First Look: Char Is the Star at Izakaya Kushi, Manly’s New Yakitori House

Manly has an impressive line-up of beachside Japanese restaurants: Sunset Sabi, Sake and Jipang, to name a few. Now there’s one more: Izakaya Kushi, on the bustling Belgrave Street.

Named after the Japanese word for skewer, Kushi is a small, casual dining room with big vibes – and a menu of traditional yakitori-style dishes, cooked over a charcoal grill. Mosey in for a quick bite to break up a beachy weekend day, or settle in for dinner.

Nicknamed “Kushi 2095” for the local postcode, the izakaya’s from the team behind much-loved Cammeray sushi joint Jizakana, but their aspirations for the beachside izakaya were a little different.

“We thought an izakaya was something people [could] get alongside,” restaurant manager Toshiya Hirayama tells Broadsheet. Kushi 2095 is more relaxed than its modern counterpart a few suburbs away. Warm wooden tones and an open kitchen invite in passers-by, flip-flops and all. “It’s very casual. We’re near the beach, so it’s a good location for people to gather.”

Park yourself at a table, grab a sake and feast on Kushi’s selection of small plates. It’d be rude to go past the fresh “new-style” sashimi (like tuna with buckwheat and white soy) when you’re so close to the water – and you’ll order the pair of deep-fried oysters if you know what’s good for you.

Expect the classics: scoop up agedashi tofu swimming in a kombu broth, or snack on spicy edamame and a rainbow of tempura, like prawn, pumpkin, broccolini and eggplant.

When it comes to the yakitori, Hirayama’s picks are the Wagyu, chicken thigh with shallots and black cod skewers coated in sticky umami goodness. Broadsheet recommends the tsukune, a skewered chicken meatball with dippable onsen tamago (raw egg) on the side. Lean into Aussie veggies grilled and fried, like the king mushroom skewer or moreish cauliflower karaage with romesco sauce.

But, in a city chockers with excellent Japanese joints, what makes Kushi’s yakitori special? The quality of its tare, the slightly sweet, house-made yakitori sauce made with soy and sake. The skewered bites are brushed with this house-made mixture before being fired over the robata, giving the dishes a deep, smoky flavour and char – that locals are into.

“I’ve heard from customers that the flavour is really different,” Hirayama says. “It’s tasty! Since we’ve been open, we’ve been really busy.”

Chase down the yakitori and small plates with some sake, choosing from Kushi’s selection from more than 22 Japanese drops, or opt for some whisky.

If you’re having a breezy Manly weekend, stop by Kushi for lunch after you’ve hit the beach. The hardest thing you’ll have to do is decide on your tempura and sticks. ramen or a sando. Whatever it is, you’re in for a good time.

Izakaya Kushi
1/10 Belgrave St, Manly
0494 110 335

Hours:
Mon to Thur 5.30pm–11pm
Fri 4pm–11pm
Sat 11.30am–2.30pm, 4pm–10pm
Sun 11.30am–2.30pm, 4pm–9pm

izakayaksuhi.com.au
@izakaya.kushi