Overview
Nestled into Bondi's Hall Street, Blanca Bar & Dining already boasts Finland's biggest celebrity chef in Tomi Bjorck. Now, for the duration of the 2018–19 summer, it'll also boast an izakaya as well.
Bjorck and co-owner Samuel Cole have turned the bar side of their two-year-old spot into a Japanese-style hangout, complete with theming, food and cocktails to match. Opening its doors on Tuesday, October 23, it'll run while the weather is warm, slinging everything from snacks to bigger bites, and from sake to a rotating range of cocktails too.
Specifically, diners can tuck into Bjorck and Cole's creative take on hot dogs — think soft steamed black buns, black pudding, truffle mayo and sauerkraut — as well as miso prawns with rice crackers, lemon and daikon pickle; salt and pepper soft shell crab with both truffle wasabi dashi and wasabi mayo; and grilled pork belly, house kimchi, pickles and aioli on a soft bun.
As for the beverages, Bjorck has worked through his contact list and enlisted some of his bartender pals from around the world, with Jere Vihervaara from London's Dandelyan doing the honours first up. Vihervaara's tipples include the Charmanders Kick with whisky, plum wine, lemon and house made macadamia-rice milk, and the Melon Dollar Baby with gin, suze, lemon and watermelon. Three regular house specials are also on offer, alongside sake — naturally — plus Japanese beers and an international wine list.
Setting the right vibe, Blanca Bar has been decked out with bespoke murals by Romance was Born's Lisa T, as well as snapshots from Bjorck's own travels around Japan and Korea — the very trip that provided inspiration for the pop-up.
And if you're wondering about Blanca Dining, it's still business as usual next door.
Find Blanca Bar's Izakaya at 75-79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach from Tuesday, October 23. It'll be open from 4pm–late from Tuesday to Sunday.