Adam Liston

Emerging through smoke, steam and fire, yakitori chef Adam Liston lit Adelaide’s dining scene on fire co-opening Japanese hotspot Shobosho on Adelaide’s transformed Leigh Street.

Shobosho's reputation was furthered in 2018 with its being awarded a Good Food Guide chef hat and a Gourmet Traveller star in each of the prestigious publications' national guides.

Liston's brand of charcoal-cooked cuisine and yakitori – a Japanese skewered chicken, has been conceptualised into Shobosho’s open kitchen serving up the best of Japanese finesse – raw, fire, and smoke with Kardachi’s philosophy of small share plates.

Launching off of Magill Estate onto restaurateur Simon Kardachi’s flagship the Melting Pot (now Nido Pasta Bar), Liston became one of Adelaide’s brightest stars in the 2000’s – nominated for the best new talent category by Australian Gourmet Traveller. Fascinated with Asian culture and cuisine, Liston travelled extensively through Japan and spent substantial time cooking his way through Asia.

He honed his craft in Shanghai, where he worked at the prestigious restaurant T8 for two years - notable for being rated inside the top five of the Miele Guide for China.

The exposed brick walls, hip-hop on loud speaker reflected the modern menu that had critics raving about every element of the restaurant – including elevating the humble fried rice to star status.

Before jumping at the opportunity to return home to join his old boss and add to the Kardachi empire, Liston and his Borrowed Space team were guests of Adelaide Festival’s Lola’s Pergola on the Riverbank.