Chase Kojima is hitting the glitter strip. The head of the kitchens at Sydney Japanese powerhouse Sokyo, and one of the top sushi chefs in the country, he’ll now also oversee Kiyomi, a new contemporary Japanese restaurant opening at Jupiters Hotel & Casino mid-December.
Some of the flavour of Sokyo will cross the border to the north, but the new restaurant will have an identity of its own. “I’ll be launching it with a couple of Sokyo signature dishes,” Kojima says. “But the main difference is that I want to make this restaurant more izakaya-style, where there’s a little bit more of a relaxed feel with more sharing and a little more drinking.”
That translates to a menu packed with the likes of lightly seared scampi with foie gras, white soy and a lime, apple and mizuna salad; duck slow-roasted over Japanese charcoal with Kojima’s own blended wasabi, sansho peppers and a beetroot sauce; and some more adventurous offerings, too: “I haven’t finalised it yet, but I want to use liquorice and Vegemite on my lamb chops,” says Kojima.
The bar will offer a wide range of sakes, Japanese whiskies and cocktails. And in keeping with the izakaya theme, the kitchen will remain open late, serving lighter booze-friendly snacks. “I know when you’re dining late you crave things like fried chicken, but I’m not doing anything like that,” Kojima says. “It’ll be more lean sashimi and a few tempura options…not heavy like pizza and stuff.”
The look of the room, which Kojima describes as “very Japanese, with a handcrafted feel,” comes courtesy of Luchetti Krelle – the Sydney-based design firm whose portfolio includes the likes of Acme and Momofuku Seiobo at Jupiters’ sister-casino, The Star. “It’s not luxurious; it’s more handmade, more delicate,” he says.
The restaurant is part of Jupiters’ ongoing $345 million redevelopment, which has added a luxe hotel tower, along with a string of new restaurants and bars.
Kiyomi, Jupiters Hotel & Casino, Broadbeach Island/Gold Coast Hwy, Gold Coast, Qld, (07) 5592 8100
