Three’s company
A bartender, an Olympian and a chef walk into a bar. One orders a splash of Nikka, the next a glass of umeshu, while the third tries the yakitori. Over in the corner of the softly lit room, where inviting booths in subtle shades of purple and grey are set against flowery wallpaper, a DJ is mixing tunes.
This is not your average bar. It’s a late-night venue for grown-ups. People who want to kick on after dinner or a function but can’t stomach the thought of a nightclub or dive bar. People who want to listen to live music without their conversation being drowned out. People who want to eat something delicious with a nightcap or three, rather than fight over a packet of chips. People not unlike the trio behind this sophisticated yet playful nod to the Japanese whisky lounge.
“I think I’m really just turning into a dad,” the Olympian says with a laugh. “The way we all thought about it was if we’ve been out for a nice dinner with our wives and friends, and it’s 11.30, where would we go for a drink if we don’t want to go home? We’re getting older but we still want to have fun and we want to create a place that is fun for more grown-up people.”
The bartender, himself a father of two, concurs. “We’re not trying to create a nightclub; it’s more a late-night lounge. This will be very safe, very female-friendly, 25 and above — and well above. And we’ve added a kitchen, which goes against the whole nightclub mentality.”
Which is where the chef — and father of two — comes in. “We’re not trying to be three white guys doing very traditional Japanese food but we want the flavours to be there. The simplicity, and the balance, with a few fun touches.”
But why Japanese whisky? Or, for that matter, a Japanese-inspired menu? And why then call the bar, in the city’s ever-expanding Hibernian Place, Goody Two’s?
Turns out Andy Freeman, the “bartender” behind venues including The Flour Factory, Varnish on King and more recently Hadiqa, has wanted to do Japanese whisky for about two years because, well, no one else had. “It’s very hot, it’s very hard to get hold of,” he says, pointing out it’s a vastly different drink to the American whiskies that draw punters to Varnish. “It’s a very even, very balanced and delicate style. Even the entry level stuff comes at a premium so for us to be able to curate 100 from the distilleries around Japan is quite a feat.”
Eamon Sullivan was only too happy to research a few on his most recent visit to Japan, a place he has been fascinated with much of his 33 years, though he had to abandon plans to spend a year there as an exchange student when his freestyle stroke took him in another direction.
“I’ve always loved the culture, their traditions. Everything has a way of being done and it’s been done for hundreds of years, the making of their miso paste, their tofu, and the way they make their whisky — the quality, refinement and elegance has just carried through in their way of life.”
The co-owner of Bib and Tucker and May Street Larder loves it so much he even got engaged there, and took the family (his son is now 15 months) in January, when he discovered even the local bartenders are finding it hard to source their famed whisky.
When his business partner and chef Scott Bridger thinks of the year he spent based in Japan, it’s naturally food that comes to mind — a seductive smell wafting up from the backstreets of Tokyo, where old men and women would sit turning skewers in yakitori bars. “The smell of the fat dropping on to that charcoal — the binchotan white charcoal that we’re not allowed to burn here unfortunately because we’re underground — was just intoxicating, you could smell it a mile off.”
So we have three guys smitten with Japan in one form or another. And a bar stocked with hard-to-get whisky, as well as umeshu (plum wine, something Eamon is rather partial to) and sake — none of that cheap lighter-fuel stuff you might be more accustomed to — as well as the usual beer, wine and spirits.
And the kitchen is turning out the kind of bite-sized food we love to see in a late-night bar. Fancy a yakitori or two with your whisky? Scott may not be able to burn binchotan but the meat skewers are cooked in traditional robata style over bars (with no direct contact with the fire) and caramelised with a good tare, made from roasted chicken bones, soy, mirin and sake, lots of sake.
Slide into one of the booths and dine izakaya-style, over a series of small dishes, or simply tuck into a dessert such as miso parfait and yuzu doughnuts. Scott has also teamed with his friend Sue Lewis to create some special treats for chocoholics who just want a little bite of heaven — think dark beauties laced with Japanese whisky or cherry blossom.
“The whisky is the star of the bar so we wanted to create food you could drink whisky with, that’s not going to overpower it,” the 39-year-old chef says. “We’re not trying to be fine-dining Japanese. It’s fun, bar food.”
And fun is the reason behind the name. “We just wanted something that wasn’t too formal, that was a bit of fun, and we didn’t want this to sound like a Japanese bar,” Andy says. “So we thought Goody Two’s is youthful, friendly, soft, cheeky and playful. We’re very serious about our food and drink offering in a relaxed and accessible fashion but there’s a cheekiness. For example, there’s a vending machine in the bathrooms filled with some inappropriate, cheeky things.”
Why would guys who might normally be regarded as competitors, juggling seven other venues between them, band together in a challenging hospitality market? “I think BGC (the group behind Hibernian Place) always had me in mind for this place — I’m the basement guy maybe,” Andy says. “But I was always interested in the rooftop experience, hence Hadiqa was born.”
He put BGC in touch with a few of his friends, including Eamon, about different sites, but when Eamon showed an interest in the nightclub venue, Andy put his hand up. “I told them that if he was really interested he should give me a call and I’d do it with him.”
Wasn’t he then at risk of competing with himself, given Hadiqa is just up the stairs? “It’s very different, it’s summer breeze up there,” he says. “This just complements the portfolio at Hibernian Place, with the hotel (Westin), Garum Italian dining, burgers, all-day dining at Arthur & Co ... And we’re very conscious of the amount of domestic corporates who stay at the hotel. You could have a wedding in their ballroom and you want to party on, the girls want to have a dance and the boys want to have a whisky. We don’t do that dancing, sipping stuff at Hadiqa, it’s more crushed cocktails, colours and party, party.”
Eamon agrees it’s a case of the more the merrier. “If you’re confident in your concept and you’re passionate about what you do, you shouldn’t be worried about what others are doing. And that’s probably similar to sport in that if you worry too much about your competitors you lose sight of what you should be doing and focusing on your own performance,” he says.
When we catch up, it’s two days from opening night and tradesmen are still coming and going, the floor strewn with boxes and furniture, but the guys aren’t fazed. Seasoned openers, they know it will be all right on the night (which it was, complete with electric harpist and Itchy Buns, a blend of gin, yuzu and tonic that is my new cocktail of choice).
They hope to attract a diverse crowd: office workers coming in just after opening for a drink and snack, girlfriends looking for somewhere rather swish (and safe) to enjoy a few cocktails, and groups wanting to kick on after a function without hassles. It has a private bar that can accommodate up to 80, with bookings coming before the venue opened.
Live music is a condition of their licence, and the guys are excited about creating a vibe that might lure the occasional touring superstar for a few unexpected tunes, as well as a roster of local talent. “We want people to go ‘You have to be there on Saturday night because Cher or Bob Dylan might come in to sing’,” Eamon says. “Obviously that’s hard to do, which is why we can’t say we’re doing it, but it’s what we’re aiming for.” Stay tuned.
Goody Two’s, Hibernian Place, is open Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm till late, goodytwos.com.au.
Scott wears Z Zegna jeans, $445, Ermenegildo Zegna shirt, $695, and jacket, $1750. Andy wears Crossley t-shirt $135, Notify jeans, $445, Canali jacket, $3295. Eamon wears Ermenegildo Zegna shirt $545, and suede jacket, $6895, Jacob Cohen jeans $675. All from Parker & Co, Trinity Arcade & Claremont Quarter, 9321 8621, parkerco.com.au. Stylist Clare Ryan Grooming Brittany Mason
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