I’m always a little complacent when it comes to new ‘it’ restaurants. There’s usually more pizazz in the surrounding diners than in the food on your plate.

Fortunately, Surry Hill’s Toko is not one of these places – it has style and substance.

Smack bang in the middle of Crown Street, Toko is a real spectacle from the outside. It is architecturally striking as it is beautiful. Inside, Toko is a haven of dark woods and communal tables, with a discreet private dining room at the back.

Toko’s cocktail list is twice the thickness of the dining menu and it takes me a full 20 minutes to decide what I’ll be drinking. I settle on a Lychee Mojito, which packs a punch but with a delicate and fruity top note. My dining partner, Wendy chooses the lemon caprioska which has a really strong lemon flavour but is surprisingly sweet at the same time.

A word of caution – the prices listed on the menu are for a set quantity (even though this isn’t disclosed, but is usually for two), so if you are dining with a group, Toko automatically adjusts pricing and quantity to your group. So don’t be alarmed when you order something that’s $10 on the menu and appears as $40 on your bill.

Kingfish yuzu - $15.80

We kick off our meal with an order of kingfish carpaccio, a comforting staple dish that never fails to disappoint. The kingfish is served a tangy yuzu dressing, which strikes the perfect balance between sweet and sour.

Miso black cod - $29.50

We order the miso black cod for no better reason than to see how it would compare to the one at Nobu. Given my newly discovered allergy to certain fish, I could only afford a small nibble. The flavour is mellow and sweet while the texture is firm.

Chicken yakitori (two serves pictured) - $17.60

Beef skewers (two serves pictured) - $29.60

The kushiyaki at Toko is markedly better Azuma. The meat is more tender, tastier and the portions are quite generous (that said, Toko is significantly pricier).

The chicken and beef skewers are very tender and have retained most of their natural juices, despite being grilled over an open fire.

Pork belly (2 serves pictured) - $23.60

In true Japanese style, the pork belly skewers are cut into perfect rectangles and are pretty as a picture. The meat is very tender and well seasoned.

Wafu zucchini - $14.40

Though an unusual choice, but the wafu zucchini turns out to be Wendy’s favourite dish of the night. The zucchini is cooked just right and the tangy ginger sauce provides the perfect accompaniment.

Pork spare ribs - $17.80

The pork spare ribs were my favourite dish of the night. Slathered in bbq sauce, the ribs are very tender – the meat is so soft, it melts off the bone. No real effort is required to eat these, which is always a plus.

Grilled scallops (one serve has three scallops) - $18.80

The scallops were another highlight for me. While they were a tad overcooked on the outside, they had a very supple centre and I enjoyed the contrast in textures.

Lamb cutlets (three per serve) - $21.80

The lamb cutlets were a bit overcooked for Mr. Taste (who prefers his meat raw) but they were just right for me. The pickled eggplant was an unusual side and I still can’t figure out whether I liked them or not.

Squid tempura - $13.80

The squid tempura was another hit with the table. The dish came with detailed instructions from our waiter on how to prepare the sauce, which involved tossing the onions and corriander through the sweet and sour sauce. This gave a very subtle flavour that worked nicely with the crispness of the squid.

California maki roll - $15.80

Surprisingly we only opted for one sushi dish. Compared to all the fried, grilled and braised dishes featured on Toko’s menu, the sushi selection didn’t seem as sexy. Our california maki roll was very well made and the crab meat (the real deal) was sweet and very satisfying.

Toko Dessert Platter - Sorbets, trio of creme brulee and chocolate fondant

By the time we finished off our 12 odd courses, we put our hands up for the dessert menu. We all agreed on the chocolate fondant, creme brulee and assorted sorbets. All three desserts arrived on a bed of ice, adorned with fresh fruit. It was very decadent and we felt very spoilt.

As the table next to us watched on in awe, we made our way around the platter and compared notes on what we thought was the winning dessert. The tonka bean sorbet was my choice – the velvety texture accompanied with the subtle flavours was just what I needed to finish off the night.

Toko
490 Crown Street
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
# 02 9357 6100
www.toko.com.au