Does omakase always need to be translated to a 20-course menu? Japasu by Sang in Zetland proves there’s another way to hero premium seafood from Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Kevin Cheng
Japanese$$$
Omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese) in Sydney generally leans towards a premium dining experience: intimate counter seating, top-grade ingredients, carefully crafted sushi and a multi-course experience driven by the chef’s live performance. Omakase began peaking post-COVID when Sydneysiders were flush with savings and low interest rates, and a burgeoning interest in travel to Japan. A million Australians visited Japan last year, the first time we’ve cracked that mark.
This thirst for omakase has given us brilliant experiences such as Toshihiko Oe’s two-hatted Sushi Oe (soon to relaunch at the new Sydney Fish Market) but also more affordable options like Jihomakase in Northbridge – which does an $80 lunch omakase – and Gold Class Daruma in the CBD, which offers omakase starting at $65 for lunch and $75 for dinner.
But does omakase always need to be translated to a 20-course menu? Not so, according to Japasu by Sang, which has recently relocated to Zetland near Green Square station.
“Omakase-quality sashimi and nigiri bar” reads the website. I am intrigued. But first, I have to reorient myself after taking a seat – menu-wise, there is a lot going on. Sushi is the star, but the double-sided menu also features robata (grill), tempura and donabe (claypot rice) in addition to the raw bar, sushi rolls, light bites and caviar. The nigiri is on a separate tick-as-you-go clipboard menu. My tip: focus on the sushi and dabble in the robata section.
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I side-stepped the premium nigiri omakase ($95 for nine pieces plus a prawn chawanmushi) and dived into the “okonomi” (a la carte) nigiri menu. Head chef and owner Sangyong Park hails from Ulsan in South Korea, a coastal city that neighbours Busan. With previous stints at Zushi, Sokyo and Quay, Park’s knowledge of seafood is on show here.
Each nigiri on the menu features concise descriptions and tasting notes – big fan of that. New Zealand imperador is on as a special, and it is indeed “delicate with umami and buttery” as described, and carefully torched so its coral-red, crisp skin contrasts with the sweetness of the flesh.
Seared barramundi belly from the Northern Territory is an incredible piece: extremely rich and decadent with gently scorched fat. Park’s sushi rice style is distinctive: three types of Japanese short-grain rice are infused with white and red vinegar that balances each nigiri with umami, sweetness and acidity that’s somewhat of a rarity in Sydney at this price point.
The Japanese kingfish (from Uwajima) is rich and creamy and subtly melts away in just a few bites. Sydney has been blessed with a cracker of a tuna season, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving (Japanese tuna is also used at Japasu by Sang). The bluefin tuna set is a must: three pieces of nigiri including the leaner akami, fattier chutoro and the mother of all tuna cuts, the rich otoro. Each piece is topped with a tiny sphere of minced tuna to level up the decadence.
Other nigiri will take you on different journeys: the dialled-up umami from the NSW royal red prawns and Tasmanian sea urchin, say, or yuzu-tinged king salmon from New Zealand.
We try some dishes that aren’t sushi too, but a wagyu tartare (from Mayura Station in South Australia) with toasted shokupan bread doesn’t hit its mark. The beef loses its lustre amidst too much acidity and oily milk loaf. Paradise prawn chawanmushi is another miss, with diced asparagus overpowering all other flavours.
The highly marbled Mayura Station wagyu, however, is one of the most delicious steaks I’ve had in recent memory. Cooked over the grill, the chuck tail flap has a deep beefy flavour lapped up with luscious kombu jus – I was tempted to order a bowl of rice just to keep the party going. In case there wasn’t enough umami, Park serves the steak with half a portobello mushroom that soaks up all the good stuff. The robata section is on fire here, and Skull Island prawns are also cooked perfectly.
Moya & Co studio has designed an elegant dining room with a stunning cylindrical ceiling feature, but it’s unfortunate the counter top blocks the view of the chefs crafting the sushi with their hands. (Then there are the knives and fish bone tweezers sloppily strewn across the counter throughout service.)
Park’s wife Elle Lee’s drinks list heroes smaller producers and breweries, where she has also included detailed descriptions of every single wine, spirit, sake and cocktail with such care and detail. The Kitaya Junmai Daiginjo Migaki sake is a deep and fruity number that pairs well with sushi and the grill.
What began as a meal of intrigue and slight trepidation turned into one where I was singing from the omakase hymn sheet. Japasu by Sang offers a sushi experience using carefully chosen premium seafood from Australia, New Zealand and Japan, without the rules and fanfare of other omakase restaurants in Sydney. It’s opened my eyes wider into what the style of dining can be, which in Japan could be a standing sushi counter, yakitori bar or even a ramen restaurant. “Omakase quality” indeed.
The low-down
Atmosphere: Casual yet elegant Japanese izakaya that heroes premium sushi
Go-to dishes: Bluefin tuna set ($42); Tasmanian short-spined sea urchin nigiri ($18 each); Mayura Station wagyu chuck tail flap ($68)
Drinks: Australian and international wines, Japanese sake and whisky
Cost: About $300 for two, excluding drinks
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
