Nikkei cuisine to hit Oxford St thanks to the team behind Aalia and Jōji
Esca Group – the team behind lauded Sydney restaurants Aalia, Besa, Nour, Itō, and Jōji – is gearing up to bring Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to Sydney’s Oxford Street this October.
“I’ve always loved Nikkei cuisine. It’s incredibly vibrant, layered and exciting,”
Amé will join Darlinghurst’s burgeoning Oxford & Foley precinct, which is already home to Aenza and Mecca Coffee, and is poised to welcome Australia’s first Soho House in 2028.
The restaurant, led by Executive Chef Erik Ortolani, will draw inspiration from Nikkei cuisine – a fusion born from 130 years of Japanese immigration to Peru.
Esca Group Co-Founder and Creative Director Ibrahim Moubadder says the cuisine feels underrepresented in Sydney.
“I’ve always loved Nikkei cuisine. It’s incredibly vibrant, layered and exciting,” says Moubadder.
“Sydney is one of the greatest dining cities because we don’t just replicate cuisines, our chefs interpret them through the way this city eats, and I don’t think Nikkei has had that moment here yet. That’s what excites us about Amé.”
Amé will be located at 84 Oxford Street and open daily for dinner, and for lunch Wednesday to Sunday, from October 2026.