There’s a certain whimsy in Kaya’s garden-like setting that carries over to Executive Chef Nicholas Cheng’s playful, unexpected plates. The names, like Slapped by a Marlin and Kani Nabe, are firmly tongue-in-cheek, but the flavours, coaxed through fermentation and fire, are serious business. The Frenched lamb rack, served with a deep four-week fermented shoyu koji and aged dashi yoghurt, is fork-tender and intensely flavourful, while the Open Wide – a crispy tuna throat served with a bracing wasabi salsa verde is a must-order. End on a sweet note with lightly umami Sake Kasu – housemade sake lees ice cream. Of course, a drink is de rigeur at any izakaya. Try the aromatic Shizuka-tini, with sakura tea-infused gin, chrysanthemum vermouth and earl grey tincture.
