HACO — Restaurant in Sydney

1 Out Of 5 Stars For Haco - A Missed Opportunity

We attended for our anniversary dinner last night. The venue itself is well thought out, and very reminiscent of being in Japan, with well thought out decor, a delightful cooking island that all 10 guests are seated around and thoughtful lighting, decorations, music and ambience. On arrival we were pointed to our seats and there wasn’t really any welcome which we found a bit strange for such an intimate venue and experience. Once seated our preset menu was waiting on our table - and so we were left to read it ourselves rather than have someone take us through it, which felt impersonal. Notwithstanding this, the chefs were attentive and lovely; and the chefs were engaging when you asked questions and really seemed to know what they were doing which was reassuring given the price point for premium offering.

We had the premium food courses were generally delicious, although they could have slowed down a bit between courses, and allowed us to savour each course more - as well as allowing the chefs and host more time to explain the course and preparations which we were really interested in and would have been very appreciated. We ordered a bottle of sake, which we were told was unavailable - only for it to be found later and made available to us.

The service overall was a mixture of pleasant and good;; and inattentive and lacking - especially as the main host had to run between 10 guests and didn’t seem able to cope in between courses and guests requests for drinks etc.

The food was plentiful so couldn’t be faulted for that at all, and the presentation was well thought out and nicely curated. Most of the courses were unique and made the dining experience special. The desert was plain and simple - but was all you needed at the end of the night, and its presentation was whimsical and magical. If you note your visit is for a special occasion, I would hope they could do something a Litl more special than simply writing “happy anniversary” in chocolate sauce on a plate - or do nothing; as it seemed like a insincere gesture otherwise and gimmicky - which is not what a restaurant of this quality should be about.

Overall the experience was delightful and nice; but withal a few service tweaks and more attentiveness, dedication to guest, slower serving rounds and less rush - it could be something truly magical - that really transports you out of sydney and in to the quaint laneways of Tokyo or Osaka for a unique and tailored experience.

A lot of the misgivings we could have overlooked, were it not for the end of the night where we were left waiting for half an hour for the host to provide us with a paper copy of our bill and the card machine - this was due to a malfunction with the “lightbulb” payment system that is suppose to be a feature of the restaurant - but really felt like an insecure gimmick and had no redundancy if it fails as it did last night. I also don’t like how unsafe it feels to tap a light with your phone that is meant to bring up your bill on your phone and then initiate payment through that type of system. It also doesn’t add much to the experience, and the delay experienced when it does not work - is a real liability to the overall experience at the end of the night, when you are wanting to leave happy and on a high. I would simply go back to traditional payment method, that feels more secure and is more reliable. After waiting half an hour for the eftpos machine we paid and left feeling exhausted rather than fulfilled.

As such while the restaurant and experience has a lot of hope and promise, for our anniversary & for the price it seriously failed to deliver, which was disappointing.’while we hope that our experience is just indicative of a bad-luck experience where a few too many things went wrong rather than a normal night, we are left with many doubts after offering the restaurant an opportunity to respond & address proactively .we were provided with nothing more than pithy excuses & no resolution, so unfortunately we can’t...

(4.5 stars) Continuing my exploration of Sydney’s black box omakase specialists, I recently dined at Haco. The suitably minimal space, fronted by black noren (fabric dividers), is located in a little cement plaza off Alberta Street in Surry Hills. Booking isn’t difficult, though it does require prepayment, setting you back $210 per person. In the theatrically dark 12-seater room, the space in front of each diner is spot lit for the head chef, Kensuke Yada, to reach out of the darkness and place each of your 19-courses before you with a quiet dish explanation.

Kombu-cured lobster under a pat of dressing made from its own head kicks things off, followed by mackerel marinated overnight and topped with confit garlic cream. Chawanmushi is a highlight, with little curls of sautéed baby abalone cooked in butter and its own liver topping the savoury custard. There’s also Tasmanian sea urchin roe (uni) topped with Tasmanian salmon pearls in a briny, one-bite hand roll on crisp Japanese nori. We take ours with Mioya ‘Yuho Yamaoroshi’ sake ($137/750ml) that combines bright acidity with lactic creaminess for a pretty almost floral start with toasty hazelnuts.

