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Peter Gunn's IDES pop-up finishes as he downs roots at the old Lee Ho Fook site

Gemima Cody
Gemima Cody

Peter Gunn's lardo, charred fennel, baby corn and lard soup, from an IDES dinner.
Peter Gunn's lardo, charred fennel, baby corn and lard soup, from an IDES dinner.Supplied

If you've been waiting for a seat at IDES, chef Peter Gunn's in-demand pop-up dinners, held monthly at Persillade, bad luck. They end on February 20.

The Age Good Food Guide 2015 Young Chef of the Year finalist has resigned from Attica's kitchen to turn IDES into a fulltime restaurant. He will open on the old Lee Ho Fook site on Smith Street on March 16 – the ides of March.

Don't expect a part-bar situation. It's a set menu restaurant. Gunn's plan is to serve six courses of his technique-heavy contemporary cooking. Like the pop-ups, it will still be part-prepped in the open and delivered by his chefs, but the rest of the experience will be honed.

Despite a tiny budget, Gunn's scored Rockpool designer Grant Cheyne to help him soften the room with carpets and buffering. Kappo sommelier Raffaele Mastrovincenzo will run the floor and do the $55 wine match. Gunn's sous from the start, Zachary Furst, will be joining him.

Peter Gunn (left) working with Attica's Ben Shewry in the Ripponlea restaurant's test kitchen in 2014.
Peter Gunn (left) working with Attica's Ben Shewry in the Ripponlea restaurant's test kitchen in 2014.Eddie Jim
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As for Goldfish – Lee Ho Fook chef Victor Liong's proposed casual Chinese diner expected to go into the space – Gunn's got the space as long as he wants it. And he's going nowhere for a while.

Open dinner Wed-Sun from March 16. Bookings from March 2.

92 Smith Street, Collingwood, idesmelbourne.com.au

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Gemima CodyGemima Cody is former chief restaurant critic for The Age and Good Food.

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