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I went there with a friend of mine on a Thursday night. We sat down at 6:30pm and ordered an eggplant skewers, softshell crab buns and a deluxe bento with a bit of everything in it. My friend had a Japanese beer and I had a Choya plum wine. The eggplant skewers were crunchy on the outside and soft inside garnished with Japanese BBQ sauce. It went above and beyond my expectations. The softshell crab buns are also nicely presented. The softshell crab was crunchy and it was perfect. The deluxe bento had two nigiri sushi, some tempuras, salad and beef ribs. We were expecting the waiter to bring the tempura sauce but we had to ask him. Then, I grabbed a piece of sushi but realised that there were no soy sauce as well. There were only a few tables and the waiter was apparently unexperienced.
We were told to order extra if we want to as their kitchen closes at 8pm. Both of us were surprised how early they close. By 8pm, we were the last table remained and we felt like we should go even we wanted to stay a bit longer.
Overall, the food was amazing. It was reasonably priced. We paid $83 for everything. The service was below average. The atmosphere was excellent but I would expect this is a place where we can enjoy our meal with a drink until we want to go home.
I just grabbed some snacks and, although the prices are pretty high, they were worth it. The katsu bao had great pork and flavours - the first of these trendy bao I've had in Sydney that was actually good quality and could justify the prices - and the gyoza were standard but filled and cooked well. Very worthwhile for upmarket Japanese fusion.
Japanese fusion done excellent 🙌
I absolutely love their menu and burst of delicate flavours. Great service. Awesome decor (too bad we couldn't sit on their plushy lounge sofas due to a fully booked evening). And most importantly, great food! 🍲
We ordered a set of gyoza, duck pancakes (yum!!), raw beef tataki (the ponzu sauce was definitely a winner ❤) and lots more. Couldn't remember - but the taste still lingers on my mouth after a few weeks have passed. What a place! I highly recommend 🤟
Sashimi was really tasty, the tuna was outstanding. Excellent range of Japanese beer (Asahi on tap, plus many others) and delicious cocktails. Highly recommended.
A hidden gem! This Japanese tapas place was phenomenal. The teriyaki chicken wings were to die for! Little niblets. The soft shell crab bao was good and the sushi was tasty. The menu was a little limited with not many main options. So I would say a good option if you’re looking for a light dinner around the area.
Very good food! Unique! Definitely going to come back for more. Good ambiance and music.. the sashimi was fresh and the dumplings were amazing
Cute little restaurant tucked within the heart of Erko. Taste was pretty good and staff are attentive. It is a bit on the pricey side with small portions so be prepared to spend a bit to get a good feed.
Easy to miss and relatively nondescript Japanese tapas tucked away in Erko. Quick and friendly service with a limited, yet really tasty menu. Ingredients super fresh and celebrated in traditional and quirky ways. Reasonably priced with an extensive Japanese beer list + excellent wine and cocktails. Will definitely throw this one into our casual dining mix.
Cute little restaurant with unique jap fusion dishes and drinks to choose from. Everything was relatively tasty except for the beef tataki which was quite bland and dry :(
Staff were friendly and I really enjoyed the sake, would recommend checking out this hidden gem 💎
Those Who Love To Eat
+3.5
Enter the inner city hipster Japanese tapas bar, with its dark interior, boppy tunes and extra tasty cocktails, it is easy to get carried away in this place.
The young and ultra trendy wait staff also add to the vibe of this place.
The shared dishes are small and a bit of a hit and miss, but you'll never know unless you've tries it.
For a party of two, we ordered their salt n pepa squid that was lightly battered and had a good crunch to it. Then there was the Yakitori chicken skewers that were ok, the chicken was a little over cooked. The wagyu beef was the beef was the biggest disappointment. The beef was really tough and chewy. For $26 a plate, I really did expect more. The best dishes there was the snapper cappacio and the Tasmanian roll. The snapper cappacio was really fresh and melted in your mouth.
The over all experience was good but you'll end up walking out with a pretty penny lighter.
Found this little gem near Erskineville station. The place is spacious enough so that we did not even need to wait to be seated on a Friday night. The best Japanese chicken wings with bonito flakes are devine with the blue cheese sauce. The other dishes are very yummy too. The meal ended with chocolate lava cake with very rich chocolate flavor, perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream and strawberry slices. Definitely going to revisit this tapas bar.
