Nathan Sasi opens Fishbone Local in downtown Bali

Mercado's mercurial chef Nathan Sasi is joining Sydney's kitchen brain drain, set to swap the Sydney CBD restaurant for Bali.

"Yes, I'm out of here. I'm retaining my shares [in Mercado] but I'm joining Brett Hospitality Group, which has been set up by some Aussies who just opened Fishbone Local, in Canggu," he says.

Sasi confirmed his role at Mercado will be filled by Jason Dean, a graduate of Pier kitchen who also oversaw the rebranding of Sydney's Buzo restaurant.

Sasi, who earned his early stripes at Surry Hills' Nomad restaurant and also founded soft serve specialist Good Times, explains the just-opened 100-seat Fishbone Local is the first step, his group role at Brett Hospitality set to expand rapidly.

Brett Hospitality's owners, restaurateur Dominique Brett, hospitality veteran Isabella Rowell and developer Brant Bauer, have big plans for the holiday island. "There are two more venues on the way.

Billy opens in a couple of months, followed by an Asian concept, Hawker, after that," Sasi says. Who knows, Sasi might even find time to become the soft serve king of Seminyak while he's over there?