Sea urchin roe, or ‘uni’, is included in the Raku sashimi plate (in the black bowl on the back right). Photo: Raku/Instagram.
Japanese food and fine dining are a perfect pair.
Japan’s cuisine is lauded for attention to detail, highly skilled chefs, a respect for ingredients and carefully honed technique. We’ve previously shouted out a few of our favourite casual Japanese eats, but Canberra is also lucky to have several outstanding Japanese restaurants in town.
Here are a handful of our favourites.
Raku, Civic
Obviously, Raku is on this list.
It’s perhaps the best known of Canberra’s Japanese restaurants. Boasting award-winning menus, Chef Hao has built a reputation for excellence and has consistently delivered.
Raku is well known for its signature nigiri and sashimi and has also embraced the local ‘black gold’ with truffle pairings across the menu. If the $170pp Royal Tasting Menu is out of your price range, the $60 express lunch offers a slice of luxury at a fraction of the price.
Raku has become a favourite spot for celebrity diners, so keep your eyes peeled!
Chef Nakano at Koto trained with a sushi master. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Koto, Parkes
The old Lobby restaurant sat neglected for years until Koto reimagined this iconic Canberra space as a refined Japanese restaurant.
Under the stewardship of Chef Shinya Nakano (who trained with a fifth-generation sushi master), the menu features an impressive range of raw and cooked seafood, premium beef, and an enviable sake collection.
The menu mostly sticks to the traditional, with the odd delicious foray into fusion (hello, wagyu taco). A set menu is a fabulous way to experience the menu, and there is also a vegetarian option.
Mu is an omakase-style restaurant where diners leave the menu up to the chefs. Photo: Pew Pew Studio.
Mu, Civic
Mu invites diners to place themselves in the hands of the chef with an omakase-style menu.
Omakase translates as ‘to trust’, which makes each visit to Mu unique as the chefs prepare dishes without a traditional menu. The dishes usually start light with sushi and sashimi up first, moving to cooked seafood, chicken and, finally, heartier beef dishes. Dessert might be a chestnut tiramisu, or miso gelato with sour cherry.
For the full experience, sit at the Chef’s Table to watch the team at work.
The oozy goodness of miso caramel bursts out of a neat chocolate fondant. Photo: Megann Evans.
Inka, Civic
Inka introduced Canberrans to Nikkei cuisine: a Japanese/Peruvian blend of Asian technique and South American ingredients. Lime, coriander, spices and chillies add zip and zing to the ceviche/sushi dishes, and agedashi tofu sits comfortably on the menu beside nasi dengaku eggplant.
Save space for the Inka chocolate fondant – an oozy chocolate cake with miso caramel and the perfect way to end a meal at this inventive restaurant.
Chef Junho ‘Luffy’ Koh and Chef Jun Kim, Sous Chef, run the hibachi grill at Azuma Den. Photo: Adam McGrath.
Azuma Den, Kingston
Technically a Japanese and Korean blend, Azuma Den marries classy and casual dining with ease. A hibachi grill sits at the heart of the menu, bringing flames and flavour to dishes. The grilled edamame was a total revelation.
The sharing menu offers a range of dishes from dumplings to teriyaki skewers, hibachi-grilled wagyu striploin, and sides like the zingy pineapple and ginger pickle (good with everything!)
The AZD Brulee had me dancing in my seat, and don’t sleep on the cocktails.
What’s your favourite Japanese restaurant in Canberra?
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