How amazing is this hidden gem in Erskineville?! Literally had the perfect atmosphere to catch up with your friends, the dining area was also really nicely decorated and trendy.
We ordered the truffled snapper cappacio (which was honestly to die for!!!), beef tataki, fresh sashimi, teriyaki pork ribs and agedashi tofu. The flavours of all the dishes were so well balance and nicely presented - there's literally nothing we can fault.
The waiting time was not long at all, and staffs were all very attentive which added to our enjoyable night. Thank you!
Definitely recommend!
Great place, good service. Must must try the prawn dumplings they were some of the best dumplings I've ever had and I love dumplings! The soft shell crab burgers also a fan. Delish!
Overall positive experience. Ordered the beef tataki, sashimi nachos. Great vibe and also the bar has a great selection of drinks. Would recommend for someone not looking for a big meal.
Seriously, this i place is an absolute MUST. THE FOOD IS UNREAL. If you consider price, it would have to be one of the best restaurants in Sydney. Outstanding. The chicken wings and the sashimi nachos are a must.
Best Japanese around hands down. the food is not your typical Japanese, clearly a more modern approach. The service is fantastic and the space is cool. Also they have a great Sake selection to explore. A regular and a favourite of mine.
This place is a "sans faute", every dish was yummy and nothing was wrong in these. As small eaters, we ordered the beef tataki (the seasoning and marinade are so yummy), goma ae (cold spinach in a sesame/garlic (?) Sauce, soooo good and refreshing), and the Tasmanian roll (super good!). The food was so refined! Such a shame that we couldn't ordered the cocktails (they were about to change the drinks menu) cause they sounded amazing. I can't wait to come back to try the other dishes!!!
Lovely food, especially the hipster sushi, absolutely love its freshness! Friendly staff and amazing serving! Will definitely come back next time!
Great little Japanese restaurant in Erskineville. Great interiors, friendly staff and most importantly, delicious food. Lots of seafood dishes which is ideal. Recommend the salmon sashimi nachos, the grilled scallops and the agedashi tofu. Has become a local regular for me.
If your looking for a child friendly Japanese then Kuki Tanuki is pretty good. We were able to sit outside on the street which kept us away from the main restaurant but still right in the atmosphere of Erskineville Road. The menu is really simple and they are quick to get early orders out to the kids. The even have a few special bowls for the kids to eat ice cream!
For the adults, the share plates and sushi is a cut above the average train and really well priced.
Really tasty Japanese. Was recommended to go here by a friend. Have been recommending it to others ever since. Not super cheap, but not pricy either. $50-60 a couple.
It’s the Tanuki (or Tanooki) form of Mario, a special form of Mario in Super Smash Bros 3. But what is a Tanuki exactly? As it turns out, it’s a dog that looks kind of like a dog, but also maybe a badger/weasel? Image Source As for Kuki, it apparently refers to some type of plant, but I believe the owners of Kuki Tanuki meant for it to refer to a synonym of “crazy”. In a good way, of course. And that introduces Kuki Tanuki – a Japanese restaurant in Erskineville with a unique personality and flair. Unique? You bet. I suppose if you don’t live in or near Erskineville, one major issue that immediately rears its ugly head is the fact that it’s in Erskineville. It’s not easy to get to – you can drive yes, but if you’re relying on public transport…well…not many trains and/or buses stop there, be
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I liked that the sake list had a lot of information in it, including suggested food pairings. I ordered 3 x 30ml serves to test if the pairings were spot on. We had a couple of kushiyaki skewers : yakitori chicken and pork negima , both with shio (salt). I paired these with the Fuku Shogun ($2), a delicious sake served hot that was meant to go well with grilled dishes. The skewers and this sake were among my favourite items of the night. Yakitori chicken with shio ($8) Pork negima with shio ($8) The salt-n-pepa squid (deep-fried juicy squid bites with fresh coriander, nanami spice powder and garlic mayo) was tender and perfectly crunchy thanks to the the gluten-free (rice flour?) coating. The mayo was sweet, thick, creamy, and addictive. We ended up ordering a second serve of squid in lieu of dessert. I paired this dish with the Edoichi sake ($3), served hot, which was meant to go well with oily dishes. I wasn’t a big fan of the sake or the pairing. Salt-n-pepa squid ($8.5) The Wagyu beef tataki was a winner. Granted, it was a smallish serve but can’t complain about its quality. I didn’t get a sake to pair with beef, so just sipped along from random cups. Bad style, I know. Wagyu beef tataki ($16) The seafood salad (freshly sliced, tuna, kingfish and salmon, green salad, avocado and baby tomato) was perhaps the most predictable dish of the bunch. Much fresher than your regular CBD eatery salad, and with a pleasant dressing, made gluten-free for us. I paired this with a cold sake, the Gin ($2.5), suggested for fresh sashimi. Nice pairing. Seafood salad ($13.5) Kuku Tanuki 61 Erskineville Road Erskineville, NSW 2043 www.kuki
Incredible all round experience. Food is phenomenal esp the BBq chicken and dumplings. Very interesting and educational menu on sake (as sake novices). Great leisurely meal and the staff are ideal. So informative and friendly. Can't believe we waited 9 months to come here.
