Inari, the second restaurant at Tiger Lane, opens its doors this week, bringing with it Japanese cuisine

Inari, a Japanese restaurant that will pay homage to Japanese 1960s retrofuturism, joins Taki in what is the Canberra Centre's newly renovated foodie hub.

Borrowing its namesake from the Japanese god of rice, Inari is the signature restaurant of the man dubbed Tiger Lane's "Sushi shaman", Shaun Presland.

Presland is one of the gaijins (a Japanese word for foreigners of non-East Asian ethnicities) who have been welcomed into the world of Japanese cuisine and has had an impact on the dining scene across Australia.

His menu explores traditional Japanese dishes fused with Peruvian influence, centred around locally sourced seafood. Hero dishes include the quail kara-age, a version of chicken kara-age of butterflied whole quail, in a buttermilk marinade, dusted in a signature spice blend and served with house anticucho red and yellow sauces - a nod to the Peruvian influence (Nikkei) on modern contemporary Japanese cuisine.

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There's also the glacier 51 miso toothfish, sustainably caught from Antarctica, marinated for two days in a traditional old-school Saikyo miso paste from Kyoto and grilled until golden brown and crisp on the edges.

"I learnt this dish in 1995 and have paid homage to it my whole career, while incorporating a sustainable species," Presland says.

Joining the Inari team as head chef is Maria Sheslow. Fresh from the ranks at Sydney's Bay Nine Omakase, Sheslow brings 13 years of experience in some of Australia's most well-known kitchens.

"Inari encourages you to leave restraint at the door and pull down your mask for a dining experience interlaced with entertainment and wonder," Presland says.

The wider Tiger Lane precinct will introduce a curated collection of modern Asian food experiences from higher end dining experiences through to fun, lively street food. Upon its completion, it will span 2000 square metres and feature 12 hawker-style dining outlets and bars split into different sections reflective of their cuisine and country of origin including Japan, South Korea, southern China, northern China and South East Asia.

From Wednesday, Inari will be open for lunch Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to 9pm. From January 21, Inari will be open for lunch and dinner every day of the week.

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