Dine Without Limits: Freyja Has Introduced a $99 Four-Course Feast That's Personalised to Your Preferences
Boundary-pushing executive chef Jae Bang is reimagining the possibilities of dining, with the introduction of personalised menus that put the power back in diners' hands.
Collins Street restaurant Freyja has been doing things differently since it opened in 2022, quickly rising to prominence in Melbourne's dining scene with its unique cuisine that celebrates hyperlocal ingredients and time-honoured preservation techniques. Now, the restaurant has reinvented itself with a new dining concept. Rather than forcing guests to choose from static à la carte or set menus, diners are encouraged to share their preferences with the culinary team, who'll put their heads together to serve a completely bespoke four-course chef's selection depending on each table's predilections, for a fixed cost of $99 per person.
This innovative idea is guided by executive chef Jae Bang, the boundary-pushing chef renowned for his fermented, pickled and cured creations. Bang mastered his trade at several Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe, including Norway's acclaimed Re-naa, New York's Daniel and the legendary El Bulli — and for his next trick, Bang is flipping the very concept of dining out on its head.
Bang has become known in culinary circles for his distinct approach to ingredients. Working with produce both at the beginning and end of its lifecycle, Bang occasionally puzzles his suppliers with requests for the most unripe fruit available. He also takes extended foraging trips to locations on the edge of Melbourne, gathering wild garlic and other intriguing herbs and edible flowers to elevate his dishes. Freyja's kitchen houses more than 100 fermented, pickled and cured ingredients — and some of these might be the perfect addition to your bespoke menu.
As well as the new bespoke journey, Freyja has also introduced new à la carte lunch dishes like cauliflower with hazelnut and cauliflower paste, featuring comte, ras el hanout, kaffir lime oil and a sourdough miso that takes a staggering six months to prepare. Similarly, the market fish with unripe blueberry capers, brown butter and mushroom garum puts unripe fruit through a three-month 'caper' process before it's ready for plating.
"Sustainability isn't a trend for us – it's woven into the very DNA of Freyja," says Bang. "It's a fundamental principle guiding every aspect of our operation, from sourcing to kitchen practices. Beyond finding the best seasonal produce that Victoria has to offer, we stay deeply connected to the ingredients that shape the dishes on the menu, honouring every part of it."
This progressive ethos is also reflected in how the kitchen operates. No team members work more than four days a week, while hands-on experience is provided in foraging, winery harvests and farming. It's no surprise, then, that Bang is continuing to push boundaries by reimagining the possibilities of dining with the introduction of personalised menus that put the power back in diners' hands.
Freyja is open for lunch from Tuesday–Friday from 12–2.30pm and dinner from Monday–Saturday from 5.30–9.30pm, at 477 Collins Street, Melbourne. Head to the venue's website for more information.
