Omakase dining has become something of a pastime for Sydneysiders. Here are three of the best omakase restaurants in Sydney’s CBD.
Tsuzumi Omakase Restaurant
Tsuzumi Omakase at Barangaroo is the latest omakase restaurant from the creators of Irori Kuon, Tempura Kuon, and Sushi Sei, and is in the good hands of master chef Jun.
Our seafood starters are a fresh way to start the evening. They include Sakura shrimp in corn soup and Pacific oyster with yuzu vinaigrette. There’s also imperador matsukasa-yaki (hot oil is repeatedly poured over the skin of the imperador to make crispy scales that stand up) and spanner crab with paradise prawn, caviar and okura.
Each dish has been crafted with meticulous attention and thoughtful consideration, right down to the artful plating.
After enjoying eel tempura, with its flaky meat and light, crispy batter, we move on to the Kagoshima Wagyu beef tenderloin steak. Sourced from the Kuroge Washu breed, this A5 Japanese Wagyu is renowned for its remarkable marbling, which imparts tenderness, juiciness, and a rich umami flavour.
Complemented by a red vinegar sauce that adds a subtle tang, this dish is a highlight. Mrs TCF appreciates the red meat dish is served earlier on the menu, allowing her to enjoy it before feeling too full.
After the wagyu, our chef serves us a palate cleanser of yuzu sorbet, prepping us for a rainbow of sushi courses, including the salt crusted silky cuttlefish, chutoro, otoro, ocean trout and blue mackerel.
We finish with tamagoyaki (egg roll) and a miso soup with a prawn broth. The meal is completed with a traditional Japanese dessert of anmitsu agar jelly and black sugar sauce.
Besuto Sydney Omakase Restaurant
Besuto Sydney Omakase Restaurant offers a distinctive dining experience by operating without a traditional menu. Instead, diners enjoy a daily selection of the freshest seafood. The chefs and owner visit the Sydney Fish Market each morning to handpick the day’s offerings. This approach ensures top quality nigiri and sashimi.
The welcoming and attentive staff further enhance the experience, engaging with guests, offering tips for photographing dishes, and even posing with their creations.
The restaurant has meticulous attention to detail. For instance, the chawanmushi – a savoury egg custard – features seasonal seafood, such as marron, uni, and ikura salmon roe. It’s served in elegant Kyoto ceramics.
Meanwhile the restaurant’s Wagyu beef, imported from Japan, is noted for its exceptional marbling and tenderness.
Besuto also aims to broaden diners’ understanding of Japanese cuisine by offering insights into sake production, including the types of rice used and the distinctions between various Dassai labels.
Sokyo
Sokyo, located at The Star in Pyrmont, is known as one of Sydney’s premier Japanese restaurants, offering both à la carte and omakase options. We opt for the omakase.
The omakase features high-quality ingredients, though the creativity and flavours may not reach the level of refinement seen at Besuto and Tsuzumi. The initial dishes highlight Sokyo’s strengths: the sashimi selection is full of flavour and delicately marinated. The chargrilled tiger prawn paired with chorizo and kani miso sauce is surprisingly impressive.
We like Antarctic toothfish, which we enjoy for its flaky texture, but the miso glaze is a little overpowering. The quality of the dishes now begins to wane: the 2GR MBS + 9 Wagyu with broccolini is somewhat overshadowed by the shiso chimichurri. And the chef’s omakase set lacks depth of flavour, with the fish being less vibrant and the marinades fairly average.
We finish with a dessert called caramel macchiato. It differs from the lighter desserts typically found in omakase menus, and may come across as richer and sweeter than expected.
Tsuzumi Omakase
Exchange Place, 3 Sussex Place
Sydney
Besuto Sydney Omakase
3 Underwood Street
Sydney
Sokyo
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont, Sydney
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