OUR STORY
When Restaurant 16 first opened its doors in 2011, Chef Toru Ryu’s aim was to bring together the flavours of fresh Italian cooking with the Japanese cuisine of his heritage.
The name “16” came to be from the unit number that Chef used to live at long ago… Having many fond memories from his time there, it was an obvious move to name his restaurant “16”!
On his days off, he would invite his co-workers and friends over for a feast of food and drinks to practice his cooking skills. After a while, everyone began to call the place “16”. The place was filled with smiling faces and a wonderful, happy atmosphere, and we wanted our restaurant to be a place that made everyone feel welcome and happy to be there.
On some of these marvellous occasions, Chef’s friends and colleagues would come to try out his cooking and to also improve their own skills. Sometimes they would bring their own wine and liquor, sometimes the chefs would cook for each other, and the place would always be filled with happy, joyful moments!
We hope 16 will be a enjoyable and welcoming place for all our visitors!
About Chef 龍 徹
Chef Toru Ryu was born in Kurume City, Fukuoka Japan. As a young man his passion was Baseball. His parents’ home was also a restaurant made famous for its handmade Udon Noodles; it was one of the many Japanese soul food restaurants in Kyushu.
From a young age, he grew up watching his parents make noodles and all the other dishes. After losing his dream of playing professional baseball, he then went to culinary school. His specialty was Japanese cuisine.
After graduating from culinary school, he worked for many years at Kappo Ryoutei which is traditional Japanese restaurants in Osaka and Fukuoka, where he acquired even more skills. After that, he came to Australia as a working holidaymaker and travelled around Europe, where he fell in love with the extraordinary cuisine of Sardinia, Italy.
Returning to Australia, he trained under Armando Percuoco at one of Sydney’s top Italian restaurants: Bon Ricordordo and he further expanded his knowledge and understanding of Italian cuisine.
In 2011, he opened his own restaurant “16” in Neutral Bay, Sydney, which combines the essence of Italian cuisine with his own unique Japanese cooking style.
We are delighted to announce the reopening of New Style 16 in 2022
Japanese Italian Degustation *Omakase*
For this reopening, we decided to try a new concept that integrates chef’s background and experience in Japan.
We have decided to keep the good parts of 16’s Italian taste and atmosphere, but with a stronger emphasis on traditional Japanese cuisine. The atmosphere will be more intimate and cozy. The menu will only consist of recommended courses selected by Chef Toru. No more a la carte menu. The new menu will be a “degustation” style, in Japanese, this is known as “Omakase”, the dining in which guests leave themselves in the hands of a chef and receive a meal which is seasonal, elegant, and uses the finest ingredients available on the day! The menu will include some popular dishes from the past, but it will also include some of our own favourite and new dishes as well!
We also have a new selection of wines and sake to match the chef’s creations, and we hope that these encounters will lead to further pursuit of deliciousness and make the restaurant a wonderful place where customers can always spend time with a smile.
For the time being, we would like to have a maximum of 12 people per day, with only 4 tables positions, so that you can enjoy your meal in a relaxed atmosphere.
In 2024, 16 will be celebrating its 14th year. We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Thank you very much.
Menu : Chef’s OMAKASE From $180 per person (Depending on the ingredients of the day, there may be additional options for the menu)
Fully Licensed ( NO BYO, However please ask for your special occasion )
🔴Important Information about booking 🔴
**Booking method : Please go to Online booking
⭐︎Please read carefully about our terms & Conditions (within 48 hours of your booking or no show up, a cancellation full fee will apply)
After you made a booking,
Please check your junk or spam mail box just in case you make sure you have your booking conformation.
**Please note dietary requirements**
Our menu is mainly based on seafood, although some meat dishes are included. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but as our chef is a one-man operation, we are unable to cater for allergies or vegetarian requirements at this time. Please note that we are unable to offer any alternative menu items.
**Number of reservations
Due to the limited number of tables, reservations should be made in groups of four or six. Please note that reservations for two people will be placed on a waiting list and will be subject to availability on the day of the reservation. 8ppl or more, 10% surcharge will apply.
**Children
We are more than happy to welcome reservations with children who are served the same menu as adults.
Since we have become omakase only, we are no longer able to offer special meals for children.
This is because Chef Toru has been working by all himself in the kitchen, which sometimes causes inconvenience and delays in serving the food to other guests. We are very sorry for this and ask for your understanding.
Please ensure that all guests with children are seated under the supervision of a parent or guardian so as not to inconvenience other guests. Thank you for your cooperation.
**About Dining time**
Please allow at least 3 hours for your meal. We limit the number of reservations to a small number per day in order to create a space where you can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with your loved ones, including drinks and conversation along with the food.
Each dish is carefully prepared and served to our guests just before the meal.
Please schedule your reservations well in advance so that you can enjoy your meal. This style of dining is not suitable for guests who prefer a hurried service delivery.
Thank you for your understanding.
Closed on Sunday & Monday, Public holiday
Small Private Party, function available on request. (8ppl or more, 10% surcharge will apply)
If you have any questions, inquiry in regards to private party or booking,
please send a message to 0447 016 012
Please check our update at our instagram,
sixteen_restaurant or Face book page Restaurant16.
**Please read carefully again before you make booking***
There is a lot of seafood on the menu.
Please note that
we are unable to cater for any
dietary requirement
(including gluten free)
Thank you so much for all your support.