Osaka Trading Co. has announced the appointment of Shota Sato as head chef of the new restaurant, opening on 22 September 2016 at Tramsheds Harold Park.
Shota was most recently the head chef of Surry Hills restaurant Bar H, where he had been since 2014. He joined Osaka Trading Co in August 2016 and will be responsible for the kitchen and its modern Japanese menu with a focus on seafood.
“We are very happy to have Shota on board for our new venue,” said Jason Ang, general manager and owner of Osaka Trading Co. and Surry Hills small bar Tokyo Bird. “His view of Japanese cuisine is modern and innovative yet classic, and uses a mix of Japanese and Western techniques and fantastic ingredients to showcase his style. He’s a great fit for Osaka Trading Co. and our team.”
Sato, who started his hospitality career in izakayas and then hotels Japan, is looking forward to the new venture and new challenges. “I am so excited about the opportunity at Osaka Trading Co., especially designing my own menu. There is so much planned for Tramsheds and I can’t wait to get in the kitchen there.”
Currently in the final stages of construction, Osaka Trading Co. will seat 80 guests and will open seven days a week. Alongside Sato’s modern Japanese menu, Osaka Trading Co. will offer house and classic cocktails, sake, Asahi Super Dry and Asahi Dry Black on tap, and whiskies from Tokyo Bird’s back bar. Osaka Trading Co.’s bar manager will be Jonothan Bayad, who is currently behind the bar at Tokyo Bird alongside group bar manager Yoshi Onishi and was previously bar manager at CBD restaurant Indu.
In addition, Osaka Trading Co. will offer retail food, kitchen and bar items as well as regular classes within Tramsheds Harold Park, ranging from Japanese street food cooking demonstrations to ice ball and classic cocktail classes.
“We’re really excited about progressing what we’ve done at Tokyo Bird and being able to share it with a broader audience at Tramsheds,” said Ang. “Osaka Trading Co. is a natural step for us to a more food-focused venue, especially with a great talent like Shota on board and the Sydney Fish Markets nearby. And our Tokyo Bird customers will be glad to know that we’ll be maintaining the same dedication to quality drinks and friendly service that we are known for in Surry Hills.”