Sokyo, at The Darling, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Tokyo lives in the streets of Sydney, well at least some of its tastiest cuisine does. Sokyo, located in the lobby of The Darling, Australia’s most prestigious casino hotel surpassing its rivals, by a very cool mile. Sokyo is the brainchild of founder and Executive Chef Chase Kojima, a genius in the kitchen. His Japanese artistry conjours up more than 80 hand-crafted dishes that are designed to share. We take his lead with the tastiest of marathons, starting off, to name a few with the ocean trout Umami Sansho and Kingfish Furikake from the Nigiri menu. Moving on to the sushi rolls, opting for the freshest Queensland spanner crab, spicy aioli, avocado and soy paper. Some traditional sashimi follows – the Saikou salmon and Red Snapper Ikijime, an absolute delight. With the finish line in sight, we also manage to squeeze in some Kingfish Miso Ceviche, Lobster Tempura and pork belly Robata. The flavoursome dishes keep our taste buds in delirium, with the Sommelier giving excellent advice on the sake, whisky and wine on offer. We finish the evening with a cocktail in the Sokyo Lounge – a perfect location with its Tokyo ambience.

You need to book early for a good reason – it’s one of Sydney’s best modern Japanese restaurants. star.com.au