Izakaya Haiiro Hawthorne | Must Do Brisbane

Izakaya Haiiro is a hidden gem of a Japanese robatayaki restaurant and bar, tucked away in the micro dining precinct Two Sixty-Five Hawthorne Road.

From the decor to the food and drinks, Izakaya Haiiro offers a unique dining experience unlike any other in Brisbane.

The moodily-lit restaurant has a unique ambience with curved concrete walls, creating a cave-like atmosphere. Custom-designed booths line the walls, providing a sense of privacy and intimacy for diners.

Izakaya Haiiro is a friendly casual eatery that offers fare on par with fine dining. The menu features a range of Japanese dishes including robatayaki cuisine cooked over hot charcoal, and local, fresh seafood such as salmon, tuna loin, kingfish, king prawn and scallops. Everything is made in-house including the sauces created from fresh ingredients from a local supplier.

There's an array of Nibbles to start, from edamame with pink salt or garlic and wagyu gyoza, to nasu dengaku (eggplant and sweet miso) and crispy layered potatoes.

Deep-fried dishes include oyster katsu, salmon tempura, karaage chicken and the Yasai Katsu set (crumbed avocado, pumpkin, sweet potato, eggplant, rice, miso soup, sliced sugarloaf with sumiso). There's traditional Yakitori, from wagyu beef and chicken, pork and king prawn, to scallops and eggplant.

The Robata menu features meat and seafood cooked over hot charcoal, including lobster, duck, pork, wagyu, and the Tomahawk Steak Platter - chargrilled tomahawk served with smashed potato, vege selection and a mini grill to barbecue your veges.

For seafood lovers, there's assorted sashimi, shucked oysters served with yuzu ponzu, kingfish tartare, and the must-try sesame tuna tataki - sesame-seared tuna, mashed avocado, and blueberries with tosazu dressing.

If you can't decide, there's Haiiro Moriwase (Chef's choice of sashimi, sushi, robata, yakitori, deep-fried dishes and salad) or Robata Yakitori Moriwase (8 skewers of yakitori served with chargrilled sugarloaf, yuzu miso cucumber, karubi sauce and mayo).

Izakaya Haiiro is open for lunch daily offering a special lunch menu including the highly recommended wagyu kaisen don.

The extensive drinks menu features special flights of sake, whisky, vodka and gin, Japanese beer on tap and bottled, and cocktails crafted with sake including a dirty martini, dry margarita or Matcha Smore. Other delectable concoctions are Midori Sour, Yuzu Highball, and Violet Ocean.

In addition, there is a carefully curated wine list featuring wines from around the world including Italy, Greece and USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand.