Irori Kuon Restaurant Haymarket
By Lisa Nguyen | Published 2 January 2024
Does this spot match the hype?
TL; DR | Summary
If you're looking for a unique dining experience, you've got to check out Irori Kuon. This isn't just a standard Japanese restaurant; it's an adventure for your taste buds! The vibe is dark and stylish, with an open flame kitchen that really adds to the experience. The head chef, Hideaki, and his crew create some incredible dishes, like Foie Gras Creme Brulee and Gandagai Lamb Cutlet. So, if you're not into sushi but still want that 'leave it to the chef' Omakase experience, this is the spot for you!
Irori Kuon Review
The moment you slide the door open at Irori Kuon, you know you're in for something special. Walking in, I was totally captivated by the cool and classy feel of the place. There's a stone path that leads you right to their open flame kitchen. You get to see the chefs doing their magic, which makes the whole meal more exciting. And if you're looking for a bit more privacy, they have a cosy, tucked-away spot for private dining too.
The Omakase seating is very intimate, fitting just 10 people at a time, so get ready to make friends with your neighbour. This makes sure everyone gets a really personal and engaging experience. They also have a ton of drinks to choose from, like great wines, top-notch sake, and a bunch of different beers. So, no matter what you like to drink, they've got you covered.
The food here really makes you think about flavours in a new way, especially with unique choices like squab. Everything, from the savoury to the sweet dishes, was superb and the tastes all worked together perfectly.
We decided to try the extra truffle and foie gras for an added $25 each. It was a fancy treat, but honestly, you could skip it and still have a great meal. All the dishes were great, but my absolute favourites were the shabu shabu, the yakitori squab (a delightful first-time experience), the seafood paella, and the yuzu mascarpone mousse with coffee chips.
Modern Charcoal-Grilled Omakase
When you arrive for dinner, you're greeted with your name printed on a name tag - a neat little touch! Plus, before you even start eating, Chef Hideaki takes you over to the chargrill flame area. Getting to be up close with all the action and watching the flames rise is a cool and rare experience!
Irori Kuon Menu
Even though the menu was a bit hard to read because of some spelling mistakes and printing issues, seeing ingredients like mushrooms, lamb, squab, and fennel listed on the menu really got me excited and curious about the flavours I was about to try.
As for the service, they had a robot server that added a futuristic touch to our meal, blending in modern technology in a smooth way.
Complimentary Mustard Greens and Kangaroo Jerky
The meal kicks off with a complimentary treat of Mustard Greens and Kangaroo Jerky. This tasty duo really gets your taste buds going, setting you up for the rest of the meal. The mix of pickled and savoury tastes in this combination was something new to me, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
Foie gras cream brulee with fig sauce
Dinner officially starts with the beautifully served Foie Gras Creme Brulee. It's a perfect mix of sweet and savoury, thanks to the sweet fig sauce and the rich taste of the foie gras. The balsamic vinegar on top adds just the right amount of tanginess, making it a combination that's hard to beat.
Shabu Shabu with Bonito "Dashi" broth
Next is the Shabu Shabu with Bonito 'Dashi' Broth. It's a fancy twist on the traditional dish. It comes with thinly sliced kelp, lightly charred leek, and high-quality Kagoshima A5 strip loin. All these ingredients blend beautifully in the savoury broth. Each spoonful of this Japanese hotpot is filled with comforting and rich flavours, making it a real treat.
Mixed Entrees
Following along is the mix of small dishes, each cooked in a different way. There's the Kabayaki BBQ Eel, Kobu Kelp with Herring Roe, plus Salmon Cream with Caviar, all giving a rich taste of the sea.
Then, there's Ikura Soba Buckwheat with Raspberry, Scallop, and Paradise Prawn, and also Squab Liver on Charcoal Flatbread. All these dishes together made for a varied and exciting start to the meal, hinting at what was still to come.
