Sokyo — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I recently dined at Sokyo in Brisbane, lured by its esteemed reputation as one of Sydney’s premier dining establishments, where ritual meets art. However, my visit revealed significant shortcomings that severely tarnish Sokyo's otherwise stellar reputation. There was no ritual. And there was no art.

Upon arrival, we were seated in a semi-open area of the hotel lobby, separated only by a plant hedge. This arrangement, coupled with the blaring house music from the lobby, created an atmosphere more reminiscent of a food court than a refined dining experience.

Service issues were evident from the start. Despite our waiter promptly inquiring about our water preference, we waited a full 10 minutes without any being served. This set the tone for the evening, as subsequent requests for drinks were delayed and incorrectly charged. Observing other diners experiencing similar difficulties highlighted a pervasive inefficiency among the staff, who seemed more adept at redirecting tasks than fulfilling them.

When we finally managed to place our drink order, we also attempted to order our food, only to be told by the waitress that we needed to wait while she fetched someone else to take the food order. This epitomizes the inefficient issues that plague Sokyo Brisbane, as simple tasks are unnecessarily complicated and delayed.

The delays continued when we finally managed to place our food order. The first dish—a modest serving of six pieces of sashimi—took an inexcusable 30 minutes to arrive. The quality of the food, while decent, was completely overshadowed by the abysmal service. It’s unfortunate that the culinary efforts of head chef Alex Yu are so egregiously undermined by these operational failures.

As the evening progressed, the restaurant’s professionalism further deteriorated. As closing time approached, staff gathered in the dining area for casual conversation, presenting a shockingly unprofessional image.

Adding to the frustration, we encountered difficulty when attempting to settle our bill. The reception desk was unmanned, and we had to actively seek out someone to process our payment, reflecting a disconcerting lack of basic customer service.

In summary, while the food at Sokyo Brisbane maintains a level of quality, the overall dining experience is severely marred by inefficient service, a lack of professional decorum, and an ambiance that fails to live up to its Sydney origins. This particular branch feels like a watered-down pop-up version of its renowned Sydney counterpart. For Sokyo to uphold its reputation as a premier Japanese restaurant, substantial improvements in service and management are essential. Until then, I would advise potential patrons to reconsider their dining options and avoid the disappointment that currently defines...

Don't waste your time. I have never been to such an abysmally organised restaurant. When we were seated we were explained that the way the restaurant works best is to order lots of plates to share as a group. Some 10 minutes later, a rude staff member by the name of Gianni came to our table to advise us we had to order off the tasting menu due to the size of our booking, at $165 pp. This was a bit of a shock as our group hadn't necessarily travelled prepared spend that much. After asking Gianni to explain as this was contradicting advice from the previous server, he brushed us off saying "yes you were told something slightly different before, but our policy is you must order from the set menu". We did ask what other options we had, and were told there was a slightly cheaper "group menu" that we could order from. We asked to take that option, to try to find a happy medium for our group and the kitchen. We waited and waited, but this group menu never materialised. One server was still asking us if we'd like to order more drinks, and so I followed up about the group menu and she said there was an issue with the printer, so she'd look into handwriting the group menu for us. I let her know that if we weren't presented with ordering options soon we'd have to leave. Miraculously, that seemed to fix the printer and we were presented the group menu within minutes. Now we are 45 minutes into our booking and only just being presented a menu we were "allowed" to book from.

After reviewing the group menu and being told this cost $130 pp, we still didn't have enough options to satisfy the group, so we asked to speak to the manager.

The manager explained that the reason large groups have to order from set menus is because it's "too much work for the kitchen to try and balance the meals coming out at the same time". We advised we were happy for the items to come out ad-hoc, if it meant we could order individually. Eventually she agreed and we were able to order what we wanted to. Orders were placed and the food came out in another 15 minutes.

Gianna avoided our table for the remainder of the evening.

The food was ok. Certainly not worth the hour of hassle caused by the staff here who didn't want to co-operate with us.

On more than one occasion, we had the incorrect drinks brought to our table, or were told advertised drinks were not available and had to look for an alternative on the menu.

Note: I was going to give a positive note about the service from one of the staff members who had done well to provide good customer service in the face of the issues we experienced, however I can see she has now left a fake positive review to try and increase the Google review score. Truly...

My friends and I eagerly gathered to celebrate a friend's birthday at the new Japanese restaurant in the Star Casino. Our anticipation quickly turned to disappointment as the evening unfolded.

As we settled in, our server, inquired about food allergies. I mentioned my allergy to sesame seeds but clarified that sesame oil or traces were acceptable. His reaction was dismissive, and he made a rude remark that left me feeling belittled.

When we inquired about the portion sizes for the entrees, seeking clarification on how many pieces were typically served, he responded condescendingly that they were measured in grams. Our follow-up question about how many people a dish would serve was met with vague guidance that suggested we would need to order more.

Despite our clear interest in the scampi sashimi, he repeatedly questioned our willingness to pay the $20+ per piece, making us feel as though he doubted our ability to afford it. His dismissive comment, “It’s not that I think you can’t afford it, but people freak out when they see the price,” only added to the negative atmosphere.

After placing our order, we waited for our food, but when it arrived, I was dismayed to find that few dishes were garnished with sesame, despite my explicit allergy. When the staff placed the dishes on the table, they conveniently forgot to mention the dressing with sesame seeds. How thoughtful of them—especially considering it could have been dangerous for someone with an allergy.

As the evening continued, we found the entrees to be either excessively large or served as only one piece (which he told us we could share between four people). This led us to question the server’s familiarity with the menu.

After our meal, we requested our cake for photos and candle-blowing. However, without warning, he removed it from our table. Despite my repeated pleas for him to return the cake, he ignored me until I had to confront him directly to reclaim it for our celebration.

Overall, my friends and I were profoundly disappointed by our experience. The staff's lack of attentiveness and professionalism was unexpected, especially in a fine dining establishment. While I might have tolerated such service at a local eatery, it was unacceptable in a renowned restaurant like this.

This experience left us feeling undervalued as customers, and I could not shake the feeling that we were treated differently, felt that we were racialised.

I mean, to pay $2xx per head, you would probably expect decent services. Steer clear, I would give this restaurant a 1 out of 10 for its service.

We certainly won’t be returning anytime soon. What a memorable experience...