“There’s no such thing as too much pork” Yas says with authority and I know he’s right. We’re ensconced in a leather booth in Tokonoma Surry Hills which is the bar and restaurant right next to Toko next door (Noma means “small space” although this is not really a small space). Having walked in in possession of a booking (yes thankfully they take them here unlike Toko next door) we’re deciding what to order from the menu when Benito the bartender comes up to us and explains the tasting we’ll be having this evening.
For those unfamiliar with Shochu, it is is a Japanese distilled beverage made from rice, barley or sweet potato and there are two types of Shochus fermented with the yeast Koji.. There are the mass produced Shochus that need some infusing for flavour and then there are the artisan style Shochus that feature on the menus by name, the base ingredient used and the area it comes from. Each glass of shochu is between $8-$10. Benito shows us the big jars of the homemade shochus in the display at the entrance. Fruit bobs within them and there are combinations like nashi pear and pistachio, buckwheat, goji berries and green papaya, and peach and lemon and each one takes about 3 months.
A drink I recall seeing a lot when I lived in Japan is Chuhai which is Shochu mixed with a fizzy drink and is more palatable for those (like me) that don’t like bitter alcohols and strong alcohols. A selling point is that there are 15-20 calories per serve for Shochu (up to one quarter of other alcohols) and that is is said to leave the body quicker meaning it’s less likely for hangover. Benito says that he likes recommending the sweet potato shochu for the entree as it’s a nice smooth, introductory shochu, the barley shochu for a main as it’s more robust and the sugarplum for dessert as it’s similar to a dessert wine.
Edamame $6.30
“Is that the Awamori?” Yas says with excitement and a touch of trepidation. The Awamori is one type of Shochu from the Okinawa region and is said to be known for its strength. Benito confirms it is indeed and that they have a lot of trouble getting the Awamori and Torikai shochus. He starts us off with two chuhais without alcohol while we are waiting on our food and they are agave and pink grapefruit soda (my favourite) while Yas’s favourite is the aloe vera, peach and citrus soda. We nibble on the salty but moreish edamame beans while we peruse the menu.
Watari-gani no kara-age $16.90
The deep fried soft shell crab is crunchily good when dipped with the mild wasabi mayonnaise and the salad is dressed in a wafu dressing.
Dengaku Nasu $12.80
“Oh. My. God. I want to marry this” I say. I’m not prone to declarations of marriage. Well I am already married and having two husbands seems like a foolhardy existence but this innocent looking eggplant is so soft and delicious and definitely marrying material. There are two kinds of miso on top, a red miso and a black miso and scooping the softer than soft flesh out is pure pleasure. I prefer the red miso a bit more than the black miso which is reminiscent of hoi sin sauce.
Go Ten Sashimi $36.20
The Chef’s selection of five types of sashimi is at first a bit surprising as the portions are rather small. The fish it has to be said is divine though and there is scallop, salmon, kingfish, tuna and bonito, a slightly stronger tasting fish than what I’ve tried before (and the fish that they make bonito flakes from).
Our Shochu lineup
Benito comes by with a range of Shochus and we start with the Honkaku Imo Ikkomon from Kagoshima. It’s incredibly smooth and Benito tells us that its the connoisseur’s shochu. It has legs and they’re long and thin and it’s actualyl quite nice indeed and is Yas’s favourite. We then try a rice based shochu Hakutake Shiro from Kumamoto which smells very sweet, like pears to me and is a very dry shochu-a big contrast to the sweet potato one.
Our third shochu is the Mugi Zen Ikkomon made from barley. I sniff it and the first thing I think of is Vegemite. I ask Yas if he smells the same thing and he does! Now this is the bit where I sound a bit bizarre but it tastes like toast to me. Benito shows us how to dilute it slightly using an ice cube rubbed between fingers and using the drops of water which chills it a little without diluting it too much.
