Overview
Chef Alejandro Saravia is building his restaurant empire at a cracking pace. He's already made a name for himself in Melbourne with contemporary Australian restaurants Farmer's Daughters and Victoria by Farmer's Daughters. And in April this year, he launched the ambitious 220-seater Morena Sydney, which champions South American flavours.
But that ain't all. Come Monday, September 2, he'll open two neighbouring venues in the 80 Collins precinct that build upon the original concept of Morena Sydney.
The first is Morena Restaurant, which offers a formal dining experience much like the Sydney outpost. Although Saravia did share with Concrete Playground that the Melbourne version is "more innovative than Sydney. The menu is a little more experimental and we're working with concepts of Latin American cuisine that are not traditionally exposed here in Australia."
For example, Saravia and Group Head Chef Samuel Rivas are playing a lot more with fermenting, similar to the way they do it in the Andean mountains and the Amazon jungle. Latin American ingredients like palm tree hearts will also be used — something we've never seen grace a Melbourne menu.
Highlights will include braised Andean ollucos (a Peruvian root vegetable) with smoked oca cream and preserved oca; seared marlin ceviche with tamarillo coconut tiger's milk and aji panca oil; alfonsino tiradito with aji Amarillo kosho and a fermented mandarin emulsion; and a suckling goat with aged mole, morita chilli salsa and nasturtium flowers.
The second site, sitting right next to Morena Restaurant, is Morena Barra. Here, you'll find an all-day dining experience that's focused around a central bar.
"This will have Latin American cantina energy, which is loud, festive and fun without being tacky and over the top. It is more casual as well," shares Saravia.
The menu also traverses the entirety of Latin America, from Venezuela, Peru and Colombia to Chile, Argentina and beyond. There's plenty of room on the Barra menu for ceviches, plus a few Morena Sydney dishes. These include Abrolhos Island scallops with parmesan cream, lime and aji Amarillo butter; Ox Tongue Anticucho served with dried Peruvian chillies and a carretillera sauce; and the swordfish loin milanesa, served with a pira sauce and seagrass.
Sommelier Pablo Toledo is overseeing the beverage lineup at both Morena Melbourne venues, which will champion Latin American fermentation and distillation. Expect an extensive selection of piscos, a range of rums and agaves as well as a handful of whiskies, gins, vodkas, digestifs and liqueurs.
Wines will champion Latin American varietals that go beyond your usual malbec, and like the food will represent a range of regions on the continent.
Saravia share that, "After opening Morena in Sydney earlier this year, I am so excited to return to my home city of Melbourne and open not one, but two venues to continue to showcase the traditions and flavours of Latin America to Melburnians.
"With these two unique venues, we are passionate about offering Melbourne the chance to explore untold ingredients,flavours and dishes from across the very diverse cultures that make up Latin America - and it's so exciting to be doing this just around the corner from our beloved Farmer's Daughters."
Morena Melbourne will open on Little Collins Street on Monday, September 2. For more information on the new restaurant opening, check out the venues' website.
Images: Arianna Leggiero.