Salaryman

Since it opened in 2015 as a ramen joint, with a window serving Japanese street food, Salaryman has evolved to emphasise modern Asian flavours and dishes that can be shared.

The ramen has been replaced by a menu of simple dishes with big, punchy flavours. A beef tartare with black sesame rice fritters riffs on cheeseburger flavours and is made with with smoked cheddar, egg yolk, cubes of beetroot and miso mustard. Kingfish is served in a salad with charred plums, cucumber and shiso-and-yuzu vinaigrette. A hunk of pork hock is the centrepiece of a DIY bao dish with pickles, herbs and Bulldog sauce (a pungent barbeque sauce).

Everything is easy to share. Stracciatella is served instead of burrata with shallot pancakes and chilli oil because it’s easy to split with chopsticks. Most other things can be eaten by hand.

The fun drinks list includes a range of Australian wines and beers, sake and a short list of cocktails. Try a wasabi-powered Bloody Geisha made with house-spiced vodka, or the Martini made with sake and shiitake mushroom (the Saketini). There is also a rye Whiskey Sour made with yuzu.

The space is semi-industrial and bunker-like, with tunes until late every night.