It can be hard to spot from the busy Gold Coast Highway, with the white barn door entry marked only by a single red lamp. Inside however, it’s action stations for staff as they deal with a revelling crowd enjoying the quirky atmosphere created by a rocking soundtrack, wall pasted with comics and posters and painted with murals, neon signs and communal seating around a tree trunk and an arching timber, wave-like ceiling.

Staff are chatty and make time to explain the menu despite the crowd.

Begin maybe with something from the raw bar, sushi, or as we did, gyoza, juicy bundles of wagyu mushroom and scallion with a lively chilli soy dip. Black cod marinated in miso for 72 hours and cooked on the robata grill is the hit of the night while the twice-cooked pork ribs in a spicy miso barbecue sauce are also a treat.

Drinks focus on sake, Japanese whisky and beer, cocktails with Japanese ingredients and a wine list that, while it isn’t overly extensive, has plenty to pique interest.

Must-eat dish: Black cod