Everything eventually returns to ash. In Sydney, it’s starting with dinner. Ashe, the latest restaurant from Bentley Restaurant Group, has opened in the CBD with executive chef Khanh Nguyen at the helm, bringing together the big, bright flavours of Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia with premium Australian produce.
Set on the corner of Angel Place and Ash Street, the 80-seat restaurant puts a clay oven and grill at the centre of the kitchen. The menu is a riot of smoke, spice, char and acidity, with each dish bringing another hit of flavour.
Nguyen, who also oversees the kitchen at sibling restaurant King Clarence, has created his most personal menu yet, drawing on Southeast Asian cooking while weaving in Australian native ingredients he has spent years working with.
A Southeast Asian menu with an Australian accent
If there’s one thing Khanh Nguyen’s food refuses to be, it’s boring. His cooking layers big flavours, contrasting textures and Southeast Asian techniques, with makrut lime, fried dill, chilli, Geraldton wax, hoisin, satay and Thai basil all making an appearance.
It might sound like sensory overload, but Nguyen knows how to make the combinations work. Chef and co-owner Brent Savage provides the steady hand, while the share-style menu moves between snacks, seafood, meat, rice and dishes from the clay oven and grill.
Tear into pho-spiced beef tendon, lemon-cured Stone Axe wagyu, chilled spanner crab ‘hor mok’ with finger lime, chargrilled cuttlefish with sour orange curry and Yamba pippies, and king prawns with red curry and Davidson plum.
There’s also dry-aged Bangalow sweet pork, O’Connor Scotch fillet with onion rendang, kangaroo jerky green papaya salad and a particularly exuberant crispy rice salad with deep-sea perch, turmeric, fragrant herbs and salmon roe.
Then there’s the wood-fired sesame flatbread, piled with LP’s mortadella, burnt chilli jam and Laughing Cow cheese. Ashe isn’t interested in careful, minimalist dining. It’s about excess, energy and, above all, fun.
A jungle mood in the CBD
Inside, Ashe feels a world away from the Sydney CBD. Low lighting, palms and a deep-house soundtrack give the room a sultry, jungle-like vibe, with the polished finish keeping it firmly on the sophisticated side of a Bangkok backstreet.
The atmosphere is lively and easy to sink into, with the 80-seat dining room buzzing around the open-ended menu. Tucked off the main room is a private dining space for groups and special occasions.
The drinks list, overseen by Nick Hildebrandt, matches the kitchen’s bold approach, bringing plenty of spice and personality to the table alongside Nguyen’s food.
Save room for dessert
The pandan tres leches cake is served inside a hollowed-out young coconut, scattered with green apple, makrut lime and river mint, with a scoop of coconut sorbet alongside. It’s fresh, fragrant and a welcome cool-down after the bigger flavours of the meal.
There’s also frozen Thai milk tea with braised cashew, sherry vinegar, cinnamon myrtle and caramelised roti. And if you’re keen to stretch the night out, sibling bar Vespertine is just next door.
Ashe feels like a natural fit within Bentley Restaurant Group’s Sydney stable, while giving Nguyen plenty of room to put his own stamp on Southeast Asian cooking. His menu is playful and packed with Australian ingredients, with the clay oven and grill adding plenty of smoke.
Ashe is located at 4 Ash Street, Sydney; open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner, and Saturday and Sunday for dinner.
