Izakaya Masuya was among the first izakaya-style restaurants to open in Australia, introducing Japanese sake from various regions of Japan to Sydney's CBD dining scene from its O'Connell Street site, itself part of a heritage-listed building once home to the office of Kanematsu Gosho, a pioneer of Australia-Japan trade. At lunchtime, a range of takeaway menus, including nutritionally balanced bento boxes, sushi rolls and donburi rice bowls, draws steady lines of local office workers, while dinner service turns to more considered dishes ranging from charcoal-grilled wagyu beef to grilled chicken, tempura, Kyoto-style temari sushi and hot pot. The venue sits alongside sister restaurant Masuya, a fine-dining Japanese seafood restaurant that opened in 1993 and underwent a full renovation in 2006, both sharing the same commitment to conveying the beauty of Japanese sake culture. A short walk from Wynyard Station and several major hotels, Izakaya Masuya remains a genuinely authentic option for lunch or dinner in the heart of the city.
