Rising from the ashes of Dieci e Mezzo is the Harrington brothers’ new casual eatery, Akiba, and it’s only fitting that they’ve taken inspiration from the name of a Japanese fire deity for their new venture. Mike and Pete Harrington are no strangers to the restaurant business – they already own Sage Dining Rooms, and they’re pulling out all the stops for their new restaurant. 

They’ve already got their Josper oven – and if, like me, you’re wondering what that is, it’s a Spanish charcoal grill that cost in the vicinity of $140,000 to supply and install, a Rotovap (that’s another $14,000) for making cocktails, plus they’ve assembled a formidable list of who’s who in hospitality for both front and back of house. 

There are two co-head chefs heading up the joint – Johnon Mcdonald and Brian Logan between them bring experience from Rockpool, Gingerboy, Tetsuya, Quay and Sokyo, to name just a few. Lee Potter Cavanagh, who placed fourth in the Bartender Magazine’s Bartender of the Year competition, has taken up the role of executive bartender; and Thomas Weis will be general manager. Even their architect is renowned – Adam Dettrick previously worked on the iconic MoVida eateries. 

“The vision is to create something really exciting for Canberra, a place that really appeals to a really wide ranging demographic. We want it to be affordable, vibrant, eclectic, energetic.” says Pete. “We want to bring that fun approachability, really unpretentious but really awesome quality – we don’t want this to be just the best thing Canberra’s ever seen, we want it to be one of the best things Australia’s ever seen.” 

Located in the ActewAGL building, the restaurant design and planning has been eighteen months in the works. It’s going to seat two hundred – 120 inside either at the bar, booths or communal tables, and 80 outside. Akiba will take bookings for some tables, but it looks like tables of two or three will be walk in only. And you should expect to queue. 

“We want a line around the corner at 5.30pm every night. We’re looking to try and keep it really affordable, we want to be a high-turnover fast-paced restaurant… it’s not going to be the kind of restaurant that you can sit at all night talking.”

“It’s a very new style of service. People can come and get a couple of things off the cart for maybe $20 each. We’re going to try and keep prices down, it’s just going to be a matter of how busy it gets.”

“The food will be predominantly Asian fusion, but there’ll be definitely some other worldly influences there,” Pete says.

There’s going to be a raw bar for serving oysters and the like, a yum cha inspired trolley cart service and a barbecue grill. Their cocktails will be priced at a few different levels and their farm to table style of food will translate through to the drinks list as well. 

“We’re hoping that the menu is going to be big enough, interesting enough and affordable and approachable enough that people are going to want to come a couple times a week.” 

The brothers have travelled around the United States, taking inspiration from the dining scene there, in particular State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. 

“When I was going over to the States, what was happening over there obviously they’re way in front of trends of what we are in Australia. A lot of the top fine dining chefs were reverting to something that was more approachable and more affordable, in a more casual setting. And that’s what we’re looking to do as well. I think there’s always going to be a place for fine dining, but at the moment people are looking at something new.”

With so many new restaurants on the scene, not to mention Jamie’s Italian and Wood & Coal around the corner – the Canberra dining scene is much more competitive than it was even a year ago. But rather than be concerned, Mike and Pete see it as a positive thing for Canberra. 

“There has been a lot of concern out there for people in the industry because there’s only so many customers. I think it has encouraged more of a going out sort of scene, people are willing to go out multiple times a week now, rather than just for special occasions so it’s created a better culture. Obviously, the more Canberrans warm to going out, the more stuff they’re going to get, it can only survive based on the economy of how much people spend in restaurants.” 

“It really is up to the Canberra people to come out if they want to have more choice. And because they are at the moment, they’re getting more choice than they ever have. It’s probably one of the reasons that Canberra is getting accoladed with things like the best city in the world to live, it’s probably because Canberrans are changing their attitudes to going out.”

