RESTAURANT NEWS
SYDNEY
Surry Hills has welcomed Bar Suze, a wine bar by three pals who met working across the likes of Pinbone, Acme and 121BC. In the kitchen Phil Stenvall’s Swedish heritage comes through in the ever-changing menu, which may include smoked prawns with saffron aïoli one night, and smoked mussels with ’nduja and toasted bread the next; while the wine list favours Italian, Australian and French producers.
An ex-Peppe’s chef can now be found at Lorraine’s, the newly minted bistro above Waverley’s Robin Hood Hotel, which pays tribute to the venue’s original owner Lorraine Havin, one of the first female licensees in New South Wales. Chef Clement Marchais is working over a charcoal grill to produce dishes including charred octopus with harissa and potato; and charcoal leek with hazelnut and truffle vinaigrette.
Down by the beach in Bondi, Ikaria has opened. The breezy Greek-style taverna is serving taramasalata; saganaki with chestnut honey and lemon; and keftedes (lamb meatballs).
Haymarket’s Darling Square has added two new eateries to the fold.
Uma Curry and Roti is the second venture from the team behind
Parliament on King, pairing perfectly golden rounds of roti bread with rich curries; while Simulation Senpai is Chase Kojima’s new permanent sashimi and chirashizushi stand.
Finally, two new venues are set to open in June. The first is Neil Perry’s solo venture Margaret in Double Bay. “It’s just me cooking the food I love, in a more neighbourhood or relaxed environment. I’ve been in corporate land for quite some time,” says Perry, who looks to combine simplicity with luxury at the 170-seat restaurant. There will be wood-fired rotisserie chicken, wild-caught seafood, steak frites and even lasagne. While in Rose Bay, Josh and Julie Niland will continue to explore new ways with seafood at Charcoal Fish. Inspired by the chicken-shop model, their focus will be on elevating the humble fish and chips.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The team behind Seed has opened a new venue on the main street of the Clare Valley. After setting the tone for dining in the area with their last venture, chef and restaurateur Guy Parkinson and head chef Louis Ritchie have expanded Seed’s bistro offerings to include a rooftop bar and a deli café. In the Adelaide CBD Fugazzi Bar
and Dining has opened, headed by Masterchef alumna Laura Sharrad.
The Leigh Street restaurant’s menu highlights include snacks of potato cake, crème fraîche, salmon roe and chives; and mortadella finger sandwiches with mayonnaise, pickled shallots and pecorino; while pastas include gnocchi cacio e pepe and whole-egg corzetti with pepper sugo and Spencer Gulf king prawn.
NORTHERN RIVERS
Fleet in sunny Brunswick Heads is taking a three-month sabbatical, and in its place will be Roco, a “ramen in residence” project spearheaded by Fleet’s own
Daiki Shigeta from June to September. The Tokyo-born chef will serve tokusei (special) ramen – the pork broth, for example, is simmered over two days, while the handmade noodles might be made of a rye or buckwheat flour blend. It comes topped with chashu (using pork neck from the local Esperanza Farm) and marinated free-range eggs.
CANBERRA
Corella Restaurant and Bar has opened in the ever-evolving suburb of Braddon. Owner Wes Heincke (who’s behind Assembly on nearby Lonsdale Street) has recruited head chef Nemanja Babič (ex-Courgette) to put together a menu focused on native ingredients, such as macadamia, finger lime, lemon myrtle, Davidson’s plum, bunya nuts and marron.
MELBOURNE
A sprawling 300-person capacity
New Shanghai restaurant has opened in the CBD. Alongside its signature dishes of dim sum, roast duck pancakes and noodles, you’ll find delicious small plates, which include cumin-dusted lamb skewers; grilled oysters with XO sauce; and crisp garlic pork ribs.
Baker Bleu is set to welcome its second outpost, with a Hawksburn Village location due to open in early June, offering bread (including its super country rounds), seasonal pizze and sourdough pastries.
Sixty Smith is a bright new bar and restaurant in Collingwood. Head chef Three Phadungkarn (ex-MoVida and Syracuse) is behind the globetrotting menu, which combines flavours from Thailand, France and Spain.