About Us
Izakaya 居酒屋
The word "Izakaya" is made up of 3 Japanese characters which mean Stay + 居 + Alcohol + 酒 Shop + 屋
Over 100 years ago in Japan, shops that sold Nihonshu (sake) would let customers sit and drink in the shop. They would sit on crates, boxes or whatever was handy. The shop keepers started to give customers small snacks to go with the sake, which paved the way for the Izakaya, or Japanese Bar!
Yama Zaru Izakaya and the 3 Monkeys
The literal translation of Yama Zaru Izakaya, ‘Mountain Monkey stay-drink-place’ only adds more to the mystique of this offbeat Japanese restaurant and karaoke rooms. The perhaps more accurately named Monkey Bar, self identifies as a Japanese-style pub, specialist karaoke bar and restaurant. The three cheeky monkeys adorning the palace gives suitable irreverence to a venue that combines some of the best and freshest traditional Japanese cuisine with the modernity of digital Karaoke room and Asahi, Sapporo and more beers on tap.
Cherry Blossoms and cheeky monkeys are not your usual décor for a FNQ Restaurant, but for Yama Zaru Izakaya, the cherry blossoms against the backdrop of Japanese murals and vibrant teal welcome you into another world, right here in Cairns City.
The venue is the creation of owner Adam Craven-Sands, a familiar face to many locals, having worked front of house in many prestigious Cairns restaurants over the decade. A self confessed Japan-o-holic, his love and fascination with Japan started here in hospitality in FNQ. Wanting to be able to interact with his customers he started learning Japanese. Not only did he fall in love with their language, but their country too, having visited Japan over sixty times to date.
Opening Yama Zaru has combined Adam’s passions of Japanese cuisine and culture along with providing top notch hospitality.
“I wanted to bring a piece of Japan here for everyone to experience with me. I love building the connection and interaction with guests and Japan. To be able to combine the two here in Yama Zaru is fantastic,” says Adam.
Yama Zaru Izakaya’s doors opened in late 2022, the décor curated through Adams personal journey and immersion into Japanese culture. The venue is one of a kind unique, boasting an authentic thatched ceiling, honeyed timber tables and booths, walls adorned with Japanese artworks and traditional items and artefacts; in contrast there is also a constant video display featuring contemporary, traditional, and extraordinary sights and wonders of Japan. The look and feel of the restaurant has been designed to create the authentic feel of Japan with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The centerpiece of the restaurant is a magnificent timber sushi bar, where you will find renowned sushi chefs,
Catering to all groups, couples and singles, the seating is designed to make you feel at ease. You can pull up a seat at the sushi bar, enjoy a chat with the chef whilst watching the master create as you savour his sashimi and sushi delights. The entire family can relax and enjoy a delicious meal off the main menu every night with gluten free options and supper options.
The menu takes a twist on traditional Japanese favourites with an emphasis on sharing, Tapas style and small plates. Adam is borderline obsessive on sourcing the freshest and most authentic ingredients, something which shows through across the entire menu. Particularly worthy of mention are the marinated octopus, the smoked fish and some of the best and freshest sashimi we have had in the region. Every detail has been covered, the restaurant directly imports special items from Japan and even has an exclusive supply of fresh authentic wasabi, which is certainly not to be missed.
Your authentic Japanese dining experience at Yama Zaru Izakaya, wouldn’t be complete without sampling at least one of the huge range of traditional sakes (Nihon Shu) and Japanese vodkas (Shochu) to complement your meal, or for a burst of Nihon-Dutch courage for your singing debut upstairs.
Of course, no Japanese bar would be complete without karaoke, and that’s where the monkeys – Drink, Eat and Sing come out to play! Yama Zaru’s fun trio offer encouragement in the karaoke room on the mezzanine level. You can book the room for as little as an hour before or after dinner, or make an entire evening with your mates and enjoy a full bar and supper service at your private karaoke party.
The venue hosts unique events like wine tastings plus weekly specials can be found on their Facebook page so you and your crew can plan a night to “Eat, Drink and Sing” at Yama Zaru Izakaya.