The Fine Dining Chef Behind One of Melbourne's Best Sushi Restaurants

Описание: Serving some of Melbourne’s most quietly considered sushi, this intimate Japanese restaurant carries a deeply personal story of migration, discipline, and choosing craft over comfort. This Japanese restaurant situated in the heart of Footscray, Melbourne is led by Hansol, a Korean-born chef and owner whose approach to sushi is defined by discipline, repetition, and an exacting focus on the details such as rice.

Before entering hospitality, Hansol trained and worked as a school teacher, a career he left after realising he was not fulfilled, despite strong family expectations to remain in a stable academic profession.

This documentary follows Hansol’s transition from education into professional kitchens, where he began at entry level, working as a dishwasher and kitchen hand before progressing through sushi roles over several years working at Melbourne's oldest Japanese restaurant - Kenzan. Rather than moving quickly, he chose to stay within a narrow lane; repeating the same tasks daily to understand rice texture, seasoning ratios, temperature control, and timing. His cooking philosophy is practical and process-driven: sushi quality is determined first by rice, not fish.

Today, Hansol operates a reservation-only, 11-course Kaiseki (Omakase) that serves approximately 12 guests per night. The menu follows a kaiseki-inspired structure, with each course designed around balance, pacing, and consistency rather than spectacle. The restaurant’s small scale allows Hansol to control every step of service, from rice preparation to final plating, maintaining a standard shaped by years of fine-dining experience and quiet refinement.

This film documents a hospitality journey built on trade-offs — financial uncertainty in exchange for technical an opportunity to challenge one's self to do something different.

We are sincerely grateful to Hansol for trusting StoryBites with their story and allowing us into their workspace with openness and care.

StoryBites is a volunteer-led collective creating short food documentaries that connect everyday food lovers closer to the people behind some of New Zealand and Australia’s most essential venues. We exist to document faithfully disciplined chefs, immigrant-owned restaurants, and family-run hospitality businesses with accuracy, respect, and heart.

A sincere thank you to Honda Australia for believing in our mission to shine a light on the people who enrich our hospitality culture, and for helping us bring stories like this to communities across Victoria. Your support made this film possible.

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Credits:
Director of Photography: Justin Yau
Senior Editor: Justin Yau
Executive Producer: Justin Yau

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