Watching chef Nobuyuki Ura at work is akin to watching an artist paint a picture or a surfer glide on a wave, in that their passion and love for what they do shines through like sunlight. Seeing them in action is one of life’s joys.
Ura has been mastering the art of Japanese cuisine for more than 35 years – including 11 of those years spent as the executive chef at Merivale’s Sushi E. His passion, dedication and killer knife skills come to fruition at Ora, a sophisticated Japanese restaurant that seamlessly marries traditional techniques with modern touches.
You can choose to take a seat at the counter at Ora and see Ura and his fellow team at work – and we recommend that you do. You’ll be up close to see the chefs meticulously and expertly slice kingfish belly, bluefin tuna, cuttlefish and more before beautifully arranging it all on plates for guests to snap and enjoy.
Fresh, premium ingredients are a core theme of the menu at Ora. Opt to order from the sushi and raw bar, go for braised and steamed dishes from the kitchen, or go for seafood, meat and veggies cooked on the charcoal grill. Or try it all.
Standout numbers include snapper sashimi with white soy, yuzu vinaigrette, sesame and chives; Hokkaido scallops with asparagus, roe and kombu miso butter; spicy tuna tartare with crispy rice, chilli soy oil and spicy mayo; and Balmain bug san choi bao with spicy mayo, avo and teriyaki sauce.
We also loved the M9 Wagyu skewers with a perfect amount of fat, char and beef flavour, plus Ura’s signature dish – miso cod Patagonian toothfish, which has been marinated for three days, giving the fish an incredible sweet, salty and umami flavour.
Ora also offers a kaiseki omakase experience, available on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, with Ura guiding you through each course. There are only ten seats available, so we reckon don’t wait on this one.
Housed in an industrial warehouse on Danks Street, Ora’s fit-out is sleek, sexy and polished. For a relaxed evening, you can also choose to sit and dine at the lounges, and there’s also a bar for after-dinner tipples. Drinks wise, expect to find balanced, bright and zesty cocktails on the menu, as well as an extensive selection of sake, plus Japanese whiskey, and Japanese liquors like yuzushu, umeshu and shochu.
