Haco

Fresh from the same team that brought Sydney Chaco Bar and Chaco Ramen above (chef Keita Abe and ex-Sasaki head chef Kensuke Yada), Haco is a pint-sized 12-seat omakase dedicated almost entirely to tempura.

Housed within a concrete cube at the Surry Hills end of the CBD, it's a first of its kind in Sydney where the sheer theatre of deep-dried deliciousness takes centre stage ("haco" translates to "theatre").

At Haco, you're in for a relatively vague set menu of 20 bite-sized dishes—kept vague because chef Yada likes to really move with what's in season (we love to see it).

Expect to sample lightly battered king prawn, lotus root, and, for dessert, banana, alongside braised pork belly, kombu-cured lobster, and bonito sashimi, while you sip sake, Japanese beer, and house-made umeshu and yuzushu.

The classic tempura omakase is hosted on Fridays and Saturdays and comes in at $120 per person. For dinner, the signature Haco omakase is available Tuesday through Saturday for $185 per person. 

Haco is a super special experience—but you'll want to plan ahead. Being a 12-seater, it is booked out a few months in advance. 

Image credit: Haco