Tetsuya Wakuda returns for limited-time pop-up in Sydney CBD
One year after closing the doors to his legendary fine-dining restaurant, acclaimed chef Tetsuya Wakuda is making a surprise return to the Sydney food scene.
Wakuda has teamed up with beverage giant Suntory for a three-month pop-up at Whisky Thief, a stylish Japanese-inspired cocktail bar in Sydney’s CBD. Kicking off from 8 August, the Suntory Bar residency will feature a line-up of drinks from the likes of Toki Japanese Whisky, Roku gin, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and BOSS Coffee, all paired with inventive dishes.
A specially created snack co-designed by Wakuda and Derek Kim — the former Tetsuya’s chef who now heads the kitchen at Garaku will be one of the highlights. The dish is designed to complement the smoky Hakushu Highball and marks the first chance for diners to taste Wakuda’s food since the celebrated restaurant’s final service in 2024.
Wakuda had originally intended to relocate Tetsuya’s after its Kent Street premises was sold for redevelopment back in 2018, but those plans ultimately didn’t pan out.
“Our plans to relocate Tetsuya’s to a new site after it closes at the end of July have unfortunately not worked out and I have made the very difficult decision to permanently close the restaurant,” Wakuda said at the time.
This pop-up offers a rare opportunity to sample the chef’s craft once more — this time with a highball in hand and in a much more casual setting.
Jonathan Jackson, 30th July 2025