Our fourth shochu is the sweet sugarplum shochu Umeman Mugi from Oita which is as sweet and viscous as a dessert wine with a maraschino cherry flavour to it. We try the fifth shochu, Awamori shochu and it’s strong, almost like pure alcohol and just a bit too much for us.
Spicy maguro maki $13.80
The maguro maki comes out and we we take a look at it and poke at it. There is an unusual texture on the top which turns out to be tenkasu which are tempura crumbs on the outside which give it a really nice crunch. It’s filled with coarsely chopped raw tuna and chilli mayonnaise and packs quite a punch.
Hata no Saikyo Yaki $30.80
This was a no brainer choice for us-black cod is one of those dishes that I just have to order if I see it on a menu. The cod is buttery soft with a subtle saikyo miso flavour to it.
Pirikara Buta Bara $12.20
This is the dish that we couldn’t pass up: double cooked pork belly was enough to send us both into a quivering mess. They arrive on sticks. It comes with a slightly spicy mayonnaise that we dip the pork in. I slowly savour each layer prying the soft, jellied meat from the fat and eating it slowly. Oh yes it’s good. Small but good.
From left to right: Citrus Sake $10, Dassai Sake $12 Hana No Mai Sake (Sweet Plum) $9
Benito introduces us to Yoshiko who is Tokonoma’s Sake sommelier who shows us three types of sake. She serves the Dassai Sake from the Yamauguchi prefecture which is like their house sake and she serves it in a Honoki Masu wooden box which is used for special occasions. It’s interesting sipping it from the corner of the wooden box as it’s not as easy but it feels rather special doing it. I smell a banana aroma to it. Yoshiko shows us a packet of the rice where we see how it is milled down to 23% of the rice grain. Dassai use “Yamada Nishiki” rice which is said to be the best for sake brewing and in this rice, most of the outside of the rice contains fat and protein so they mill it down to 23% of its original size to get as much of the precious centre which holds the starch. The shot of Hana no Mai Junmai Gingo ume shu from Shizuoka is a sweet plum sake similar to the sugarplum shochu.
We’ve left room in our stomach for dessert and we ask for some suggestions. They recommend the chocolate fondant which we were intrigued with as it is served with a vanilla miso ice cream as well as the yogurt pannacotta which is served with “Lockmeron” which is rockmelon, a cheeky play on the pronunciation of the word rockmelon in Japan. Yoshiko recommends a Citrus Sake from Kyoto (Kyo no Nigori yuzu shu $10) to go with it with it and it is a cloudy sake with a yuzu flavour and is rather gorgeous indeed with the strong yuzu flavour (like an orange and grapefruit) strong in it. And a random fact? The President of Dassai visited here a few months ago and tried the sake here!
Dessert: chocolate fondant with vanilla miso ice cream $15.80 and Yogurt pannacotta with rocklemon $13.20
Our dessert comes out on an large platter. The chocolate fondant is good with a somewhat flowing lava centre although the vanilla miso ice cream is not particularly miso-ey. The taste is more vanilla with a nut or wattleseed (without the wattleseed grains present). The yogurt pannacotta has a bottom layer of tangy greek yogurt pannacotta, a rockmelon sorbet, honeydew balls, green apple straws and on top a pistachio brittle. They recommend us scooping a spoonful from the bottom to the top taking in all the layers with a bit of the brittle. It’s refreshing and a good contrast of textures and sweetness as the pannacotta itself is quite tangy but is sweetened when paired with the sweet brittle. Out of the two desserts, we preferred the pannacotta as it went well with the Japanese food that preceded it better than the chocolate fondant.
We finish off with a final nightcap (counting 12 drinks thus far) with two infusions: a peach melba shochu and a nasi pear and pistachio shochu. The peach melba comes with some lemonade and the nashi pear and pistachio comes with a ginger ale.
Twelve drinks (sipped) later we walk out. And did I have a hangover the next morning? Surprisingly no but my beautician might have tsked at my complexion! 
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s your favourite drink?
NQN and Yas dined as guests of Tokonoma.
