Okami opens its doors in Bendigo: How much sushi can you handle?

A husband and wife duo, a mortgage broker and an opera singer from Melbourne, are the faces behind the new restaurant opening in Bendigo.

Bendigo Okami owners Lesley Xu and Jack Yang at their new Barnard St store, which opens on Monday February 15 2021. Picture: Zizi Averill

A new Bendigo restaurant run by a couple from Melbourne will offer up sashimi, dumplings and noodles.

Husband and wife duo, Jack Yang, a mortgage broker, and Lesley Xu, a former opera singer, left Melbourne in December to start a new life and new business in Bendigo.

A block away from the city’s culinary and dining heartland is their Barnard St Japanese restaurant, Okami.

The Japanese restaurant opens on Monday, February 15.

“We like the lifestyle,” Mr Yang said, of Bendigo.

“People are more friendly than people in Melbourne.

“And it’s nice and quiet.”

Bendigo Okami owner Lesley Xu adding the final touches to the Barnard St business before its opening on Monday February 15, 2021. Picture: Zizi Averill

Mr Yang said the restaurant would have five chefs, serving up food under a buffet-style budget.

“It’s all you can eat with no set menu,” he said.

“Customers can order dishes as many times as they want.”

Mr Yang said his diners could chose as many dishes as many times as they wanted, and still keep the final per person bill at $34.80.

“It’s more value for money … people can walking in and know how much they will spend,” he said.

Mr Yang said for customers who did not want to tackle a buffet’s worth of sashimi, an a la cart menu was also available.

The new owner said his Barnard St business was one of 25 Victorian stores in the Melbourne-borne franchise.

He said Okami was also opening restaurants in NSW and ACT.

Melbourne-based Japanese restaurant chain Okami has opened its latest store in Bendigo, on Barnard St. Picture: Zizi Averill

Address: 215-217 Barnard Street, Bendigo