Last Week, Broadsheet Took Over Ibushi for an Epic Avatar-Themed Dinner – Here’s What Went Down

The Earth-like moon Pandora came to Prefecture 48 last week.

To celebrate Avatar: The Way of Water, which is back in cinemas for a limited time after its 2022 release, Broadsheet and 20th Century Studios invited tastemakers and competition winners to a special dinner to immerse themselves in the world of the Na’vi.

Guests walked through the central tunnel at Prefecture 48, past lanterns that flickered with Avatar’s signature “A” into the Suntory Bar. They were welcomed with a one-off cocktail called Spirit of Pandora – naturally, it was bright blue. Dangling from the side of the coupe was a marshmallow wrapped in flash paper, which ignited when put to a match, creating a bright flash.

Guests mingled in the courtyard and spent a moment debriefing on the re-released film they’d seen earlier that day at IMAX Sydney, as word began to spread that a massive screen in the loo was playing the trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash – the upcoming third instalment in James Cameron’s epic Avatar saga – on a loop.

After cocktails, everyone moved into Ibushi, Prefecture 48’s robata-style grill, for dinner.

With charcoal grey walls, an open kitchen complete with a fiery grill and an art installation on the ceiling designed to mimic the movements of smoke, Ibushi is always all about fire and ash. But for the event, Sydney floral artist Doctor Cooper – aka Lisa Cooper – helped bring the experience to new heights.

She created two pieces for the event that echoed the themes of the films. “I feel like harmony and discord are kind of giant, giant symbols in the Avatar narrative. The larger sculpture [made for the event] is very harmonic, and the smaller sculpture is based around disorder, disharmony, like a clashing of harmony and discord.”

The two pieces welcomed diners into the room. Both an artist and a florist, Cooper primarily used flowers and foliage for the works, but “aside from nature, the only other element that I’m using in the work is tinsel.” She says it’s important the pieces can act as “light in that dark, because I know that the dynamism of the light reflecting off the tinsel will add to that feeling of awe” – certainly a feeling that rings true to anyone watching an Avatar film.

Guests sitting at the bar, alongside Cooper’s Discord sculpture, had a front row seat to chef Chris Kim’s mastery of the elements as he channelled fire and smoke to create a seven-dish feast.

Starters included crispy sushi rice topped with tuna tartare, yuzu kosho, Avruga (a caviar substitute made with smoked herring) and gold flakes, and wrapped in seaweed; and a prawn tsukune (meatball) served with tarragon mayo and puffed rice.

The main event included beef tartare glistening like cut gems, which was mixed with a confit egg yolk emulsion and mustard leaves and then scooped onto lotus crisps. Next up was WA octopus in teriyaki sauce served on a bed of impossibly smooth smoked pomme puree.

Then came Wagyu chuck tail, served with mushrooms and a kombu dashi sauce, along with sides of broccoli and edamame served with miso ranch; and crispy potato with a rich and spicy shallot and shishito cream dotted with wasabi oil.

Everyone left full and satisfied, but really the whole event was just an amuse-bouche to whet our appetites for the main course in December – when Avatar: Fire and Ash is released.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with 20th Century Studios. Avatar: Fire and Ash premieres on December 18, 2025.