Alex Yu’s sashimi platters are more than just a meal, they’re a work of art. The executive chef at Yūgen describes himself as a “sashimi florist.” His elaborate creations feature branches, flowers and edible greens for an extra touch of opulence.

“I wanted to do more than just a simple platter. I get inspiration from nature, I start to put a lot of flowers and branches on my plate and one of my regular customers (at Sydney’s Sokyo) says, this looks like a flower, you should call yourself a florist,” he says.

“OK, from now on I’m starting to be a sashimi florist. I wanted to deliver more, a theatrical experience and more education.” Yu has taken his luxurious, edible installations down south to Yūgen in Melbourne.

“The fish I’m using, you can’t easily find. I usually work on it for seven days to source the premium cuts from belly, collar and fin,” he says. “It’s very personal. I usually go to the table and explain it myself. One person will have 12-15 kinds of cuts, with different textures and flavours they wouldn’t normally be able to find. It includes five different parts of bluefin tuna from leaner to fatter cuts, abalone, uni, the belly and loin of imperato golden eye snapper, scampi and paradise prawns.”

Related story: First look: Modern Asian restaurant Yūgen offers more than just omakase

“Those fish are easy to source year-round and they’re farmed, I want to put in more effort to hunt for more fish to educate my staff and customers. To survive in hospitality, you always need to bring something new, something different.” 

For diners who need to worry about making rent, there’s the mid-range sashimi platter of $125. “This is based on kingfish, tuna and salmon. You also have scampi, paradise prawns, tuna belly from Japan, caviar, scampi roe and snapper,” Yu says.

The more affordable option is the classic platter served downstairs for $75.  “It changes daily and is a mix of traditional and modern influences,” he says.

“Kingfish, salmon and tuna we serve Japanese-style, with soy, ginger and wasabi. The snapper and scallop we put in ramekins and change the sauce daily, it could be scallop with a Sichuan mayo, Chinese style, or snapper with chilli plum dressing, half Hong Kong and Japanese style.”

The non-traditional dressings are part of Yūgen’s ethos of delivering new takes on modern Asian cuisine. Yu is excited about balancing the traditions of Japanese cuisine with a broad spectrum of flavours.

Take the Omakase for example. The 25-course menu, $255-275, is his modern take on sushi. “It’s a more Australian twist, because it’s more multicultural here. In Japan, you don’t put something on the sushi, here I’m doing a lot of flavours on sushi,” he says.

“I like to pair a snapper with chives, lime and kombu. It’s a mix of umami from kombu, freshness from lime and additional flavour from chive. Every single bite has more than a one-ingredient focus to create more excitement for diners.”

Yūgen
605 Chapel Street, South Yarra 3141
Wed-Sun 12pm-5pm, Fri-Sat also 6pm-10pm
yugendining.com.au

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