Restaurant: Ocean Room

Born in Tokyo and trained in Sydney, Raita Noda’s first food memory is of “oden”, a traditional Japanese hotpot dish, cooked in his family’s restaurant. It must have tasted pretty good because Noda has gone on to become one of Sydney’s most celebrated chefs. Relocating to Australia in 1990, Noda undertook his apprenticeship at Matsukaze restaurant at Chifley Plaza before moving on to become chef de partie at Unkai in the ANA Hotel. However, it was as proprietor and head chef of Rise Restaurant in Darlinghurst that Noda really found his footing, garnering a chef’s hat in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide and a solid reputation for his sublime Japanese fusion cuisine.

Now at the stunning Ocean Room in Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal, Noda continues to delight his fans with his Asian and Mediterranean-inspired seafood feasts. For inspiration Noda doesn’t need to stray too far from home, saying that his mother, Keiko Noda, inspires him daily. Ken Okada is another chef who inspires Noda “for being the complete restaurateur.” Noda never cooks on his days off, ever, instead preferring to experience new restaurants, of which he cites Buzo in Woollahra as a favourite for its good service, freshness and simplicity.

Shelley Hepworth