When you think of Mr Miyagi, chances are that salmon nori taco immediately springs to mind. Imagine how many of these the bustling Japanese-inspired diner has churned out since opening in 2013.

Over almost a decade, the taco (and, of course, the restaurant itself) has garnered a loyal following. But now, Mr Miyagi is expanding – for a limited time only. The team has just announced that it’s crossing the river to open a pop-up restaurant in the CBD.

For six weeks from Thursday June 30, Mr Miyagi in the Big Smoke will take over boutique Russell Street hotel QT Melbourne. Its tucked-away events space, called Hot Sauce Laneway, is being converted in Mr Miyagi style.

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Executive chef Kyle Doody is sticking to the brand’s signature Japanese influence, but you can expect a whole new menu centred around charcoal-fired proteins.

Set to rival the hard-shell salmon taco is a recently developed soft-shell variation: a house-made nori tortilla will be stacked with rockling, charry shisito peppers and shiso salt. There’ll also be smoked salmon served tableside from a glass cloche billowing with smoke; togarashi lamb chops with edamame and pea smash; and more.

According to Mr Miyagi founder Kristian Klein, “This [pop-up] idea was sparked while executive chef Kyle Doody was camping on the banks of the Murray and cooking over a searing-hot firepit.”

“The flavour of wood smoke is just as important in this menu as salt,” he adds. “We wanted to integrate some of the amazing flavours that everyone loves about smoky foods with our signature Mr Miyagi style.”

Broadsheet Access experienced Mr Miyagi's pop-up before it opened to the public. Want to come to our next Editor's Preview night? Find out more.

Mr Miyagi in the Big Smoke will run at QT Melbourne from June 30. It’ll open for dinner from Thursday to Saturday for six weeks. Book online.

mrmiyagi.com.au/qt