Tokonoma
490 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9357 6100
Open Wednesday to Sunday 5:30pm-Midnight
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57 Comments | Add your own
Pork belly on sticks! Fantastic! I’d love to go for an authentic Japanese meal, it looks so pretty and delicate. That black cod looks amazing.
Favourite drink…can’t go past a good gin & tonic. We buy a small batch gin from Scotland called ‘Hendricks’. It’s sublime & makes the best gin & tonics ever!
ooooh I drank so much shochu when I was in Japan at the start of the year
It was quite a drink though – but perfect for the cold snowy weather 
I actually have a bottle that I brought home with us!
I want to marry that eggpplant too and the pork belly too! =) Does that make me polygimous?? =)
I will definitely have to stop in at Tokonoma next time my boyfriend and I are in Sydney as we both love Japanese food, and the it all looks amazing in your photos.
I love shochu (well, the amazing Yuzu flavoured shochu I had at Wasabi at Noosa served on the rocks, which was so smooth), but sadly haven’t had much luck finding it here in Brisbane.
Wife loves Toko but we struggle with the no bookings policy. Good to hear Tokonoma fills that gap.
hmm… nothing quiet like red wine… but would surely like to try shochu once.
Tokonoma sounds great! I have never tried Shochu before but I would love to give it a go! They look so beautiful
Picking a favourite drink is very difficult as it depends on my mood. Favourite childhood memory of hot milos with marshmallows deserve a mention along with the harder stuff.
During summer I cannot go past a floral and fresh rose and as the days are turning colder I find I’m filling my glass with a gutsy shiraz.
I LOVE sake also, reminds me of nights on the town bitching about men with my best mate at our local Japanese restaurant…I think I shall take my mate to Tokonoma and continue our tradition
Yum! Need to try this place, I love Japanese!
As for a favourite drink – it has to be margarita. Reminds me of summer, breeze, ocean, friends, party!
I’m a huge fan of Toko! but it is such a huge pain to get a table. Glad to know that the eggplant dish is also served at Tokonomo. And that they do reservations! I have to give this a try.
Oh yes – black miso cod… drool.
Looks like a great place – food looks brilliant.
OOOHHHH, I lurrrve eggplant in any incantation. That looks scrummy and soft and meltingly delish. Eggplant is my favourite food….yes, not just vegetable… but all out favourite food – cooked in any GOOD way. MMMMMM.
what a fabulous looking dinner! and you did have quite a bit to drink.. hehe
Once again you open my eyes to something I’ve never even heard of before, Lorraine!:-) Shochu – now I simply must learn more about it, and perhaps talk my brewing buddies into making some.
Those deserts looked divine!!!! I could literally lick the screeen!!! The miso ice cream yum! I would love to try that. I will be @ takonoma, thanks for sharing NQN. great posts as always!
Yum! Must put it on my list to try out!!
Wow…Ilove Japanese!!
Oh my godness! I can’t decide what I like more! The food or all the amazing descriptions of the drinks! I think you also ordered all my favourite dishes as well – nasu dengaku is up there for my all-time favourite Japanese dish. And this one looks so unctuous and moreish!
dishes are nicely presented, will keep this place in mind..
my favourite drink is probably lemon lime and bitters..
I could live at Toko – the food is always seductively wonderful – and I break my purist, Frank Moorhouse approach to martinis by spoiling myself with their perfect figgie one everytime I am there. Thanks for the mouthwatering reminder of their baby sister – if only it wasn’t so early in the day or I’d be there right now you have captured its smell and heart so well. .
I learned so much in this post…would you believe I’ve never heard of shochu until now?
That first pic with all the jars is gorgeous, Lorraine. I love how the dessert is presented too!
OMG! Fabulous review and gorgeous photos…brings back memories of my fave Japanese meals (country Japan and Whistler at the top of the list).
