raijin is located at 3/6 Bennetts Close, McKellar. They’re open from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, and from 11:30 am until 2 pm and 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm on Thursday, and 9 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Original Article published by Tenele Conway on Region Canberra.
