On Tuesday we returned to our 2020 favourite; an omakase with Specialty Chef, Takashi Sano, of the esteemed Sokyo restaurant.
This was a highly anticipated dinner we booked one year ago because this intimate 6-seating is one of the most exclusive experiences in Sydney. Reservations are invite-only, as in you have to know someone who already has a booking and wants to bring you along for the ride.
There were a few differences compared to last year’s meal (LINK). For quality, we had some of the finest and rarest Japanese delicacies. And for quantity, we got an extra dish and our own dessert platter, all for $5 more 😍.
2021 Price: 26 dishes for $185 per person (12 kappos, 10 nigiris, 4 desserts).
Thank you @anniereviewsfood for filling in my memory blanks 💙😂.
UPDATE: As of Jan 2022, Sano is no longer with Sokyo and therefore, no longer doing omakase 😭. We’re excited about his new food adventure so hang on to your sushi cravings with us until we get a blissful taste of his work again soon.
This was a highly anticipated dinner we booked one year ago because this intimate 6-seating is one of the most exclusive experiences in Sydney. Reservations are invite-only, as in you have to know someone who already has a booking and wants to bring you along for the ride.
There were a few differences compared to last year’s meal (LINK). For quality, we had some of the finest and rarest Japanese delicacies. And for quantity, we got an extra dish and our own dessert platter, all for $5 more 😍.
2021 Price: 26 dishes for $185 per person (12 kappos, 10 nigiris, 4 desserts).
Thank you @anniereviewsfood for filling in my memory blanks 💙😂.
UPDATE: As of Jan 2022, Sano is no longer with Sokyo and therefore, no longer doing omakase 😭. We’re excited about his new food adventure so hang on to your sushi cravings with us until we get a blissful taste of his work again soon.
OMAKASE
Chef Sano started out strong with this beautiful scallops, butter rice and salted caviar 😍. Oooft! The buttery rice was decadent, cut through by the random chunks of the creamy scallop. This was balanced by the citric lime zest and earthy chives. And the accompanied caviar salted the bite perfectly while making everything all the more luxurious, especially with this glittery golden bowl presentation.
Our second dish was snapper fish with yuzu. It was delicious tasting the different elements of the snapper, from its fresh, mildly-sweet flesh to the softened textured skin. There was a bit of smokiness to the bite and the yuzu added a lovely touch of citrus.
This pretty bowl brought back memories from our first seating 😂. This was the spanner crab with crab-brain sauce. This was probably the nicest and most delicious way to eat the brain of an animal. Absolute wow!
Every bite was fresh, filled with the sweetness of the spanner crab. The contrasting textures of the creamy sauce and crunchy kale was perfect. And surprisingly, the cooked kale was not dehydrated 😲; I need to know this cooking method because my baked kale always turns out like dried chips.
Every bite was fresh, filled with the sweetness of the spanner crab. The contrasting textures of the creamy sauce and crunchy kale was perfect. And surprisingly, the cooked kale was not dehydrated 😲; I need to know this cooking method because my baked kale always turns out like dried chips.
Chef Sano looked very happy with his 8-hours slow-cooked abalone, grown locally. This long cooking process was definitely worthwhile because holy moly, this abalone with abalone liver sauce was delicious!!! The meat of this giant sea snail was very tender with moderate umami flavours.
But the real winner was the sauce 🤤 *chef’s kiss*. It was creamy and rich and added all the flavour punch needed for this bite. Chef Sano said it was cooked from the green liver, not the white liver. It was so good, we all asked for an extra ball of rice each so we could lick up all the sauce without looking like a bunch of slobs HAHA.
But the real winner was the sauce 🤤 *chef’s kiss*. It was creamy and rich and added all the flavour punch needed for this bite. Chef Sano said it was cooked from the green liver, not the white liver. It was so good, we all asked for an extra ball of rice each so we could lick up all the sauce without looking like a bunch of slobs HAHA.
