An Underground Restaurant Serving Lesser-Known Vietnamese Dishes Is Opening in Sydney's CBD

Sydney's CBD is set to gain a major dose of Hanoi with the opening of Forty Licks, a modern Vietnamese eatery and cocktail bar. The 75-seat basement venue is slated to open along York Street on April 30 and promises to go well beyond your standard pho, rice paper rolls and banh mi.

The restaurant's menu is thanks to ex-pat head chef Joel Manton, who spent years living in Hanoi — where he raised a family and opened up a popular fusion restaurant called Pots'n Pans. Lucky for us, Manton has returned to Aussie shores and is bringing his knowledge of Vietnamese fare back with him.

The restaurant will showcase traditional Vietnamese cooking techniques and dishes lesser-known to Sydneysiders. On the menu, there's a vermicelli and beef noodle soup called bún bò huế — a spicy lemongrass cousin of pho — and chả cá lã vọng, a popular Hanoi street snack of grilled kingfish marinated in turmeric and fresh dill, served over noodles. Turmeric tofu with braised eggplant also makes the list.

Other talent behind the venture include Sydney restaurateur Tony Mowad and bartender Kurtis Bosley (Bistro Moncur, The Collaroy) — he's created a Vietnamese-inspired cocktail list to match the menu. On it, you'll find the Red Lotus (vermouth, pear brandy and amaro with lemon and bitters) and the Hanoi Sour (bourbon and ginger liqueur mixed with a Peruvian purple corn beverage, lemon and pecan bitters).

Local design firm GSBN Studios is responsible for the fit-out, which centres on a tiered dining room that is meant to emulate the look of Vietnam's rice paddies. In this way, the venue will try to combine and contrast Sydney's bustling city streets with Vietnam's natural landscape.

Forty Licks will open at 24 York Street, Sydney on Tuesday, April 30. Opening hours will be Monday–Friday from 11am–late.