Etelek Pop-Up

Overview

Update September 28, 2018: Due to popular demand, Ételek is sticking around. Stretching its stay from October till New Year's Eve, 2018, the pop-up restaurant will transition into a lighter menu in the warm months — we don't think you'll find matzo ball soup during summer. To book your visit, head to the website.

Following the success of last year's stints at Bar Brosé and The Gretz, Adam Wolfers and Marc Dempsey are back with the next instalment of their pop-up restaurant Ételek. Wolfers, who is known for his work at establishments such as Monopole and Yellow, and Dempsey, a sommelier and front-of-house powerhouse who is currently manager at Cornersmith Marrickville, will come together to showcase a blend of Hungarian, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisines.

The duo will takeover the site of the now-closed Antipodean restaurant in Potts Point from July 25 to October 13. Drawing on inspiration from his own Eastern European heritage — Ételek means 'food' in Hungarian — Wolfers will bring back pop-up signatures like his meat-free parsnip schnitzel and lángos (Hungarian fried bread) and will introduce newbies like nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) with sea urchin and walnut.

Other dishes include everything bagel 'bites' — which we're expecting to become an Instagram favourite — and, for dessert, Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with matzo praline. Wolfers also plans on returning to his Yellow roots by featuring vegetable-focused dishes that showcase "ingredients through contemporary interpretations of the dishes [he] was raised on".

While Wolfers masters the food, Dempsey will provide a fitting drinks menu. The wine list is set to focus on small "producers with heart" that work with ethical practices. "There will be wine for all palates and budgets,' Dempsey assures. While the three-month pop-up won't last nearly as long as we'd like, Wolfers hopes to create the feeling of a permanent fixture with "a regularly changing menu allowing for multiple visits".

The Potts Point space has had an eye-catching makeover, too, with bright orange and pink material hanging from the ceiling and colourful tape wrapped around the seats and tables — a stark contrast to the otherwise industrial space.

The duo will also collaborate with other industry favourites for one-off events, including a New York-style Sunday brunch session with Hartsyard's Gregory Llewellyn on Sunday, August 26, and a party with the talented team from Canberra's Bar Rochford on Sunday, September 16.

The Ételek pop-up will be open for dinner from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday and for lunch and dinner from 2pm on Sunday from July 25 through to December 31.

Images: Jun Chen