Nobuyuki Aoki is a busy man but he wouldn’t want it any other way.
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The owner of Kitami Carrington, Kitami Beaumont Street and Kitami King Street, he is also head chef at the King Street, Newcastle, premises formerly occupied by Red Baron.
Nobu grew up in Osaka, Japan, making a living as a fisherman before opening his own restaurant and izakaya bar. Upon moving to Australia he ran the kitchen at Kitami Darby Street, taking over ownership of the Kitami name.
Kitami has, over the years, developed a reputation in Newcastle for authentic, fresh and delicious Japanese cuisine. Kitami Carrington started off as a Japanese grocery store and take away and is now run by Nobu’s wife Yukari. For the first time, lunch prepared in the Carrington kitchen is now being delivered to Newcastle businesses and employees. Vegetarian and teriyaki tofu and katsudon are on the menu, as well as a daily special.
Kitami Beaumont Street has re-opened and is serving lunch and dinner, and customers have the choice of dining in or taking away.
But Nobu had always dreamed of opening a Japanese izakaya bar in Newcastle. When Red Baron owner Gordon Weiss sold up to work overseas (Food & Wine was told he is working for the United Nations in Kenya) Nobu jumped at the chance to secure the premises. Kitami King Street has kept the moody, late-night jazz feel of Red Baron and infused it with Japanese culture. Kimonos and samurai swords adorn the walls. There is even an authentic samurai armour.
Kitami King Street is a sushi and izakaya bar, not a restaurant. Izakaya, Nobu explained, is a Japanese-style pub where people can stop by after work or on weekends for a drink matched with small Japanese tasting plates. All drinks can be matched with a dish but you can’t make a dinner reservation as such.
Kitami, at 31 King Street, serves classic and signature cocktails, Australian wines, Japanese sake and umeshu, and different spirits and Japanese beers. The food is made fresh and only the best sashimi is cut by Nobu. Kitami King Street’s menu changes with the seasons and right now it’s all about fresh fish and vegetables. The izakaya menu features carpaccios, takoyaki (octopus balls) and tempuras. Vegetarian and vegan options are available but just about every dish, Nobu said, contains gluten.
