Anekawa

The Verdict

Realising a long-held career dream, Koki Anekawa opened his first Japanese eatery—Anekawa—tucked away in the unassuming suburb of Mudgeeraba.

Past the Noren curtains, you’ll find an intimate 26-seat dining room—by the same designer behind Etsu Izakaya—featuring darkened walls, rough-cut timber accents, blue stone tabletops, rattan chairs and an exposed concrete bar top and flooring.

With a resume that includes Sous Chef at Rick Shores, Sydney’s Bistro Moncur and a tenure at Tokyo’s three-Michelin Star Quintessence, Koki knows his way around the kitchen. His respect for organic, locally sourced, small batch ingredients is paramount.  

We recommend starting the night off with oysters shucked to order or the vegan friendly Konnyaku sashimi—it has a texture distinctly like fish, but is actually an Asian potato. This wizardry continues throughout the menu, from the char-grilled fish heads main served over a sticky and salty housemade plum sauce to the char-grilled Cape Grim hanger steak with sansho-spiced kipfler potato.

You’ll also want to try more traditional dishes like Anekawa’s signature clay pot rice, cooked to order and served in earthen-ware pots brimming with flavour. Just promise us that you’ll save room for dessert, like the Kinako ice cream—toasted soybean with a nutty caramel flavour and sprinkled with walnut praline.

Image credit: Kaitlin Maree for Urban List