A new star on the Upper East Side
While a ceiling of 100,000 fairy lights may entice the punters, the menu on offer at Bondi’s latest busy restaurant and bar provides just as much of a star turn.
When it comes to high quality, affordable dining, the renowned Sydney beachside town of Bondi has come a long way in the last ten years. As well as long-standing favourites such as Bondi Icebergs and Sean’s Panaroma, the suburb now also hosts a number of creative new eateries serving up tasty, inventive food.
A recent standout is Upper East Side, located on the upper end of bustling O’Brien Street. The exciting new attraction is owned and managed by the talented Ussi Moniz da Silvia, who has a background in running concert tours and successful nightclubs.
A lively scene day or night
Open from breakfast through to dinner, it boasts an interesting and ever-evolving menu with culinary influences from all over the world. By day the venue is laid-back and relaxed with comfy outdoor couches, a tasty breakfast menu, and a bottomless brunch option on Saturdays and Sundays. In the evening it becomes a more up-market destination, offering a full menu as well as tapas-style dishes and an extensive cocktail menu.
Setting the mood
One of the venue’s most striking features is it’s ceiling. Covered entirely in 100,000 fairy lights this feature adds a star-like charm to the interior. There are also two life-size palm trees inside the restaurant that add to the relaxed, tropical vibe. “The restaurant’s feel really changes depending on the time of day,” says Ussi. “For breakfast it’s quite chilled and laid back. At night it’s busy and fun and really popular with locals. With the live music and DJs and it’s got a great atmosphere that people love.”
Though the restaurant employs a team of talented fine-dining chefs in its kitchen the food is still kept fresh, light and casual. The space can seat up to 100 people, and with the need to output so many fast-paced dishes, the load on the kitchen can be considerable. That’s why Ussi has brought in a great kitchen team, and equipped them with the right tools for the job.
In the kitchen
When it came to choosing commercial kitchen equipment, Upper East Side owner Ussi Moniz da Silvia turned to Moffat, installing a full Waldorf Bold line-up, a Convotherm oven and Washtech dishwasher.
“Moffat is a respected and reliable brand,” says Ussi “While we haven’t had any issues we know they’ll provide rapid support if we do.”
“Our kitchen is open plan and diners can see what’s going on, so we really needed to get top of the line equipment,” he adds. “It was important that it was visually appealing but also practical for our restaurant. So the Waldorf line-up suited us perfectly.”
“We chose the Convotherm for the same reason – it looks great and is simply a fantastic piece of equipment. So too is the Washtech equipment reliable and gives us the results we need when it comes to cleaning. And it all it fits into the space really well.”
