Delicate isn’t a word typically associated with fried food. Tempura, though, is different. Five years ago, if you wanted to see the delicacy of the craft in person, Haco – an omakase restaurant hidden in a backstreet near Surry Hills – was the place to do it.

Today, the tempura is still a draw, but recent years have seen the 12-seater evolve into something more worldly. See the zucchini flower, stuffed with crab and mozzarella mousse, then fried to subtle crispness. Or the chawanmushi with paradise prawn that adds bisque sauce and finger lime – a perfect marriage of old and new.

Charcoal-grilled duck breast and wagyu represent the shift away from tempura-only, but the personal, aesthetic touches remain, from the spotlit American-oak counter, to an exceptional sake list that does classic as well as it does craft. And then there are the tempura lunch sets, one of the best value experiential meals around, the craft clarifying just a little more with every crunch.

Must order: Book dinner, sure, but come back for a tempura-only lunch set, starting from $46 and served piece by piece straight from the fryer.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.