#390 Thant Aung & Aaron Kher | Hinata Premium Sushi and Sashimi

Tucked away in a little shopping village in Beaumaris, Hinata Premium Sushi and Sashimi is a neighbourhood Japanese restaurant where chef and owner Thant Aung brings almost two decades of experience to a menu of beautifully fresh sushi and sashimi, hand rolls, comforting curries and generous Japanese meals. Thant's journey began washing dishes at a sushi train in Queensland, eventually taking him to Nobu Melbourne and, finally, a restaurant of his own. Joining us for the conversation was Aaron Kher, a recent MasterChef semi-finalist who has been spending a few days each week in Thant's kitchen, learning the finer points of Japanese cooking. I loved the warmth between these two, particularly the way their relationship has become a genuine exchange of knowledge and ideas. Thant has years of professional experience to share, while Aaron brings a different perspective and plenty of curiosity. I was also delighted to discover that Hinata participates in Too Good To Go, the food rescue app I wrote about for Broadsheet when it launched in Melbourne in 2024. Through the app, users can purchase a Surprise Bag of food that might otherwise go to waste. Thant would much rather see his beautiful food enjoyed than thrown away, and it's already brought new customers through his door. There was plenty of laughter around the table, and what stayed with me was the generosity of two cooks at very different stages of their careers who are genuinely excited about what they can learn from one another.