Tokyo Bird to Open Japanese Restaurant at Harold Park Tramsheds

Osaka Trading Co. will take cues from the Surry Hills whisky bar.
Imogen Baker
August 01, 2016

They've kept us in suspense for an age, but one Sydney's most talked about developments, Tramsheds, has finally announced a solid opening date — and a new bar.

The Tramsheds project, built in the bones of the heritage-listed Rozelle Tram Depot in Harold Park, has announced they'll be opening on September 22. Announced today, this awaited date will see the whole precinct open to the public, along with its newest addition, Osaka Trading Co. — a brand new bar from the folks at Tokyo Bird. The Surry Hills Japanese whisky den will expand to this second venue, infusing TB's core elements into a modern Japanese restaurant.

"Osaka is considered the food capital of Japan. So while Tokyo Bird is our laneway small bar, Osaka Trading Co. is a modern Japanese restaurant with seafood taking centre stage — with great drinks alongside, of course," says Osaka Trading Co. and Tokyo Bird co-owner and general manager Jason Ang. "Osaka Trading Co. will incorporate some features of Tokyo Bird, but this is an entirely new concept with lunch options and a full-service dinner menu, seven days a week."

tokyobird2

Tokyo Bird.

Osaka Trading Co. will trade alongside a host of already announced Tramsheds foodies, including Melbourne chicken kings Belles Hot Chicken, Butcher and The Farmer (a deli/butcher/restaurant triple threat run by Jared Ingersoll); sustainable seafood restaurant Fish and Co; tapas restaurant Bodega 1904; ice cream kings Gelato Messina and Flour Eggs Water, a new establishment run by Eugenio Maiale. We can expect a dozen more foodie announcements over the coming months, giving fellow rosy suburb Rosebery a run for its money.

Developers Mirvac revealed the precinct will house a European-inspired market hall, lined with small, high quality and bespoke food retailers, alongside a 2440 square metre IGA Supamart supermarket (try saying that ten times fast). Now, in your mind, a giant grocery chain might not mesh well with local providores, but the Supamart is less like your local Woolies/Coles than you might think. It's a family owned and run business — by brothers Andrew and Vasilli Karellas — with a focus on organic and local produce .

There's also a medical centre, gym, hairdresser and nail bar planned for the Tramsheds, and a number of cycle paths are currently under renovation — with plans for over 80 bike racks to be installed across the site.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing however, as the tram depot structure has been uninhabited since the 1950s and has since been granted heritage status so the renovations have been rather tricky. But they've managed to retain many of the OG features of the sheds — including the saw tooth roof which was first constructed in 1904. We can't wait to see it for ourselves.

Tramsheds will open on September 22.

By Imogen Baker with Shannon Connellan.

Published on August 01, 2016 by Imogen Baker
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