7 minute read
FEATURE: SUMMER OPENINGS
Heating up
The year might be winding down — but restaurants aren’t.
-WORDS Annabelle Cloros
THE HOLIDAY SEASON is the busiest time of the year for the industry. And while most are looking forward to kicking back and dialling down their work hours, some restaurants have chosen to do the opposite by making their debut here and now. Here, Hospitality rounds up the latest openings in Sydney.
Easy Tiger
House Made Hospitality has opened two venues back-to-back — Martinez in the CBD and Easy Tiger in Bondi, a South-East Asian concept that marks the group’s first foray into casual dining. Head Chef Andrianto Wirya is running the kitchen after time at Merivale’s Queen Chow and Mr Wong and has put 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.
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. Ronconi is no stranger to the fine-dining game, having worked at The Fat Duck in London and Michelin-starred eateries in Italy before coming to Australia. With 20 years’ experience cooking on his CV, the chef was more than ready to spearhead his own concept. “I thought it was the right time to show Sydney my philosophy of hospitality and open a place where we can make people feel at home but at the same time feel like they are on a holiday,” he says.
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 Aperol and black olives. Cacio e pepe with mussels is another dish fast resonating with diners. As for dessert? Ronconi has put his own spin on a classic tiramisu which is made with lemons, a combination he first experimented with back home in Italy. “I had people drive miles just to have this one dish,” he says. “I’ve spent years making adjustments to find the perfect combination of flavours.”
Busby’s
Four hospitality experts have come together to launch Busby’s in Paddington’s Oxford House. Run by Public, the group’s Creative Culinary Director Clayton Wells is behind the food offering which is made up of all the plates you want to eat while drinking — think Sydney Rock oysters with blackberry vinegar; chicken liver parfait; and tuna crudo with grilled watermelon. Consultant Ed Loveday is in on the project, too, with go-to drinks figure Mike Bennie sourcing lo-fi wines from near and afar.
For cocktails, Maybe Sammy’s Paolo Maffietti has chosen to focus on grapebased liquors. “Created aperitivo style and crafted in three to four steps, the cocktail list at Busby’s reflects our minimalist and no-nonsense approach,” says the bar whiz. “As a natural wine bar, we focus on flavour and origin of ingredients, and our cocktails embody Busby’s cool, laidback feel.” The venue will host five-hour artist residencies each Thursday, DJs on Fridays, and spin vinyls from start to finish on Saturdays.
Chez Blue
2023 has been the year of the French bistro, so here’s one more to add to the roster. Solotel has recruited former Bistro Moncur chef Mark Williamson to run the kitchen of Chez Blue on Rozelle’s Darling Street. The restaurant space has been split into a cocktail bar and a dining room with leather banquette seating, artwork sourced from France, mosaic tiling, and textured walls. “We want Chez Blue to be a place where people feel like they can pop in for all occasions from casual midweek dinners through to special family and friend meals,” says Solotel CEO Elliot Solomon.
Williamson has put together a menu very much rooted in a classic approach, with most dishes designed for one. Expect tuna tartare with egg, green Tabasco, and crispy potato galette and steak frites with Bearnaise, with a few shared options also on offer. “There’s something lovely about sharing a dish with the table so we’ve also included a whole deboned pan-fried snapper served with clams steamed in lemon vinaigrette with samphire and herbs,” says the chef. “There’s also a one-kilogram New South Wales grass-fed ribeye that’s grilled to hero the incredible produce.”
Master of Wine and Head of Beverage Annette Lacey has filled the wine list with mostly French drops, while cocktails are of the modern–classic variety.
Penelope’s
Cuong Nguyen of Hello Auntie and Hey Chu has announced his latest restaurant Penelope’s. Located in Quay Tower, Penelope’s is serving food inspired by Sydney, rather than a particular cuisine. “Our aim is to challenge stereotypes and defy preconceived notions of what ‘Australian cuisine’ should be — we thrive on diversity and various culinary influences from around the world,” says Nguyen.
Nguyen is running the kitchen as executive chef, with Head Chef Bremmy Setiyoko given free reign with the menu. The culinary talent has put together dishes including chicken marinated with coriander seeds and turmeric that’s slowroasted and served with toum and a turmeric and lemongrass sambal. “Cuong has given me a lot of freedom to explore and create at Penelope’s, so I can cook [dishes] I’m really passionate about,” he says.
Cocktails showcase Indigenous Australian ingredients, with the Jiminy Cricket combining whisky with peppermint gum, chocolate, corn, and koji and an Old Fashioned teaming aged rum with macadamia, wattleseed, and Vegemite caramel.
King Clarence
The chef who spearheaded Sunda and Aru in Melbourne has officially moved to Sydney to front The Bentley Group’s latest restaurant. Khanh Nguyen announced he had exited The Windsor Group back in July, and said he was “eager to script the unwritten pages that lie ahead”. Now, his next move has been confirmed, with Nguyen appointed executive chef of King Clarence, which is slated to open its doors in the CBD on 1 December.
It’s a full-circle moment for the chef, who worked for the group seven years ago. “Throughout my career I’ve always looked up to Brent [Savage] and Nick [Hildebrandt] as role models,” he says. “We built a great relationship when I was working with them and have stayed in touch. They’ve both been amazing mentors for me and I’m so excited to work alongside them once again at King Clarence.”
The restaurant serves cuisine described as ‘contemporary Asian’, with Nguyen working alongside Savage to put the menu together. The kitchen is equipped with a custom BBQ and grill, and the venue also has its own live seafood tank.
On the beverage front, Polly Mackeral has moved from Cirrus to take on the head sommelier role after a big year, which saw the team secure the Judy Hirst Award for Australia’s Wine List of the Year.
