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Koko
Level 3, Crown Towers, Melbourne Vic
Out There magazine - Issue 26
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You could be forgiven for thinking you were in Japan, such is the quiet sophistication, the dainty food and the spectacle of the teppanyaki tables at Melbourne’s Koko restaurant. Located in the Crown Towers complex, it is a striking restaurant with stone and timber finishes, great views over the Yarra River and a pond that takes up much of the main room. Chef Allan Koh presents cutting edge dishes alongside traditional specialities. The presentation is exquisite, with all the dishes served on beautiful ceramics, some on banana leaves with garnishes of shredded carrot and radish. A selection of entrees, served on a black and white marble disc, includes two delicious morsels of foie gras rolled in beef, chunks of warmed organic tofu topped with chicken miso sauce, a few stalks of asparagus drizzled with mustard butter, and an oyster with ponzu sauce. The deliciously fresh tuna, salmon and kingfish sashimi comes on a platter with the traditional dollop of wasabi and pickled ginger. There’s definitely a fishy theme to the menu with dishes such as Patagonian tooth fish with shiitake mushrooms and pumpkin, seared sansho-marinated tuna dressed with sesame ponzu dressing, and grilled fresh water eel basted with sweet soy sauce. It all calls for a simple dessert, with a selection of Japanese green tea, black sesame and rice pudding icecreams doing the trick. There’s an extensive – and expensive – wine and spirit list, as well as a bar where you can enjoy a great selection of sake, Japanese rice wine.
© Christine Salins
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