NEWS: ENTREÉ

Entrée

The latest openings, books, events and more.

-EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros

Sibling rivalry

Head down a flight of stairs from Akaiito on Melbourne’s Flinders Lane and you’ll find Ototo; a 60-seat bar and izakaya. Akaiito’s Executive Chef Winston Zhang is behind the menu which lists robata-grilled miso chicken with yuzu kosho and lime, vegetarian gyoza and Angus short rib with kimchi, pickled radish and bo ssam sauce.

Bartender Lionel Ong worked with consultant George Leung on cocktails that are low on waste and big on taste. “Fruit is used in its entirety: pulp for purées, skins and cores for syrups, sodas and bases [with] the remainder submerged in house-flavoured spirits,” says Leung.

akaiitorestaurant.com.au

An essential collection

Cook: The Only Book You Need in the Kitchen Hardie Grant; $100 Chef Karen Martini shares a wealth of experience in her latest creation Cook: The Only Book You Need in the Kitchen. Readers can expect dishes for every occasion from mid-week meals to dinner party showstoppers and casual spreads. There are more than 1,000 recipes in the 912-page book, with Martini providing in-depth guides to ensure each plate is executed to perfection.

Hailed as a “quintessential guide to cookery” by Guy Grossi and “delightfully cookable” by Yotam Ottolenghi, you can get your hands on it from 8 August.

The Bar has been set

Photography by Jason Loucas

Icebergs’ Maurice Terzini has ventured into the hotel game to revamp the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay’s food and beverage program. The Bar is the first project to launch and pays tribute to some of its most iconic guests including Princess Diana and Elton John. Tableside service is on offer for drinks and an Italian–Australian menu. Cocktail highlights include a house martini and a yuzu spritz, with must-try dishes encompassing beef tartare and an American cheeseburger.

doublebay.intercontinental.com

You got served

You’ve seen the tubs and boxes, but Maldon has officially launched single-serve sachets for the most discerning guests. The 1g packs are filled with sea salt flakes from Maldon in the UK and are the ideal accompaniment for plates of bacon and eggs, fish and chips or anything else that needs seasoning.

Packs of 2,000 sachets are available from mayers.com.au

Cumulus Inc. does brunch

Photography by Jo McGann

Winter isn’t so bad after all thanks to the launch of weekend brunch at Cumulus Inc. in Melbourne’s CBD. Iconic and debut dishes from Chef Andrew McConnell and the team will change week to week from now until the end of the month. Guests can sample everything from figs and burrata and Ortiz anchovies on toast to a breakfast plate full of pickled veg. Wash it down with a brunch cocktail and you’ve got yourself a good time.

cumulusinc.com.au

Saint Peter goes big

Photography by Rob Palmer

Paddington’s pint-sized restaurant Saint Peter is packing up and moving to new digs. Josh and Julie Niland will take over The Grand National Hotel (also in Paddington) later this year, which will see Saint Peter 3.0 upsize to a 45-seat dining room.

“Guests will have a full view of our open kitchen, wood-fired grill and a window into our fish charcuterie cabinets,” says the pair. The à la carte restaurant will have a bar for the first time with a dedicated menu along with a 15-seat private dining room. Saint Peter Oxford Street will operate as usual until it closes in early 2023.

saintpeter.com.au

Manon opens in the Queen Victoria Building

Photography by Nikki To

Sydney Restaurateurs Marco Ambrosino and Manny Spinola have breathed new life into the former Jet Caffe in the QVB. Manon is an all-day French brasserie serving coffee and pastries from 6am plus breakfast, lunch and dinner service.

Thomas Boisselier has taken on the head chef role of the 140-seat indoor–outdoor restaurant after time working in Michelin-starred kitchens in Lyon, plating up dishes from a Brittany buckwheat crêpe to bone marrow tartine and steak au poivre. There’s also a 400-bottle wine list highlighting French producers and a range of aperitifs, too.

manonbrasserie.com.au