New Melbourne hot spots
Spring, oriental-style, is in full bloom in Melbourne as a swathe of exciting new Asian bars and eateries open their doors. If you have hankering for sake, yakitori, satay, congee or just plain noodles, don’t miss checking out these new kids on the block.
Nihonshu, 163-165 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Ph: 9663 8118
There’s been a certain anticipation in the air with the news that Melbourne entrepreneur Andre Bishop – the man who brought Asian chic to the Melbourne bar scene - is about to open a new establishment.
Bishop’s first bar, Robot, with its dedicated sake list, wasabi snacks and ‘geek-chic’ furnishing brought Japanese modernism to the city’s laneways. Next to open was Golden Monkey, it’s Hong Kong glamour, ‘Asian tapas’ menu and intriguing house cocktails (such as the ‘Chili Chocolate Concubine’ and the ‘Sleeping Dragon’) seeing it named best bar at last year’s Australian Bar Awards.
After undertaking extensive professional training at the Japanese Sake Brewers Association, Bishop has now opened Nihonshu, a dedicated sake venue, its minimalist interior, drinks and food menu directly inspired by the many venues that propagate on the streets of Tokyo.
Noting that sake varies as widely as does wine varieties, Bishop has sourced his sake from all across Japan to put together an extensive list of over 40 different styles including many regional variations, that is destined to turn a casual drinking habit to a serious appreciation.
Small and intimate with a tiny outdoor courtyard at the back, Nihonshu also has a range of Japanese beers and an excellent menu of sake snack food to graze on – all prepared by Japanese restaurant, Izakaya Chuji – another Bishop enterprise - which is just next door.
Maedaya 400 Bridge Rd, Richmond Ph: (03) 9428 3918
The new business venture for sake enthusiast and former Misuzu's (Albert Park) staffer Toshi Maeda, Maeyeda has had more pre-publicity than most new restaurants, thanks to its unique décor that earned a prize at the 2008 Interior Design Awards and saw the venue featured in international trend-spotting e-zine The Cool Hunter before it even opened.
On the drinks list has one of most extensive selections of premium sake in Melbourne while the menu features charcoal grills, and over 70 different Japanese tapas and yakitori.
Sho Noodle Bar, Main Gaming Floor, Crown Casino, Ph: (03) 9292 6885
The Sho Noodle Bar, a new 138-seat restaurant that has just opened in the main gaming floor at Crown Casino, has a unique point of difference to other Asian eateries: here, you don’t just get the noodles, you can watch them being made, at the twice-daily noodle-making demonstrations performed with a flourish by Master Chef Pin Tan.
With two dining areas, a tea salon and an open kitchen manned by five chefs, Sho Noodle Bar brings together tasty Asian fare in a range of styles. There’s traditional dim sum such as scallop and vegetable dumplings and pram har gow, Malaysian satay and beef rending, a diverse range of curries, congees, soups, roasts and rice dishes, as well a choice of nine different types of noodles including egg, udon, glass, crispy and hor fun.
The tea selection is extensive, the most intriguing inclusion is Pu’Er tea, a concoction of chrysanthemums missed with green, black, white and jasmine tea, which has been through a 35-year maturing process before being ready to serve.
Open for lunch and dinner but make sure you get there in plenty of time as there is a no bookings policy.
Wab Sabi Salon, 94 Smith Street, Collingwood, Ph: (03) 9417-6119
Grungy inner-city cool, eccentric furnishings and tasty Japanese cooking come together in the very groovy Wabi Sabi Salon, located on Smith Street, Fitzroy.
Chef Atsushi Kawakami, who spent many years working in Tokyo, serves up a balanced menu of new and old Japanese traditions in food, including several of his own original dishes not found anywhere else. There’s also a fine list of Japanese spirits and beers to explore. And too much sake brings on some soul-searching, sink into a cushion and your own quiet thoughts in the outdoor bamboo and pebble garden. Ahhh. How’s the serenity?