Yoshii

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS
The somewhat abrupt entrance masks a small, intimate dining room, cleverly separated from the sushi bar by a wall of vertical wooden slats.

Head chef Yoshii Ryuichi was born in Nagasaki, Japan. Influenced by his father, also a chef, he spent the early years of his career observing and practicing the skills and art of a sushi chef in Japan. His delicate dishes are presented to the diner in “Kaiseki” style. A kaiseki is a small stone that is heated up to warm the stomach, and guard against the cold winters of Japan. Similarly, this style of dining uses several small, intricate dishes designed "...ike the small stone (to) gradually warm up your stomach and fulfil your appetite." There are two set-menu options, both featuring a variety of smaller dishes. It may begin with a sea urchin eggcup, followed by innovative dishes such as deep-fried Japanese eggplant topped with chocolate and flavoured with miso. Hiramasa king fish carpaccio is served with orange and Yuzu-kosho dressing, and slow-roasted wagyu beef is dished up with Oriental butter and black vinegar sauce. The wine list has been composed with care to complement Australia’s fresh ingredients and the delicate Japanese flavours.