When the ginger arrived, we knew the fresh seafood was coming and we were salivating in anticipation. The front ginger squares were actually a highlight for the palate because they had a spicy kick and a crunchy texture. It was unique and delicious, compared to the ordinary ginger slices (back pieces). Chef Sano actually grew these from his own garden 🌱😍.
Our first raw nigiri was pure scampi. Yo, this crustacean was delish 😍. It was soooo creamy and even better than last year’s cured scampi. The flesh had a delicate bounce that allowed us to continue chewing effortlessly on it so that the sweet flavours could coat every surface of the inside of our mouths. Even the sushi rice was scrumptious, with a warm temperature and mild vinegar infused throughout its grain.
Last year we went through the common three sections of tuna: akami, chu-toro and otoro, but this time around, Chef Sano went straight for stage two, the chu-toro of a bluefin tuna 🐟. This fresh, medium-fatty piece of tuna dissolved into pure bliss in our mouths. It had a beautifully soft texture that paired perfectly with the brush of soy sauce and wasabi.
Our third nigiri was a deceptive one of cuttle fish and sea urchin. I didn’t want to ruin the art for a photo of the urchin but trust me, it showed itself in the bite 😚.
The sea urchin had a moderately-strong sweet, oceanic taste but was not overpowering at all. If anything, it was almost like a light and creamy filling that enhanced the lean and mildly fishy taste of the cuttlefish. This would have been the perfect way to introduce someone to urchin for the first time and get them hooked because it was such a subtle and elegant bite.
The sea urchin had a moderately-strong sweet, oceanic taste but was not overpowering at all. If anything, it was almost like a light and creamy filling that enhanced the lean and mildly fishy taste of the cuttlefish. This would have been the perfect way to introduce someone to urchin for the first time and get them hooked because it was such a subtle and elegant bite.
THE ABSOLUTE PEAK OF TUNA 🐟 This delicate piece was the kamatoro.
Kama means ‘fatty collar’ and in a 90 kg (200 pounds) tuna, a chef can only cut out 1 kg (2 pounds) of kama. This cut is very rare and expensive but ooooft, it was sooooo fucking good 😍😍😍. This was definitely the top of all melt in your mouth seafood.
It dissolved into our taste buds and coated our teeth/mouth with rich and buttery tuna flavour. Our eyes were rolling and we all flew to fish heaven and beyond 🤤. I don’t know when we’ll ever get the opportunity to eat this cut again but if you ever see the words KA-MI-TO-RO, order the restaurant’s entire supply. Just do it.
Kama means ‘fatty collar’ and in a 90 kg (200 pounds) tuna, a chef can only cut out 1 kg (2 pounds) of kama. This cut is very rare and expensive but ooooft, it was sooooo fucking good 😍😍😍. This was definitely the top of all melt in your mouth seafood.
It dissolved into our taste buds and coated our teeth/mouth with rich and buttery tuna flavour. Our eyes were rolling and we all flew to fish heaven and beyond 🤤. I don’t know when we’ll ever get the opportunity to eat this cut again but if you ever see the words KA-MI-TO-RO, order the restaurant’s entire supply. Just do it.
Nothing like freshly grated wasabi to elevate the seafood to the next level 😋.
This was Imperador but it took us a few minutes to get the right fish because Chef Sano’s softly spoken voice was hard to hear over the bustling Sokyo restaurant behind us 😂.
This fish, nicknamed ‘Golden Eyes’, is one of the best cuts of the white fish. Mmmm, the translucent flesh was mesmerizing. This was another creamy bite with a moderate fishy taste, balanced by the earthy touch of chives, salty soy sauce and fresh wasabi.
This fish, nicknamed ‘Golden Eyes’, is one of the best cuts of the white fish. Mmmm, the translucent flesh was mesmerizing. This was another creamy bite with a moderate fishy taste, balanced by the earthy touch of chives, salty soy sauce and fresh wasabi.
Ughhhh, the glaze on this miso cod has me drooling right now as I write this post 🤤.
Miso glaze is such a beautiful marinade and the person who invented it deserves gold. It made this cod into a rich, honeyed bite. The fish was very tender, pulling apart easily with our chopsticks. The cucumber slices were a refreshing element, balancing out the sweetness. It was a good thing it was a small portion because any more and the glaze would have become overwhelming.
