Koji Bird features open-flame cooking and house-distilled spirits

Updated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

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Good luck nailing down the KPIs of Koji Bird. A restaurant at a distillery sharing space with a daytime coffee operation, it’s the izakaya that defies definitions. Debate them over a shochu sour featuring parent business Reed and Co’s hooch as you witness skilled chefs command the fierce-looking charcoal-fired oven. They coax big flavours from north-east Victorian produce without sacrificing nuance.

Sweet-fleshed trout from nearby Harrietville is served with its own crisped skin and a sharp ume dashi. Charry yakitori – perhaps chicken oysters – are primed with an umami-rich koji glaze, the tasty fungus proving its worth in both the distillery’s Japanese spirits and on the plate.

Venison tataki in a ponzu puddle is an “eat the problem” revelation, while dessert, an ice-cream sandwich made with passionfruit-spiked sake lees, is built for little and big kids alike.

Good to know: Get game-ready with a pre-dinner tasting at adjacent Reed and Co Distillery.

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