Japanese chef runs top restaurant in Sydney

By Noriko Goi

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AlfGarnett at 02:07 PM JST - 10th January

Good luck to the geezer, done well for himself and that. Still, ireckon you can't beat Manze's pie 'n mash with liquer. Wonder if he's consider adding that to his menu?
ptolemy at 02:21 PM JST - 10th January

Went to a "Japanese" restaurant on a biz trip in London a few months ago. Asked if they had natto, miso soup, onigiri, or gyudon on the menu. The Japanese owner said no because "foreigners" wouldn't eat. Funny in London he still referred to people as "foreigners". I then told him, "I would, it's why I'm asking". He asked where I was from and I answered "Nagoya, Japan". He shook his head and walked away. Got a feeling this geezer is much like him.
OzKen at 03:14 PM JST - 10th January

Japanese don't eat that kind of food everyday.

Stating the obvious no?..I think any kind of 5 star restaurant would not serve normal everyday food. If they did, then they wouldn't be 5 star restaurants now would they???
OzKen at 03:19 PM JST - 10th January

Good luck to the geezer, done well for himself and that. Still, ireckon you can't beat Manze's pie 'n mash with liquer. Wonder if he's consider adding that to his menu?

Don't have to go far to get one of those in Sydney. Harry's Cafe de Wheels next to Garden Island make the best, and I mean THE best pie 'n mash in the world. Renowned and acclaimed by the best culinary connaisseurs (like Anthony Bourdain). If you get down to Sydney one day go there and try it out!!!
OzKen at 03:27 PM JST - 10th January

Haven't been to Tetsuya's yet. The waiting list scares me, but I am told it is one of the greatest culinary experiences you can have anywhere in the world. Instead of serving your stock standard appetiser/main course/desert round, Tetsuya dishes up 12-15 small portions of varying and distinctly unique mini courses. When I go out, I prefer the Sushi Bar Rashai in Leichardt, which is 10 minutes out from the city. Kazu and his chefs are also magicians in their own sort of way, and it is much less formal.
space_monkey at 06:27 PM JST - 10th January

The best Japanese restaurant in the world is in Australia! Eat that Japan :)
cracaphat at 08:59 PM JST - 10th January

It goes to show that a person without the official formal training, is able to excel if he or she is good enough.And he is. Now, maybe the obsession in Japan to have a piece of paper saying yes you can should be dismissed where necessary.
crikeyitsacrock at 09:08 PM JST - 10th January

He's been in Oz 26 years now and still retains a certain degree of Japanese culinary sensibility, mixed with a French style. Should we call him Sir Mate? Well done. Got to be better than a so-called Japanese restaurant I went to on the Gold Coast - expensive and bastardized.
romselecta at 02:27 AM JST - 11th January

I went there for a friends birthday & I highly recommend it to anyone! I would hard call $150 for a 15 course meal expensive. Apparently he also owns to other smaller places in Sydney that are lesser known but of similar stlye. I was taken to one in Darlinghurst on the corner of Royston St. & Craigend St. Cant remember the name but it does a similar 12 course de-gustation meal for about half the price. I seem to remember it was only on certain nights they did that...

PS some of the best restaurants in the world can be found in Sydney, but dont be so quick to bad mouth food here. In general the quality and flavor is so much better in shops here than in Australia...
NICOLE77 at 11:35 AM JST - 11th January

I think Tetsuya is a perfect example of 'Aussie style'! Like cracaphat said, he doesnt have a spanky degree in Japanese cuisine he is a natural chef. We had a Prime Minister a few years back, Paul Keating, who had finished his School Certificate only ( equal to 1st grade of High school in Japan). Point being that Aussies, generally, dont guage a person on there flashy qualifications, but rather their experience and personal qualities.

And I like it how the celebrities must join the waiting list too!
sydenham at 10:35 PM JST - 11th January

Sounds nice. Still, I'm not going to be visiting Australia for the food. It's the wine I'm after. These days good food can be got pretty much anywhere, even New Zealand apparently... but great wine and good food, Italy, France, California and...Australia.
timorborder at 11:53 AM JST - 13th January

Pretty sloppy journalism folks.

Firstly, the White Australia policy went out in Australia a long time ago, not the 1980s. Indeed, like many other Australians I grew up in an environment of multi-culturalism (for which I am grateful) which included lots of Australians of Asian ancestory.

Secondly, the last time that I spoke to Tetsuya Wakada (about 2 months ago) he was still an Australian citizen (of Japanese ancestory). Moreover, he has been very active in selling the Australian culinary experience overseas. What has changed folks, when did he go back to being Japanese?
bdiego at 05:40 AM JST - 14th January

tim: If you're referring to the title and him being a "Japanese chef"..if he cooked French food he'd be a French chef. These cooking labels have nothing to do with ethnicity or background.
bdiego at 05:41 AM JST - 14th January

And in that vein I'd definitely like to visit Australia in the future, it definitely makes the top 5 on my travel list.
Osakadaz at 04:31 PM JST - 15th January

well put timorborder.Exactly what I was thinking.