Snack Bar: Sydney’s Latest in Food, February 2, 2024

What’s on around town

• Philip Khoury , the Aussie head pastry chef at Harrods in London, made his brother a very special wedding cake – a layered hazelnut sponge situation, with passionfruit and chocolate mousses and fruit. And for a limited time, you can get yourself a slice at Misc in Parramatta.

• Acid Flwers and Doom Juice are out here playing Cupid with the release of Acid Doom. Sixty-six bottles of the ’22 Fizz – a shiraz pét nat – have been hand-painted over three days in the florist’s signature acid wash, before a holographic label is slapped on.

• Emu Parade , the coffee-powered clean-up initiative, is parking up in a Brookvale warehouse for the next month. Weekend emu parades will continue, but if you’d like to support the cause during the week you can purchase coffee and a light food offering from 11 Mitchell Road, Brookvale (the old Coffee Supreme digs).

• There’s another Bourke Street Bakery coming, and if you guess where it is correctly by the end of today you’ll win a month of free pastries. Good luck!

• Ciao Chez : the Fabbrica team is taking over The Crix kitchen on Sunday February 11. There’ll be hand-rolled pasta with ‘nduja and prawn, cheesy zucchini flowers, DJs and more – book for a table at Chez Crix upstairs, or walk in downstairs from midday till sold out.

• Altos Tequila is shouting 20,000 Margaritas this month – with each giving drinkers the chance to win a trip to Mexico. Register for your free cocktail and then head to a participating bar – like Hotel Ravesis, Bar Cleveland, the Cloey or the Newtown Hotel – before the end of February and you’re in with a chance.

• The Cornersmith duo, owner Alex Elliott-Howery and cooking school lead Jaimee Edwards, are in the Two Good Co kitchen this month. The Darlinghurst cafe will serve the duo’s panzanella salad, their jalapeno and corn cheese toastie, and a coconut cake till the end of February.

• Celebrate City Oltra’s first birthday on Sunday February 4 with a special menu, lots of bevs and music.

• There’s an arty street party shutting down the Dowling Street cul-de-sac on Sunday February 11. A Street Party Named Fitz will bring food, drinks, music and theatrics – all to celebrate and support our country’s last pub theatre.

• BYO is the Tuesday-night game at Chez Blue. From 5pm, head into Rozelle’s finest French bistro – with your favourite drop in hand – for $25 corkage.

• Bondi’s ripper burger joint Burger Park has added $5 tins to the line-up, available from 4pm till 6pm with any burger (we recommend the fish, with pickled pineapple and fermented chilli).

Lunar New Year offerings

• Peter Gilmore is joining the ranks of Tasmania’s esteemed Lark Distillery as its official brand ambassador. The culinary heavyweight will work closely with the brand across campaigns and experiences, showcasing its award-winning single malt whiskies. The announcement coincides with the release of Lark’s first Lunar New Year single malt , a special drop that’s been finished in Seppeltsfield tawny casks.

• Sydney-based chocolatier Kakawa has created two spectacular Lunar New Year sets. The nine-piece box brings three auspicious shapes symbolising “fu” (luck), each representing abundance. The 25-piece set adds intricate mahjong tiles to the mix. Order for delivery from February 5.

• Barossa’s Chateau Tanunda has released a magnum of its rich 2022 Grand Barossa Shiraz in celebration of the Year of the Dragon. It’s the fourth Lunar New Year release from the winery, and it comes with a specially designed bottle, all boxed up.

What we covered this week

• Coming soon: Pleasure Club , the “fever dream” of a bar from the Odd Culture team, is (finally) opening. The basement space is half cocktail bar, half live performance venue – and we’ve got intel on the entertainment line-up.

• First look: Poketto , a new Japanese-inspired cafe from the Kurumac team, is open now in Chippendale. Head in for cod roe toasties and confit-fish-topped shokupan – plus a succinct cocktail menu.

• First look: standout Mexican joint Maiz reopens in the old Hartsyard space, bringing a fresh fit-out and five kinds of Margarita. It’s the best and most confident we’ve seen Maiz, and the most corn-heavy menu in Sydney right now.

• Where chefs eat: Ho Jiak’s Junda Khoo shares his Sydney dining gold – his go-to spot for an after-service feed, where he’s heading for family lunch and the doughnut he likes despite his total lack of a sweet tooth.

• Now open: find a pretty line-up of Japan-made cheesecakes at Letao ’s first Sydney store. One silky treat – stocked up with rich Hokkaido milk and sent to Australia monthly – sells every 10 seconds in Japan. Now it’s our turn.

• First look: Barrel One brings its signature New York-style bagels to Lane Cove – along with its house-roasted coffee. Plus, there are cheese toasties made in collaboration with Melbourne’s Maker & Monger and cinnamon-dipped crumpets.

• Now Open: Bei Bar & Bistro , from the team behind Darling Point institution Bei Amici, is the spot to stop in Taylor Square. There’s a hibachi grill, China Doll alum on drinks and a bowl of pasta that’s already adored.

You might’ve missed

• Revered Aussie cheesemaker Holy Goat announces shock closure. “You have to have courage to build it, and courage to let it go.”

• First look: Tanuki , the shapeshifting Japanese joint from the Matteo team, is open in Double Bay. Will you perch at the raw bar for sake and flame-grill action? Or will you kick back in the courtyard, under a decades-old liquidambar, with a Saketini and a sando? Tough decisions lie ahead.

• Emu Parade is the Sydney-based social enterprise fuelled by free coffees and Trish, an old mini fire truck at the heart of a clean-up initiative. You meet Roland Davies in the morning, pick up rubbish and he’ll make you a coffee. How much rubbish do you have to pick up? “Whatever you think is worth one coffee,” Roland Davies tells Broadsheet.