RESTAURANT NEWS
THE LATEST FROM CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS AROUND AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA
The team behind Tokyo Tina, Hanoi Hannah et al is heading to Balaclava, where it will open Moonhouse, fusing Asian flavours with classic bistro dishes. The corner restaurant will see executive chef Anthony Choi (Cumulus Inc and Firebird) joined by head chef Shirley Summakwan to power a menu of idiosyncratic snacks: think prawn toast amplified by a prawn bisque dipping sauce; or a club sandwich tricked up by replicating flavours found in Hainanese chicken rice.
In the city, Chris Lucas will unveil his latest venture on Flinders Lane, Grill
Americano. Drawing inspiration from Northern Italy and promising old-school hospitality, the menu will centre on fire-kissed produce cooked over a Josper grill and hand-built wood oven.
In Fitzroy, young chef Ruby Haupt (Rosetta) and her father Graham Haupt have opened Freda’s Bistro. By night, you'll find Italian-leaning dishes including pumpkin ricotta lasagne and gnocchi with beef brisket ragù; while seafood gets a good look in with mussels fra diavolo; tuna crudo with salsa verde; and grilled king prawns with tarragon lemon butter. The venue is also set to switch to bakery mode on weekends, with koeksisters (a South African doughnut) and coffee, inspired by Ruby's grandmother and namesake of the restaurant. The restaurant will also integrate a specialty coffee cart, created by Graham Haupt's other business, Red Tops, designed with accessibility in mind. Made so that a person using a wheelchair can operate it, the cart accommodates varying heights and aims to show other hospitality businesses how they can offer employment to people with disabilities.
In Kew, chefs Ayhan Erkoc (Marque and Celsius) and Federico Perez Lopez (Vue de Monde and Crossley St Cantina) have joined forces to open day-to-night diner, Cotham Dining. Cooking with woodfire and over charcoal, Erkoc and Perez Lopez will work wholly with locally sourced ingredients and draw on their Turkish and Colombian heritage for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Down on Victoria's surf coast in Torquay, Mortadeli is slinging meatball subs, Italian smallgoods and continental rolls. You'll also find hobz biz-zejt, a Maltese-style sambo, with Maltese tomato paste, tuna, capers, olives, pickled red onion and salted ricotta.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Sydney has enthusiastically welcomed the arrival of AP Bakery in Surry Hills. The rooftop bakery is fast becoming a must-visit breakfast destination, with whisky canelés, bacon-layered sandwiches, pastrami pies, and croquemadame among the highlights.
A slice of the South Aegean has arrived on Circular Quay’s harbourfront via Ploos. Situated in the heritage-listed warehouses of Campbell’s Cove, Ploos sees Alpha’s chef Peter Conistis focus his attention on snacks and dishes from Cyprus and Crete. There’s a riff on nissiotiki (island-style) salad, studded with heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and olives, crowned with sea urchin roe and pickled samphire; and koupes, a Cypriot snack traditionally made from bulgur and ground meat, made with duck and served with tahini and garlic. Sheftalies (a Cypriot sausage) are made with lamb, beef and pork; and there are also loukoumades (Greek-style doughnuts) made with figs to finish.
Nearby, Bar Mammoni is the latest member of the Hinchcliff House family at Quay Quarter. The pint-sized laneway bar calls upon the baking skills of sister venue Grana Bakery, to pump out left-of-centre pastries, including gelato millefoglie and a croissant-cannoli crossover; followed by pizza by the slice and piadine at lunch time. Come Spritz o’clock, expect a focus on Italian and Australian amaros and bitters, joined by more hybrid snacks, including a mortadella and whipped ricotta croissant-sandwich; lobster roll bruschetta; and whipped lardo pizzetta. In the Northern Rivers, the Eltham
Hotel has welcomed new head chef
Tim Goegan, fresh from Gimlet and Supernormal. Goegan is set to inject some Melbourne dining flair into the menu, all while maintaining the warm pub feel that Eltham is known for.
QUEENSLAND
Leonards Bar and Bistro has welcomed new executive chef, Jimmy Richardson. The former head chef at Gerard’s Bistro previously worked at the Bridge Room and Cafe Paci, and is set to revamp the menu with a modern French bent.
More French fare is set to arrive with the opening of Hervé’s Restaurant and
Bar, heading to the top floor of Craft’d Grounds, a new lifestyle precinct in Albion. Led by co-founder and namesake, Hervé Dudognon – former sommelier and front-of-house star at Palazzo Versace and Merivale – he will be joined by chef duo, Alex and Chris Norman, whose impressive CVs include time at London’s The Square and Ritz Hotel, among others.