Sushi chef Ryuichi Yoshii to join Barangaroo dream team

British chef Clare Smyth has already signed to open a restaurant at Crown's casino at Barangaroo, and Good Food has revealed she'll be joined by the likes of Ormeggio's Alessandro Pavoni​ and Ross and Sunny Lusted from closed city fine-diner the Bridge Room.

But there's a new name that has tongues wagging on Sydney's eat streets: Ryuichi Yoshii. The Sydney-based Japanese chef is believed to have inked a deal to open at Barangaroo.

Crown has been notoriously tight-lipped on its Sydney food plans. It had scheduled an announcement event in late March, but that was postponed due to the escalating COVID-19 crisis. The sushi chef also declined to comment, but Crown has already utilised his services for a series of pop-up dinners in Melbourne.

Word is he'll front a tiny 12-seater. There was talk it'd be connected to Nobu restaurant, but the latest is it'll be a standalone venture. It'd be a clever signing for Crown, Yoshii's onetime Circular Quay restaurant was a magnet for sushi fans and chefs. The chef and cookbook author has some previous experience down at Barangaroo where he was part of the opening kitchen team at Fujisaki.