Oribu restaurant brings fine dining Japanese to Parramatta

Western Sydney is hungry for more upmarket Japanese cuisine - and a new restaurant is proving it can be found right on their doorstep.

Heritage Lounge bar manager Lillian Shalala at the bar in the same building as Oribu restaurant. Picture: Brendan Read

Sashimi platters and tropical cocktails served with dry ice, bao burgers and wagyu tacos – welcome to the new chapter of Japanese cuisine in Parramatta.

Oribu, tucked away on the the rooftop of the Heritage building, is helmed by former Crown Sydney chef Harry Cho, who owner Louis Arida enticed to head west from Barangaroo and bring a dash of fine dining to the CBD in June.

“In Parramatta there’s a lot of fast food and casual dining,’’ Arida said.

“Parramatta’s wealthy with Lebanese cuisine, Italian cuisine and modern Australian cuisine but to get good Japanese food you have to travel to The Rocks or the city.

“We’re taking a culinary experience to the next level.’’

The theatrical seafood platter. Picture: Brendan Read

Head chef Harry Cho brings his expertise to Oribu. Picture: Brendan Read

Cho has more than 20 years’ experience as a chef and doesn’t just draw on his upbringing making home-cooked dishes with his Korean dad and Japanese mum but deploys his military training in the kitchen.

Arida has witnessed more than one plate return from the kitchen if Cho sees a flower out of place.

“His attention to detail is very meticulous,’’ Arida said.

“My staff will get in trouble from the chef if a plate’s not on the right angle.’’

Cho loves combining traditional favourites with new twists to present fusion cuisine.

Visitors can dine on the delicate and the decadent – whiskey-marinated snapper; Wagyu beef tacos, crispy pork, green apple kimchi and spicy mayonnaise bao burgers and steamed yellow scallop dumplings.

“There’s not many Japanese restaurants in Parramatta, I want to show more variety in Japanese food,’’ Cho said.

Bao buns are part of the fusion fare.

He also aspires to introduce more white fish to the local palate, which he says has a penchant for tuna and salmon. So far he has succeeded with the luxe 60-piece seafood platter and heavenly kingfish carpaccio.

Arida says that unlike the small portions synonymous with high end Japanese restaurants, bigger portions are plated up at Oribu, in the same Heritage building at Church St that houses a cigar lounge and some of the world’s most rare and expensive whiskies.

Arida is confident western Sydney will embrace his upmarket restaurant and make the most of dining closer to home.

“The city thrives off the western suburbs,’’ he said.

“You walk into a lot of restaurants and you see a lot of western Sydney people going into the city.

“We’ve got that stigma and notion that some of the best restaurants are in the city.

“That culture’s changing where we’re starting to see some of the best restaurants locally.

“People are becoming more educated about what they’re eating and what they’re drinking.

“They’re prepared to spend it but they don’t want to spend it where they haven’t got value for money.’’

Originally published as Oribu restaurant brings fine dining Japanese to Parramatta