Jayda, an intimate cocktail bar next door to Maha, opens in the CBD
Expect Middle Eastern snacks, boozy cocktails and some surprise off-menu treats at Shane Delia’s glam new bar.
Food
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Melbourne restaurant king Shane Delia has opened his first CBD bar in 14 years.
Jayda, named after his eldest daughter, is located inside the art-deco Alkira House building next door to Delia’s first restaurant Maha, which opened on Bond St in 2008.
The bar was meant to open on Monday night, but after huge demand over Derby Day weekend, Delia started welcoming guests on Saturday.
Delia told the Herald Sun last month Jayda would be an “evolution of Maha” but would carry its own identity.
“The fit-out is breathtaking: it’s contemporary, modern and has a loose Middle Eastern accent,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be opening Jayda if it were a stand-alone business on the other side of the city. I’m opening this as I know that our customers have been begging us for years to do this.”
World best bartender Orlando Marzo has shaken up a short, contemporary cocktail list which includes a strawberry cream negroni made with rosehip, blackberry leaves and dehydrated yoghurt.
Head Chef Daniel Giraldo is in charge of the food, which covers everything from cheese, charcuterie, oysters and raw fish to more substantial bites with a Middle Eastern bent.
Plus there’ll be secret off-menu items for those in the know.
Snacks include a fingerlime and taramasalata tart, beef borek bun with turmeric, spiced lamb cigars and an ‘after service sandwich’ packed with Maha’s famous slow cooked lamb shoulder.
Jayda also gives wine nerds access to Maha’s wine cellar which is stocked full of new and old world wines, Aussie drops and champagne.
The 60-seater venue is available for walk-ins from 4pm till late, with groups of six or more requiring a booking.
Jayda, 19 Bond St, Melbourne.
Kensington scores new cafe
Chef Laura Boulton isn’t wasting anything at Kensington’s new neighbourhood cafe Cassette.
Extra coffee shots from the daily grind? They’re used for braising streaky strips for her maple bacon creation.
Whole eggs used in the same dish are buried beneath excess grounds before frying to take on a perfumed profile.
Even coffee milk offshoots are kept to make a labneh, which is used in other brunch dishes.
After five years in the cafe game, Boulton (former Etta, Code Black) is championing the zero-waste movement at the 80-seater cafe, run by affordable housing developer Assemble.
“You shouldn’t have to work in a fancy restaurant to get fresh food,” she said.
“The way we are cooking, sourcing and preserving food, we are using about 95 per cent of the product we bring in. It may be more expensive or take more time to source, but we get so much more out of the product.”
Boulton said sustainability shouldn’t be seen as a trend, but more the way forward for Melbourne cafes and restaurants.
“It has to be the way we are going. Food is becoming more difficult to grow – to be wasting anything in my eyes is a criminal act,” she said.
About 90 per cent of Cassette’s food is Victorian sourced, and while not everything can be repurposed, the remaining waste is sent to a closed-loop bio-composter to be made into a compost for the building’s residents.
Cassette has been open for residents and the wider community since August, also trading as a wine bar on Thursday and Friday nights with a limited snack offering.
Cassette, 399 Macaulay Rd, Kensington
Last drinks
The owners of two beloved hospitality venues forced to shutdown for good later this year are hosting the ultimate send off party.
La Passeggiata will celebrate CBD faves Bar Americano and Pentolina with a one-off progressive dinner next Wednesday night.
The evening will begin at Bar Americano for aperitivo and snacks, followed by a three course dinner with matched cockatils at Pentolina.
There are still 10 tickets available for the 9.30pm sitting. Tickets cost $150 per person.
pentolina.com.au/lapasseggiata
Making moves
Change is afoot on the Mornington Peninsula.
After almost two years at jewel-in-the-crown Pt Leo Estate, rising star chef Pieter Buijsse is making tracks. The senior sous announced he was hanging up the apron at the acclaimed winery restaurant on Monday.
Josep Espuga will stay on as culinary director of the delicious. 100 restaurant.
The move comes as Pt Leo announced it was reopening two of its fire-ravaged venues mid-December — more than six months after shuttering both Pt Leo Restaurant and fine diner, Laura.
Luxe pop-up marquee The Pavilion, that’s been running as a makeshift solution in the meantime, will remain open until the relaunch.
General manager Roger Lancia said he was excited to welcome everyone back to the ‘ninch.
“This feels less like a reopening of a space, but more of an opening of a new business. Our team is full of excitement and enthusiasm,” he said.
“We are proud of all the that the Pavilion has achieved and while we will miss it, we
can’t wait to get back to delivering the best of our region’s ingredients along with our iconic all-welcoming service. We can’t wait to see you all again soon.”
Bookings for both Pt. Leo Restaurant and Laura open November 3.
Pt. Leo Restaurant reopens on December 7 and Laura, December 16.
ptleoestate.com.au
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