Sure,we miss Fleet and its two-hatted tasting menu in this teensy chic space,but chef Daiki Shigeta’s semi-permanent Roco residency is a very welcome replacement.

A sumibiyaki barbecue section on the menu compliments three ramen options and snacks,and you can have a highly satisfying time without seeing a single house-made,hand-cut rye noodle.

Hibachi-grilled squid is rich and punchy in a pool of brown butter and fermented chilli;skewered chicken thighs thump with aged tare and yuzukosho;vegetables from the farmers’ market are served pickled and raw with silky baba ghanoush. It really is all about the ramen though,especially a roasted chicken-bone broth boasting generous slices of pork neck char siu and flavour with its own gravitational pull.

As for the sake,chilled junmai abounds,but restaurant manager James Fury also rocks original cocktails and Byron Bay whiskies that shouldn’t be skipped.

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