My usual drink is a good red wine but have been known to enjoy warm sake on more than a few occasions! Most memorable being on NYE in Japan outside in minus something waiting for midnight…
Oooooooooh how i looooove Edamame and soft shell crab! And you seem to be as big a fan of pork belly as me!
Dessert looks fab too!
You never fail to make me drool at 8:45 every morning.
I think I may have to have a visit, as I quite like Shochu and sake!
My favourite drinks at the moment would have to be a toss up between cider and dark ales/lagers.
The dessert plate looks absolutely amazing
Wow, what a cool tasting experience! I’ve never even tasted shochu before! The food here looks amazing!
Love the look of the desserts and the cod
I am so scared of Japanese food – I never know what to order and always end up with Tempura just because I know what it is!
Favourite drink for me is so boring but I am obsessed with Sparkling Water – I even got a Soda Stream as a wedding present to accommodate my obsession!
I love the way they style the food here, did they really scoop the icecream onto a giant icecube? What a fabulous idea! I’m not really a sophisticated drinker, or rather not a drinker at all, I think my favourite is iced coffee!
confirming that I am indeed a Granny in a 22yo body, my favourite drink by far is a g & t. I also love a nice cold beer on occasion, as long as it costs more than $14 for a 6 pack, has an appealing name or label and doesn’t come in a stubby. This rule has not let me down yet
This food looks yummy but small for my greedy self, but I certainly am intrigued by the shoku. I would definitely like it with something fizzy though. Bubbles make me happy.
Woah. The Watari-gani no kara-age is making my tongue swell with excitement, yummy!!!
Little jealous of all those dishes!
My favourite drink has to be a strawberry margharita!
Definite food porn here! I lurrrve edamame, and everything else served at this Jap restaurant looks delish!! Will have to try it out fo sho.
My dad always orders Shochu when we go out for Japanese… and even I would be hard pressed to resist if I saw one called Sugarplum on the menu!
That dessert is a work of art, too
What gorgeous presentation of the dishes on ice, will definitely have to try this place out! Love the jars on the shelves too!
I love Toko so will definitely have to try Tokonoma sometime. Best drink ever would have to be a really spicy bloody mary!
Ooh that all sounds just fantastic! If I ever make my way to Oz I’ll defo hit that restaurant! Thanks for sharing!!
wow, i gonna go there for degustation at the end of this month… cant wait now
Unfortunately, I know from experience that you can have too much pork – particularly if crackling is involved. But agreed – it is yummy!
oh, wrong, i gonna go to Toko next door..
too much pork is certainly a foreign concept to me.
the majority of this food, however, is indeed new to my eyes. it’s terribly tempting though–time for me to brave up!
I love the way they use ice in the restaurant.. really wonderful… and the crab batter… it must have been like fried air… so good!!!
Wow, looks sublime. Love how everything’s so artfully arranged! Perfect for me to destroy.
PS I make several proclamations of marriage while eating, too.
nice dessert~~
btw..that’s a lot of alcoholl =P
Nice article and also the tokonoma shochu. Hope it tastes good. They are delicious.
Hi Lorraine…just catching up here!!! Wow, what a post…simply stunning…that fried crab and that dessert presentation is just gorgeous!!!
What a great time you mustv’e had!!! My favourite drink at the moment would have to be red wine on those cold nights…Have a great weekend…Dzintra♥x
The panna cotta looks quite pretty. It does look like it would work better with the entire meal, rather than the fondant (even though I LOVE fondants).
Toko looks amazing! *drools*
http://www.brisbanebaker.blogspot.com
Wow! Look at all that shochu!! This is going on to my list of places to go.. Thanks Lorraine for the great post.
It was great dinner & Shochu time, thanks for inviting me!
I’m going to have to post this soon!
That pic of all those jars of Shochu looks like something out of a science fiction movie! Crazy…but fun!
The pork belly & cod look sensational!
Wow, some of the shochu flavours sound so yummy! Especially the starters, and the dessert ones.
I’m always drawn to the fruity and fancy cocktails.
