The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry | A Sydney Food Blog

Japanese brunch, Kuki Tanuki, Erskineville

March 18th, 2012  |  Published in Uncategorized  |  7 Comments

Kuki Tanuki, Erskineville

If you feel battle-tested by the idea of eggs and sides (again!) for weekend breakfast, then you’ll be happy to know Kuku Tanuki in Erskineville is now offering a Japanese spin on brunch.

Kuki Tanuki, Erskineville

This sake bar has been doing cool things, neighbourhood-wise, since it opened around new year. Having just relaunched, it scores extra grades for its new breakfast bento boxes, especially the vegetarian one ($22), which is beautifully loaded with a tempura eggplant sandwich, crisp potato-corn fritter, twirl of tomato-onion soba salad, pickled radishes, fig tempura, a flavour-stacked pile of grilled tomato and mushroom and the “autopsy” of an avocado, slathered in a gorgeously sweet sauce.

Kuki Tanuki, Erskineville

There’s a little “refreshment corner” in the bento of strawberry and rockmelon, too. The whole thing is greatness, compartmentalised.

Kuki Tanuki, Erskineville

You can also ask for Japanese iced coffee ($3) or zingy mocktails such as the goofily named Newtang ($7.50), which mixes two kinds of grapefruit with calpis. But if you need an alcoholic hit, do order a yuzu sake from Kuki Tanuki – it’s the only bar I’ve ever been to that stocks that delicious drink (besides Sake, but that’s not exactly the kind of place you can visit everyday).

Kuki Tanuki, Erskineville

This establishment is, though. And the new brunch menu is one of many things it is doing to earn your attention span (live music, new drinks and some gussying up of the already cool interior are other plays for your interest). Oh and when you walk into a bar and it already has The Cure’s endlessly replayable Greatest Hits on rotation, then you know it’s a place you want to spend (lots!) more time in.

Kuki Tanuki, 61 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville NSW (02) 8084 7438. You can follow Kuku Tanuki on Facebook

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7 Comments

  1. The outside of the place looks so cute and the bento boxes look amazing too, nice to see a different style of bento for breakfast! It’s an instant “must-do” for me then.

  2. We’ve been craving a Japanese breakfast since leaving the ryokan in Kyoto 5 years ago. Might have to pop in and see if this hits the spot.

    Had drinks & dinner snacks there in January and thougth the food was good (if a touch expensive).

  3. Ah so cute! My sister would love this cause she loves her food been ‘separated’ since she has issues with her food touching each other o_o

  4. I’ve been wanting to try this place for a while now. Can’t wait to pop by for brunch!

  5. leetranlam says:

    Thanks for the nice words. The bentos are worth trying out.

  6. Melissa says:

    I’ve been craving for a nice jap bento and this sounds like the place that i should check out. lovely photos!

  7. sydneycool says:

    Kuki Tanuki is a cool Japanese bar – worth a look

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Hi, I'm Lee Tran Lam. When not blogging with my mouth full, I'm usually writing, presenting Local Fidelity on FBi radio, making zines, producing podcasts or continually breaking promises about how I really am gonna get through my book pile one day.

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This is a blog about eating and drinking in Sydney, Australia (with the odd cross-border or off-topic detour). BYO appetite.

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