Japanese food is celebrated on Federal Street with Masu, a Japanese robata restaurant and bar in the Federal Dining Precinct. At the helm of Masu is New Zealand chef Nic Watt, who has led a reverred career overseas running successful robata restaurants in London, Macau, Hong Kong and America. Robata is contemporary Japanese cuisine cooked over a charcoal grill where theatre and ambience are as much of the process as the eating. Diners can view the chefs at the robata cooking hearth, creating food-laden skewers and slowly rotating them over hot coals.

The restaurant itself will be open 7 days for lunch and dinner. Guests can perch at the sake and shochu bar, or at open plan dining tables, and Masu regulars can even purchase their own Kume jars which are filled with bespoke shochu blends - i.e. you can create your own drink, and enjoy it everytime you dine at Masu! There is also a private dining room called The Obi Room, which seats 18.

The food itself focuses on fresh seasonal produce and natural flavours, plus several signature dishes. They include tartar of salmon and tuna with house made rice cracker, tempura yellow belly flounder with chili ponzu and lamb cutlets, gochujang hot pepper, pickled onions and carrot. De-licious.

Try the Tokubetsu Sake Flight for $35 (4x40ml)

nabeshima tokubetsu junmai nama genshu - saga 
slightly yeasty, woody notes, pureed mango, crisp apple, and a sweet fruit finish. alc 17% smv+4

kamo kinshu 13 tokubetsu junmai genshu - hiroshima
soft acidity, clean fruit with a short finish. alc 13%

matsunotsukasa kimoto junmai - shiga
​light, clean nose with slight tropical fruit, banana, chocolate and red apple skin. alc 15.5% smv +4

toyobijin junmai ginjo50 - yamaguchi
​fruity sweetness with spicy undertones of stewed fruit. alc 16% smv -5​