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Japanese restaurant Yachiyo brings a slice of Kyoto to Mosman

POPULAR Japanese restaurant Yachiyo has been given a Kyoto-style makeover, with a fresh new look and revamped menu.

The sashimi selection at Yachiyo, Mosman.
The sashimi selection at Yachiyo, Mosman.

POPULAR Japanese restaurant Yachiyo has been given a Kyoto-style makeover, with a fresh new look and revamped menu.

Located on Mosman’s main dining strip, Yachiyo has been serving up its signature citrus-spiked sashimi and square gyozas since 2012.

The dining room has been given a Kyoto-themed makeover. Picture: Adam Yip
The dining room has been given a Kyoto-themed makeover. Picture: Adam Yip

With a second sister venue in Darlinghurst, co-owner Sebastian Kadas wanted to differentiate between the two venues.

Co-owner Sebastian Kadas and head chef and owner Mitsuhiro Yashio. Picture: Adam Yip
Co-owner Sebastian Kadas and head chef and owner Mitsuhiro Yashio. Picture: Adam Yip

“The Darlinghurst venue is a bit grungy and loud, it’s very similar to what you would find in the back alleys of Tokyo,” he said.

“We wanted to make the Mosman venue a little more sophisticated and more similar to the warm and earthy restaurants of the Kyoto area.”

The facelift included custom-made timber tables, a fresh coat of dove grey paint and a series of oversized artworks, inspired by vintage Japanese postcards.

Yachiyo’s dining menu has also been given a shake-up, with new creations developed by head chef and co-owner Mitsuhiro Yashio.

Much like the venue’s new colour scheme, Mitsuhiro has indulged his lighter side, producing a menu of fun and playful plates, from the crispy corn tempura fritters to the karaage popcorn cauliflower and the pork katsu bao with wasabi jerk mayo.

Rainbow roll with mixed sashimi, avocado and four sauces.
Rainbow roll with mixed sashimi, avocado and four sauces.

“Customers just went crazy for the baos when we first put them on the menu,” says Sebastian

Pork katsu bun with wasabi jerk mayo.
Pork katsu bun with wasabi jerk mayo.

For those in need of a raw fish fix, the menu also includes a tuna bruschetta, made from tuna tail sashimi, crunchy rice and miso dressing and a salmon carpaccio, doused in chilli oil and sesame oil, with a sour hit of yuzu.

If you’re unsure what to order, Sebastian recommends the omakase menu, which means “chosen by the chef”.

Called “Me So Hungry” the omakase banquet consists of seven of Mitsuhiro’s favourite dishes.

One thing that sets Yachiyo apart is its dedication to specialty Japanese ingredients with Mitsuhiro importing many of the venue’s sauces and condiments directly from the land of the rising sun.

Corn tempura fritters.
Corn tempura fritters.

This include the restaurant’s famed Kaneyo soy sauce, which is produced by a 100-year-old family business in Kagoshima.

The sweet and light soy makes the perfect lacquer for fresh fish or scorched aburi sushi.

“It’s a really special product,” says Sebastian. “Kaneyo age their soy for 12 months, and at the end of the process they infuse it with sugarcane to give it this light caramelisation.

Yuzu carpaccio with chilli sesame dressing.
Yuzu carpaccio with chilli sesame dressing.

“Mitsuhiro personally visited the company and convinced them to let him bring it to Australia.”

Those who fall in love with its addictively sweet flavour can also buy it by the bottle to take home, with Yachiyo the only place you can source the sauce.

Details
What: Yachiyo
Where: 161 Middle Head Rd, Mosman
When: Tuesday - Sunday, 5:30pm - 10pm
Web: yachiyo.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/mosman-daily/japanese-restaurant-yachiyo-brings-a-slice-of-kyoto-to-mosman/news-story/503f5673fe036490e389668649905369