Ishizuka, Melbourne

MelbourneEating Out

Ishizuka, Melbourne

The Japanese haute cuisine concept of Kaiseki arrives in Melbourne at Tomotaka Ishizuka's breathtaking eponymous restaurant...

Combining cutting-edge interiors with masterful gastronomy, chef Tomotaka Ishizuka brings the Japanese haute cuisine concept Kaiseki—one of the world’s finest food experiences, a concept dating back 600 yars to the ceremonial cooking practices of Zen monasteries—to Melbourne with his eponymous Bourke Street restaurant.

Ishizuka Melbourne, Tomotaka Ishizuka Restaurant Bourke Street, Melbourne

Opening up his own 16-seat restaurant on Bourke Street, having worked in a string of esteemed kitchens over the years, Ishizuka embodies the tradition of Kaiseki by taking diners on a discovery of flavours and theatrics; cultivated by carefully selected tableware, intricate food presentation, and an exclusive, intimate setting amid a stunning architectural intervention.

Dishing up a nightly set menu consisting of 11 plates, Ishizuka balances taste and texture with expert precision. Guests can expect to dine on an amuse-bouche of sea urchin and spanner crab, and Zensai (which, meaning ‘small pretty things’, is a selection of five delicacies including boiled black tiger prawn with caviar). Osuimono soup precedes the freshest sashimi and a pair of grilled courses, which could be red bream or Mayura Wagyu, served with a side of sushi. Continuing in this decadent vein until dessert is reached, Ishizuka represents Japanese haute cuisine executed with all the precision of one of their famous blades; all carried out in immersive surroundings—put together by international design practice, Russell & George—that match the theatrics of Tomotaka’s culinary masterclass.

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Ishizuka Melbourne
Tomotaka Ishizuka Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne, Tomotaka Ishizuka Restaurant Bourke Street, Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne
Tomotaka Ishizuka Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne
Tomotaka Ishizuka Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne, Tomotaka Ishizuka Restaurant Bourke Street, Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne
Tomotaka Ishizuka Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne
Tomotaka Ishizuka Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne, Tomotaka Ishizuka Restaurant Bourke Street, Melbourne
Ishizuka Melbourne
Tomotaka Ishizuka Melbourne

Photography, courtesy Ishizuka Melbourne: Interiors, Felix Forest / Food, Eve Wilson