Pricey but delicious. So glad to have found this little gem. Delicious Japanese tapas and drinks (try the fried chicken bites), and great ambiance. It is pricey for the servings, but im happy to pay good money for good food. Will be back.
Friendly relaxed service, delicious food but dessert needs improvement.
Cocktails were delicious - if not a little over priced. Service was friendly but could possibly be a little more attentive as a couple of times we had to ask for things (water, dessert menus, bill) twice.
Food was delicious! Tasmanian Salmon roll was extraordinarily tasty. Chicken bites were delicious. Perhaps could have had a touch more chicken.
We shared 2 entrees, 2 sushi rolls and one main between 3 and that was sufficient.
Dessert was a real disappointment. We ordered one of each dessert. The green tea ice cream sandwich sounded appetising on the page but in reality was two Arnotts chocolate biscuits around some very bland ice cream that could have been vanilla with green food dye. The mud cake my friend had looked mass produced and she wasn't very impressed.
A shame as the main meal was delish!
Will be back. Cute find with tasty savoury dishes, just avoid dessert.
Fun place!. I love the decor! it is so nice compared to mos hipster restaurants. this one was playful with the seats and the colours and the background music...it all blended very nice.
the food was certainly not the best but it was definitely not bad. you can enjoy a decent meal here because it is made well, their pork belly is delicious...love the salads and a great place to casually kick back with a beer...i liked it compared to most other japanese restaurants.
the service was not bad either as they were extremely friendly and welcoming which contributed to the warm and relaxed atmosphere....i would come back with some friends or a casual night out with a significant other.
Love it!. This place offers a great new take on Japanese food with a great range of sake. The flavours are fresh and imaginative, the interior is sophisticated and comfortable, and the service is attentive. A great night out.
Great service, delicious fresh food. Dined here after seeing good reviews on urbanspoon. Service was exceptional, and the food arrived promptly and was very fresh and tasty. The owner also personally had a chat with us and gave us complimentary samples of sake. I recommend the salmon and tuna tataki. Would definitely visit again!
Fantastic service, great izakaya. We were out for a Sunday walk, happened by Kuki Tanuki and decided to stop in for dinner. The first thing that brought us a smile was the attentive service. Having never dined there before, they did a great job of taking us through the menu, food styles and helped us with our sake pairing (also well documented in the menu.) The food came quickly and everything was terrific. We had the 5hr brisket, yakatori and sashimi. The brisket was tender and melted apart as you'd hope. The sashimi was exceptionally fresh. Throughout our dining, we felt well looked after by the staff. We'll definitely be coming back. Terrific izayaka!
Casual Dinner. My partner loves Japanese cuisine. This being the case, I organised a reservation online for Kuki Tanuki. A lovely experience all round: service / food / sake. Go have fun and enjoy the Sake!
Sydney dining at its Best. Kuki Tanuki - Kuki means happy forever, Tanuki is a Japanese raccoon that loves food and alcohol. This is what our friendly waitress told us when we asked what the name meant. We laughed, they laughed, what a great name for a great little place.
