Izakaya Fujiyama

Surry Hills is an urban cool mix of hipster-slim wine bars, loud Latin speakeasies, recycled-chic kitchen-garden diners and post-modern Asian hangs. And this is its slice of Tokyo Trendy. An izakaya gives equal weight to food and drink, with carefully studied casualness. Find it in this high-ceilinged, open-plan space, with determined staff, a lively daily menu - driven by the fish of the day - and detailed sake list. An opening beer goes well with kingfish nuta - a Nobu-esque tartare tossed with miso and chilli, served with fried tortilla dippers; or maybe grilled, mirin-cured mackerel with potatoes, pitting earthiness against a floral yuzu dressing. Sake time might mean sagari (skirt steak), seared rare and crusty with a ginger-sweet house sauce. Only a watery bean and sesame salad was more miss than hit. Wind up with sublime sushi - sliced and moulded to order. And yes, these clever kids do good dessert: such as vanilla bean ice-cream with a crumb-crunchy, vinegar-tangy toffee topping.