First Look: Every Sake Has a Story at Intimate New Sake Bar Amuro in Darlinghurst
Words by Yumi Oba · Updated on 11 Nov 2024 · Published on 29 Mar 2023
“My heart is always in Tokyo,” Kei Tokiwa, owner of new 20-seat boutique sake room Amuro, tells Broadsheet.
Tokiwa has worked at Chaco Bar , and consulted at venues such as Kahii and Wan , helping them develop their menus and concepts.
Now he’s opened his very own venue, in a tiny Crown Street corner space. It’s something Tokiwa has envisaged for some time: a venue with echoes of traditional and modern Tokyo; an intimate, warm, welcoming space.
“This is part of my DNA. This is what I love doing,” says Tokiwa.
There are around 20 sakes imported from producers in prefectures across Japan, including Noguchi Naohiko from Yamagata, Toyo Bijin in Yamaguchi and Hokkaido’s Kamikawa Taisetsu, as well as Japanese wines and whiskies. Yet, there is no physical drink menu.
“The best way to introduce sake is to talk about it, and to have a try,” says Tokiwa. “It’s built in our pricing.”
Standing behind the counter, Tokiwa passionately describes the flavours and aromas of each sake, and, most importantly, tells the stories behind their production and makers. “I like storytelling,” he says.
Inspired by the manga series Shinya Shokudo , which tells the stories of the customers that come through a late-night restaurant in Tokyo, Amuro is as much about the conversations that unfold at its counter, and the overall atmosphere, as it is about the food and drink it serves.
“I want people to come and live in the scene. I play the master, you play the customer,” says Tokiwa.
With options including yuzu sake and melon sake, people are often “blown away” by how diverse sakes can be, says Tokiwa.
Matching these sakes is a range of snacks: regional Japanese dishes from the far north of Hokkaido, down to southern Okinawa. Most of the menu changes weekly, but some staples always remain.
Grilled shishamo (a saltwater fish); Hokkaido scallop with ume and buckwheat; tako wasabi (raw octopus with a hit of wasabi); and mentaiko (cod roe) potato salad were some of the dishes on offer during Broadsheet ’s visit.
“These are very simple dishes. Something your mum, grandma, or aunty may make. It’s almost paying homage to them,” says Tokiwa.
And there are plenty of dishes to round out the night (the Japanese call these dishes “shime”). Channelling inspiration from his grandmother, who was a rice farmer, you might get unagi (eel) rice; ochazuke (green tea poured over rice); and mentaiko rice. And, if you’re game enough, try the natto (fermented soybeans) on rice. It will be an acquired taste for many non-Japanese, but it’s packed with nutrients, and is a Japanese breakfast staple.
Each dish is served on a plate or bowl that has been handpicked by Tokiwa himself.
In fact, every detail has been carefully considered by Tokiwa. From the sake shelves inspired by Japan’s traditional architecture to the custom blackwood bar, the Italian floor tiles, the cute chopstick rests that resemble Kewpie mayo bottles, and the handwritten menu. “I have thought of everything,” he says.
From Wednesday to Sunday, Amuro opens from 4pm so hospitality workers can have a drink before they start the night shift. “Come and have a chat at the counter,” Tokiwa says.
Hours:
Wed to Sun 4pm–10pm
