Overview
An exciting venue celebrating music and Japanese cuisine is coming to Solotel and Matt Moran's Barangaroo House in September. Rekōdo is a new restaurant and vinyl bar set to arrive on level one of the expansive multi-storey restaurant and bar from Friday, September 16, offering up top-notch eats, sake and tunes curated by some of Sydney's most beloved musicians.
Starting with the food, Head Chef Paddy McDermott's menu will be based around vibrant and inventive Japanese-style dishes. Guests will be able to keep things light with the likes of DIY tuna belly, avocado and roe temaki hand rolls, or kimchi and fontina cheese taiyaki waffles. Looking for something a little more hearty? Feast your way through Rekōdo's whole fried snapper or mondanyaki noodles — or the charcoal-smoked red miso eggplant, which will arrive to your table still cooking in a donabe clay pot.
"Leaning into the music vibe of Rekōdo, I'd say we're going for a 'high fidelity' approach to the menu — familiar flavours but having a little fun in the way they're presented," says McDermott.
While the food may be enticing, the most exciting element of Rekōdo is the music. Boasting a huge collection of vinyl records, the venue will enlist the curation skills of a different tastemaker each month to select the tunes. Kicking things off will be Meg Mac, showcasing the eclectic music taste that has inspired her beloved catalogue of ballads. Following Mac's reign as the curator, Donny Benét and Lazywax are already locked in to take over the speakers in October and November respectively.
"I'm obsessed with all the amazing voices in the world, so I've included some of the singers I love like Sam Cooke, Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield, Enya, Leon Bridges and my new local discovery Telenova!" says Mac.
"One of the things I love about vinyl is the artwork. I like to put the covers up on my piano when I'm writing, it helps inspire me and I can swap them around depending on what mood I'm in. So, I'm excited to flick through some of these covers at Rekōdo next month!"
And yes, there will be vinyl dance parties. Acclaimed local DJs Ayebatonye, Adi Toohey and Soul of Sydney DJs are among the roster of talent that Rekōdo has pulled together, all hopping on the decks and get the party started each Thursday–Sunday.
Rounding out your visit to Barangaroo's new multi-faceted space is the drinks list. Bar lead Pauric Kennedy is pulling together a now 20-strong list of sakes which will be able to be ordered by the glass, as a tasting flight or in cocktails. Add brown sugar umeshu, tangerine and elderflower tonic to your sake and you have a refreshing Tokyo Tipple, for instance
"The Rekōdo experience is about mixing sound, drink and good times with shared friends," co-owner and restauranteur Matt Moran says. "Paddy has done a great job creating a menu that reflects this, with a mix of small and larger dishes all designed to share so you can tailor it to whatever vibe you're after."
Rekodo will open on Friday, September 16 at Level 1, Barangaroo House, 35 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo — operating from 12pm–12am Tuesday–Saturday and 12–10pm on Sundays.
Images: Steven Woodburn.