Island Radio
No longer restricted by such a tight brief, the menu now leans on traditional Asian cooking techniques as a starting point to present a carefully considered menu.
Overview
House Made Hospitality's Island Radio has evolved to meet its customers' preferences, now offering a broader pan-Asian menu, a softer space for settling in for leisurely meals, and a clearer sense of itself and how it interacts with its audience.
"Island Radio opened with a very clear idea of what we thought the neighbourhood wanted. Once you trade for a while, you learn how people actually use the room. We imagined a faster, more communal style of dining, but found guests wanted to settle in, order in stages and make the experience their own. They also wanted that sense of consistency whether they visited on a Tuesday or a Saturday. This next version keeps the personality of Island Radio, but gives the restaurant a clearer vision," says Justin Newton, Director of House Made Hospitality.
When the then neon-orange-accented venue first opened, it was siloed to showcasing the food cultures of Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. As the interiors have transitioned to deeper burgundy colours, with communal tables replaced by more comfortable individual ones with softer furnishings, the menu has softened too. No longer restricted by such a tight brief, the menu no longer focuses only on recognisable regional dishes, but rather leans on traditional Asian cooking techniques as a starting point.
Dishes are now informed by everything from Korean fermentation practices to Japanese techniques and seasonality, the street-food style of Hong Kong dumplings and roast meats, all while leaning on the Southeast Asian aromatics that have always infused the dishes with bold flavours.
"We wanted the food to carry more of our own signature. The original brief sometimes came with an expectation that a dish should taste exactly as it might in Singapore, Indonesia or Malaysia. Broadening the menu gives us more freedom to work with what's coming through the markets here and shape those influences in a way that feels specific to Island Radio. It has also made room for formats that didn't sit as naturally within that earlier direction, such as ramen in the Noodle Bar and Dim Sum Sessions, which now run across lunch on both Saturday and Sunday," says Head Chef Thattacha 'Eddy' Ariyachinkul.
Whether you're keen on a couple of snacks, want to slurp a quick bowl of noodles, or settle in for a celebratory meal of premium seafood and wagyu, you'll find what you're looking for on Eddy's menu. Highlights include the likes of white soy torched wagyu onigiri, prawn and crab wontons, Koren-style sweet corn pancakes, a lobster roll with sambal mayo, a burnt pavlova with yuzu cream and pandan ice cream, and the crowd-favourite, returning three milks cake in a new white chocolate version with elderflower cream.
If you're looking to fill your belly, check out Island Radio's Dim Sum Sessions, which run throughout the weekend and, for $90, include pickles, prawn har gow, fried pork dumplings, charcoal chicken tsukune, crispy chicken buns, nigiri and plenty more. Importantly, the offer includes 90 minutes of bottomless house beer, wine and prosecco (or you can upgrade to free-flowing spritzes for $30 per person).
Images: Ethan Smart.
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