Yugen Dining

Underground den where dishes draw on China and Japan.

November 18, 2024

1 / 9Prawn toast with Chinese doughnut and chilli amazu.Supplied

2 / 9The impressive bar at Yugen Dining.Bonnie Savage

3 / 9Tasmanian wild oysters.Bonnie Savage

6 / 9Chocolate delice with roasted soy parfait and yuzu sauce.Bonnie Savage

7 / 9Inside the moody restaurant.Supplied

9 / 9Strawberry ice cream with charred mochi.Supplied

14.5/20

Contemporary$$$

It begins with a descent. From an obsidian holding room on the ground floor, an elevator plunges you towards a shadowy bunker of smooth bluestone and rough concrete – not unlike a villain’s secret lair. High-end cognac and Japanese whiskies are stocked in a towering, amber-coloured bar that brings new meaning to “top shelf”.

Dishes are no less sensational. Butterflied whole southern rock lobster is doused in syrupy chilli crisp, a sweet through line also seen in gochujang-glazed fried chicken and the dressing of a green mango salad.

Prawn toast is a worthy signature, bolstered by Chinese doughnuts that soak up chilli speckled amazu (the rice vinegar dressing). Chawanmushi is amplified by chicken skin and a touch of smoked eel.\

An oft-videoed dessert of hot citrus caramel poured over a chocolate shell reveals five-spice fudge, and gives Yugen’s dramatic entrance a run for its money.