Barangaroo House's Taste of Japan

Overview

Many people say you can't have a bad meal in Japan, whether you're grabbing drinks in a small laneway bar, knocking elbows with locals at a local ramen spot, or even just having a pit stop at a convenience store. This September, Barangaroo House turns into a three-level playground celebrating Japanese food and drink brilliance with limited-time menus and pop-ups.

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Perth's Papi Katsu will take over Smoke Bar on September 5 to kick off the month-long event. On the rooftop of Barangaroo House, enjoy izakaya-style bites like bluefin tuna gyoza tacos and scampi tartare on crispy chicken skin, alongside Nikka whiskey cocktails.

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One floor down, Rekōdo's transforms into a ramen bar soundtracked by jazz vinyl records. When Newtown ramen joint Rising Sun Workshop pops up from September 17-19, lunchtime crowds will be treated to $20 ramen bowls. Pick from shio ramen, a heavier shoyu ramen or a vegetarian miso ramen — and pair your noodles with fusion snacks like yakitori with kosho romesco and momen tofu in gochujang sauce. 

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And all month long, you'll find a Japanese kombini on the ground floor. House Bar will be serving riffs on iconic Japanese 7-Eleven items such as egg sandos, tuna onigiris and yakisoba-stuffed sandwiches alongside ice-cold Asahi and Nikka highballs. If you're going in for a second Asahi, win some Japanese snacks and exclusive merch from a vending machine.

Nikka features throughout the festival, but fans of Japanese whisky will be delighted to hear that's not all. Every Friday in September, Barangaroo House will be pouring glasses of one of Japan's most exclusive whisky exports: a Nikka Decades blend made from whiskies spanning nine decades. The venue owns one of the 100 bottles available in Australia. At $60 for a 15ml pour or $120 for a 30ml pour, the whiskey is served tableside via trolley and can be paired with a $50 karaage chicken and caviar combo for a luxe night out.

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