Shobosho

Overview

Leigh Street is filled with some of the CBD's best establishments, and Shōbōsho more than earns its place among them.

The restaurant's interior is at once soft and sharp, with suspended fabric, pine booth seating and paper light boxes set against red neon and the steel of an exposed kitchen alive with flames and focused chefs.

A subtle taste of smoke and fire rings through the entire menu in thoughtfully paired elements, from smoked milk on fire-roasted leek to toasted yuzu marshmallow on rhubarb and shiso sorbet. The blue swimmer crab udon with nori, and the prawn and ginger wontons showcase the delicate seafood, while the woodfired meats speak for themselves. If you see anything starring the restaurant's XO sauce, don't hesitate to order.

Fluffy, crunchy, rich and tangy, the katsu sando offers the white bread nostalgia of a sausage sizzle with the refinement of Japanese gastronomy.

At the street level's ten-seat yakitori bar, Sho skewers and charcoal-grills kimchi barbecue pork, chicken thigh and chilli squid directly in front of you. A perfect casual spot for first dates, where awkward silences can be filled by the sound of sizzling meats.

Image: SATC