Moondrop Bar

Overview

In a city saturated with as many outstanding bars and restaurants as Melbourne, sometimes you have to do something a little different to stand out. Launching on Thursday, December 4, Moondrop is slated to bring a new taste and energy to the Melbourne drinking and dining scene as a Chinese-inspired cocktail bar that celebrates traditional flavours reimagined in playful new ways, from a crew with impeccable hospo history. 

Moondrop is the latest venture from the team behind Carlton North's beloved Sleepy's Cafe & Wine Bar, self-described as "your local caffeine dealer, funky wine sommelier, comfort food hotspot and third place." Following the success of Sleepy's, Moondrop "started as a joke", but quickly became serious when all the pieces seemed to land in just the right place, at just the right time. It's all about 'location, location, location', isn't it? So when the boys — Steve Chan, Jesse Kourmouzis and Jacob Muoio — were sent a copy of the lease for the formerly loved and sorely missed, The Everleigh, they couldn't resist popping in just to take a look. Things snowballed, and before they knew it, they had signed the lease. The way it all came together, says Jesse, "cemented that our ethos, hospitality and work ethic are pretty much identical…the stars aligned and everything fell into place." 

The low-lit drinking den harks back to the old-world glamour of 1920s Shanghai, and pays homage to Chan's family history. Ascending into Moondrop's foyer, guests will be greeted with touches of Chan's Chinese heritage on all fronts: custom-made Mahjong tables serve as furniture, curated Chinese knick-knacks decorate the space with fascinating detail, and Chinese hip hop and R'n'B play through the speakers. "Working with our brilliant Australian-Asian design teams, Studio Jomi and Local Optima, no detail has been overlooked. The moon rabbit emblem, steeped in Chinese folklore, is interwoven into the fabric of the venue — from our uniform pins and ice stamps, to the embossed leather-bound menus. Everyone on the team shares the same vision: to create a welcoming space that's authentic, immersive and uniquely Moondrop."

Chan says, "I started in this industry because I love sharing experiences, and hospitality has always been such a beautiful facilitator of this. Over the years, I've really been leaning into my Chinese identity, using food and drink as a way to connect with my culture and share it with others…I want people to remember the hospitable part of hospitality — hosting and taking care of people. While Moondrop is an elevated offering, we welcome everybody and want to be approachable, because everyone deserves to have an elevated experience."

Moondrop is set to redefine the flavour palette of cocktail menus in Melbourne, with a focus on the traditional flavours of the east. Jesse Kourmouzis, the Head of Beverage (who previously managed Above Board), has curated an intriguing menu of 26 cocktails, featuring ten seasonal variations that showcase Chinese ingredients and lesser-known Chinese spirits. Jesse says, "We're going out on a limb. We noticed that a lot of venues are playing it safe, and we wanted to step out of our comfort zone. We really wanted to create a venue that takes you away from the day-to-day, that feels like an experience." 

It's hard not to crack a smile when perusing the drinks list, with cocktails including the Hakuna Martini, the 5-Spice Girls and Steve's own namesake drink, the Chanhattan. Signature drinks include a wild assortment of ingredients and flavours from homemade hot sauce and radish to MSG brine and lapsang souchong tea-infused vermouth. The Me & Ube riffs on bubble milk tea with clarified oat milk punch, tapioca pearls, pineapple juice, Licor 43 and three varieties of rum, whereas the Honey-Bun mixes Nodo Repo Tequila, yuzushu, Cointreau, lemon, Jacob's hot honey and mint. While you might need to consult a glossary to decide what to order, each drink is marked with a flavour profile stamp, ranging from sweet to sour to bitter to savoury to dry, to help you work out what might suit your tastebuds. We've even heard whispers of a Weet-Bix milk punch that may appear on the menu in the future, once the summer heat passes, which is a shining example of how Moondrop intends to seamlessly blend a touch of Australiana into the mix. 

While the drinks list might be the main character, Jacob Muoio's menu of Chinese-Australian bar snacks, including a rotating dumpling menu, plays an excellent supporting role. Pick at a bag of prawn crackers, sichuan pepper-marinated olives, or anchovies with bread, butter and sweet and sour onions. You might find pork and chrysanthemum or prawn and ginger dumplings, and barbecue mushroom baos, sitting alongside an impressive selection of cheeses, salumi and caviar (served with scallion pikelets). And don't miss the signature snowskin mooncake filled with vanilla and red bean ice cream. 

At its core, Moondrop is a venture with the hospo industry at its heart. Jesse says, "We're giving it everything we have…and we really want to celebrate the industry. We want to host hospitality sessions, have lots of friends and people to enjoy the old Everleigh building, but in a new, bright, fresh and modern way." Whether it's friends' weddings, industry-led events, discussion panels, cocktail or wine tastings, "wacky events" or Mahjong nights, Chan says, "We just want to celebrate and have a good ol' time, with people old, new and everything in the middle". 

Images: Mike Lam.