My daughters both love Toko’s and want to take me there for a meal the next time we’re in the city together. Apparently, the desserts are divine. I have never tried Shochu, so I would probably give it a go but don’t think I could keep up with you Lorraine
My favourite drink is French bubbly,preferably pink and vintage nectar,mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Hi Sarah-The food was fantastic!
Hi Highlands Foodie-Ooh I think i’ve heard of that brand!
Hi Lisa-I know, it would really warm you up!
Oh cool! What kind do you have? 
Hi Brianna-haha me too!
Hi delicieux-I think it’s getting easier to find here but yes a while back it would have been hard to find it indeed!
Hi Mike-Yes I think that really helps! I don’t like no bookings policies
Hi Mokita-Hehe yes it’s worth trying!
Hi Charlotte-Yes the bottles looked amazing!
I like the sound of all of your choices there! 
Hi Bobbie-Ahhh yes there’s always a certain mood that goes along with a margarita!
Hi Einna-Yes thank god they have this policy! I would love more of that eggplant! *drool*
Hi Tina-Absolutely!
Hi Melissa-It was great
Hi Annie-Yes that’s got to be the nicest eggplant I’ve had-yum!
Hi Betty-hehe I sipped though!
Hi Krista-Yes it’s worth a try!
Hehe now that would be so cool! 
Hi Andreas-hehe yes we were so fascinated by the miso ice cream! Thanks very much!
Hi Ruth-Absolutely!
Hi Ay-hehe great!
Hi Sian-Hehe yes isn’t nasu dengaku amazing stuff?
Hi isLa-Cool! I do like a good lemon, lime and bitters too
Hi Virginia-Oh a fig martini? Wow, that sounds amazing! Thanks so much!
Hi Faith-Oh fabulous!
Thanks, they were so eye catching! 
Hi Gina-Thanks so much! Ohh that sounds like a gorgeous memory-I’ve experienced something similar!
Hi elise-I sure am-I love it a bit too much!
Thanks!
Hi Bec-Absolutely. Mmm I love a nice cider too!
Hi Corrie-You’ve just got to love something presented on ice!
Hi 5 Star Foodie-it’s fantastic stuff I have to say!
Hi Michelle-They were both really good!
Hi Shan-Ahhh I see!
hehe I love sparkling water too :loL:
Hi Moya-Yes crazy huh?
hey fair enough, I love a good iced coffee too! 
Hi Alex-LOL you are too funny!
Ahh perhaps a chuhai for you then! 
Hi Liss-hehe not in a bad way I hope?
Hi Sarah-Oooh I haven’t had one for so long!
Hi Margaux-hehe cool! I hope you like it
Hi Hannah-Your dad is definitely in the know!
Hi Krys-I know, they’ve really got their styling down pat!
Hi Zoe-Ooh I love a bloody mary on a flight!
Hi Jenn-you’re welcome!
Hi Ja-Oh have fun Ja! I can’t wait to read all about it!
Hi MrsDesperate-Hehe you are too funny
Hi grace-Ahh really! I bet you’d love Japanese food!
Hi deana-I know, it’s so creative isn’t it!
Hi pinknest-haha ready to destroy!
hehe nothing wrong with that 
Hi Yuki-hehe it was! But I was sipping
Hi yreadthis-thanks!
Hi Dzintra-We had such a good time there!
Ahhh sounds like a wonderful way to beat the cold! 
x
Hi Anita-I know, it matches the Japanese food a bit better
Hi Brisbane Baker-it was great!
Hi foodie-central-I know, they take it seriously there!
you’re welcome! 
Hi Yas-You’re welcome Yas! It was a lots of fun!
Hi erin-I know, I couldn’t agree more!
Hi Phunk-they were SO good!
Hi Karen-I know they’ve got some really creative flavours there! Me too!
Hi Matilda-Ahh good stuff. You must be the coolest mum!
hehe I was just sipping honestly! 
Ahhh a woman after my own heart!
Great review, but i never seen edamame cost that much before!! haha
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