Tera Bar

Japanese$$$

I’m not going to lie: it’s exciting to hear of a new restaurant in Sydney that’s from an independent operator. No shade against the slew of hospitality groups dominating recent openings but these smaller venues just hit differently.

Takahiro Teramoto and his wife, Wanaka, are no strangers to Sydney’s Japanese scene, having spent the past six years as co-owners of formerly hatted Kuro Bar & Dining. The pair has swapped the CBD for Surry Hills to open Tera Bar, bringing Michelin-starred experience – via Restaurant Pages in Paris and Florilege in Tokyo – to Devonshire Street.

Now in its third month of operation, Tera Bar has slotted into the former Warike site along the light-rail line, presenting a more contemporary and understated look than its Peruvian predecessor. Exposed timber ceiling beams are painted white, with washed taupe-mushroom matte walls that soften the space. It looks and feels like a wine bar with its intimacy and warm glowing lighting via brass-topped pendant lights, and stained-timber tables that sit on a raw concrete floor.

The husband-and-wife team has divided the space into two experiences: Teramoto, the $235-a-person chef’s table experience where Takahiro truly flexes his skills in the open kitchen, and Tera Bar, a more casual wine and sake bar (and the focus of this review) where there is still a substantial food menu.

Snacks start with Merimbula rock oysters heightened by a grapefruit shrub and herb oil, where lemon thyme is infused with juniper berries, champagne vinegar and grapefruit juice. The fruit’s freshness imbues sweetness over tartness, perfect for anyone seeking an alternative to mignonette.

The potato mochi is a revelation. Logs of pillowy steamed potato mash are covered with masago arare – small, pearl-shaped rice puffs – and topped with a pickled ginger mayonnaise and seaweed paste. Texturally, it’s a riot: crunchy and crispy on the exterior before delving into the smooth potato filling and mayonnaise that sends both umami and acidity.

A wagyu croquette tastes exactly like fried Hamburg steak – invented in Germany and now popularised in Japan’s washoku (Japanese-style Western food) cuisine – but dialled up. Takahiro doesn’t shy away from a fattier and richer wagyu mince – half Japanese and half Australian wagyu – that’s brightened by tonkatsu sauce and pickled cabbage.

The nori “cigar” is piped with salmon rillette and topped with a classic sour-cream-and-salmon-roe combo. It looks like a gimmicky trend from a bygone decade when it lands on the table, but that’s quickly forgotten with the first crunchy bite. How does one get seaweed so firm and crunchy? For lovers of textural food, this again ticks all the boxes. Sign me up for another nori cigar, please.

We’re smack bang the middle of bluefin tuna season, so it would be criminal not to order it. The tuna sashimi plate includes the holy trinity of akami, chu-toro and o-toro – three cuts from leanest to fattiest – covered in a soy “jelly”. It’s an intriguing way to enjoy such a prized, fatty fish, where each slice is enveloped by a deeply savoury and slightly tangy jelly.

Meanwhile, the sea urchin risotto is one of the tastiest things I’ve eaten this year. Glutinous rice is infused with nori butter and draped with tongues of fresh Tasmanian urchin that’s creamy, savoury and decadent. The Japanese rice is firm and carries a bit of chew, like mochi.

Takahiro dry-ages beef in house, and the Kiwami wagyu rump cap tips the scales at 200 grams, with a marble score of 9+. It’s a beautiful piece of Queensland beef that’s cooked well but slightly overpowered by Japanese black vinegar and a seaweed chimichurri.

It’s early days but Wanaka and the team seem to have a handle on the floor, where service is warm, affable and knowledgeable. Try a glass of the Gris de Koshu from Grace Wines in Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture: a crisp and acidic number that hints of quince and spice. Or go down the sake route via Wanaka’s home prefecture of Tochigi.

Wanaka says Tera Bar is a casual French-Japanese sake and wine bar and that may be true thanks to the neighbourhood vibe, but it also feels like a culmination of the pair’s journey from Japan to Europe and finally Sydney.

The food brings a serious punch to the quieter end of Devonshire Street where Takahiro’s Michelin pedigree is on show with French and European inflections, combined with Japanese flavours and premium Australian produce. At a time when independent operators seem harder to find as the cost of living and stunted economy bites hospitality, I can’t help but to be enamoured by the drive and excellence of the Teramotos. It’s an ideal place to stop in for a glass of wine and a few snacks, or for a full dive into the menu – and that was exactly their vision.

The low-down

Atmosphere: Relaxed and intimate with French-Japanese flavours that punch above its weight

Go-to dishes: Potato mochi (two for $14); sea urchin risotto ($58); salmon rillette, nori cigar and smoked salmon roe (two for $24)

Drinks: Mainly Australian wines, some French bottles, and sake

Cost: About $220 for two, excluding drinks

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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