Rice and Shine for International Sushi Day at These 5 Restaurants

International Sushi Day on Tuesday, June 18 is the perfect excuse to tuck into the Japanese specialty – sushi has become a global phenomenon over the past 30 years or so after struggling to find a foothold in the West in the beginning.

Raw fish didn’t initially sound appetising to all cultures but we eventually realised we were wrong and now we can’t get enough of it!

It’s time to sharpen up your chopstick techniques and treat yourself at one of these five venues:

Embracing the Japanese izakaya style of wining and dining, head to Yama Zaru Izakaya on Sheridan Street in Cairns for a dining experience to remember. Showcasing tapas dishes and the best range of sake in the city, you can’t miss this restaurant with its colourful façade of Japanese images, while indoors is moody with glowing lanterns, booth and table settings and wooden beams.

 

Jump right in with sushi choices such as Coral Sea rolls with prawn, avocado, carrot, cucumber and lettuce, or Hokkaido scallop sashimi with fresh wasabi; before delving into signature dishes such as sliced eel on a bed of steamed rice with various condiments, or Black Angus rib fillet, with citrus ponzu sauce, daikon radish and vegetables.

Contemporary Japanese dining with a Modern Australian influence brings Beaumaris foodies through the doors of Ken Japanese Restaurant on East Concourse. This stylish Melbourne venue is all sleek lines with a minimalistic vibe of blond wood, black table settings and slate grey walls, while pendent globes cast a soft glow ideal for romantic evening dining. 

 

Meaning ‘respect' in Japanese, Ken's menu treats food with respect from beginning to end - think sushi plates like salmon belly nigiri, lightly torched, with lemon and scallion, or tempura soft-shell crab, pickled daikon and cucumber; followed by master stock braised pork belly, mushrooms, spinach, potato mash and Japanese black vinegar.

Experience a symphonic, curated, yet unpretentious experience of Japanese cuisine at Kura Robata & Sake on Lygon Street in Brunswick. Meaning ‘cellar' in Japanese, Kura is a modern Melbourne dining destination where a treasure trove of sake awaits guests as the ideal complement to robata-yaki dishes.

 

Dedicated to the art of charcoal grilling, expect the sights, sounds and smells of Tokyo's famous laneways as you settle in with a glass of premium sake and ponder an extensive menu of sashimi, soup, grilled skewers, steak, salad and dessert; take flight with kingfish sashimi and yuzu miso, sesame soy, cucumber and red onion, or Japanese bluefin tuna belly nigiri sushi.

Discover illuminated Japanese cuisine and get lost in flavour at Terasu on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive in Townsville. Located in the Ardo Hotel and with the bright lights of Tokyo as a muse, Terasu offers a lively take on casual Japanese dining that packs a punch, delivered in stylish surrounds with beautiful Coral Sea views from the balcony.

 

Sip a signature Tokyo Glow cocktail with sake, ginger liqueur, vodka, yuzu jelly and grape as you devour sushi offerings of Panko prawn, salmon, sriracha mayo and salmon roe, Japanese loin Wagyu nigiri with truffle soy and yakiniku sauce, or Coral trout, pickled daikon, furikake and crispy nori.

Dangerously good food is on the menu at Ginja Ninja Café & Bar on Christie Street in Canungra. This funky café and bar greets diners with graffiti-style wall murals, neon signage and potted greenery to set an edgy vibe ideal for after-work drinks and catch-ups with mates with an icy brew in hand.

 

From sushi to curries and burgers, there is something to tempt all tastes – chow down on teriyaki chicken and avocado sushi, or a California roll with fresh salmon, Kewpie mayo, eschalot, cucumber and avocado; perhaps opt for a dragon roll with tempura prawn, cucumber, avocado, Kewpie, sriracha, pickled ginger, fresh wasabi and housemade teriyaki sauce.