Sonny Chiba

On the menu at Sonny Chiba, you can find classic Japanese fare (karaage chicken with tonkatsu mayo, tuna tataki with wasabi cream, soba noodle salad and handmade pork gyoza) and more experimental alternatives, such as a curried beef brisket doughnut topped with yuzu salt and coconut shavings.

There are also near-translucent slices of elegant kingfish paired with a deep, musky truffle vinaigrette you can smell as soon as soon it hits the table; poached prawns and pickled daikon sandwiched between two rounds of milk loaf; and Wagyu tataki. The beef has a marble score of five, and the flavour is reminiscent of a sort of Japanese salami. It’s paired with strands of fried potato, celeriac and green apple, which cuts through the beef’s evenly dispersed fat.

For dessert, there’s an Iced Vovo mille-feuille with raspberries and marshmallow. And to drink there’s Asahi on tap; an international wine list comprising familiar Australian drops and slightly less familiar European ones (pinot blanc from Baden, Germany); and a handful of predominantly light, floral cocktails.

The space matches the style of the food. There’s textured concrete walls pair with white-and-grey terrazzo flooring, timber banquettes and a smattering of blue tiles, but overall the aesthetic is stripped back. Upstairs, two more dining rooms – one public, one private – stay true to the minimalist vibe, with a little more warmth courtesy of wooden floorboards and an original fireplace, making this a prime candidate for your next date night.