Located opposite Momofuku Seiobo at Sydney’s The Star, Chase Kojima’s Gojima burger concept will open on 15 December.
Open for lunch and dinner daily, Gojima will offer nine Japanese rice burgers, sides including Japanese-style southern fried chicken, and desserts, all available for takeaway or dine-in.
The burger menu includes the Gojima cheeseburger, which comprises Angus beef, American cheese, tomato, Japanese pickles, onion, lettuce and Gojima special sauce; as well as a Tasmanian salmon burger, yellowfin tuna, Hiramasa Kingfish, crispy chicken and crispy mushroom katsu.
The menu also features frozen custards and thickshakes, including chocolate miso, green tea and strawberries and cream.
Beverages include Asahi on tap, sak, local and international bottled beer, Australian wine and soft drinks.
Gojima is the first permanent casual dining restaurant venture for 34 year old Kojima and his business partner, Jie Han, and takes its name from a play on Kojima’s surname and the Japanese word for rice, ‘gohan’ – which forms the base of the rice buns.
“We’re excited to launch Gojima and take the exciting rice burger concept to the next level by marrying the delicate flavours of modern Japan with the rich American flavours from my childhood growing up in San Francisco, California,” said Kojima, who also operated Sokyo at The Star.
“We’ve spent the last year developing our rice burgers, with a focus on the quality and integrity of ingredients to create the perfect taste and texture combination.”
The open-plan interior of the 70-seat eatery, designed by Luchetti Krelle, boasts Gojima’s signature yellow, black and white colour palette as well as blonde timber accents and origami-style features.
The opening of Gojima follows the launch of Kojima’s casual Sokyo Ramen pop-up in The Star Caf Court last year, which has been extended.
The Star general manager of food and beverage, Andy North, said “We’re excited to expand our relationship with the incredibly talented Chase Kojima to welcome Gojima to The Star, just moments from Sokyo. Gojima offers a burger experience like no other, using the same high-quality ingredients and meticulous execution seen at Sokyo and Kiyomi.”