For sushi enthusiasts, it can at times feel like it’d be easier to book into the fictional Dorisa from American Psycho than land a spot at Chase Kojima’s famed omakase experience at Sokyo. There are a few omakase dining experiences that are just as tricky when it comes to reservations, like Cammeray’s exclusive Sushi Oe, but few hold the allure of The Star’s signature Japanese restaurant.
In usual circumstances, reservations for the omakase at Sokyo, which offers 20 courses, open on the first of each month for seatings the following month. Typically, it’s all booked out within an hour of release and I personally have suffered more frustration with the whole process than my feeble attempts at nabbing Splendour in the Grass tickets back when the festival was at its peak.
After years, The Star has finally made it slightly easier by introducing a ballot system for diners to score those allusive seats. Starting from April 1, guests who miss out on a Sokyo omakase reservation under normal conditions will immediately be given the option to put their names down on a ballot for two prospective spots on dates that have been pre-selected by the restaurant.
Only three diners (and their plus ones) will be chosen each time the ballot is drawn and those lucky enough to have their names plucked out of the proverbial hat will be able to book in.
It’s not any different from the piles of ballot systems that have been introduced around the world for those hard-to-book restaurants. Typically you’d see it with three Michelin-starred eateries across countries like Japan and Italy, although not as common for an Australian restaurant to even need a system like this.
Sokyo’s omakase experience is only open to six guests per night from Monday to Thursday. Curated by Chase Kojima and prepared by chef Daniel Kawk, it’s one of the primary reasons – that and the incredible toothfish – why the restaurant ranks so highly on our list of the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney.
