Soot
Tokki
Tokki
Sydney’s Korean dining scene is growing ever-bigger – and there’s still more to come, with the impending launch of two new venues by Kolture, the group behind tiny-yet-popular Korean chef’s table Kobo, Darling Square eatery Honey, and Barangaroo Vietnamese diner Kinhboy. Plus, Kolture’s buzzy Surry Hills venue Tokki will close this weekend to make way for a new concept inspired by Seoul’s late-night drinking and dining scenes.
Late April heralds the arrival of Soot, a premium Korean barbeque in Barangaroo taking the place of Kolture’s restaurant Marble. Each table will have a smokeless, odourless grill. Executive chef Jacob Lee and owner David Bae reckon their banchan (sides) will be “some of Sydney’s best”, and premium aged Wagyu will be among the meats available to throw on the grill. A 50-year-old soy-marinated short ribs recipe, handed down through Bae’s family, is also on the menu, as are local and imported wines and spirits, and Korean-inspired cocktails.
“We are taking the usual Korean barbeque experience up a notch, so expect an elevated steakhouse experience done the Korean way,” said Bae in a statement.
June will see the launch of Leemix, an eight-seat Korean chef’s table in Circular Quay. It’s riding on the popularity of Kolture’s other eight-seat Korean chef’s table, Kobo, which opened in Circular Quay in 2022. Lee will craft dishes using imported ingredients to lead diners through the history of Korean cuisine.
But that’s not all for the burgeoning group: over the Easter long weekend it’s closing its buzzy Surry Hills fried chicken and beer diner Tokki. But, the neon-drenched Foveaux Street venue will relaunch in mid-April as an anju-style bar, where snacks are served with booze. Imported Korean spirits and a Korean soundtrack will dial guests into the late-night drinking and dining culture of Seoul, with executive chef Lee (who is ex-Sokyo) hoping to introduce visitors to boutique offerings of Korean rice wines including soju, makgeolli and cheongju, and Korean craft beers that “have never been available in Australia before”, he said in a statement.
Lee is heading up all three venues. His ambition is to be at the forefront of Korean cuisine in Australia. It’s an aim echoed by Kolture group itself and its restaurateur David Bae, whose father was a pioneer of Korean barbeque in Sydney.
“I’ve always had an undeniable passion to put Korean food on the map in Australia,” said Bae. “Every time I would go back to Korea, I would have these incredible dining and drinking experiences and always think to myself ‘if only this was in Australia’.”
Tokki will close this weekend and reopen in mid-April. Soot will open in late April and Leemix in June.
kolture.com.au
19 Jul 2023
19 Jun 2023
19 Jun 2023
06 Jun 2023