The focus of this chef’s choice menu is tempura, and I tried items, like mentaiko-stuffed cuttlefish, that I had never had before, along with a range of items I was more familiar with: prawn, whiting, and crisp shimeji mushrooms sitting on soy-braised ox tongue. The best way to enjoy it is to first take a bit to appreciate the crunchiness then add salt (you have three flavours salts at your place setting) then try it in the dipping sauce. Prawn goes best with matcha, whiting with the yellow curry salt, and the aforementioned stuffed cuttlefish with the popping spicy cod roe interior suits the sansho pepper.

The tempura journey at Haco continued with West Australian octopus with a nori-seasoned batter. The flavour on this one was great but the texture was a bit chewy for my liking. Nori was also a feature in my favourite bite of the night, seared foie gras painted with unagi no tare sauce sitting on tempura haloumi cheese on a tempura nori crisp. Garnished with freshly grated wasabi, this one danced on the tongue with alternating sweetness, wasabi sharpness and foie gras creaminess.

Tempura Hokkaido scallops arrive in a puddle of leek purée under French Prunier caviar scooped from a Mondrian-themed tin. New Zealand snapper is wrapped inside a sesame leaf before being coated in tempura batter and served under a dusting of bottarga. While I preferred the salt on nearly every piece, this one eats best with the dipping sauce.

A delightful yoghurt granita topped with seasonal persimmon and ruby red pomegranate arils refreshes your palate to receive a spanner crab croquette draped in a delicate frothy sabayon. Fig tempura comes wrapped up with smoked salmon cream and caramelised walnuts inside a radicchio leaf where its bitterness makes for a contrasting and enjoyable wrap. Silky wagyu sukiyaki with an onsen egg, and a bowl of ramen topped with kingfish sashimi round out the savoury courses.

Against a pretty 2019 Akishika Shuzō ‘Pressed Moto’ sake ($22/glass) where the fermentation process is finished early leading to a light spritz we headed into dessert. Presented on an edible monaka wafer, the scoop of red bean ice cream is topped with a chocolate chip crumble. While I very much enjoyed the dishes, particularly the tempura focus, Haco’s pacing felt a bit rushed to me. While I understand the fiscal necessity of two sittings in a tiny restaurant, my sense of anticipation and savouring each bite was impacted by the rapid-fire arrival of the next dish. This whole meal was completed in...

Nestled in the heart of Sydney, Haco is a true gem for those seeking a taste of authentic Japanese tempura in an intimate setting that beautifully encapsulates the essence of wabi-sabi. This unassuming eatery is a haven for food enthusiasts, art of tempura cooking and lovers of Japanese culture alike.

Upon entering Haco one is immediately struck by the simplicity and elegance of the interior. The décor embraces wabi-sabi philosophy with its unpretentious, minimalistic design. The wooden benches, exposed precast concrete walls, blackened steel columns & glazed awning exude a sense of rustic charm, creating an ambiance that is both calming and welcoming. The subtlety of the decor, with its black textured wall, dried floral arrangement, aged river wood sculpture in the corner, and carefully chosen ceramics, perfectly complements the dining experience.

The heart and soul of Haco of course, is the delectable tempura. The omakase menu is a masterpiece of simplicity, focusing on quality ingredients and traditional techniques. Each dish is a work of art - crispy, golden-brown perfection that encapsulates the essence of this Japanese culinary tradition. The lightness of the batter allows the flavors of the fresh vegetables and seafood to shine through, and the chef's skill is evident in every bite. Meticulously cooked and assembled in front of the guests.

Our top three out of the set menu of 13, had to be the "Fondue" which was lightly fried sliced abalone served with abalone liver sauce, kept warm bubbling away in it's own heated container. Absolute umami explosion. My neural system could hardly process this much deliciousness upon the bite.

Coming close second was the "Wagyu & foie gras", two pieces of melt in your mouth Japanese top-rated wagyu beef sandwiched with a piece of foie gras complimented with a delightful mascarpone sauce.

The "cooked rice" dish was delightful too, cubed chicken breast cooked with baby king oyster mushroom with two types of fish roe. So good.

We were so delighted with the whole experience and is probably one of the best omakase experience we had in...