An East Perth alleyway is the home to this ambitious newcomer specialising in high-end sushi served one bite a time.
Pristine seafood, multiple courses, a handful of seats. Egawa An, a newcomer in East Perth, hits the same notes as the wave of omakase venues – those serving a seasonal Japanese tasting menu most often centred around sushi – sweeping the nation. This style of restaurant is in short supply in WA, but judging on how difficult it is to score a booking, there are plenty of people hanging out for the kind of intimate, unique experience a restaurant like this offers.
Pristine seafood, multiple courses, a handful of seats. Egawa An, a newcomer in East Perth, hits the same notes as the wave of omakase venues sweeping the nation.
As the minutes tick by, the chefs behind the wooden counter will precisely slice and score today’s catch, serving it perhaps as sashimi or in a miso-based soup, or pressing and moulding it around rice to form nigiri they hand to you to devour in seconds. Here’s barracuda flavoured with salted plum and shisho. There’s whiting cured in kombu. Here’s surf clam, or torched yellowtail or a slice of fatty tuna. The nigiri may occasionally lack precision, but extras add interest around the edges – a chawanmushi (aka savoury egg custard) flavoured with gingko nuts, say, or a tuna belly hand roll sharpened with spring onion – and the stone-path entrance, neat sake offer and warm service bring an added touch of elegance. Curious? Book well ahead or be prepared to miss out.
