The north-side's great nesting doll of venues, 127 Brunswick Street, opened softly on Thursday, readying for the weekend's waves of diners and drinkers.
The multi-zoned Fitzroy venue from Vince Sofo and Paul Adamo (The Espy, Ichi Ni, Ichi Ichi Ku) houses an enormous izakaya with a breakfast area, sushi-making station and sprawling garden courtyard; a colourful hawker-food restaurant, and a top-storey bar with open-air, rooftop standing room. A concierge greets guests, who are directed to their preferred possie.
Ichi Ni Nana runs over two levels. Thick-set with heavy, hand-made wooden furniture and busy with bright, hand-painted ceiling panels, it opens out to a wondrous secret-garden courtyard. The menu is classic izakaya, starting with delicate "tapas" such as lotus-root chips with guacamole, house-smoked octopus on puffed rice crackers, or wagyu sliders, then progressing through gradual shades of heartier. The food is driven by the sake-strong drinks list.
Breakfast includes ramen and brunch headliners like matcha-coated granola with cranberry, lime and ginger sorbet, fresh honeycomb and dark chocolate.
Village People is a separate hawker-oriented restaurant with its own kitchen opening on to a colourful, high-ceilinged room. Chef Arté Assavakavinvong (ex-Longrain) is putting up south-east Asian flavours such as barramundi in banana leaf and crisp noodles with lime, tamarind and garlic chives.
Both restaurants take bookings, and you can even book your favourite nook: the cable-car carriage from the Japanese winter Olympics perched in the garden please.
Ichi Ni Nana open daily 7am-late; Village People hawker foodhall open Mon-Thu from 5pm; Fri-Sun from noon.
127 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, 03 9417 4127, ichininana.com.au
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