A new bar and restaurant that takes its inspiration from the gritty, old-school alleyways of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district has opened in Sydney’s Haymarket.
Guests enter Bang Bang – located in one of the city’s latest dining precincts on Steam Mill Lane – through a set of bullet-sprayed roller doors into the open kitchen, with a hidden tatami room and glass karaoke box some the venue’s unique features.
The food offering combines Japanese favourites with more modern dishes, from gyoza, udon and donburi to ‘The Bang Bang Tebasaki’, a tower of double-fired chicken wings doused in peppery soy glaze.
The cocktail list is a focus of the venue; guests can sip on shochu and whisky concoctions inspired by the Japanese back alley “rojiura” drinking culture, like the Citrus Bombard: seasonal citrus juiced inside its own skin and infused with shochu. There’s also all the classics as well as a selection of “otakuastic” cocktails served in a 1-litre butler pump, designed for large groups.
In addition, an ever-growing list of Japanese and international whiskies are also available from the bar alongside sake, local craft beer (including house beer ‘Bang Bang lager’), and mostly Australian wines.
“We want Bang Bang to deliver a taste of Tokyo’s past and present,” says head of operations Ayako Sugimura. “We’ve woven traditional elements like the yatai stand, which is where for decades locals in Tokyo have pulled up a stool to devour a bowl of hot ramen, through to the modern-day karaoke box, which is very much Tokyo right now.
“In food and drink, old-school teriyaki chicken sits alongside the more modern carbonara udon. The team had a lot of fun immersing themselves in the street culture of Tokyo’s vibrant alleyways in order to bring that to life here at Bang Bang.”
