KOTO set to bring a touch of Japan to the Parliamentary Triangle
Koto’s arrival in Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle was highlighted by HerCanberra as a new chapter for the former Lobby site, introducing a dining experience shaped by Japanese cuisine, design and garden traditions.
At the centre of Koto’s culinary direction is Executive Chef and Sushi Master Shinya Nakano, whose training in Kyoto and experience at Melbourne’s Nobu and Kisumé helped shape the restaurant’s approach. The feature highlights his use of Japanese kaiseki philosophy alongside Australian ingredients, with Tasmanian sea urchin, Fremantle octopus, bluefin tuna, finger lime and saltbush among the produce selected for the menu.
The Japanese influence extends beyond the food. HerCanberra explores how Koto’s name, drawn from Kyoto, is reflected throughout the restaurant’s design, with natural materials, layered timber screens and elements inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi.
The surrounding gardens form another part of the experience, with master gardener Shinya Ueda drawing inspiration from Tokyo’s Hama-Rikyu garden to create a dry gravel garden representing Lake Burley Griffin. Together, the food, architecture and landscape were designed to bring a distinctive sense of Japan to the heart of Canberra.
The feature offers an early look at the ideas behind Koto and the considered details that would shape its dining experience from the food to the spaces surrounding it.
