Angela Costanzo's Review of Ichi Ni

When you first walk into this restaurant it feels a bit like something out of a movie. It’s as if the decorators went a bit mad and threw everything into the mix, and the result is a space awash with vibrant colour, light and movement. It’s funky, noisy, brash and fun, with great booths offering fabulous views over the bay, seats around the open kitchen and bar area, and a cute little luau-style hut that must always be in hot demand. Ichi Ni is an izakaya restaurant – or what we would call a Japanese pub. Head chef Yasuhiro Fukuhara (of Taxi and 100 Mile Cafe) has devised a menu that is a combination of traditional standards and some of his own creations. Take, for example, the diced tofu and avocado tossed in chilli paste and served with strips of nori for you to fashion into your own nori roll.

It’s possible to eat cheaply here, although the friendly and efficient staff make it way too easy to get stuck into their impressive selection of sake. There is a good selection of small Japanese tapas dishes, from edamame beans through to a delicious serve of miso-marinated pork belly, all for less than $10. More substantial fare in the form of sushi and sashimi platters, yakitori skewers and various don round out the menu. Currently, desserts consist solely of ice-cream, but flavours such as the tart and sweet balsamic vinegar, and the intriguing pumpkin, demand at least a tasting. The restaurant’s mad Japanese style even extends to the bathroom, with turbo-charged hand dryers that warrant several visits to the unisex ablutions.

Angela Costanzo, May 2009