Something very different is coming to Perth’s Chinatown this spring
First things first. Ah Um, a cosy 25-seat restaurant the Astral Weeks team is opening in spring, isn’t an extension of the popular Northbridge listening bar, but a standalone prospect. Having said that, it won’t be hard spotting some common ground.
The layout of the Ah Um dining room, for one, will be instantly recognisable to the Astral Weeks faithful and is a mirror image of its older sibling. (Fun fact: the Chinese medicine shop that occupied the Astral Weeks space relocated here after its former home was sold to its new owners.)
Sean O’Neill and Branden Scott.
Branden Scott, the chef who’s signed on to run the Ah Um kitchen, is also familiar with Astral Weeks, having cooked at pop-ups there as well as supported the bar as a regular. And just like the mother ship, Ah Um will have a serious focus on sound, only instead of investing in a high-end analogue set-up, this time around management is placing its faith in digital speakers custom-built by Sydney hi-fi enthusiasts and party promoters Translate Sound.
Finally, the restaurant has also been named after an important album in the musical diet of musician-turned-publican Sean O’Neill, one of the partners behind Astral Week. But rather than raiding the discography of Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison for a name, O’Neill and fellow owners Daniel O’Neill and Tom Spurling found inspiration in the world of jazz: specifically, the title of bass player Charles Mingus’s first album on record label Columbia. It’s an LP as notable for its richness of sound as its abstract cover art, by American-Japanese graphic designer Sadamitsu Fujita.
“I love the album but I also think its name suits the forward-thinking music we’ll be playing at the restaurant as well as the forward-thinking cuisine we’ll be serving,” says Sean.
For those who remember Scott’s cooking during his Wines of While tenures, you’ll know that his food was influenced by ingredients first, rather than recipes. It’ll be a similar approach with the share-plate dishes he’ll be serving at Ah Um; although seafood, says Scott, will be more of a focus. No doubt much of this seafood will be prepared on the kitchen’s hibachi grill: a bit of Japanese cooking kit that will also be used to grill potato focaccia to order. Although Scott says he can’t start writing a menu until he sees what produce is available closer to opening, his cooking is modern European in spirit, although this time reimagined through the cosmopolitan lens of progressive, influential New York eateries such as Contra and Brooklyn wine bar The Four Horsemen.
“Perth has a similar dining scene to New York’s in that there’s not really a cuisine,” says Scott. “We take influences from everywhere.”
There’s a similar global perspective underpinning the drinks list with sake from Sydney importers Black Market Sake being offered alongside organic and biodynamic European wines chosen by French-born, Adelaide Hills-based winemaker Jean-Baptiste Courdesses of Jean Boutielle Wines. In other words: Ah Um is paying attention to all the things we love about dining out, including one aspect that often gets overlooked.
“Not enough thought gets put into music in restaurants,” says Sean. “Often you’ll get staff changing songs and playlists in the middle of service and that sort of stuff. The music is going to be a really important part of the whole Ah Um experience. Not just in terms of song choices but having the music on at a comfortable volume where people can hear each other talk without having to raise their voices.”
These dining soundtracks will be chosen from mixes uploaded to AW Radio, Astral Weeks’ recently launched online streaming platform. As well as being able to keep the music programming within the extended Astral Weeks family, sharing these mixes makes it possible for guests to go home and listen to the tunes they heard at dinner: a nice memento for those celebrating a special occasion or milestone. After all, management want Ah Um to be a place where people go to dine.
“This won’t be like a wine bar where people pop in and maybe nibble on some cheese and grab a glass or two,” says Sean. “You’re coming here for dinner.”
Initially, Ah Um will open Wednesday to Saturday nights. There will be two sittings each evening and the restaurant will start as bookings only to maximise the room’s 25 seats and aural comfort.
Ah Um (Shop 2, 66 Northbridge WA 6003) is due to open in early September.
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