Miso glaze is such a beautiful marinade and the person who invented it deserves gold. It made this cod into a rich, honeyed bite. The fish was very tender, pulling apart easily with our chopsticks. The cucumber slices were a refreshing element, balancing out the sweetness. It was a good thing it was a small portion because any more and the glaze would have become overwhelming.
All I could hear while taking these photos was “omg, yum, this one, mmmmmm” from A on my right 😂. And indeed, this spanner crab egg with salmon roe was yummy.
The spanner crab was still the same moderately sweet taste as the previous dish #3 but in this one, it had more of an eggy texture. Laid upon a small bed of crab-infused rice and surrounded by marinated salmon roe, this was so enjoyable in the simplest of forms.
The spanner crab was still the same moderately sweet taste as the previous dish #3 but in this one, it had more of an eggy texture. Laid upon a small bed of crab-infused rice and surrounded by marinated salmon roe, this was so enjoyable in the simplest of forms.
We made Chef Sano drink 😂. Kanpai!!! He actually had to crouch to do his shot LOL.
Ok, Chef Sano took it to another level with this shabu shabu prawn. He cooked up the head of the prawn into this rich and creamy sauce that honestly blew this bite to the gods of gastronomy. Just, wow 😍. The prawn itself had a lightly infused umami broth flavour, making it very juicy with a soft, chewy texture. Accompanied by the proportionate ball of vinegar rice and touch of chives, this was absolutely delicious and well-loved around the table.
FYI, shabu shabu is the Japanese term for hot-pot where you dip meats into a broth.
FYI, shabu shabu is the Japanese term for hot-pot where you dip meats into a broth.
The sea urchin makes another comeback in this scrumptious sweet prawn with sea urchin sauce. The sauce had a prominent urchin taste with a perfect balance of oceanic salt and mild sweetness. The prawn was prepared differently too, making it more delicate, fresh and oh so creamy 🤤. This one was one of our favourites of the night.
Bringing out the torch, we have the kingfish aburi. This flamed grilled fish, with its delicate taste and soft firmness, was balanced and delicious. The charred flavouring on top elevated the fishy flavours, along with the grated ginger, scallions and vinegar rice 🤤. I could hear A on my left “Woah! So good” as she typed away her review hehe.
All of us could barely catch what this fish was but luckily, A’s brother loves to cut his own sashimi and could tell from the pictures it was sea mackerel. This shima-aji belly was imported from Japan. It was creamy and buttery, enhanced by the aburi technique to give it a seared texture that added another depth of flavour. The grated radish was a nice sweet garnish.
When we saw this dish being prepared, our hearts jumped a little at the serving size. This balmain bug with mussel kombu butter had us rolling again into a plump ball of happiness 🦞.
The Balmain bug’s meat was a lot less than its cousin, the Morton bug, but still as juicy and flavourful. The kombu butter was what blew us away. With a moderately infused mussel taste, the sauce sent us on a journey of buttery goodness. So damn good! We need to learn the recipe to this kombu butter asap 🤤.
The Balmain bug’s meat was a lot less than its cousin, the Morton bug, but still as juicy and flavourful. The kombu butter was what blew us away. With a moderately infused mussel taste, the sauce sent us on a journey of buttery goodness. So damn good! We need to learn the recipe to this kombu butter asap 🤤.
I was secretly hoping Hokkaido scallops would be on the menu and oh boy, Chef Sano did not disappoint. This was Hokkaido scallop wrapped in nori. The reason I love Hokkaido scallops more is that they’re thick, succulent pieces with so much creaminess that just melts in the mouth. And yes, this bad boy did that and so much more. It was a decadent and buttery sweet scallop, wrapped in a crisp, toasted seaweed 😍. There was a slight smokiness from the torch too.
