Tyga

Overview

Carnegie has landed a vibey new venue that is set to be a game-changer for the usual, casual fare found on the always busy Koornang Road. The bustling dining strip is filled with decades-old dumpling institutions, quiet cafes, family-favourite unassuming take-away spots, and a vibrant mix of shopfronts. Now, Tyga has arrived to bring a new energy, modern design, and refined menu to what is otherwise a mostly modest selection of venues. 

Restaurateur Tommy Tong is conveniently familiar with the area, having run the always-busy Saigon Mama Vietnamese joint just down the road for many years. While he could have chosen a more expected location for a venue like TYGA, perhaps the CBD or Windsor, Tong decided to take a calculated risk and bring something new, something fresh, and something enticing to Melbourne's South East. 

The neo-Southeast Asian restaurant channels the energy, rhythm and flavour of 1970s Bangkok with a nostalgic retro fit-out, non-stop spinning vinyls, and bold and fresh ingredients. Design agency Brandworks has done a stellar job at bringing their vision of a 'stylo milo' design (a Singaporean slang term for something that is effortlessly stylish, fashionable and cool) to life. Glass bricks at the entrance filter the streetlight into a soft glow, vibrant and colourful canvases are eye-catching and alluring, and the olive leather banquettes are comfortable and inviting. Vinyl DJ decks have a prime position on the bar, from which inventive cocktails such as the Wild Tyga with tom-yum mezcal, rhum agridolce, mandarin cucacao and agave, and the Ceylon Alexander with coconut rum, Licor 43, Ceylon Tea and cream, are served. 

While the music might be loud, and the fitout a standout, the food holds its own with a menu that is both comforting and familiar, and challenging and creative. Burrata is served atop a thick tom yum sauce with King prawns and yaowarat doughnuts. Nasi Lemak is reimagined into a tartare with smoked sambal, puffed rice and egg puree. Woodfired bone barrow is accompanied by crab sambal and a show-stopping coconut roti that makes you want to order many more. There's also the likes of Kingfish larb, Borneo Hinava, beef cheek bò kho, pork chop de Saigon, mushroom and eggplant kra pao, and Chinatown crab noodles. 

Tyga is fun and loud, nostalgic yet modern, cheeky and charming. It captures the essence of the soulful spirit of Southeast Asia and transports it all the way to Koornang Road, Carnegie. 

Images: Flat Pack Studio.