Salt-sprinkled edamame. Fat tempura prawns. Agedashi tofu that gets every umami receptor firing. Kenzan rocks the classics, as you’d expect of a restaurant that opened when Malcolm Fraser was prime minister. But while it predates the current omakase craze by several decades, this old-timer can still impress in the sushi department – and without the fanfare of some new players.

Look no further than the pure, oceanic expression of mackerel in a ghostly shroud of kelp jelly. Good-value lunchtime sets lure the business crowd, while the theatrical tableside cooking of shabu shabu and sukiyaki is a favourite of the families who call this their celebration restaurant.

Sweet, smoky grilled kingfish collar proves this stayer can indeed move with these waste-not times. There are cooler fit-outs than its sea of beige, but Kenzan is perfectly comfortable in its own skin.

Best for: A rowdy, sake-fuelled group meal in a tatami room.

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