The Heritage-listed sandstone building at 127 The Parade, Norwood, has seen many notable chefs pass through its doors. When it was Grace The Establishment, young guns Emma Shearer (The Lost Loaf) and Lachlan Colwill (ex Hentley Farm; now Port Cygnet Cannery in Tasmania) were behind the food, while Quentin Whittle (Herringbone) was on the pans when the site became Stone’s Throw. This October, another talented cook gets a chance to write a new chapter in the building’s story.
Introducing Arkhé (Ar-kay), a sleek neighbourhood bar and restaurant from Jake Kellie, the former head chef of Michelin-starred modern Australian barbeque restaurant Burnt Ends in Singapore, who relocated to Adelaide last year. After spending the past six months cooking pop-ups around the state – including at Pirate Life – the former Eletrolux Appetite for Excellence young chef of the year has joined forces with The Palmer Hospitality Group (2KW, Paloma, Fishbank) to set up a permanent home. Considering Kellie’s pedigree, it should come as no surprise that he'll be playing with fire at his new gig.
“‘Arkhé’, in ancient Greek, means the principal core element, so basically it’s the beginning of fire,” says Kellie. “Fire was how people started to cook. Nothing beats the taste of something cooked over fire and everything is going to be touched by the fire in some way, even if it’s just a touch of smoke or a little kiss of char.”
Much of the action at Arkhé will revolve figuratively and literally around the open kitchen and its two-and-a-half-tonne wood-burning oven (there won't be any gas or electricity). The oven will be fuelled with hot-burning ironwood that will produce coals for four elevation grills and an open hearth. (The ovens themselves, of course, will also be used in the cooking process).
The other part of the Arkhé story will be the South Australian produce Kellie is sourcing from producers such as Mayura Station, Ngeringa and Biopark. Seafood – think whole lobsters, King George whiting and baby octopus among other things – will also star, as will the contents of the restaurant’s ferment wall, which will be filled with house-made garums, misos and other seasonings and condiments.
While Arkhé might be big – the venue is licensed for 200 – the Studio Gram-designed-space has been divided into various zones. Guests enter via the dedicated 60-person bar area, which sees the former Stone’s Throw-era bar relocated to a side room and replaced with banquette seating. The best seats in the house will no doubt be the 18 counter seats ringing the kitchen. Alternatively, guests will be able to dine in the main dining room or – if they’re happy to push the boat out and commit to a bespoke tasting menu – on the 10-person chef’s table. Kellie wants Arkhé to be a restaurant for all occasions, from celebrations to casual.
“We want people to be able to walk past and drop in for a glass of wine or cocktail and a couple of snacks and not feel like they’re obliged to dine in,” he says. “We’re keeping it very accessible for everyone. I’d like to think Arkhé has the potential to be one of the best restaurants in Adelaide, but it also has that softness that you find in a good neighbourhood restaurant in the suburbs as well. But at the end of the day, creating delicious, tasty food is the ultimate goal.”
Arkhé (127 The Parade, Norwood) is slated to open in October.
