When Japanese and Peruvian cuisines blend in Sydney

Sydney is poised to get a new niche restaurant offering with ESCA Hospitality Group set to open Amé, a Nikkei restaurant bringing Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. 

Situated on the ground floor of a heritage-listed 1927 building at 84 Oxford Street, Amé will be led by executive chef Erik Ortolani, who is currently executive chef of ESCA’s Itō and Jōji. 

At Amé, Ortolani draws will draw inspiration from the rich culinary tradition born from more than 130 years of Japanese immigration to Peru.

“I’ve always loved Nikkei cuisine - it’s incredibly vibrant, layered and exciting, yet it still feels underrepresented in Sydney,” says Ibrahim Moubadder, co-founder and creative director of ESCA Group. 

“Sydney is one of the greatest dining cities because we don’t just replicate cuisines, our chefs interpret them through the way this city eats, and I don’t think Nikkei has had that moment here yet. That’s what excites us about Amé.”

“Erik has such a strong foundation in Japanese cooking, and after travelling through Peru and immersing himself in its food and culture, he’s bringing those two worlds together through his own perspective. 

"We want Amé to be some of ESCA’s best work yet, a restaurant that makes people fall in love with Nikkei cuisine and shows what it can become in Sydney. I can’t wait to open the doors this October and share what we’ve created.”

Amé - which joins Callao Barangaroo as the second Nikkei offering in Sydney - will form part of Oxford & Foley, the Darlinghurst precinct also home to the recently opened Mecca Coffee and Aenza, with Soho House set to open next door in 2028. 

The opening of Amé follows the recent launches of ESCA venues AALIA Wine Room in Martin Place and Besa in Bondi. 

Amé will open seven days a week for dinner, and for lunch Wednesday-Sunday, from October 2026.

Image: Eric Ortolani and Ibby Moubadder. Provided.

Dancing in the streets: Time for a festival vibe in Sydney

Village high streets across the City of Sydney will be transformed into lively festival hubs over the coming months as part of the Sydney Streets program.

The roads will be closed to traffic for the day as the street festivals kick off at 11am and run until late in the evening.

The festivals feature live music performances, outdoor dining from local restaurants and food vendors, street entertainment and roving performers.

Local businesses and organisations will host pop-up shops and outdoor market stalls, offering giveaways, competitions and exclusive deals.

The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO, said the series had grown significantly since it was first introduced during the pandemic. 

“Sydney Streets provides a platform for local shops, restaurants and businesses to connect with their communities and visitors in a friendly, open-air environment,” Moore said.

“It’s an opportunity for locals to shop, eat and explore their neighbourhood, with unique experiences and surprises at every corner.”

Surrounding street closures and special event clearways set the stage for the events, opening with a Welcome to Country and traditional smoking ceremony.

Activities to keep kids entertained will include a circus playground, origami workshops, face painting, art classes and reading areas.

Some events will feature a fun dog agility course, while others include fitness sessions, craft workshops, health checks and games.

February 15: Macleay Street, Potts Point

February 22: Stanley Street, Darlinghurst

March 8: Harris Street, Pyrmont

March 15: Glebe Point Road, Glebe

March 29: Redfern Street, Redfern

April 5: Crown Street, Surry Hills

A special Sydney Streets event will also take place as part of the Sydney Lunar Festival in Haymarket from 5:15-9:30pm on Saturday, February 1.

Three live entertainment sites on Sussex Street, Ultimo Road and Harbour Street will feature traditional and contemporary performances including lion and dragon dancers, dance groups, martial arts and singers.

To welcome the Year of the Snake, food trucks and market stalls with meals and gifts will be set up throughout Haymarket, 12 zodiac animal lanterns will line George Street and DJs will entertain visitors throughout the night.

For more information see whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Image: Sydney Streets: Glebe Point Road. Katherine Griffiths for City of Sydney

One man's sweet dream hits the big time

It began as a dream with one store selling artisan gelato. Today, 22 years later, Gelato Messina is celebrating a nationwide deal with Woolworths.

Over the past two decades, Gelato Messina has opened stores across Australia - and now its gelati and ice cream cakes will have a national canvas.

The point of difference here is that Messina never use pre-made bases or mass-produced flavour pastes. Every recipe is created from scratch and toppings and additions are made by Messina chefs at their in-house bakery.

Each Messina store has 40 freshly churned flavours, with 35 traditional flavours and five rotating weekly specials.

A new range of pints and frozen ice cream cakes will be available at Woolworths supermarkets, including Super Vanilla, Dulce de Leche, Pistachio Praline, Hazelnut Praline, Robert Brownie Jr. (great name) and Tiramisu.

The cake range will showcase Tiramisu, Iced Coco and Choc Malt.

“At Gelato Messina we’ve always been pushing boundaries to create products that surprise and delight, and after years of bringing unique flavours to our stores, we’re excited to finally make that experience more accessible to even more Australians through our first, exclusive supermarket range,” says founder Nick Palumbo.

“After expanding from our first Darlinghurst store in 2002 to now having 31 stores across Australia and internationally - the next step for us was to find a way to make our products accessible to everyone across the country, without compromising on quality.

“By working closely with Woolworths, we’ve developed a range that still has the honest quality, the delicious Messina magic, but can now be enjoyed from the comfort of your own freezer - no matter where you are.

"We’re proud of what we’ve created and can’t wait for people to start trying our pints and cakes from their local stores.”

The sweet treats are available in Woolworths stores across Australia from today, for RRP $14.50 each for pints and RRP $30.00 for cakes.