With four luxe restaurants and a posse of high-profile chefs, Prefecture 48 has opened at 230 Sussex Street in Sydney’s CBD. The three-level venue is arguably Australia’s most ambitious upmarket Japanese food projectn.

P48 includes several restaurants, a patisserie and a bar under one roof. But perhaps the prize catch is Derek Kim, the former executive chef at recently closed fine diner, Tetsuya’s, who will oversee the flagship Garaku restaurant, where prices start at $365.

“Australia is home to many exceptional Japanese restaurants and talented chefs, but we feel that the true breadth of Japanese cuisine and culture hasn’t been fully represented on a group or multi-venue level,” says Celine Tran, group director of operations at Azabu Group, the owner of P48.

“P48 was created to be a celebration that Sydney, Australia, and Japan can take pride in,” she says of the venue that combines art, cuisine and Japanese subculture.

Omakase is an eight-seat restaurant where prices kick off at $300 a head, and at experimental Five, chef Hiroshi Manaka blends Japanese dishes with European influences, such as tagliolini with calamari, marigold kosho, and sourdough.

“P48 was created to be a celebration that Sydney, Australia, and Japan can take pride in,”

Celine Tran, Azabu Group’s director of operations.

P48, which has capacity for 254 customers, includes more accessible offerings as well. Tran says a meal at Ibushi restaurant, where food is cooked on a robata grill, will start around $80.

At Dear Florence, where the wall plaster resembles icing on a cake, you can pick up a pastry or small cake from $15. Executive pastry chef Aoife Noonan (ex Aria) blends Euro recipes with Japanese influences. Even Whisky Thief has some bar star appeal, with the award-winning Maybe Group, owners of Maybe Sammy, collaborating across P48’s drinks program.

“In recent years, we’ve seen a remarkable evolution in the understanding and sophistication of Japanese cuisine here,” says Tran. “Just as French or Mediterranean dining has advanced significantly over the past two decades, Japanese offerings have progressed beyond casual sushi trains to refined sushi omakase experiences.”

P48 took inspiration from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market, the “multi-sensory experiences” of the Eataly chain, as well as the vibrant Sydney hospitality scene, she says.

Azabu Group already has a stable of restaurants, including the hatted Kame House in the northern Sydney suburb of Gordon, but its latest venture is its most ambitious.

P48 is located in a Victorian-era building at 230 Sussex Street, from where Foley Bros once sent its butter to London. The site also operated as a blacksmith.

Tran would not be drawn on how much had been spent pulling the luxurious venue together.

“Our vision wasn’t about extravagant budgets but rather about authentic storytelling. This level of craftsmanship and detail required a significant investment.”

230 Sussex Street, Sydney, p48.com.au