Zauo: New New York restaurant requires you to fish for your meal

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

A new Japanese restaurant set to open in New York City requires diners to engage in some manual labour before they can enjoy their meal.

With a new twist on farm-to-table, patrons at Zauo must first catch their meal before they can eat it - from one of the huge tanks filled with different types of fish.

Using a fishing pole with bait, just like typical fishermen, diners must hook their dinner before employees will haul the catch in with nets.

While the fishing rod must be rented, the bait is free.

Diners can then decide how they want their catch of the day served up - from options including tempura, sashimi or sushi.

Taking the fishermen theme to heart, the 175-seat restaurant, which is set to open on West 24th street in February or March, is built to feel as if you’re aboard a boat - meaning New Yorkers will get a taste of life on the open seas.

However, while the concept may seem out-there, it is not new.

The Takahashi brothers, Kazuhisa and Takuya, who came up with the fishing-themed restaurant, have had success with Zauo in Japan - where there are currently 13 locations.

But during a visit to New York City in July, the brothers were inspired to bring their creation here.

And considering the restaurant reviews on Yelp - which average around four stars - it seems likely the new Zauo will be a hit.

However, if the idea of putting in work before you can eat doesn’t appeal, patrons can always request that their meal is caught by Zauo employees instead.

This takes fresh seafood to a whole new level.