Koto Dining's wonderful sense of theatre and aesthetics

It was from this building that Paul Keating launched his bid to topple Bob Hawke, declaring himself the "Placido Domingo of politics". The site is now in the experienced hands of Adam Elchakak and his team, who own Inka in the city. There is a sense of anticipation for the show that is about to begin.

We are presented with just one menu to share, which may reflect simplicity, however, it presents logistical ordering challenges, as it contains more than 60 dishes to choose from.

The wine list is also lengthy, with opulent cocktails on offer and plenty of great bottles, but limited choice by the glass.

There is an attractive-looking sake and shu section, although unfortunately there doesn't appear to be anyone on hand to guide the unassuming tourist through this offering.

We indulge in a "shiso" cocktail, made with shiso leaf, snap pea, mint, lime, gin and absinthe ($23). It's delicious and we could be dining in Ginza right now.

Aburi salmon belly sashimi ($24) arrives like a bullet train, licked by the flame on its way through. Hokkaido scallop nigiri with almond honey and lemon burm (two for $16) is equally fast, fresh and delicate. A few minutes later, the cauliflower with blue cheese, pepper berry shichimi and pears ($18). It has the subtle, smoky, blue cheese undertones that your grandma's cheesy cauliflower does not have. But she probably doesn't have a robata grill either.

Thirty minutes after arrival, the lights go down and the place starts to shine. The ambient luminosity is perfectly pitched.

Allusions of Wynton Marsalis jazz echo through the timber slats like a beautiful trumpet in a tranquil forest.

It's an appropriate backdrop to receive a couple of vegetarian dishes.

Mekyabetu is a dish made with Brussels sprouts, yuzu soy, aonori, apple and parsley ($19). A bonsai tree of perfectly grown sprouts, with each leaf carefully formed and placed strategically in the bowl.

Sadly, the dressing is overdone, and the top half of the dish performs better than the bottom half.

Daikon to tufu salada with renkon pickles, crispy kale and onion soy dressing ($19) is a fine idea, with some puffed rice floating on top, but the crunchy slices arrive, again, over-dressed for the occasion.

The staff at Koto are a mix of locals and those on secondment, including our delightful waitress from Osaka. They don't intrude. But they don't interact too deeply either.

We have now had five courses in 25 minutes. We request a change of plates, with all of these soys, ponzus, shisos, and yuzus swimming together like pedestrians at the Shibuya Crossing.

We want a clear runway for the tempura, given that chef Shinya Nakano worked at Kisume in Melbourne, the home of some of the best tempura in the country.

Uchiwa ebi tempura ($34) is a bug tempura dish with onion, jalapeno, shallot and amazu ponzu. The tempura batter is double the thickness it should be. The bugs are large and juicy, but they lack seasoning.

It's not enough to change prime ministers over, but the dish lacks the sense of delicacy that the postcard suggested. We are also charged an extra $2 on the account. Perhaps it's the double batter.

I ask our waitress if we should have ordered rice with the main course. She's not sure but appears a few minutes later with a small bowl ($7) regardless. We have now had seven dishes in 40 minutes. As the early sitting tables start to call for their accounts, the couples to the left and the right of us struggle to gain the attention of the staff. They both go to the front entrance to square their ledgers.

The shorto ribu is a tender cut of beef short rib with karashi su miso glaze, smoked eggplant puree and corn salsa ($43). The texture is luscious and it comes with a tiny pool of mint oil - exquisite when mixed with the eggplant. Despite some imperfections, there are Mt Fuji-like highlights.

The dessert menu arrives at our table before the plates are cleared. I'm not sure that Marie Kondo would approve of this practice.

Shotokeki is a Japanese ichigo short cake with hazelnuts, strawberry sorbet ($18). It's light, fluffy and nicely formed. Mochi Kyoto yatsuhashi, white chocolate, yuzu cheese, azuki ($19) are origami-like parcels of fun, made with a delicate touch. We ask for share plates and are kindly obliged. With plates as beautiful as these, I'm unsure why they aren't changed more often.

Ninety minutes later, we are out the heavy timber double doors.

Koto has a wonderful sense of theatre, aesthetics, and intimacy. We don't hit the Placido Domingo heights tonight, but if the consistency of the food and service can rise to the same level as the design and build, Koto can grow into a serious performer on the big stage.

Address: 1 King George Terrace, Parkes

Phone: 6189 4555

Website: kotodining.com.au

Hours: Monday to Saturday, noon til 3pm, 5.30pm til 10.30pm

Chef: Shinya Nakano

Noise: Fine

Dietary: Plenty of options