Genzo
Find a taste of Tokyo tucked away in this Walker Street joint just north of the bridge.
Overview
It was only a matter of time before Sydney's rapidly expanding food and drink scene broke through the confines of Sydney city and started spilling north of the bridge. North Sydney has always had a few standout spots, but 2024 was a big year for new openings, with red-hot new destinations like Genzo opening their doors to eager diners.
Part of the Walker Street Precinct, Genzo brings "a taste of Tokyo" to North Sydney's miniaturised CBD. Tokyo's izakaya street-style dining has become quite the rage in Sydney, with Genzo joining the fray to bring traditional Japanese snacks with a twist to the lower North Shore.
Those dishes come in great and small sizes alike. Simple starters like shiitake tempura and ponzu and tuna onigiri with stracciatella and umeboshi are joined by a mix of nigiri and sushi rolls, but hungrier diners should turn their eyes to the hot food. There's plenty of it.
The main lineup comes in skewer form, with cuts of chicken thigh, tenderloin, breast, skin and more creatively paired with ingredients like toasted rice, pink pepper and egg yolk. Not a chook fan? You can get snow pea, scampi or wagyu beef, too. Larger dishes are on offer too, like octopus with chilli and cream cheese, miso glazed Glacier-51 toothfish or a cold bowl of soba noodles.
When it's time for beverages, you've got the pick of house beers and wines, Japanese sodas and an impressive offering of saké in flights or by the bottle. If cocktails take your fancy, get around everything from creative house specials with Japanese ingredients, or the ever-popular Japanese highball made with high-quality spirits like Toki Whisky.
Visit Genzo this April and May to experience a Suntory Toki Whisky Highball and snack pairing. More details at the Suntory Time hub here.
