From the moment I stepped into Yugen Dining, I hated it. All the tell-tale signs of the overwrought, trendy, Asian-fusion restaurant that should have been left in the '90s were on display: the gorgeous hostess with an earpiece ferrying you into a glass elevator; the descent into a large, nightclub-like room with smooth techno coming from the DJ booth; the menu with dishes from all over Asia – Japan! China! Vietnam! – signifying no specificity or focus.

It looked purpose-built for Real Housewives and most of the clientele seemed to be aspiring to that particular glossed and plumped, designer-clad fantasy. A literal gilded cage hangs over the dining room, an orb that doubles as a "private" dining room, though there's nothing secluded about it.

The soaring wall behind the bar looks as if it's been lifted from the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, with back-lit bottles in wall recesses seemingly carved from sexy sandstone. (Did you know sandstone could be sexy? Me neither.) There's squid ink in one of the cocktails, for Lord's sake.

But then … a welcome as enthusiastic as they come from a guy in a crisp suit (general manager Thibaut Chuzeville) who didn't judge us for our frumpy attire and oozed the warm professionalism of a fine-dining specialist; a drinks list that went way beyond cocktails, with pages of rare sakes, smart descriptions and wines that range from crowdpleasing to thrillingly atypical; a sommelier who could discuss those wines and sakes with clarity and passion. 

It just goes to show that, even after decades in this game, a girl can be very, very wrong.

That wrongness became even more apparent when the food started to arrive. There's thinly sliced red snapper sashimi ($26) dotted with slivers of jamon, tiny flowers, kombu and lime – a plate so pretty and with flavours so fresh, balanced and unexpected. 

And a dish of smoked eel chawanmushi ($28), the eggy custard impossibly silky and subtly smoky and topped with brown butter and the schmaltzy crunch of crisped chicken skin. 

Most strikingly, a drunken poussin ($36) served cold, its flesh (a marvel of texture!) imbued with the ethereal flavour of Shaoxing wine. I can't remember the last time I had poultry this tender. Folks, the food here, like the service, is good.

That food is the work of culinary director Stephen Nairn (formerly of Vue De Monde and Eleven Madison Park) and his large team. The team is important: Nairn's background is in European fine dining and he leans on his staff to help develop flavours and techniques that bridge the gap between tradition and creativity. 

I've seen these kinds of crossovers fall flat far more times than I've seen them work, which is why I was initially so sceptical. But Nairn appears to have done the work of considering how to be respectful to the cuisines he's presenting while also taking his clientele into account. The food is fun and approachable without sacrificing quality. 

Seafood is a serious strongpoint. A whole Tasmanian rock lobster ($180) is split open and slathered with a paste made from soy, ginger, furikaki, butter and sake, its sweet flesh unfurling from the shell in perfectly tender hunks. 

Nairn is sourcing oysters in Tasmania that are as big as babies' arms, then poaching them gently in Shaoxing wine with ginger and leek and serving them sliced in the shell, the flesh a startling wonder of soft mineral and ocean. Apparently, the supply of XXXL oysters is drying up in coming months, so be quick – and ask about price if your funds aren't limitless. They're "market price" on the menu, but I've paid as much as $75 a serve and as little as $37.

Part of the trick of Yugen is its ability to cater to pretentious wonks like me and also to deliver crowdpleasing, of-the-moment snacks to the folks who are here for the scene. There's a bowl of grilled edamame ($11) on most tables, fried chicken wings ($22-$24), vegetable spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce ($18) and easy-to-love skewers of various meats ($24-$41).

You don't need to be in the mood to savour the drunken poussin to enjoy the place. Come for the room, the chilled-out doof-doof and sweet chilli sauce – I'd say that's what 90 per cent of diners are doing.

But there's culinary prowess on display that can't be overlooked. That balance is the real triumph of Yugen: the avoidance of countless pitfalls and the presence of true quality where it might not even make sense from a business standpoint. 

How sweet it feels to be so very wrong.

Vibe: Asian-ish fantasy nightclub

Go-to dish: XXXL Tasmanian wild oysters (market price, pictured)

Drinks: Creative cocktails, fantastic sake and wine selections

Cost: Anywhere between $150 and $400 for two people, excluding drinks

This review was originally published in Good Weekend magazine