Dry aged alfonsino shichimi with sansho rub with fresh tomato & shitake mushroom salsa
Next up in the meal was the dry-aged alfonsino fish. This tender fish comes with a shichimi rub for a bit of spice and is served with a fresh, earthy tomato and shiitake mushroom salsa. This dish was spot on with its perfect mix of spice, freshness, earthiness, and savoury taste.
Yakitori Squab meat & confit heart shimeji mushroom with white nectarine
Then came the yakitori squab meat & confit heart with shimeji mushroom and white nectarine. It had a great mix of the slightly gamey taste of squab and the sweet nectarine. It was my first time trying squab, and I found its rich, gamey flavour really worked well in this dish, especially with the other ingredients. I usually don't go for something like confit heart, but here it was a surprisingly good part of the meal. Big props to Chef Hideaki for creating dishes that are both challenging and satisfying.
Gandagai lamb cutlet with vanilla coffee rub, semi-dry persimmon & ricotta pomegranate syrup, cacao nibs, Barletta onion and scallion sauce
As we moved further into the meal, we were served the Gandagai lamb cutlet. This dish was complex, with a vanilla coffee rub and served with unique sides like semi-dry persimmon, ricotta with pomegranate syrup, cacao nibs, Barletta onion, and scallion sauce. Every part of the dish had its own role, coming together to create a really well-balanced and creative dining experience. And honestly, who doesn't enjoy a perfectly cooked lamb cutlet with just the right extras?
Supplementary Truffle & Foie Gras Course
For anyone wanting a bit more luxury, adding Truffle and Foie Gras to the next course is a fancy option. It really elevates the meal. Even though it was great to enjoy these special ingredients, I think the meal would have been just as good without this extra bit, especially since it cost an additional $25 per person.
Stoneaxe full blood wagyu, porcini rub with red wine sauce, cos lettuce, and turnip
As our food adventure went on, we were treated to the grand Chateaubriand MS9+. It was a real showcase of the restaurant's luxury and quality. This amazing cut of meat is 500-day grain-fed Stoneaxe full-blood Wagyu with a porcini rub and a rich red wine sauce. To add some freshness and crunch, they paired it with cos lettuce and turnips, giving a nice, crisp contrast to the dish. It was really satisfying, though I found myself wishing for just one more slice or a slightly bigger piece.
Seafood paella with prawn, mussels, squid, and saffron
An Omakase meal isn't quite right without some ocean flavours. The Seafood Paella is a Mediterranean-style dish with prawns, mussels, squid, and saffron. What makes it special is that each type of seafood is cooked just right, which is hard to do given they need different cooking times.
Squab dashi clear soup
For a nice break from all the savoury dishes, we had Squab Dashi Clear Soup. This warm, comforting broth was perfect for cleansing our palates and getting us ready for the final dishes of our Omakase journey. I really appreciated how they used leftover squab in the soup, making sure nothing was wasted. It added an extra touch to this simple yet delightful soup.
Marshmallow candy heart grape
As we were getting to the end of our meal, the desserts turned out to be a real treat. The Marshmallow Candy Heart Grape was super fun and sweet. You might think it would be too sugary, but the slight char on it brought in a smoky flavour that worked perfectly to balance out the sweetness.
Yuzu mascarpone with coffee gelato and sweet potato crisps
Next up in dessert was the Yuzu Mascarpone with coffee gelato and sweet potato crisps. It was a refreshing, citrusy end to an amazing meal. I just couldn't get enough, especially of the coffee gelato! It's exactly what you need to perk up after eating so much great food and heading towards a food coma.
RECOMMENDED
- Omakase experience!
- Chef Hideaki
Final Words
Chef Hideaki really makes this Omakase experience something special. He puts a lot of thought and creativity into every dish. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but the whole experience opens up your taste buds and gives you a new perspective on flavours. This Omakase is unique with its focus on the element of fire, and it's definitely worth giving a try.
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This was such a memorable omakase to be part of.
Glad I could celebrate your special day with something memorable!