FEATURE // Summer openings
Heating up The year might be winding down — but restaurants aren’t.
Nico The North Shore is having a glow up of sorts, with operators heading over the bridge to cater to the suburbs. Nico is located in Cammeray and is run by Chef Nico Ronconi and business partner Ewa Witkowska.
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
Ronconi is no stranger to the fine-dining game, having worked at The Fat Duck in London and Michelin-starred eateries in Italy before
THE HOLIDAY SEASON is the busiest time of the year for
coming to Australia. With 20 years’ experience cooking on his CV, the
back and dialling down their work hours, some restaurants
it was the right time to show Sydney my philosophy of hospitality and
and now. Here, Hospitality rounds up the latest openings
same time feel like they are on a holiday,” he says.
the industry. And while most are looking forward to kicking
chef was more than ready to spearhead his own concept. “I thought
have chosen to do the opposite by making their debut here
open a place where we can make people feel at home but at the
in Sydney.
The concept of Nico is anchored by Italian cuisine with influences drawn from the Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, Puglia, Venice, and Lake Garda. Cicchetti is a must to start along with the kingfish crudo with
Easy Tiger
Aperol and black olives. Cacio e pepe with mussels is another dish
House Made Hospitality has opened two venues
fast resonating with diners. As for dessert? Ronconi has put his own
back-to-back — Martinez in the CBD and Easy Tiger
spin on a classic tiramisu which is made with lemons, a combination
in Bondi, a South-East Asian concept that marks
he first experimented with back home in Italy. “I had people drive
the group’s first foray into casual dining. Head Chef
miles just to have this one dish,” he says. “I’ve spent years making
Andrianto Wirya is running the kitchen after time at
adjustments to find the perfect combination of flavours.”
Merivale’s Queen Chow and Mr Wong and has put
Photography by Kera Wong
together a menu that’s wide-ranging in influence from his own Indonesian heritage to dishes from Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. “While you might recognise many of these dishes, we’re putting fun spins on them you might not see elsewhere,” says Wirya. “Our aim was to create a menu that’s affordable and exciting enough to make you want to come back for more.” Exciting is a good word for the menu — there is plenty to choose from. Larb has been reworked with twice-fried corn kernels, beef rendang is served in a pie format, and babi guling is covered in sambal matah and sandwiched by a bao. There’s also a Hainan chicken clay pot and the essential beef dish Crying Tiger which sees the protein cooked over fire. The drinks list is extensive, with beers sourced locally and from Asia and cocktails based on ingredients including tamarind, kaya, and coconut cream. Photography by Leigh Griffiths
28 | Hospitality
