Tofu cooked at the table and simple homestyle dishes are at the heart of Mame Japanese, the Mount Lawley restaurant from husband-and-wife team chef David Jung (ex-Nobu Perth, Sushia Izakaya) and Airi Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is the fifth generation of her family to make tofu with the method used at Mame. 

The pair make four to eight litres of fresh soy milk each day and set the tofu using nigari. Australian soybeans aren’t as sweet as Japanese ones, but they are happy to support local growers.

Although you’ll find classics like teriyaki, katsu and sashimi on the menu, the couple are most passionate about their trio of signature dishes: tofu, obanzai and onigiri.

The obanzai set comprises nine small dishes, ranging from seasonal and pickled vegetables to fish and minced beef, all served in glass and ceramic bowls inside a wooden box.

Choose from eight onigiri fillings, including grilled salmon and prawn tempura. To avoid soggy seaweed, Mame’s onigiri comes partially wrapped, lying on one flat piece of fresh nori for customers to finish wrapping themselves.

It’s not quite a trip to Japan, but eating regional classics at Mame just might come close.