Overview
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 has returned and is ready to take on the CBD with a new venture: Juni. Opening on Thursday, November 28, you can now drop by Juni to find a menu full of contemporary twists on Southeast Asian fare — designed by both Lambie and Head Chef Hendri Budiman (ex-Coda).
The menu is built around the concept of 'Fire and Spice', so you can expect all kinds of heat. Kick things off with snacks like the seared tuna tataki with ginger and wasabi dressing; half-shell scallops with spicy tom yum brown butter; crayfish dumplings with ginger and green onion, and togarashi-spiced cauliflower with sesame and tofu and walnut furikake.
You've then got more substantial dishes like Juni's dry-aged Chinese duck with cucumber, pickled daikon, spicy hoi sin and pancakes; steamed barramundi fillets with black beans, ginger flower and leeks; and vegan Japanese pumpkin and eggplant red curry with lychee and hot mint.
The full menu is available across the main dining room, front bar and mezzanine-level events space — although the bar is expected to have more of a sip-and-snack feel (for after-work or pre-theatre sessions).
And when it comes to the sipping side of things, you can expect a playful cocktail menu, a decent wine list, and an all-important sake selection.
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. Glass, metal and concrete finishes are also used throughout, softened by a smattering of cushioned leather banquettes.
Lambie shared, "I'm thrilled to be back cooking in Melbourne – it's become my hometown – and I've wanted to open up a restaurant here again for a long time."
You'll find Juni at 136 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, open every day of the week from 12pm–late. For more details, you can check out the venue's website.
Images: Dylan Kindermann.