Overview
In sad news, Bourke Street Bakery is moving out of Potts Point. However, the space won't stay dormant for long, as the folks behind Redfern's Moon Park, which closed in September 2016, will be moving in from July. And their new venture, Paper Bird, will be bringing you all-day eats, from, not only Korea, but Japan and China, too.
So, if you've been missing that fried chicken with soy and maple syrup sauce, you'll soon be scoffing it again. Also making a comeback will be rice cakes with peanuts and gochujang (a savoury, sweet and spicy chilli paste). Among new arrivals, you'll find rice, clams and nori served in a stoneware bowl and Xi'an cumin lamb sausage rolls with cumin and black vinegar — a slight heart pang for Bourke Street Bakery fans.
Paper Bird will open from 7am till midnight, which means breakfast will be served. "The breakfast dishes will be familiar, but with an Asian twist," says Ned Brooks, who co-owns the eatery with head chefs Ben Sears and Eun Hee An. "Singapore barbecue bacon, smashed avo and eggs on toast with dried fish, toasted muesli and persimmon ... It's often about swapping one European ingredient with an Asian one."
On the drinks menu, you'll find about 100 wines, with 20 or so available by the glass. Brooks, who'll be running the bar, says, "Around 50 percent are Australian and 50 percent international, from France, Italy, Spain and America." There's also a high-end sake list, a bunch of craft beers and cocktails. Single Origin will be taking care of the coffee.
Going against Sydney's current obsession with guttings and renovations, the team won't be tearing the site apart. "The fitout is already lovely," Brooks says. "It was made by craftsmen and we don't want to touch it too much. We don't want to see a beautiful bar top and dark wooden banquettes get ripped out and turned into landfill ... Sydney is an expensive city, but people still want to go out to drink and eat. One way to reduce prices is to spend less money on renovations."
So, the space won't be getting much more than a lick of paint, some sound attenuation and some lighting, designed in collaboration with Phillip Arnold. There'll be indoor seating for about 60, including 10 spots at the bar, plus 15 places outside.
Paper Bird will open in July 2017 at 46A Macleay Street (enter via Crick Avenue). Opening hours will be Monday to Saturday 7am–midnight, Sunday 8am–3pm.
Image: Nikki To.