This November, Chef Stephen Seckold (Flying Fish) will open Salaryman, his own take on a grungy, modern-day noodle-bar, in Surry Hills. Seckold has always been a fan of the Japanese phenomenon ‘salaryman’ and being a chef, he saw a synergy with this ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos that has inspired the name.
It’s not hard to notice Seckold’s fine-dining flair applied to the daily-changing menu at Salaryman, with a clear focus on using quality ingredients, seasonal broths often dictated by the weather, misos fermented in-house, and ingredients such as Crustacea and rare-breed pork butchered on site.
One day, the menu may feature Tsukemen (dipping ramen) as noodles with a side of coconut-based dipping sauce and a side of robata calamari. Another, a whole bird quail Mazemen (minimal broth ramen), with stock made from the quail bones, confit meat from the legs and breast carved from the crown just before serving, paired with miso corn.
Seckold and the team will butcher on site and aim to use the whole animal where possible to maximise flavours and sustainability. A single pig Tantanmen, (a nod to the spicy Sichuan Chinese dan dan noodles), for example, would use broth made from the bones, and the meat in both chashu-style and spicy minced pork, with a chilli garnish.
In addition to the noodles, there are small dishes including chicken wings stuffed with sea plant butter or smoked albacore with gooseberries, a take on street-food favourites like Takoyaki (ball-shaped Japanese snacks), and a street window serving sweet Taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes) for takeaway.
Salaryman will open as BYO until the liquor licence is finalised in early December. Once that comes through, the cocktail list will be curated by former Pastry Chef Marzio Lanzini and dictated by the daily markets and farmers, with Japanese influence. For example, the Melon and Saffron Smash is made with saffron-infused cachaça, agave, cantaloupe melon and lemon. The Rice Fields cocktail entails a seasonal herb-infused white rum with rice and Junmai Daiginjo sake. There will also be a selection of international beers and biodynamic and organic wines.
The interiors are best described as grungy and raw. Designer Paul Kelly (Black, Sokyo) is responsible for the simple yet industrial fit-out inspired by Tokyo’s Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane); home to dozens of rickety buildings, smoky yakitori and dimly-lit izakaya bars in metropolitan Shinjuku. Encapsulating the city’s grit and grime with ‘liquid spilt’ down concrete walls, rough and raw materials and a contemporary mixed media artwork using melted plastics that run into the floor, the subway-esque space parallels the open-kitchen’s energy, overlooking seating of up to 100.
Diners dictate their own experience; drop by for a quick and easy lunch, a casual (but lengthy) dinner with friends, or late-night cocktails and small plates. The daily pace of menu change injects excitement and spice into routine helping diners decide how they’ll spend their time at the noodle bar.
When you walk through the doors of Salaryman you can feel the heartbeat of the space. You are immersed in a sensual experience of smell, sight, sound, touch and taste, brought to life in an industrious setting of dark undertones lit up by aromatic dishes, moody music and high energy of the team.
This is a completely new challenge for Seckold, who has more than 18 years’ experience in fine-dining restaurants including Flying Fish, Jonah’s Whale Beach, and La Noisette in London. Seckold will remain as Executive Chef of Flying Fish overseeing the restaurant with Head Chef Ian Royle.
Salaryman
52-54 Albion Street, Surry Hills
salaryman.com.au
info@salaryman.com.au
Instagram: @salaryman_au
Twitter: @Salaryman_au
Facebook: /Salarymanau
Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday
11am-10pm
salaryman
ˈsalərɪman/
noun
1. (especially in Japan) a white-collar worker.
“dark-suited masses of salarymen crossed the intersection like instinct-blinded salmon”