Coming Soon: Juni Is the New Southeast Asian Restaurant From Lucy Liu Co-Founder Michael Lambie
Michael Lambie is bringing his own take on contemporary Asian fare back to Melbourne's CBD.
UK-born Michael Lambie (ex-Stokehouse, Circa, The Prince and Taxi Kitchen) has been a big player in Melbourne's restaurant scene ever since he landed here back in the late 90s. He's worked at some of the city's top restaurants and even co-founded Lucy Liu — before selling it in 2020 and running off to Queensland for a short break.
But now he is back and ready to take on the CBD with a new venture: Juni. Slated to open in late November, Juni will be championing Southeast Asian cuisine, of course, with Lambie's own style of contemporary twists.
The menu is built around the concept of 'Fire and Spice', so we can expect all kinds of heat. Most dishes are also made for sharing, like the Chinese roast duck, pot-roasted beef short rib, tuna tataki, crispy fried eggplant and vegan red curry.
The full menu will be available across the main dining room, front bar and mezzanine-level events space — although the team expects the bar to have more of a sip-and-snack feel (for after-work or pre-theatre sessions).
Carlton-based studio Techne has designed the 140-person venue, which features a bright colour palette that blends bold reds and pinks with soft green and maroon hues.
Lambie shared, "I love the clean flavours of Thailand, Vietnam and Japan, and I am loving creating a menu that encompasses all of these factors that appeal to my customer base.
The service will be fast-paced with a focus on wine, well-made cocktails and drinks. Again, I'm committed to building a fantastic professional team and an amazing restaurant. I'm very excited!"
Juni is set to open in late November, and will be found at 136 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. For more details, you can check out the venue's website.
Images: Dylan Kindermann.
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