You know the places – all show, no go. Funky fit-out, pumping tunes, beautiful people, but the food? No, thanks.

Happily, Tokosan gets it right – one of the unicorns of the hospitality world that manages to mix trendy with tasty.

Japanese-leaning bar snacks and share plates complement the cocktails as well as the kitsch decor of vintage Japanese signage and bright parasols.

In September, Tokosan picked up where Sydney import Toko left off. While the coiffed izakaya is earmarked to reopen in the CBD in 2018, the owners have loosened this Prahran site’s collar and are ready to party.

The courtyard is now a lounge garden for 60, and there’s a DJ booth and a karaoke area for 20 wannabe Mariahs. Lunch service and summer Sunday sessions are in the offing, too.

Be fuelled by sake, Mumm or Asahi, or a cocktail list named after Kill Bill characters. The ‘gogo yaburi’ [sic] is a zingy concoction of vodka, lime and passionfruit, while the lychee-laced ‘pretty riki’ will have you dreaming of holidays in the sun.

At Tokosan it’s all about temaki, the cone-shaped hand rolls loaded with well-vinegared rice and a filling of chicken, prawn, or salmon with avocado and cucumber.

Chicken katsu, a crunchy crumbed thigh fillet, comes topped with a sweetspicy curry ketchup, while squid offers crispy mouthfuls, perfect swiped through a biting lime mayo.

Not strictly Japanese, but delicious and booze-soaking nevertheless, is the cheeseburger – a stack of wagyu patty, iceberg lettuce, onion and pickles on a toasted milk bun, all united with a meld of mustard, mayo and tomato sauce.

Playful Tokosan is a boisterous meet-up spot for drinks and bites with mates and dates, and even dinner if the night calls for it – because this is the kind of place where a few quiet ones can turn into something more.