openings

Some of the latest venues to swing open their doors in Australia’s foodservice scene.

ELICHI - Black Rock, Melbourne

Babu Ji and Piquancy’s Mani Waraich has expanded his Melbourne footprint with the opening of Elichi. Inspired by Waraich’s family recipes, dishes excite with unexpected twists in the form of ingredients not typically used in Indian cooking. Think roasted Jerusalem artichoke chaat with fried curry leaf, garlic labne and herb oil along with Podi-spiced calamari with pickled onion, shaved fennel and curry leaf aioli. Punit Fernandes (ex-Rockpool, Merrywell) has been appointed as head chef of the 70-seat restaurant which also features a dedicated lounge area for diners keen for drinks and snacks.

LOLA’S PANTRY - Kuluin, Queensland

Ex-Urbane chef Alejandro Cancino has opened a new venue on the Sunshine Coast. Lola’s Pantry will provide a range of vegan dishes, with Argentinian-born Cancino eager to champion plant-based cuisine. The café will work hand-in-hand with local producers and Cancino’s existing company Fenn Foods, which produces vegan cheeses and condiments. Serving breakfast and lunch Tuesday to Saturday, the venue will also offer a comfort food menu on Friday nights and feast-style menu on Saturday nights.

BEJING IMPRESSION - Haymarket, Sydney

Haymarket, Sydney The Northern Chinese eatery has opened its second Sydney venue in Market City’s recently transformed 1909 Dining Precinct. Beijing Impression will serve up a menu that balances sweet and savoury flavours, with a seasonal offering providing a contemporary take on some of the classics. Exclusive to the new venue is traditional fish head juice pancakes. The menu also features dishes such as fried rice appearing as honeycomb briquette set alight at the table — a dish so unique it was patented in China — and braised sea cucumbers with roast pork in secret sauce.

THE TERRACE BAR - Port Stephens, New South Wales

Rick Stein has opened another Australian restaurant at the newly launched Bannisters Port Stephens. The Terrace Bar is all about casual dining, with baos, fish tacos, haloumi salad and burgers all on the menu. Stein has worked closely with head chef Mitchell Turner to design a seafoodfocused menu featuring Sydney rock oysters, local king prawns, fish and shellfish soup and his famous fish pie. The restaurant has been designed by Romy Alwill, who has created a space inspired by earth and sea that features water-coloured Japanese wallpaper along with hints of Stein’s signature blue.