Read their full review at Mr & Mrs Romance

When Jim and Christina from Mr & Mrs Romance, one of Australia’s most celebrated travel and lifestyle blogs, came to experience our omakase in Paddington, we knew the evening had to be something truly special.

Settling into seats at our long white marble counter, they were guided through a 10-course kappo yakiniku omakase at Izy.Aki — Sydney’s first and only restaurant of its kind. What followed was a night of fire, finesse, and flavour they won’t soon forget.

The 10-Course Experience

The evening opened with our bluefin tuna tartare and dashi jelly, finished with shavings of foie gras — an immediate statement of intent. Then came The Egg, Izy.Aki’s most iconic signature dish: a free-range hen’s egg emptied and refilled with smoked eel, foie gras and golden trout roe. Rich, salty, and packed with umami, it never fails to stop the table.

From there, the courses moved through wild kingfish sashimi with house-fermented black garlic, a silken chawanmushi topped with oscietra caviar and Alaskan crab, and a deeply flavoured seafood soup with abalone, Fremantle octopus and Patagonian prawns.

Head Chef Bonnie then took to the yakiniku grill, presenting a whole WA lobster tail with house-fermented chilli butter, a 12-hour slow-cooked beef brisket finished over charcoal, and our showstopping MB9+ Black Opal Wagyu Sirloin from Victoria — served with freshly grated wasabi, tamarind sauce and fermented soybean chilli on the side.

To close, a dark chocolate cremeux with yoghurt sorbet, followed by our signature Hokkaido Matcha and Raspberry Cheesecake Soufflé — rising dramatically from its pot, hiding a gooey, creamy centre beneath. Paired throughout the night were our Japanese and Asian-inspired house cocktails, and a final pour of junmai ginjo sake served in silver cups etched with Lunar Calendar zodiac signs.

What Mr & Mrs Romance Said

Jim and Christina described the experience as wonderfully romantic, intimate and unlike any other omakase they had tried in Sydney. The relaxed counter setting, the personal service from owner Darren Templeman, and the parade of extraordinary dishes left a lasting impression. As they put it, the only problem now is that all they can think about is coming back.

Experience Izy.Aki for Yourself

We are so grateful to Jim and Christina for sharing their evening with their audience, and for capturing so beautifully what makes Izy.Aki unlike anything else in Sydney’s dining scene.

If their experience has inspired you, we would love to welcome you to the counter.
Book your omakase experience at Izy.Aki, Paddington. We can’t wait to see you at the table.

Izy.Aki Kappo Yakiniku Omakase 362 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021 Open Tuesday to Saturday, from 5:00pm Bookings essential — reserve your table here