Japanese-influenced Kissuu brings 'miso and music movement' to Darlinghurst

• The rise of vinyl dining sees Sydney restaurants spend big on sound systems

With vinyl and Japanese food going together like rosemary and lamb, Sydney's growing miso and music movement welcomes a new arrival on Thursday, November 3, with the opening of Kissuu in Darlinghurst.

Hot on the heels of Barangaroo newie Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar, Kissuu has clear boundaries.

"Downstairs is the restaurant, it's more serious with a focus on the food," co-owner-chef Adam Burke explains.

Upstairs (which will still have a small bar food menu), is where Kissuu gets loud and proud, and if you want to know how dedicated it is about its music, DJ Richard Penny is a co-owner at the bar-restaurant.

Burke, a former executive chef at Manly's Sunset Sabi and Chica Bonita, has plenty of experience with Japanese food, but wants to test its boundaries a little at Kissuu.

"It's as Japanese as I want it to be," he explains. So prawn and scallop gyoza will be served with a "Burmese broth" and beef tartare is dressed up with muntries and Davidson plum. Lamb ribs are matched with moro miso and pomegranate, while sugar loaf cabbage is served with "truffle" wafu and parmesan.

Kissuu roughly translates as "lucky numbers" in Japanese, a theme the cocktail list picks up on with "lucky" cocktails and a side serve of fortune cookies.

It lands on a strip of Oxford Street that looked on its knees a few years ago, but has been revitalised with the addition of Paski Vineria Popolare and Cafe Freda's. In December, they'll be joined just a few short blocks away by El Primo Sanchez.

Veteran Sydney hospitality operator Paul Schulte is also involved at Kissuu through his new hospitality group, Hunger, aimed at spotting and supporting emerging talent.

Open Tue-Sat 4pm until late.

245 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst