I’ve never been a fan of Casinos. I find the ambience abrasive and the decor always freshly outdated. Not even the exemption to the Sydney lock-out laws could temporarily persuade me to lift my prejudices to this awful contrast of cashed-up tourists and mortgage foreclosure victims.
There are, however, a couple of understandable reasons to venture deep into this black hole of Pyrmont. One of those reasons is Sydney’s iconic Japanese fine-diner Sokyo.
This temple of Japanese gastronomy is worth all the buzz in my opinion, with some of Sydney’s freshest sashimi, at a price that reflects its quality.
Start (as I always do) at the bar, with a cocktail or two and some olives.
This setting is perhaps the least chaotic within the establishment, as once seated at your table, you finally understand the full majesty of Sokyo’s popularity. I begin to wonder who makes more cash… Head Chef Chase Kojima or James Packer? Regrettably, I think we all know the answer to that question.
It’s not often you find a restaurant with an extensive menu that maintains an above 90% hit-rate on dishes, but I do believe Sokyo to be a contender.
We dined A-la-carte, and were spoilt for choice between the disparate styles of Nigiri, Sashimi, Maki, Tempura and Robata.
This is also not to mention their ‘essential dishes’, which proved to be, well, essential. The Wagyu Tenderloin ($65… yeah) being the case in point here, once it was unshrouded from the heinous mask of kale (you can’t win all your battles).
The presentation is up to the standard you’d expect for the price-point, without being as wanky as you’d fear from an ex-Nobu chef… although you can spot the influence in many courses.
Quite obviously a home-run here, and surpassed perhaps only marginally by Toko in Surry Hills. If you haven’t ‘done’ Sokyo yet, scrounge your pennies and give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
Sokyo
Level G, The Darling The Star/80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009