Review of Kadota restaurant

You could eat 5 per cent of what’s cooking in Daylesford and leave in raptures – especially if your itinerary includes this beloved kaiseki-style restaurant. Five years in, Risa Kadota and Aaron Schembri’s serene hideaway is peaking, and over seven or 10 gentle courses, chef Schembri matches his innate creativity with a deep respect for Japanese foodways.

Sushi is wonderful, but have you ever drunk restorative snapper broth out of a giant iridescent shell? Have you ever seen prawn sashimi lolling in tart buttermilk? Risa Kadota delivers each dish with an easy grace that matches the cooking, and she has a sake in mind for each leg, all poured at the right temperature.

Chicken breast continues its unlikely comeback, all just-done plushness paired to umami-rich accoutrements such as bronzed cauliflower and piquant jus. You might feel like you’re dining in a formal sitting room, but there’s warmth at every turn – not least in a leek-forward chawanmushi.

Good to know: Pop over the road for a little liquid punctuation at cocktail haunt Back Bar 77.

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

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