4 days Ago By April Ooi
When a new aesthetic Japanese restaurant opens up, I can count on news spreading pretty quickly within my circles. Us gen Zs are like a moth to a flame at the mention of “izakaya” and “A5 Wagyu”. I’m saying this because new Manning bar and restaurant Hiyori has been open for just over a month now, and it perplexes me that it hasn’t been featured in a manicured Instagram story yet.
The venue is dressed head-to-toe in a sandy washed concrete. There are warm pops of French birch in the tables but the curved spaceship-esque counter and low lighting make it feel somewhat dystopian, in a chic Kardashian way. The menu is extensive, with picture-perfect small plates and more substantial (but equally good looking) wooden bentos.
They’ve got a small but mighty drinks list, with crowd-pleasers in the wine, beer and sake department, but surprisingly no cocktails in sight. First up we went with the aburi scallops ($16). We counted about seven scallops; they were topped with charred cream sauce and came prettily presented on a bed of salty kelp.
At this price point for scallops, who could complain? I also found the futari wagyu steak ($26) to be quite fairly priced. It was a marbled fatty cut and sliced into 12 decent-sized chunks. The miso sauce served on the side was a little too salty, but the beef was tender and overall, very impressive.
The yakitori ($14) is a must-try at Hiyori. The three sticks were covered in an addictive sweet soy glaze and there was a good level of smokiness to it. In fact, the whole restaurant was a little foggy as they were pumping these perfect plates out all night.
Compared to the sides, the broiled shio koji salmon bento ($29) was priced a little steep. Don’t get me wrong, the cedar magewappa bento box was cosy and cute. But it is a little small compared to your average bento, so you can’t expect it to fill you up all on its own.
Apart from this small gripe, the salmon was delicious. As expected, as it had marinated overnight in a sweet and slightly fermented shio koji seasoning. Unfortunately, the only dessert on the menu, warabi mochi ($10), was skippable.
I am a warabi mochi enthusiast, especially after Warabimochi Kamakura opened its doors in Victoria Park recently. However, the sweet soybean mochi we were served was rubbery, and a tad dry — not resembling the jelly-like texture you’d expect from this dish. Dessert aside, Hiyori is a restaurant to keep on your radar.
The plates were exciting, mostly well-priced and very chic. In my opinion, it’s a contender for best opening of the year, and I can’t wait to see it get the love it deserves. 9 Bradshaw Crescent, Manning OPEN Monday-Wednesday 5.
30pm-9pm; Thursday-Saturday 5.30pm-10pm CONTACT 6186 7217, hiyori.com.
au BOOKINGS Yes THE VERDICT Modern, minimalist Japanese restaurant with unique presentation that doesn’t compromise on authenticity. 17.5/20.
