A handmade tale at Sasaki

At Sydney restaurant Sasaki every design detail has been sourced from the owner’s hometown, down to the custom spoons and wallpaper.

Jun 21, 2017 2:00pm
Tablesetting at Sasaki with plates imported from Japan

Tablesetting at Sasaki with plates imported from Shimane Japan. 

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Workshop in Shimane Prefecture** Yu Sasaki imported almost $25,000 worth of plates and pottery from artisan workshops in Shimane.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Workshop in Shimane Prefecture Yu Sasaki imported almost $25,000 worth of plates and pottery from artisan workshops in Shimane.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Japanese ceramic vase** The shipment of ceramics from Japan took over two months. Yu Sasaki aims to tell a story with every single item in the restaurant.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Japanese ceramic vase The shipment of ceramics from Japan took over two months. Yu Sasaki aims to tell a story with every single item in the restaurant.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Dishes served on a handmade tray** Sasaki's father spent six months carving 40 wooden trays made out of local black persimmon wood. Many have natural marks resembling calligraphy brushstrokes.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Dishes served on a handmade tray Sasaki's father spent six months carving 40 wooden trays made out of local black persimmon wood. Many have natural marks resembling calligraphy brushstrokes.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Interior of Sasaki** The restaurant is completely fitted out in pieces imported from Japan, from the plates and hand-carved wooden cutlery to the tables.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Interior of Sasaki The restaurant is completely fitted out in pieces imported from Japan, from the plates and hand-carved wooden cutlery to the tables.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Harvest of tea leaves** Chef Sasaki recently returned to Japan to observe the harvest of young tea leaves at a farm called Tosuien. The sencha tea served at the restaurant is custom-blended with fragrant yuzu, sakura and ginger. Sasaki's hometown "has one of the biggest tea cultures that remain in daily life". _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Harvest of tea leaves Chef Sasaki recently returned to Japan to observe the harvest of young tea leaves at a farm called Tosuien. The sencha tea served at the restaurant is custom-blended with fragrant yuzu, sakura and ginger. Sasaki's hometown "has one of the biggest tea cultures that remain in daily life".

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Ceramicist at work in Shimane** Sasaki shipped plates and pottery, which he collected from various artisan workshops in Shimane, back to Sydney. The teapots alone came from four different studios. _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Ceramicist at work in Shimane Sasaki shipped plates and pottery, which he collected from various artisan workshops in Shimane, back to Sydney. The teapots alone came from four different studios.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Meal preparation at Sasaki** From the plates, to the cutlery, to the tables, Sasaki is full of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Meal preparation at Sasaki From the plates, to the cutlery, to the tables, Sasaki is full of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Light fitting at Sasaki** The light fittings throughout the restaurant were part of Sasaki's shipment of artisan interiors from Shimane Prefecture to Sydney.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Light fitting at Sasaki The light fittings throughout the restaurant were part of Sasaki's shipment of artisan interiors from Shimane Prefecture to Sydney.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Kaji Kobo Hiromitsu workshop** The iron candleholders and coat hooks in the restaurant were forged by blacksmith Kaji Kobo Hiromitsu. The studio dates back to the 1830s and once produced samurai swords.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Kaji Kobo Hiromitsu workshop The iron candleholders and coat hooks in the restaurant were forged by blacksmith Kaji Kobo Hiromitsu. The studio dates back to the 1830s and once produced samurai swords.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Sasaki's one-of-a-kind wooden tables** Included in the final shipment from Japan were one-of-a-kind restaurant tables made by Sasaki's father's woodwork teacher.  _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Sasaki's one-of-a-kind wooden tables Included in the final shipment from Japan were one-of-a-kind restaurant tables made by Sasaki's father's woodwork teacher.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Takao Sasaki** Yu Sasaki's father, Takao, spent six months carving 300 pieces of cutlery and 40 wooden trays for the restaurant, using black persimmon wood found in Shimane Prefecture. _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Takao Sasaki Yu Sasaki's father, Takao, spent six months carving 300 pieces of cutlery and 40 wooden trays for the restaurant, using black persimmon wood found in Shimane Prefecture.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

**Table setting at Sasaki** Table setting at Sasaki with plates imported from Shimane, Japan. _Photo by: Brett Boardman_
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Table setting at Sasaki Table setting at Sasaki with plates imported from Shimane, Japan.

Photo by: Brett Boardman

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