New chef, more space for Windsor's Tokyo Tina

As chef bragging rights go, visiting 22 countries within 12 months to chase fresh flavours must be right up there.

But Sushil Aryal, the Nepalese-born head chef at Windsor's Tokyo Tina, has the passport stamps to prove it.

The former sous chef at Fitzroy's Cutler & Co boasts stints at other Andrew McConnell restaurants (Cumulus Inc, Moon Under Water) as well as the Vue Group's Jardin Tan, and Tokyo Tina co-owner Simon Blacher, of the Commune Group, says that background is evident on the plate.

"He's a gun," says Blacher. "He's a chef who eats out and has had really good training. He's putting up really, really good food."

Aryal's arrival heralds a new stage for the Chapel Street restaurant. It's expanding into shop 66b next door, with Blacher saying the owners are still weighing up whether to use the space as a yakitori grill and raw bar, a private dining room, or an extension of the bar.

Work is expected to begin early in the new year.

The Commune Group, which also owns Hanoi Hannah and Neptune, will introduce Beijing Betty at the Australian Open in January.

The 200-seat pop-up restaurant will deliver a modern spin on Cantonese classics. "We are drawing inspiration from the vibrant streets of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, with subtle nods to Melbourne right now," says Blacher.