Aoi Tsuki in South Yarra goes from sushi boxes to omakase, fulfilling a three-year dream

Flying along Punt Road, you're unlikely to notice Aoi Tsuki, the high-end omakase restaurant that's just opened in a former Thai restaurant in South Yarra.

But the low-key setting is exactly what Tei Gim and Jun Pak wanted for Aoi Tsuki when they started dreaming up their restaurant during the pandemic.

The two friends, whose CVs include Nobu and CBD institution Kenzan, knew that omakase, the refined Japanese dining format that translates to "I'll leave it to you", was their ultimate goal.

But to survive the past three years, they've been offering boxes of premium sushi for takeaway and delivery out of a (now closed) North Melbourne shop.

At the core of their new restaurant is a 12-seat counter where guests have maximum interaction with the two chefs, who will serve between 18 and 21 courses of eel, snapper and steamed abalone, all of which they personally select each morning from fishmongers. The remaining details of the $235-a-head menu are a surprise each day.

Gim and Pak say the main sources of inspiration for their omakase, an increasingly popular format in Melbourne, are dedication, focus and sacrifice.

"We believe Japanese food is not just about skill. That's just one part. We are providing an experience," says Pak.

The room reflects this purist philosophy, with a minimalist fitout of blond timber and charcoal accents.

A liquor licence is pending. When it's granted, Aoi Tsuki will pour sake, Japanese beer and the shochu-based highball known in Japan as a lemon sour or chu-hai. Wine will not be on offer.

Takeaway sushi boxes are available at lunch.

Open Tue-Sat 5.30pm-11pm.

384 Punt Road, South Yarra, aoitsuki.com.au