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inmattewhite,aspartof
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oudon’tevenneedtoliftyourchopsticksoff
thetabletoknowYokoDiningis anizakaya
witha difference.OwnerJonathanBarthelmess’s
backgroundis Greek-Australian.Headchef,
KitakLee,is Korean.Andthosesun-drenched
riverandStoryBridgeviews?DistinctlyBrisbane.Butthen,
Yokowasneverintendedtobea flatpackrehashofsome
notionalTokyomuse.It’ssomethingfarfresher.Andmorefun.
YokositsalongsideGreca,Barthelmess’sbreezyodetothe
Greektaverna,whichopenedat HowardSmithWharvesin
2019.It’sbeena bigcoupleofyearsforthechef-restaurateur,
whoalsohasSydney’sChoChoSan,TheApolloanditssister
restaurantinGinza.Butit’sbeensmoothersailingupnorth
thistimearound.“It’ssucha differentexperienceopeninga
secondrestaurant– we’vegotgreatrelationshipswithsuppliers
now,”saysBarthelmess.“Andwe’vegotanamazingteam
(whichincludesBenRussell,formerAriaBrisbaneheadchefas
executivechefacrossGrecaandYoko).Therehavebeena few
surprisesalongtheway,butthey’vebeencontrolledsurprises.”
LongtimecollaboratordesignerGeorgeLivissianisis again
onboard.He’screateda spiritedyetpared-backfit-out,paying
tributetotheindustrialheritageofYoko’sformerwarehouse
digs,whileconjuringJapanwithpopsofcanaryyellow,clever
lightingandsubtlenodstoNippon,suchasnorencurtains.
Upstairsis a secretvinylloungeandplansareafootforlate-
night instant ramen, Japanese hotdogs and artist collaborations.
“Yokois anizakaya– aneatinganddrinkingplacethat
tacklesallpartsoftheJapaneseculture– andwe’dliketotake
thatevenfurther,”saysBarthelmess.“Butthisis notthekind
ofstreet-foodizakayayou’dfindunderthetraintracks– it’sa
moreupmarkettake.Lotsofpeopledoizakayasthatfocuson
greatproduceandwe’retakinginspirationfromthoseat Yoko.”
HeadchefKitakLee,whoserésuméincludesSydney’sCho
ChoSanandKisuméinMelbourne,sayssomeYokodishesmay
veerinsurprisingdirections.Thescallops,forexample,arrivewith
a yuzukosho-spikedtofucream,orricenoodles,slatheredina
spicychickenragùthenampedupwithroastedbuckwheatkernels.
“Wearea Japaneserestaurant,butwe’reopentoanything- likeoursoy-braisedporkbelly.Weservethiswithlettuce,like
bossam,theKoreandish,butit’sfullofJapaneseflavour,”says
Lee.“Somedinersliketosticktotraditionaldishes,others
wantmoderntwists– andothersarelike,‘ohshit,what’sthis?’”
Yoko’sokonomiyakiis anAsianhybridthatis fastbecoming
a signaturedish.Liketheoriginal,thisversionfeaturescabbage,
butintheformofkimchi.“Theedgesarecrispandmixinginthe
kimchigivesit a goodpickley,fermentedtang,”saysBarthelmess.
Therecipeshereexemplifythefreewheelingphilosophythat’s
makingYokosucha hotdestination.AndlikeYoko’smenu,how
youusethemis entirelyuptoyou.“Itwouldbefuntocookit all
at once,oryoucouldpicka coupleofdishes,”saysBarthelmess.
YokoDining,HowardSmithWharves,2/5 Boundary St, Brisbane,
Qld, (07) 3236 6582, yokodining.com.au