Arrival & Atmosphere
Tucked away in a laneway underneath Salesforce tower lies Besuto Omakase. In a city where restaurant openings are announced with fanfare and Instagram campaigns, there’s something deliciously subversive about a dining experience that feels like a secret handshake.
It’s pouring with rain and I am under strict instructions to arrive at 5.15pm for a 5.30pm sitting. I take the steps downwards from its discreet street entrance and enter a small square, minimalist amber-lit bar lined with Japanese whiskies, many of them rare —an alcoholic excavation like unearthing alcoholic pharaonic treasures of the Pharaohs.
I take a seat and soak up an ambiance as I wait for the drama to unfold in 15 minutes…
The Masters Behind Besuto – Joel Best & Chef Mitchi
Founder Joel Best is no stranger to Sydney’s seafood scene. Having launched Bondi’s Best, he developed a strong reputation for sustainable sourcing and quality produce. However nothing prepares me for his love for Japanese cuisine, sake and whisky which is realised in the creation of Bar Besuto, a hidden whisky lounge boasting over 350 rare Japanese bottles. Joel’s many trips to Japan has connected him to the ‘whisky mafia’ and has enabled him to source bottles not found anywhere else in Australia.
At the helm of Besuto’s 8 person dining experience is Chef Michi Miyazaki, Trained by Kikunoi Honten, 3 Star Michelin restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. He is a master in traditional omakase techniques. The pair have worked together for 20 years and it’s the chemistry between them which makes this experience unique.
The Omakase Experience – 13 Courses of Japanese precision, indulgence, and storytelling
Just eight lucky guests at a time are whisked into the restaurant, seated around chef Michi. To our left four ‘lads’ who have been friends for over 20 years who are regulars to Besuto. With banter already flowing we take to our seats as Joel welcomes us all personally and sets us up with an explanation of what to expect. There is no menu – only trust.
Joel’s enthusiasm for sake is immediately infectious. When I confess I haven’t yet met a sake I truly enjoy, he accepts this as a personal challenge. Six of us opt for the sake pairing, and Joel’s eyes light up like a sommelier who’s been given carte blanche in a legendary cellar.
The 15-course omakase menu celebrates the purity of seasonal, premium ingredients and we start with a single rock oyster from Wapengo on the south coast. It’s dressed with ginger soy and finger lines which pop with acidity.
Next, a Mystery Box is placed in front of us. Michi explains that the sashimi is a mix of his favourites of the season and holds up a box of his own showcasing all the seafood in their pure form. From NZ John Dory to South Coast bluefin tuna. I love the Coffs Harbour Bonito which has been seared with Ponzu Sauce, Pickled Ginger, Chives. A juicy Hokkaido scallop, tiger prawn from QLD and deliciously WA Octopus which is brightened with sansho pepper.
One of my favorites of the night is next, a classic Japanese savory egg custard steamed in a cup called Chawanmushi. Lifting its lid reveals a technicolor landscape of golden custard, silky and light, topped with WA Marron, Tasmanian short spine sea urchin, and vibrant Ikura salmon roe. Lobster shellfish oil creates visual drama as it swirls across the surface. Each spoonful demands to be savored slowly—scoop, contemplate, mmm, and repeat for a slightly different flavor combination with each bite.
My seafood passion—Glacier 51 Patagonian Toothfish—arrives next. Chef Michi has elevated it through a yuzu miso marinade before smoking it with Genmaicha tea leaves. The result is a delicate smokiness and the gentle citrus cuts through the flavours to mesh with its creamy pettled flesh. Oh my! It’s glorious with some pickled red radish and spicy togarashi. We are all wondering what the orb on the end of a stick is and Michi explains it’s a cherry peach. Mr G has the A5 Kagoshima Wagyu beef striploin which melts in the mouth served with vibrant green asparagus charcoal grilled to perfection and an Onsen egg with black truffle oil.
The bowl of rich umami miso soup is literally the best I have ever tasted. Its light on the seaweed but is rich and has a depth of creaminess and savoury flavours which really ask for a bowl to be licked clean.
The sushi course unfolds as a lesson in patience and anticipation. Each piece is meticulously assembled and placed before us individually—we wait our turn as a single perfect creation is positioned first before me, then my Mr G, cycling through until each diner has their moment of contemplation. Only then does the next round begin.
Chef Michi’s movements evoke tai chi—the reverent pickup of rice (each grain carrying its weight of importance), a gentle caress of fish, then his arm moves away in a stretch, flick and flourish, finishing with a precise placement of elements such as N25 Caviar atop Bluefin O-toro or sansho pepper dusting Nagasaki anago eel.
This saltwater eel surprises with its delicate, tender flesh—smooth, sweet, and remarkably unfishy. Our final morsel is a Gunkan-Ship, a small oval vessel containing spanner crab laced with golden Tasmanian sea urchin and vibrant red orbs of Ikura salmon roe that burst with rich, salty pops. A snowball orb of yuzu sorbet is the perfect end to the meal.
We are all guided out into the bar as Joel moves us into the bar for more drinks. Much like an airline lounge, the next ‘Omasake flight’ is getting ready to take off.
Sake & Wine Pairings – Elevating the Experience
It’s your choice and adventure. I could have opted for the wine flight but the standout feature of Besuto’s offering is its expert sake pairings. Joel’s selections move from crisp, aromatic Junmai Ginjo (perfect alongside delicate sashimi) to smooth, refined Daiginjo with its gentle sweetness complementing fattier cuts. The rare, umami-forward aged Koshu deepens the complexity of later courses, converting even this sake skeptic into an enthusiastic explorer. Before each course Joel introduces the sake and I love how he uses different vessels from small metal bowls to champagne glasses to showcase each flavour profile.
Bar Besuto – A Whisky Lover’s Dream
After dinner we retreat to Bar Besuto as Joel asks us to name our favourite wines, whiskies. I can see his brain ticking over as his eyes rove around the treasure trove of rare Japanese whiskies. The collection features Chichibu, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, and limited-edition single cask releases, some of which are nearly impossible to find in Australia.
For whisky enthusiasts, such as Mr G, the Haku Martini (infused with nori and dry vermouth) offers a uniquely umami-driven twist on the classic cocktail. We finally emerge hours later into the darkness, after one of the best dining experiences of my life.
The Verdict
What are we Addicted to? Besuto creates something rare in Sydney’s dining landscape: an experience that feels both exclusive a.nd warmly inclusive, technically perfect yet soulfully executed. This is a three hatted restaurant experience but we know that it’s not the label that Besuto is craving, their customers already tell them they are winners. Joel and Chef Mitchi make it so much fun, the food is amazing, sake’s great, but it’s the show and their performance that make it so endearing.
What do we need to be more Addicted? Getting a table isn’t easy. Bookings open up at the beginning of each month so book well in advance. At $250 for the signature omakase experience, it occupies the special occasion territory—but delivers value through uncompromising quality, theatrical presentation, and genuine hospitality
BESUTO Omakase Restaurant ,3 Underwood street, Sydney NSW 2000
Dinner – Tuesday to Saturday 5:30pm and 8:00 pm $250, Lunch – Friday and Saturday 12:30pm $250
Wine Pairing $130, Sake Pairing $165, Wine & Sake Pairing $235, N25 Caviar $260, Non Alcoholic Pairing $105
