Mermaid Waters welcomes new Japanese dining den Project Tokyo
If you’ve ever ventured through Tokyo, you’d know that some of the best food experiences are dished up at the most unassuming of places – often from tiny izakayas that, despite being hidden in the backstreets, are brimming with hungry locals. Last week, the Gold Coast welcomed its own off-the-beaten-track Japanese dining den in the form of Project Tokyo – a quaint eatery in Mermaid Waters that’s aiming to recreate the tastes, charm and magic of Tokyo dining.
Project Tokyo’s timber-clad digs are tucked within the same complex that houses Lucky Bao – a slowly emerging food and retail precinct along Markeri Street. Local commercial designer and builder OJ Thompson was tasked with transforming the former fish and chippery into a modern Japanese venue, resulting in a sleek Tokyo-style dining den dotted with timber, stone and hand-painted decorative artwork. From its refined and welcoming new home, Project Tokyo dishes up a menu designed to strike a balance between authentic flavours and innovation, with a sole focus on local produce. You’ll find familiar moreish classics (hello there, giant bowl of fried karaage chicken) alongside lighter, more intricate delicacies like kingfish sashimi with jalapeno and yuzu. Each dish is designed to give a nod to tradition while embracing modernity – an ethos effortlessly brought to life by co-owners Geoff Anstee (head chef) and Franz Zdesar (front of house).
Dishing up lunch and dinner, Project Tokyo makes for a bright and breezy daytime sushi stop, an intimate date-night venue, and a fun whisky-and-gyoza-filled group feasting spot – while the inviting bar-seating arrangement also welcomes solo snackers and sippers. There are a bunch of small bites to start, from the fried lotus chips topped with kingfish and salmon tataki, to a wild-mushroom salad with yuzu, and an array of handmade gyozas. Sashimi lovers are in the right place, with fresh catches of tuna, kingfish and salmon intricately arranged with flavour-packed sauces and petite salads, while sushi fiends will need a few visits to explore the offering of rolls and temaki cones. Ditch the chopsticks and get your hands around the decadent duck-filled harumake (Japanese spring roll) and dunk it into the sticky hoisin sauce, or opt for chicken yakitori, the wagyu beef kushi or the scallops straight from the grill.
The liquor licence is on its way, so it’s BYO for now – but you can expect to see Project Tokyo’s bar stocked with Japanese whisky, sake and beer in the coming weeks.
Opening hours, address and contact details can be found over in the Stumble Guide listing.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Gold Coast dining guide with more than 870 places to eat, drink, shop and play.
