admin January 23, 2026
+81 Sushi Kappo Opening: Brisbane will soon welcome a new benchmark in Japanese dining with the opening of +81 Sushi Kappo in West End, an intimate 12-seat omakase restaurant. At the helm is Tokyo-trained chef Ikuo Kobayashi, whose roots lie in Kyubei, one of Japan’s most prestigious Michelin-starred sushi restaurants and the origin of the culinary lineage behind Sushi Kanesaka, Sushi Saito, and Sushi Iwa. Kobayashi apprenticed at Kyubei, joined the founding team of Sushi Kanesaka, and later worked alongside the masters behind Sushi Saito and Sushi Iwa.
Located beside the award-winning Aizome Bar – named Gourmet Traveller’s Bar of the Year 2025 – and part of the +81 space that makes up the two venues, Sushi Kappo represents the group’s most refined expression of Japanese hospitality. Where Aizome Bar explores craft through cocktails and atmosphere, Sushi Kappo carries that philosophy into a quietly immersive kappo setting defined by precision, restraint, and subtle intention.
At the restaurant, Chef Kobayashi creates a bridge for human connection – an intimate, emotional and harmonious exchange between chef and guest, expressed through movement, intention, and the stillness between each gesture. It is an unforgettable, deeply personal experience elevated by the beauty and grace of his craft.
Sushi Kappo distils Japanese minimalism into a modern, quietly refined setting. The space is purposefully restrained – dark neutral palettes, soft textured metals, and gentle light – centred on the minimalist dining counter.
‘Kappo’, meaning to cut and to cook, places the chef’s craft at the heart of the guest experience. At Sushi Kappo, each course is prepared at the counter, revealing the interplay of seasonality, texture, and form. The multi-course seafood-focussed omakase begins from $450 per guest, the menu evolving with the rhythm of local micro-seasons and complemented by select specialty ingredients from Japan to create a progression that celebrates balance, temperature, and purity of flavour.
+81 Sushi Kappo Opening
Chef Kobayashi’s approach at Sushi Kappo has been shaped by decades inside Tokyo’s most respected kitchens and by a culinary pilgrimage all across Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, where he immersed himself in regional techniques. His cuisine blends traditional Edomae foundations with modern, understated elegance.
At the heart of the menu is Kobayashi’s signature sushi shari – served in only one other venue in the world, Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido. By stripping away sugar, mirin and salt, he rebuilt sushi rice from its foundations, resulting in two rare expressions: a charcoal shari and a vivid blue shari enriched with spirulina sourced exclusively from VAXA in Iceland. Considered a natural superfood, the spirulina is prized for its clean taste, subtle aroma, and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, grown using a sustainable, carbon-negative process.
Chef Kobayashi is a quiet presence in the room – a chef who lets his craft speak in ways words never could. In an era where many restaurants lead with personality, performance, and theatrics, Sushi Kappo takes a different path: one of stillness, respect, and precision. Every cut, every movement, every course becomes its own form of conversation.
The omakase experience is complemented by a beverage program composed with the same harmony and intention as the cuisine – featuring artisanal sake, premium and rare Japanese whisky, champagne, and a considered selection of Australian and international wines. At its centre is a 100-reference sake list that invites discovery, showcasing styles from Hokkaido in the far north to Fukuoka in the south.
Three rotating beverage pairings further complement the journey, offering sakes and wines of varied character without requiring guests to commit to a full bottle. Each pairing mirrors the progression and nuance of the kappo menu, reflecting the same precision and thoughtfulness that define the Sushi Kappo philosophy.
Following the omakase, guests may transition to the adjoining lounge – a quiet space for Japanese whisky, liqueurs, and reflection – completing the evening with a sense of calm and connection.
The group’s name +81, Japan’s international dialling code, reflects the core philosophy: creating a bridge between cultures, craftsmanship, and people. This belief guides every detail, from the design of the space to the deliberate pacing of the guest journey.
+81 Sushi Kappo will officially open on 5th February 2026, following a soft launch period.
+81 Sushi Kappo
259 Montague Street, West End, Qld, 4101
