Asako

Asako is a small Japanese restaurant at Shop 4/100 Tennyson Road in Mortlake, in Sydney's inner west, doing fresh sashimi, sushi, tempura and donburi in a cosy, modern dining room. For dog owners the action is on the outdoor terrace out front, where leashed dogs are welcome to settle beside the table while you work through a bento box or a bowl of katsu udon.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the outdoor seating area; the indoor dining room is off limits, as with most licensed restaurants. Staff are generally accommodating and have been known to switch on the outdoor heaters for tables dining with a dog, which makes the terrace usable on cool evenings. Water bowls and treats are not confirmed as standard, so bring your own travel bowl and ask when you arrive. Keep your dog leashed and settled close to the table, since the terrace sits beside a working footpath.

Worth knowing

The kitchen's reputation rests on sashimi and sushi platters, pork gyoza, soft shell crab and chicken katsu udon, with reviewers regularly calling out the friendly, attentive service. Lunch service runs from 11:30am Tuesday to Sunday, with the restaurant closed Mondays. Dine-in and takeaway are both on the table, so a takeaway order eaten at a terrace table works too.

Getting there and parking

Asako sits on Tennyson Road in the Mortlake village strip. Free street parking is usually available along Tennyson Road and the surrounding residential streets, so it is an easy drive-in suburb visit rather than a public transport destination.

Close by with the dogs

Mortlake Point is a short waterfront walk away for an on-lead stroll before or after lunch, and Kendall Reserve fenced dog park in Cabarita is a few minutes up the road if your dog needs a proper off-lead run. Wolfpack Coffee Roasters in the same suburb covers the coffee stop, while Majors Bay Reserve at Concord is another good off-leash option nearby.

Max: I held my best footpath settle on the terrace and the humans turned the heater on for me before they even looked at the menu.