With Akiba just weeks away, we’re sure attitude won’t be a problem.

the essentials

What: Akiba
Where: 40 Bunda Street, Canberra City
When: Akiba is expected to open in early December
Web: www.akiba.com.au

Rising from the ashes of Dieci e Mezzo is the Harrington brothers’ new casual eatery, Akiba, and it’s only fitting that they’ve taken inspiration from the name of a Japanese fire deity for their new venture. Mike and Pete Harrington are no strangers to the restaurant business – they already own Sage Dining Rooms, and they’re pulling out all the stops for their new restaurant. 

They’ve already got their Josper oven – and if, like me, you’re wondering what that is, it’s a Spanish charcoal grill that cost in the vicinity of $140,000 to supply and install, a Rotovap (that’s another $14,000) for making cocktails, plus they’ve assembled a formidable list of who’s who in hospitality for both front and back of house. 

There are two co-head chefs heading up the joint – Johnon Mcdonald and Brian Logan between them bring experience from Rockpool, Gingerboy, Tetsuya, Quay and Sokyo, to name just a few. Lee Potter Cavanagh, who placed fourth in the Bartender Magazine’s Bartender of the Year competition, has taken up the role of executive bartender; and Thomas Weis will be general manager. Even their architect is renowned – Adam Dettrick previously worked on the iconic MoVida eateries. 

“The vision is to create something really exciting for Canberra, a place that really appeals to a really wide ranging demographic. We want it to be affordable, vibrant, eclectic, energetic.” says Pete. “We want to bring that fun approachability, really unpretentious but really awesome quality – we don’t want this to be just the best thing Canberra’s ever seen, we want it to be one of the best things Australia’s ever seen.” 

Located in the ActewAGL building, the restaurant design and planning has been eighteen months in the works. It’s going to seat two hundred – 120 inside either at the bar, booths or communal tables, and 80 outside. Akiba will take bookings for some tables, but it looks like tables of two or three will be walk in only. And you should expect to queue. 

“We want a line around the corner at 5.30pm every night. We’re looking to try and keep it really affordable, we want to be a high-turnover fast-paced restaurant… it’s not going to be the kind of restaurant that you can sit at all night talking.”

“It’s a very new style of service. People can come and get a couple of things off the cart for maybe $20 each. We’re going to try and keep prices down, it’s just going to be a matter of how busy it gets.”

“The food will be predominantly Asian fusion, but there’ll be definitely some other worldly influences there,” Pete says.

There’s going to be a raw bar for serving oysters and the like, a yum cha inspired trolley cart service and a barbecue grill. Their cocktails will be priced at a few different levels and their farm to table style of food will translate through to the drinks list as well. 

“We’re hoping that the menu is going to be big enough, interesting enough and affordable and approachable enough that people are going to want to come a couple times a week.” 

The brothers have travelled around the United States, taking inspiration from the dining scene there, in particular State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. 

“When I was going over to the States, what was happening over there obviously they’re way in front of trends of what we are in Australia. A lot of the top fine dining chefs were reverting to something that was more approachable and more affordable, in a more casual setting. And that’s what we’re looking to do as well. I think there’s always going to be a place for fine dining, but at the moment people are looking at something new.”

With so many new restaurants on the scene, not to mention Jamie’s Italian and Wood & Coal around the corner – the Canberra dining scene is much more competitive than it was even a year ago. But rather than be concerned, Mike and Pete see it as a positive thing for Canberra. 

“There has been a lot of concern out there for people in the industry because there’s only so many customers. I think it has encouraged more of a going out sort of scene, people are willing to go out multiple times a week now, rather than just for special occasions so it’s created a better culture. Obviously, the more Canberrans warm to going out, the more stuff they’re going to get, it can only survive based on the economy of how much people spend in restaurants.” 

“It really is up to the Canberra people to come out if they want to have more choice. And because they are at the moment, they’re getting more choice than they ever have. It’s probably one of the reasons that Canberra is getting accoladed with things like the best city in the world to live, it’s probably because Canberrans are changing their attitudes to going out.”

With Akiba just weeks away, we’re sure attitude won’t be a problem.

the essentials

What: Akiba
Where: 40 Bunda Street, Canberra City
When: Akiba is expected to open in early December
Web: www.akiba.com.au