MELBOURNE | The past year have seen a few excellent Japanese omakase restaurants open in Melbourne. From this week, there’s a new one to add to your list. It’s the physical manifestation of AOI TSUKI, and I was invited to a preview dinner to scope it out.
Experienced sushi chefs Teagon Gim and Jun Pak started Aoi Tsuki as a premium sushi and sashimi box delivery service during 2021’s big lockdown. The boxes were a huge hit, but the duo always hoped to open their own space, which they did this week in South Yarra.
The small space evokes the omakase restaurants of Japan. An open kitchen, surrounded by 10 seats, all facing the action. There’s no menu, with the night’s dinner being guided by the chefs, the guests, and the vibe of the night. It’s an interactive experience, that’s as much a part of the experience as the food.
As you can see from the video, there’s a big seafood focus, with sushi and sashimi featuring heavily. The best seafood and ingredients, sourced locally and from Japan, are used and it shows. I couldn’t fault a thing, and enjoyed every bite.
Teagon and Jun are very passionate about what they do, and the way the energy flows back and forth between the duo and their guests is great. It’s a calming, enjoyable, and delicious experience. Everything is made from scratch, with a real dedication to the craft. The Kombi salt, for example; is infused and finely ground by hand, across a four hour process.
The omakase dining experience is $235 per head, and the restaurant runs 2 sessions from Tuesday to Saturday at 5:30pm and 8:00pm. Based on this preview, and how on point everything is not even a week into things I’ll definitely be back.
Oh and if you’re wondering about those sushi boxes, Aoi Tsuki still offer their ‘Omakase To Go’ boxes. Just be aware that they sell out fast, so ordering a few weeks in advance is essential.
AOI TSUKI
384 Punt Road
South Yarra
Victoria 3141
Australia
Telephone: (03) 8394 3617
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Tue – Sat: 5:30pm to 11:00pm