Japanese food means different things to different people in Australia. But for anyone who has been to Sokyo, the horizon has widened immeasurably. This glitzy, casino-based restaurant commands the most superb sushi counter in Sydney, with a luxe fit-out to match that evokes the ocean floor thanks to thick ropes hanging from the ceiling like swaying seaweed.

Sit at the bar if you can get one of the eight seats, where the menu is omakase style – that is, you don’t have a choice. Chef Chase Kojima’s (ex-Nobu) menu is experimental but reassuringly not-moving and delicious at once. The chef bridges the gap between traditional and Sydney-friendly, so there’s uni nigiri (se urchin) and semi-fatty tuna draped over rice, glazed pork belly cubes cooked on a robata grill with wasabi.

The main menu is accessible and appealing. You might start with the spicy tuna and mayo on a hot, crunchy Hokkaido rice cake – a must-have. You can’t go wrong with anything from the sushi menu. You can feel the texture of each grain of rice on your tongue; a sweet, salty, vinegar balance. On top is an international smorgasbord of fish. Kingfish hails from South Australia, barbecue freshwater eels from Taiwan, scallops from Japan, abalone from South Australia, salmon belly from Tasmania. Glacier 51 toothfish is superb, miso glazed and topped with a Japanese pickled cucumber.

It’s noisy with kids in highchairs at lunchtime here, but by night, the lights dim and it dances to the chilled sounds of house music, with a resident DJ appearing some nights. Either way, our attention is firmly on the morsels before us.

Must eat dish: spicy tuna on crispy rice
Instagram: @chasekojima