The moody diner, flanked by an open kitchen and bar to one side and timber booth seating to the other, evokes a Japanese izakaya with food that steps things up a notch. Chef Adam Liston’s menu is as refined as it is playful – his version of “KFC”, with pear and tobiko an example of the latter.

Raw snacks are a good place to start, from crowd-pleasing tuna tataki to wagyu tartare, bound with a katsuobushi (smoked, fermented tuna) mayo and seasoned with anchovy, atop a crisp bugak cracker. Snake beans are an unlikely highlight, tossed in fermented chilli and a generous scattering of scorched nuts that’ll keep you coming back for more.

A deep bowl of lobster udon is among the richest of meals, dressed with katsuobushi dashi butter and a heavy hand of shredded nori. To the other end, wood-fired baby barramundi, with a “skin” of nori that’s melted into the fish upon cooking, and rice that sits in a puddle of wonderfully aromatic, gingery sukiyaki sauce, is a refined dish that feels good for the soul.

A considered drinks list, including sake, serves to complement the meal. A layered dessert of puff pastry, custard and yuzu ice cream ends the night on a sweet enough note.

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