Hehe, this crispy skin salmon belly “burger” was so cute. Look at the crispness of that skin! The salmon itself was a rich, fatty piece and was still freshly raw, despite having a nicely fried BBQ-flavoured layer of skin on it. The salmon roe and creme really melded everything together. Combined with the warm vinegar rice, this was such a delicious umami burger 🍔.
This was anago, a saltwater sea eel and very different to its cousin, the unagi (freshwater sea eel). The anago was surprisingly sweet and not as salty as we expected for a saltwater sea eel. It had a mild taste with a tenderised, smooth texture and a pinch of salt. It was almost like eating a cloud 😂 The sauce was more prominent in eel flavour because it was rich and concentrated down.
I was a little sad to receive my negitoro because it signified the end of the omakase 😭.
Negitoro is the Japanese term for the leftover tuna pieces from the sashimi cutting or whatever was scraped off the bones. The tuna filling was an array of fattiness that brought back the memories of our earlier toro. It contrasted nicely between the layers of crunchy seaweed, warm vinegar rice, diced shallots and sliced scallions. We also thought the tuna serving was very generous. What an ending 🤤.
Negitoro is the Japanese term for the leftover tuna pieces from the sashimi cutting or whatever was scraped off the bones. The tuna filling was an array of fattiness that brought back the memories of our earlier toro. It contrasted nicely between the layers of crunchy seaweed, warm vinegar rice, diced shallots and sliced scallions. We also thought the tuna serving was very generous. What an ending 🤤.
We were served a delicious snapper fish bone soup and oh my, this was so much better than any traditional miso soup 😍. The soup was a concentrated broth with so much flavour while still maintaining a thin consistency. A described it as umami-consomme and that would have to be the perfect words to summarise this one.
I’ve missed this tamago so much 😭. It was like eating a fluffy custard cake with a strong egg flavour. When pressed between my fingers, it was so soft and bouncy. I think this year’s serving was a tad bigger too, which was such a good thing because we could not get enough of it. Chef Sano even gave all of us a third piece to share 🤣 #blessed THANK YOU.
Dessert
Moving on to the desserts, with sadness in our hearts and gluttony in our eyes, we had a Sokyo dessert platter each. I’m quite sure last year was shared but my memory was hazy when I wrote the 2020 review. I may be wrong 😅 but at least this time I know for sure, we got a platter each. Heck yeah!
I started with new desserts. This was a tofu cheesecake with a soy bean crisp. It was a good thing I started here because this was definitely my least favourite. The tofu flavour was mild, masked by the dominant cheese of the cake. It had a tinge of sourness to it as well. The crisp was nice but quite plain.
The next dessert was a simple raspberry icecream. This was drizzled with a sweet raspberry syrup that elevated the sweetness to an artificial flavour. The raspberry ice cream itself was refreshing and much needed with the soybean crisp. I enjoyed the crumbled up shortcakes underneath the ice cream.
I knew I could not go wrong with the Sokyo classic, a strawberry mochi. This was probably my 5th time eating it since I’ve ordered it every time we eat here 😂. It was a delicious gooey mochi wrapping, with a scoop of refreshing strawberry ice cream inside. It was well balanced, with the right amount of sugar and cream.
Finally, another Sokyo classic to end the night, the whiskey cappuccino. The froth on this “drink” was so light and creamy. It had a moderate amount of whiskey flavour infused into its foam. If there was a way to mass-produce this for me, I’d do it because I have yet to enjoy my brown liquors and I would eat this dessert as my baby step 🤣.
Review
This is definitely one of the best omakase in Sydney; based on quality, quantity, value and how true Chef Sano kept it to Japanese traditions. There was no menu. We were told every dish as we went along, just like our Michelin star omakase with Chef Sato in Tokyo (LINK). An omakase translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” and that’s what we did, we entrusted our night to the expert hands of Chef Sano.
Thank you for such a beautiful and delicious dinner. ご馳走さま でした。
We are waiting patiently for our next seating 🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♀️.
And thanks for reading. Happy eating 😘
Thank you for such a beautiful and delicious dinner. ご馳走さま でした。
We are waiting patiently for our next seating 🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♀️.
And thanks for reading. Happy eating 😘
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