Celebrating Toki’s first birthday

I scored an invitation to celebrate Toki Bistro & Bar’s first birthday last week, alongside the launch of its new winter tasting menu and … WOW.

I took my friend Sue and she reckons it was one of her top 10 favourite plus-one events. We’ve been to some corkers over the years, so that’s high praise. The food was so good that we forgot to take selfies, we were too busy having tastebud orgasms.

Sue and I have known each other since our eldest children met in work-based childcare almost 20 years ago. For visual reference, here we are at the last event we attended together, the opening of a bar on Oxford Street called Dr Goodes (Sue’s the one with her hair pulled back) …

At one point in our careers, Sue was working at Marie Claire while I was at Woman’s Day and we’ve stayed in touch as our paths diverged into the digital space.

Toki is located in North Sydney, diagonally upstairs from the train station. Executive Chef Jacob Lee is only 37, but he’s worked everywhere from New York’s Michelin-starred A Voce Columbus as Chef de Partie; to being Head Chef at the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul, Mingles; as well as being Research & Development Chef at Tartine Bakery in Seoul, working alongside celebrated chef Chad Robertson.

Jacob’s journey then led him to Australia, where he took on the role of Sous Chef at Flying Fish in Sydney, before he joined The Miller Collective, which owns Toki.

Toki’s winter tasting menu was created to evoke his career and experiences, with the evening designed as a celebration of flavour, community and craft.

The event was held in the restaurant’s largest private room, overlooking Miller Street. It kicked off with Ayala Champagne, founded in 1860 and acquired by the Bollinger family in 2005. Nom, nom.

The bubbles were matched with three amuse bouches, our favourites being the beef tartare tart and the foie gras-stuffed choux pastry. Heaven.

Next was kingfish with smoked fish broth, lychee, salmon roe, radish, green oil and caviar, matched with Moillard Grivot Fourchaume Chablis from Burgundy; followed by duck farcis with foie gras, braised fig, puff pastry, cherry gastrique and blood orange butter sauce. The butter sauce was mopped up with fabulous house-made milk bread with wild mushroom butter, and the dish was matched with Chateau Cambon La Cuvee du Chat Beaujolais.

Then came abalone with consommé, bresaola, vegetables and chilli oil, matched with Collector Shoreline Sangiovese Rose. I am not convinced abalone is my thing, but it was very well executed.

It was followed by a deepwater fish called alfonsino, with smoked broth and sticky rice, matched with Nick O’Leary Flying Fox Riesling.

There were various palate cleansers along the way, including a lovely apple juice with lavender.

Then the maitre de announced mains would be served soon and my mouth dropped open … we hadn’t had our mains yet?!?

The main was beef sirloin, winter root vegetables, black garlic and oat jus, matched with Lienert Vineyards Shiraz. So good.

As for dessert, wow, it was a hojicha cake with chestnut, sansho tuile, brown rice ice cream and sesame, alongside mini strawberry tarts and plum jellies in the shape of hearts.

Such a remarkable night. I tottered home at around 10pm with a parting gift from Toki of the little pot of wasabi and caramel spread I mentioned yesterday.

Happy birthday Toki!

PS I’ve also added some official photos to last week’s Annual Reporting Awards blog post, just in case you fancy a stickybeak. Click here to see them.