Yakimono

Yakimono, a contemporary high-energy, inner-city eating house located next door to Society. Set over two floors with a completely open kitchen at heart, the Yakimono space is energetic and vibrant, designed as an all day, every day dining experience. Offering a Japanese-style grill menu with a pared back, delicious and modernist take on Japanese inner city dining, combining adventurous and robust flavours. The menu will focus on cooking over charcoal with creative ingenuity to ingredients and techniques. MELBOURNE burger king DANIEL WILSON isn't afraid to play with fire. The Huxtaburger cofounder swaps burgers for the binchotan grill in his new gig as executive chef of CHRIS LUCAS'S fiery new Japanese outfit Yakimono, which opens this Friday. The project is Lucas's biggest casual restaurant to date, seating up to 300 people across two levels, an outdoor terrace, in private dining rooms, and around an open kitchen and grill. Like Chin Chin did with Thai cuisine, Yakimono (meaning grilled everything) will take a modern approach to authentic Japanese flavours, with plenty of sushi, grilled meats and noodles to fill your face with. There's even a dedicated panko crumb section on the menu. "So chicken katsu and ... prawns, and a tofu mozzarella croquette with shiitake misomustard and green onion furikake," Wilson said. "The menu has something for everyone and covers all areas - hot and cold, heavy and light. Yakimono is the third restaurant in the high-end 80 Collins centre, opening next door to Lucas's two other restaurants, Society and Lillian Terrace. There'll be two bars, with 10 beers and four wines on tap, plus sake and cocktails. Yakimono is open daily from Friday, for lunch and dinner.