Joining the already announced venues of Belles Hot Chicken, Fishbowl, Edition Coffee Roasters, Toby’s Estate and the Sydney debut of Melbourne’s famed 8Bit at Darling Square’s forthcoming Steam Mill Lane will be five new eateries, each reflecting a very diverse palate. Darling Square, part of the $3.4 billion plan to reshape Darling Harbour by the end of 2019, will be the location for this new food and drink precinct which will be revealed as early as April of this year.
In a similar fashion to Kensington Street’s popular Spice Alley, Steam Mill Lane will feature numerous dining destinations, although it’s unlikely to be tied to any one theme.
Set to move in to the precinct is firstly BangBang, a Japanese-styled izakaya of sorts specialising in ramen and curry with a design inspired by the glow of Shinjuku and a drinks list featuring Japanese whisky and craft beer. Ex-Nobu chef Kokubu Yuji will be leading the kitchen here, right alongside the venue’s own Kabukicho-style neon karaoke room.
Next up on the lineup is Gyradiko Bexley, a Greek eatery with a particular focus on authentic pork gyros designed for takeaway, even though they’ll also be some tables in the small space. Then we’ve got The Sandwich Shop, a sister to the popular Surry Hills store which is all about high-quality sandwiches made with organic sourdough, house made sauces, and meats roasted in-store, in addition to other offerings like breakfast, wraps, salads, coffee and organic sodas.
Matcha-Ya will be throwing their hat in the ring for those who appreciate delicate teas using real matcha powder sourced directly from Japan. The store will also be serving up a range of matcha-infused items including matcha latters, matcha fondue, matcha parfait, and matcha soft serve alongside savoury lunch and dinner options.
Also part of the recent announced is Ricefields, a new venue from the team behind Two Sticks and Kobe Wagyu Yakiniku, bringing the precinct a Sichuan rice-based eatery with casual and modern interpretations of authentic Sichuan food.
However, perhaps the biggest win for the new dining destination is a store from Sydney’s eternally beloved Marrickville Pork Roll, which has been attracting some of the biggest and most enthusiastic queues in the inner-west for years based off their mouth-watering bánh mì offerings. Having that close to the city is going to be very valuable for those who like high-quality cheap eats.
Once completed, the Darling Square will be another urban playground for Sydneysiders much like Kensington Street, Tramsheds and Barangaroo. The hub will be made up of small laneways and wide open spaces with plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes, apartments, offices, and even a new library. For more information about it click HERE.
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