You Can Now Buy High-End Japanese Tanto Knives in Melbourne
Everyone loves a good kitchen knife, but these are next-level.
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Australia has always had a small but active community of specialist knife fiends and nowhere has this been more pronounced than in Melbourne. We've never really been spoilt for choice and true connoisseurs often have to travel abroad to add to their collections… until now. QT Melbourne has announced the opening of Tanto, a unbearably chic, high-end knife shop coming to the hotel's Russell Street residence this spring.
Tanto is the embodiment of high-end Japanese design. No expense has been spared to deck out the functional but luxurious new Melbourne store. QT's group managing director and lead man on the project David Seargeant says the audience they had in mind for this project was a combination of the city's hospitality crowd, Melbourne foodies and all-round design lovers.
"We wanted to attract chefs and restaurant workers and serve them up Asian, street-inspired food," he says. "But then we wanted to activate the laneway space, with a high-end Japanese knife shop. It's about offering a very authentic Japanese knife sharpening service. It's not just hospitality workers with an interest in high end knives; it's also foodies and home chefs too."
Seargeant travelled all over Japan searching for the right family to liaise with on the project. His search led him to Sakai, a relatively small city in Osaka Prefecture that's home to many of Japan's shokunin, or master craftsmen. Shokunin specialise in many types of craftsmen but the Sakai branch David had in mind has been forging katanas for samurai since the fourteenth century. He linked up with the Aoki family, of the Aoki Knife Craft brand, who have been making fine knives for seven generations. In 1990 they adapted their traditional practices which more modern techniques and produce some of the most coveted knives on today's market.
Their knives, the most famous of which are the Suisin collection, are sold around the world including in the Korin, arguably the most famous speciality knife shop on the planet (which is obviously located in New York City). The Aoki family have collaborated with QT to bring some of Japanese best knives to Australia for the first time.
But they're importing more than just knives at Tanto. A shokunin (master) knife sharpener has been invited over from Sakai and is undergoing a three-month residency at Tanto. "Mr Takai is a very highly regarded sharpener," David says — implicitly meaning don't bring your budget IKEA three-pack knives into this workshop and expect to be taken seriously.
Tanto is joined by Hot Sauce Laneway Bar, the complementary piece in the late-night puzzle. They're serving up street style Asian food paired with fancy cocktails, the perfect accompaniment to a satisfyingly sharp knife.
Images: Jam on Your Collar, Alexandra Anderson.
Tanto is open 10am – 6pm, Monday to Saturday, at QT, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne.