The food was terrific. We had the brisket and sweet potato chips, the tanuki burgers, a salad and a side of the freshest sashimi with a glass of warm sake. Everything was immaculate and also warming in these nippy months.
The service was friendly, warm and personal. The atmosphere with its amazing Tokyo street vibe really just adds to our love of this tucked away joint in Erskineville. This is by far our favourite place at the moment and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Trendy Japanese on point!. Ate here tonight for the third time. Food is consistently delicious, especially the sushi! Dessert wasn't so great but you don't really come here for that. Favourites are the Tasmanian Roll and Sashimi Plate. Sake is delicious and there is an extensive wine list. Service wasn't bad but not overly great either. I love the atmosphere and amazing decor. Def a great night out.
Bloody Fantastic. Goodness. a couple of $5 Asahi's and my world is good. Pair it up with some juicy chicken bites, Gyoza dumlings and a bloody delicious Japanese burger and I am in ecstasy. How can this place not be a winner? My new favourite place for a good feed and a drink!
A quirky addition to the neighbourhood. Pretty pricey for small serves, so don't expect too much - particularly for dinner. The food is tasty, but the prices may prevent this place from taking off. Particularly given the abundance of decent and reasonably priced Japanese restaurants merely a stone's throw away at Newtown. Love their play list & their beers, so might be better as a pre-dinner option...
Best Japanese Experience in town. We first went to KT because a friend highly recommended it. We were looking for a different option for breakfast and we were very impressed. This small bar has really good drinks, good food, fun staff, and no bar could be anymore funky. I would say this is the best Japanese in Sydney at the moment.
Was blown away by the flavours in the breakfast bento box, great value. We then went back for dinner and was wowed by the drink selection, be sure to choose the Gin Silly and Plum wine special. The menu is also packed with yummy food.
I'll be back guys, me and my partner love everything you offer :) .
Good service. Food was also good but overpriced...
What is not to like about Kuki Tanuki?. We stopped by early on a Saturday night and sadly, all the dining tables were already reserved, even at Grandma hour. Although offered a table in the back courtyard (which I imagine is lovely on a sunny day, but less so when the winter chill is attempting to set in), we took a seat in the front bar area, and we were happily sated with a very decent beer selection (Yebisu - hurrah, my favourite! and the award-winning, but strangely soft-drink-can-looking Yona Yona Ale) and plenty of bar snacks (the usual edamame and goyza, but also tempura green olives, chicken yakitori and a stand-out pork mini-burger, which I 'gracefully' permitted Mr GG to finish). Back-to-front, we finished with some excellent sashimi and, what else for a beer lover, but the 'beerlini' cocktail. Kanpai!
Great food. Get the tuna and salmOn sashimi. Best agadashi tofu I've eaten. Nice night. Well worth the venture.
Delicious but not cheap!. OK I love this place, it has a funky ambiance and the food and drinks is overall delicious! My fav dishes for night was the king fish carpaccio, soft shell crab tempura and the pork belly (bar menu). Expect to spend on avg $50 pp for drinks and meal so its not cheap which is a shame because I would def come more often if it was more affordable! Thumbs up for me!
Very enjoyable. The food was delicious, not ordinary Japanese food, very yummy. The staff were attentive, friendly and helpful, an impressive range of imported beers, cocktails and bar drinks. I was impressed. As for pricing, my partner thought it a little expensive for a local restaurant but i didnt agree given the quality of the good. I will definitely be back.
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Great Find! Little Tokyo Bar in Sydney -. This place is special. What a fantastic small bar, we stumbled upon it last night and went in for a few drinks. The drinks list is huge. Between the group of 5 we sampled some cocktails, sake and beer. I had a Yona Ale, my partner had a rosemary lemon drop and the rest had some wines - all by the glass, we then shared some hot and cold sake suggested by a very passionate bartender. We also grabbed some bar snacks of sashimi, gyoza and edamame. The sashimi was melt in your mouth decadent and gyoza and sauce is probably what you will find in some wicked place in Tokyo. Perfect food washed down with a good drop. What a good saturday night should be.
