Sharpen your chopsticks, a new Japanese restaurant with an intimate omakase counter has hit the Sydney sushi scene.

Bay Nine Omakase has opened its doors at Campbell’s Stores, a new waterfront dining precinct at The Rocks on Sydney Harbour. The heritage-listed warehouse space has been given a minimalist fit-out of clean lines with blonde timber furnishings, which blend seamlessly with the historic building’s 19th-century sandstone walls. Central to the space is a six-metre blackbutt omakase counter, where chefs slice and dice seafood, showing off their inimitable knife skills.

Seating just 10 guests at a time, Bay Nine Omakase offers an intimate 11-course dining experience. The chef’s selection includes a variety of raw and cooked dishes, with a focus on premium seafood caught within 12 hours of service.

Bay Nine Omakase head chef Tomohiro Marshall Oguro’s menu favours Edomae-style sushi, which involves searing, curing, marinating, steaming or grilling the fish before serving, to bring out its best flavour.

Oguro utilises the tsumoto-shiki bleed-out method for ageing fish, which enables him to harness the umami notes of a fish during the ageing process, without stripping it of moisture.

Tomohiro Marshall Oguro is the city’s youngest omakase chef, having worked alongside renowned seafood specialist and restaurateur Stephen Hodges and acclaimed sushi chef Naoki Fukazawa from Yoshii and Sushi-E.

While no two menus are the same, dishes may include Port Stephens oysters with shiso ponzu, silky banana prawn chawanmushi custard, and kingfish sashimi dressed in white soy, sesame and black truffle.

Beyond the counter, a handful of tables will offer a six-course set menu for lunch or an eight-course menu for dinner.

Sake naturally takes centre stage on the beverage menu with more than 40 varieties on offer, including a sake flight of five Junmai Daiginjo sakes. Wines and beers are also available.

Bay Nine Omakase is positioned next to premium steakhouse 6Head and soon-to-open South Aegean restaurant Ploos by Peter Conistis, and is accessible from the promenade.

Bay Nine Omakase
Campbell’s Stores, Bay 9, 7-27 Circular Quay West, The Rocks
Mon – Tue 5:30pm – 10:30pm, Thu – Sat 12pm – 10:30pm
02 9251 0897
thevenuescollection.com.au/venues/baynine

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