Sydney’s King Street Wharf welcomes Aori, a striking new Modern Japanese destination that opened this week, blending waterfront glamour with precise, flame-driven cuisine from the team behind Alegre and Callao.
Perched at 39 Lime Street, the 240-seater venue commands harbour views through floor-to-ceiling glass, while its timber-and-stone interiors—drawn from Japanese ryokan aesthetics—create a serene yet sociable flow across dining areas and private spaces. A resident DJ layers in subtle energy, easing from daytime calm to evening buzz, while the open kitchen showcases every sizzle and slice.
Inside The Kitchen At Aori
Leading the charge at Aori are Executive Chef Chi Ung Kim, a two-decade Japanese culinary veteran whose career traces from Seoul sushi counters to Sydney dining establishments like Saké The Rocks—rising from sushi chef to head chef—plus stints at Cho Cho San and Genzo. He melds tradition with contemporary edge alongside Head Sushi Chef Eric Lee (ex-Nobu and Sokyo), and Bar Manager Owen Glover, delivering a focused Japanese playbook of fresh and ember-grilled dishes.
Dish Highlights
Across the menu, standouts stretch from the raw bar—Hiramasa kingfish tiradito lifted by ají amarillo leche de tigre and burnt leek oil—to theatrical mains such as koji-marinated Glacier 51 toothfish with orange gochujang miso, Tasmanian lamb rack with miso eggplant and black garlic butter, and muso-glazed short rib finished with jalapeño kosho.
Firstly, steak lovers zero in on the roving trolley, offering dry-aged picks like MB8+ fullblood wagyu rump cap, Tajima wagyu striploin or the signature tallow-aged cut—slow-rendered in beef fat for deep umami and silken bite—before they hit the custom woodfired grill and land tableside with jus, fresh wasabi and black garlic purée (Now that’s a tongue coated in extravagance).
Sushi gets a playful elevation too: signature nigiri like wagyu tataki with miso butter or umami tuna draped in egg-yolk purée, plus maki rolls such as spanner crab with masago and avocado.
At The Aori Bar
Meanwhile, the drinks program matches the kitchen’s intent, anchoring on over 50 Japanese whiskies (with rarities like Hibiki 30 and Yamazaki 18 Mizunara), curated saké flights and 150-plus wines from Australian cool-climate stars to strong Argentinian reds. The cocktails drown in whimsy—Ume Negroni with Davidson plum gin, shiitake-infused Yamazaki Old Fashioned (smoked tableside) or Kaiju with yuzu-shu and tequila—each poured at the table for an extra hit of verve, with smoke, citrus and umami doing as much talking as the spirits themselves.
Arriving as Quay prepares its farewell, Aori stakes a bold claim in Sydney’s evolving harbourside scene, promising everything from sunset oysters to late-night wagyu sessions.
Aori is now open at 39 Lime Street, Sydney from Tuesday-Sunday, hours vary.