Japanese wine bar Aenza opens in Darlinghurst tomorrow, 24 July, the second venue from owner, Joy Liu.
Amuro, Joy’s first venue in Surry Hills, is a hidden, saké-led counter experience inspired by the backstreets of Tokyo. Aenza takes the same idea and opens it up into a bigger, wine-led format, located in the Oxford & Foley development on Oxford Street, a short walk from Amuro.
Liu, Amuro and Aenza owner, said: “Amuro showed us how much people wanted to connect with each other over food, and we didn’t have the space to do everything we wanted. Aenza gives us that room, a bigger kitchen, a longer bar, and space for a proper wine list, while keeping the same open kitchen and the same idea of guests talking to the team.”
“At Aenza, the scale is different, and so is the drink focus, we have a full wine list here and a complete drinks program. But what we’ve kept is the heart of it, that open kitchen, and guests close enough to watch, to talk, to feel part of what’s happening. It’s the theatre of an open kitchen, and that connection you only get when you’re close enough to chat to the chefs mid-service. Bringing people together with good food, curated drinks and warm hospitality.”
The menu at Aenza is Japanese food read through an Australian lens, built around a central open kitchen. Small dishes from the opening include: umeshu tomato, miso cream cheese, white anchovy; paradise prawn, pickled chilli, shiso; karaage chicken with spiced salt and takana mayo; and twice cooked sweet & sour lamb ribs, sobacha. Larger plates include: MB9+ Kiwama wagyu, daikon, wasabi; and charred cauliflower, brown butter, comte. To finish, desserts include: chiffon cake roll with miso caramel and candied walnut; and a black truffle Basque cheese cake.
The beverage program overseen by Aenza restaurant and beverage manager Paul Beaton (ex Tetsuya’s, Quay Restaurant) features a wine list that showcases 120 bottles, primarily focused on wines from Japan, France, and Australia. Among these, over 38 are available by the glass. Beyond wine, the drinks list runs through Japanese whisky, gin and shochu, alongside umeshu and Japanese liqueurs, with a weekly rotation of sake available. Highballs include: a white peach Calpis; a Japanese Americano; and a Toki whisky yuzu.
The 50-seat venue designed by Like Minds Studio, leans into the building’s heritage listed entrance of rendered walls, natural patina and ornate ceilings. Textured granite, timber furniture and a sandblasted steel canopy run through the space that is anchored by a 9-meter American walnut bar finished with seating for 23. The understated design and use of natural materials was an intentional design choice, reminiscent of traditional Japanese restaurants with a wabi-sabi wall light the focal artwork in the space.
Aenza is open for dinner, Wednesday to Monday from 5:00pm.
