By Keeva Stratton
Tokonoma is a sanctuary located on the outskirts of the city, in Sydney’s Surry Hills – a modern Japanese restaurant in both cuisine and setting. It’s a restaurant that has put as much meticulous emphasis on ambience as on its plate design, and in doing so, has managed to capture a little sense of Tokyo’s uber chic nightlife.
You can start your modern Japanese experience first at Tokonoma’s Shochu Bar and Lounge, where interesting concoctions of Shochu (a Japanese distilled spirit made from rice or sweet potato) are combined with various fruits or teas to make refreshing cocktails. The bar also offers an extensive variety of sake and non-alcoholic cocktails, making it a perfect gathering place that caters for varied tastes.
The food itself also encapsulates the artistry of Japanese cuisine. The presentation is beautiful and the portions are identical from one plate to the next. Chef Regan Porteous, who spent 7 years training abroad before opening Tokonoma, is seeking an authentic modern Japanese experience for his guests, and remains true to traditional ingredients.
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The comprehensive menu, which reads in Japanese with English descriptors, offers traditional starters such as edmame beans and miso, as well as a complete sushi bar and meats and seafood from the robata grill.
The tasting menu is a great way for newer guests to navigate their experience, consisting of nine dishes, including such mouthwatering highlights such as crispy soft-shell crab with wasabi mayonnaise, and jalapeno garlic and scotch fillet steak with wafu sauce and garlic crisps, finished off with a decadent dessert selection.
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Tokonoma has all the ingredients for a great night out that can start and end in the same location. The menu is modern, but retains all the freshness and beauty that typifies Japanese dining, and the lighting and design set the mood for an impressive all round dining experience.
A great girls’ night out and a perfect date venue. Buzzy, sexy and modern but not overwhelming or snobbish.
Tokonoma Surry Hills
490 Crown Street
Surry Hills
NSW, 2010
www.toko.com.au
T: +61 2 9357 6100