Kirishima, a New 23-Course Omakase Spot From a Former Aoi Tsuki Chef, Opens in Camberwell

Chefs Jun Ha Park and Yohan Ji first worked together at the now-closed Ichi Ni Izakaya in St Kilda more than a decade ago. Park went on to work at omakase spots Aoi Tsuki in South Yarra and Akaiito in the CBD, both of which he’s since departed, while Ji worked at Korean spot Boseong in Blackburn and Japanese diner Okaeri in Mount Waverley (the latter of which he formerly owned). But in May, the two reunited to open Camberwell omakase spot Kirishima, adding to Melbourne’s already stacked offering. 

The pair, both originally from Korea, went on a two-month research trip to Japan earlier this year. While travelling through Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands, Park and Ji stopped at a restaurant overlooking the Kirishima Mountains. Ji recounts sipping on shochu highballs while admiring the misty peaks. When they learned Kirishima means “fog island”, they decided to name their restaurant after the mountain range. 

The fit-out tries to re-create the view they enjoyed, with blue walls and a sheer curtain, which slightly obscures the view of the dining room from the street, standing in for the fog. “We don’t want to [reveal] everything. People outside can’t see clearly, but they can still see a little bit [of] what’s going on inside,” Ji says. “We want customers to come in and see what we’re actually doing.” 

There are 12 seats around Kirishima’s Victorian oak counter. Over the 23-course omakase, guests can expect a flurry of elevated otsumami (snacks typically designed to pair with alcohol), nine nigiri, a generous hot rice dish and two desserts. 

Two chefs work in the kitchen, while Ji and Park both man the counter. Though it may be a team of four, dining at Kirishima is a two-man show. The duo’s imaginative otsumami are more than a prelude. One features Kumamoto A5 Wagyu slices draped over a mound of sushi rice – another visual nod to the Kirishima Mountains – before it’s finished with truffle shavings and a miso-cured quail egg yolk. 

The crowd favourite otsumami sees steamed abalone paired with creamy sauce made from its liver, but Park’s pick is house-smoked ocean trout rolled up in a crispy seaweed shell, topped with yuzu jelly and caviar. 

The meal then moves onto seasonal nigiri. Park oversees this part of the menu, and the chef is particular about matching garnishes to the fish. For example, iwa-nori (wild-harvested seaweed) cooked down with saké and mirin brings sweetness to marinated akami (lean tuna). “The tuna itself is already delicious, but everything is in there for extra flavour,” Ji says. And lightly seared swordfish is paired with yuzu kosho (a blend of fermented chilli and yuzu peel) to cut through the smokiness. 

A big donabe pot arrives to conclude the savoury section. It’s filled with three-day-marinated miso black cod over shiitake mushroom rice and guests are encouraged to pour dashi-brewed tea over the rice before it’s finished. The progression is intentional. “We put this rice dish at the end, so that people feel fuller when they leave,” Ji says.

Dessert comes in two parts. First, a cake-shaped seafood tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) studded with kingfish, snapper and prawn and bound by sticky Japanese yam. For a truly sweet ending, it’s followed by yuzu sorbet with a drizzle of shiso-infused olive oil. 

A six-saké pairing is available across two pricepoints, with bottles from renowned saké breweries like Fujinishiki.  

Kirishima

622 Camberwell Road, Camberwell

0456 594 316

Hours:

Wed & Thu 6pm–8.30pm

Fri & Sat 6pm–10.30pm

Sun midday–1.30pm, 6pm–8.30pm 

kirishima-melb.com

@kirishima_omakase

Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Jun Ha Park as Jun Pak. Jun Pak is the co-founder of Aoi Tsuki in South Yarra.