SASHIMI STAR COMES TO JUPITERS CASINO

Two new restaurants to open at Jupiters this summer will give punters the first taste of the casino’s $345 million redevelopment. Emily Macdonald talks to Kiyomi’s executive chef about why people should gamble on raw

WITH more sushi restaurants popping up than cherry blossoms in spring, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Gold Coast was turning Japanese.

Jupiters Hotel and Casino is jumping on the sushi train with Kiyomi slated to open mid December.

But the 120-seat Japanese restaurant is unlike anything the Coast has experienced so far, with executive chef Chase Kojima serving traditional fare with an Australian twist that encourages even novices to try sashimi without feeling like a fish out of water.

“I think most people who don’t eat raw are scared. Maybe they had a bad experience somewhere, sometime,” Chase says. “Sashimi or sushi have actually been done incorrectly for a while. Amateur chefs want to get into the sushi chef side because they think it’s easy, but it’s easy to get wrong.”

While the menu is still being finalised, the Gold Coast Bulletin was given a preview of what diners can expect.

Dishes Chase is considering using include salmon robata with ssamjang miso and watercress as well as scampi with foie gras, white soy, apple and mizuna salad.

There’s something for people who aren’t fond of seafood too, with binchotan duck breast with beetroot, sansho pepper and wasabi likely to make an appearance.

Kiyomi isn’t the only project for foodies to look forward to at Jupiters, with the casino to also open a yet-to-be-named 250seat Italian restaurant later in the festive season.

More than 200 construction workers have been employed to fit out both restaurants as well as complete works on the pool area and paint the casino as part of stage one of the redevelopment.

A recruitment drive is currently underway, with 50 full-time positions to be created by the opening of the two restaurants. But for now the focus is on Kiyomi, with the countdown on to get the refit done in time for opening day.

The old Entwine restaurant has been completely gutted to make way for exciting additions including a charcoal grill in the kitchen. The restaurant’s interior concept has been designed by Luchetti Krelle, designers of Fat Noodle at Treasury Casino and Hotel, Brisbane, and Momofuku Sieobo and Adriano Zumbo at The Star in Sydney.

Stuart Krelle, director and designer at Luchetti Krelle, says Kiyomi’s design, which includes a nine metre sushi bar, is inspired by Japanese minimalism, and layering cultural cues with sharp, contemporary detailing.

“You’ll see traditional Japanese motifs but in an unexpected way, such as handmade backlit paper suspended in glass panels within the sushi counter. We’re also using handmade Japanese umbrella-inspired feature pendants from Kyoto,” Stuart says. While Chase, whose most recent project has been founding Sokyo at The Star in Sydney, has worked across the world including Dubai, London, Los Angeles and the Bahamas, he can’t wait to leave his mark on the Gold Coast.

“It’s going to be an izakaya, so that’s like Japanese tapas. A lot of sharing, a lot of drinking, a lot of having fun,” he says.

“Coming to Queensland, I really, really love Moreton Bay bug. I think it’s very, very unique and every time a Japanese person comes to my restaurant, I definitely serve it to them. I like the beach too and maybe it has nothing to do with work, but I lived in the Bahamas for a year and half and it was the same thing. People are relaxed, they’re more confident and happy, there’s less stress.

“I want to take all that in. Work with a team and the flavours and presentations will adjust in each place I go to.”

As Chase will divide his time between Sydney and the Coast, Jupiters’ general manager of hospitality in Queensland Johan Lindholm is happy to take responsibility for keeping local palates pleased and the renovations on track.

“We’re a few days ahead of schedule and I’d like to keep it that way,” Johan says.

And he reckons even those who don’t normally like Japanese food will be hooked once they try Chase’s menu.

“It’s something that even somebody who says they don’t eat sashimi would eat because it doesn’t taste like raw fish – it’s that really refreshing taste in your mouth. As we eat so much with our eyes it’s a very well balanced meal when you look at it on the plate and also when you put it in your mouth and I think that’s an art that’s really hard to come by.”