Next time we will be heading into the bistro. Only one criticism or thing to take note of though is. The place is a bit hard to see even if you are walking past; as they haven't got a big sign and is not really lit up at night. A friend who lives near the area, found it a bit hard to find. She was a happy camper though when we got the third round of drinks into her. Right mel?
Ok but nothing special....but expensive for what you get....but good variety for the area
Not bad. A little overpriced. Service was ok to good. I liked the "BYO iPhone app" the waitress was using. A decent addition to Erskineville.. 7.1 out of 11.9
Good start, few suggestions for improvement.. It's great to have a new place to eat in Erskineville. The food was good - The sashimi was fresh, and the spider roll was great. The service was friendly but some still with L plates on. Some suggestions - (as locals we want to visit frequently); 1) the wine list needs a serious overhaul - this is not an pub or club so get some wines that match the investment made in the fit out and 2) the lights over the tables near the skylight are too bright/white.
All the best and best wishes to the crew @ Kuki Tanuki.
Great local izakaya bar!. We were delighted to see that Kuki Tanuki has now opened in Erskineville - the vibe and menu attracted us in the door the first night we walked past. There is a great bar area at the front with Japanese bar snacks and a lovely dining space at the back which is pram and kid friendly. We love japanese food and had just been saying how Erskineville shops needed an izakaya bar.
For our first visit, we ordered gyoza, spinach with sesame dressing, tempura, salmon salad and yakitori skewers and all of the dishes were delicious. The service was attentive and friendly. The space is well thought out and designed and there is something for everyone including lovers of Japanese desserts! We will definitely be going back again and again and we can't wait to try the Panko fried black sesame ice cream.
Highly recommended!
Something New to do in Erko. We popped in to Kuki on the third night it was open. We sat in the bistro area. Our food was delicious, esp the soft shell crab. The wait staff were still finding their feet but friendly. I did find it a bit odd that in the bistro section my drink came in a can with a straw, no glass? I agree with Kiwi, if I sat in the front section I would not know it was bar service only, I would be expecting table service, best to somehow communicate that as people arrive. I will try Kuki again. Good luck.
Great Idea. A Local Japanese Sake Bar. Never been to a Japanese Sake Bar before. What a great idea! Great selection of Japanese sake and wine! For a Japanese sake bar, it also had great food that compliment the sake. Love the duck shared dish on the menu! We gobbled it up quickly. Very yummy to say the least. I will be back.
Went there for dinner on a Thursday night. The place is very new... really only open for four days, and it is reflected in the confidence of the waiting staff. But I'm sure that will improve over the next few weeks :-) We sampled a number of things off the menu, including the skewers and a couple of mains. Very happy with the quality of the food and speed of delivery. A couple of things (most notably the cocktails) werent available (?yet). Keen to return in a week or two to see how this place develops. The food is certainly good and the ambience very funky.
I haven’t been to Kuki in about two years and am so glad to see that the quality has remained the same. This place has such a fun menu. The fish is exceptionally fresh - the sashimi nachos are something I have daydreamed about regularly. The space is adorable, the service is stellar, there’s always a spare table for a walk-in, and it’s just a great spot for a date or for a hang with friends. Highly recommend just about everything on the menu!
This Japanese restaurant is a gem in the heart of Erskineville. The food is delicious. Great selection on the menu. The set menus are also an excellent choice with perfectly sized delectable portions. The ‘make your own’ sushi rolls - are exactly that so be prepared to eat with your hands. The booths at the back are romantic and a little more private. Will definitely be back.
Had the set menu #2. Tasty! Especially the dumplings
Visited as a group and had the $59banquet. The food was rolling in and it was so good!
We certainly didn’t leave with empty stomachs.
The sake was delicious!
Their COVIDSafe plan was clear and easy to navigate.
The service was a little slow on occasions however they were very lovely at all times.
I came at a good time on a Friday night and was directed to my table with some friendly service. Food was good, though not stellar. I think what got me was that I was presented with the drinks menu thinking it was all available, and then I had to change my order twice because they then realised they didn't have stock? I appreciated the manager explaining that to me, but I really was keen for some umeshu... not that they could help it at the time.
We love this place, have been coming for years. It’s consistently good, fresh and the staff are lovely. Great for a nice meal with the kids and also date night. Keep up the great work!
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