Drop in for a chilli margarita and stay for soft shell crab gua baos or eggnet pad Thai at BAMBU Asian Eating House, South Melbourne Market’s latest hot spot. The addition of a new Asian-style hawker hut on Cecil Street makes BAMBU is in great company, joining the Market’s other Cecil Street restaurants offering hawker-style food and outdoor dining with an ambience reminiscent of somewhere exotic.
The brainchild of Sam Seoud and Nick Seoud, the menu was developed with consultant chef Bobbe Bee and features a fusion of contemporary Asian cuisine and hawker-style food.
“BAMBU is an Asian eating house without regional boundaries,” Nick Seoud said. “It has its roots in Thai cuisine but with Malaysian, Fijian and Vietnamese influences, prepared with the freshest ingredients to create an authentic hawker-style experience in the heart of South Melbourne Market.”
Nick has a strong track record in hospitality – he owns and runs the successful Darling Café in South Yarra and his family heads up Albert Park institution Dundas & Faussett.
“South Melbourne Market is a much-loved, iconic and hugely popular Melbourne destination so when the opportunity came about, we jumped at it,” he said.
Architect Chris Connell, of Chris Connell Design, created a simple space with slatted timber ceiling, concrete rendered walls, Spanish tiles and a suspended bar. The L-shaped bar and dining area allow guests to watch the chefs preparing meals in an open kitchen, while the large outdoor eating area takes advantage of the vibrant market location.
“We are known for our exceptional wok menus at Darling Café and Dundas & Faussett, so we wanted to open something that took this one step further and focused entirely on the extraordinary flavours and textures of Asian cuisine,” Nick said.
BAMBU’s menu offers an eclectic mix of our favourite Asian dishes, from tasty dumplings and buns to spicy curries, rice and noodle dishes, crispy fish and Thai beef salads, BBQ sticky beef ribs, and Asian-inspired desserts such as banana roti with sweet pandan milk and cinnamon sugar.
For those who prefer to enjoy their meal with something other than a cocktail or a coconut spiked with Tia Maria and spiced rum, the bar offers a wide range of international beers including Kung Fu Rice Lager, Matso’s Maggo Beer, Kirin, Lucky Buddah, Sapporo, Asahi, Singha, Chang, Hanoi, Corona, Moretti and Peroni. Coffee is by Five Senses Coffee.
Licenced to hold 100 people, BAMBU Asian Eating House opened in mid-2017 and has already built a very loyal following for lunch, dinner and everything in between.
BAMBU is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 10pm, and closed Monday and Tuesday. Bookings via eatbambu.com.au or call 9686 1608.
BAMBU is located at Stall 92/116 Cecil Street, South Melbourne Market.