The third venture from the team behind Toko restaurant, tokonoma shochu bar + lounge,opened in Sydney on 2 December 2009 - and with it came a new Japanese drinking trend - shochu.
Japan’s other indigenous beverage, shochu is distilled from a number of raw materials including barley, buckwheat, sweet potato and sugar. It contains only one-third of the calories in vodka, so it’s no surprise it is very popular with fashionable Japanese women:
"Once only popular with the ‘oldies’, shochu has enjoyed a resurgence through Japan’s hip, young things - women in particular, thanks to its low calorie count," said bar manager Paul Birtwistle.
"And although any real scientific proof of this is yet to be seen, shochu fans claim the after effects are far more muted compared with those of beer or sake. That’s a good enough reason for me anywaÿ."
The popularity of Toko and the ensuing demand for space has been huge, increasing exponentially over the last couple of years, according to Birtwistle.
"Through tokonoma shochu bar + lounge we have been able to expand Toko as a restaurant, while at the same time creating an entirely new destination for lovers of all things Japanese."
Positioned next door to Toko restaurant on Crown St in Surry Hills’, tokonoma compliments its comprehensive cocktail list with bite-size Japanese dishes from Toko’s cult menu.
Architect Matt Darwon, has given Tokonoma a soft, smooth and fluid look and feel, in comparison to Toko’s raw and sharp-edged interior while artist, Reni Kung, who created the sun-like light sculpture comprising 60,000 matchsticks at Toko, has once again used everyday raw materials to create a light sculpture for tokonoma. Made entirely of lentils, perspex, resin and metal objects, the sculpture is an impressive 11 metres long and is entitled ‘Water’.
Tokonoma bar + lounge is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 5.30pm to midnight.