Popular sushi-slinger Okazu opens a second outpost in Mermaid Waters
Dishing up Japanese soul food straight out of Osaka, Okazu first stole our collective hearts when it opened along the bustling Nobby Beach strip in 2017 kicking off a long-standing love affair with its amazingly fresh sushi rolls, poke bowls and okonomiyaki. The only downside to the venue’s unwavering popularity is that it’s not uncommon to find a line out the door. The limited kitchen space also meant that Michie or ‘Mama Michie’, as she’s lovingly referred to, wasn’t able to fully flex her culinary muscles as she simply didn’t have the space to create. Thankfully (for our tastebuds) the solution presented itself in a tiny takeaway nook nestled in between The Journal Cafe and Lucky Bao in Mermaid Waters Shopping Village.
Located a sushi toss from its original home, Okazu’s new incarnation on Markeri Street is geared towards a grab-and-go lunchtime crowd with its ready-made selection of sushi rolls and (very) limited seating. The menu here is mirrored from its Nobby’s home with a handful of bowls that are made-to-order, a Japanese chicken curry and its specialty, okonomiyaki (a cabbage-based savoury pancake filled with your choice of grilled prawn, teriyaki chicken, vegetables, teriyaki beef or topped with gooey melted cheese). While it might look like a takeaway counter from the outside, the venue houses a full commercial kitchen, which is a game-changer for Michie and the team. With more space, comes more culinary freedom to cook and create. Despite having only been open for a week, the team has some big plans for the small space with some exciting new bowls, noodle dishes and potentially even Japanese desserts, on the horizon.
Before you ask, the OG Okazu will continue to satiate your starvation for sushi and poke. In Japan, it’s said that in order to maintain optimum health, you should consume no less than 30 different coloured foods per day (yes, really), so if your daily colour count is on the low side, stick your chopsticks into a bowl brimming with brown rice, sashimi-grade tuna and salmon, edamame, red cabbage, ginger, crispy shallots, wakame, chilli, soy sauce, cucumber, mayo and two kinds of sesame seeds – it will get you right back on track.
Okazu Mermaid Waters is now open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Sunday.
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