From Flinders Lane to Kitchener Drive: Salted Egg has arrived in The Top End
DARWIN: Salted Egg, the celebrated South East Asian restaurant on Melbourne’s famous Flinders Lane, has arrived in the Top End – showcasing a produce-forward menu enhanced with native bush tucker twists when its new Darwin Waterfront venue opens this week.
From Melbourne to Darwin: Having cultivated a loyal following in Melbourne for its bold, vibrant flavours, Salted Egg Darwin will be helmed by Head Chef Mark Langat - working closely with the celebrated Salted Egg Melbourne team - and will lean into the wealth of fresh local produce, aromatic spices, and coastal ingredients at its doorstep. The dish to watch? A dry laksa crowned with smoky, Skull Island grilled king prawns - a reinterpretation that’s ready to sit down at the table with Darwin’s most beloved staple – laksa - and hold its own.
“We’ve gone with a ‘dry’ laksa to capture the char grill flavour of the prawns – much like a classic Aussie BBQ,” says Sean Thomas, Executive Chef of Salted Egg Melbourne, who consulted on the Darwin menu. “The sauce is like a concentrated laksa soup - giving you the same flavours you would find in a bowl of laksa but highlighting the NT prawns.”
Having travelled extensively through South East Asia, and with previous experience at some of Melbourne’s iconic restaurants (Gingerboy and Movida), Chef Sean shared his tried and tested laksa tip: “The key to a good laksa is the umami smack from the dried shrimp, the richness from the coconut cream and fresh aromatic fragrance from the lemongrass – and personally, I love making a prawn head stock as the base.”
Chef Mark Langat is quick to agree, saying it’s a bowl that doesn’t just pay homage to his new home town; it dares to spark a new culinary conversation.
"Southeast Asian cuisine has deep roots in the Top End. We're here to honour that and push it forward - with the boldness of Melbourne dining and the best ingredients the Territory has to offer, he said. “Laksa isn’t just a dish in Darwin, it’s part of the city’s cultural identity, which is why we’ve developed a Salted Egg version.”
Meet Chef Mark Langat: Mark is no stranger to Asian Cuisine. Having completed his training and early career in his native Malaysia, working in fast paced kitchens throughout Kuala Lumpur and a stint at the highly regarded Jibby & Co in Selangor, he relocated to Australia to work under renowned Chef, Adam Woodfield, at Melbourne dining institution, Chin Chin.
He then followed Woodfield to Salted Egg Melbourne – continuing to hone his culinary skills under his tutelage, as the Flinders Lane restaurant continued to garner high praise amongst the city’s competitive food scene.
Working alongside Chef Sean Thomas, Langat has helped evolve the Salted Egg Melbourne menu and create must-try dishes, such as the Chilli Soft Shell Crab, which will also make its way to Darwin - lightly battered and served on top of a spicy sweet aromatic chilli sauce, with fried mantou bao buns to mop up every morsel.
An elevated menu offering: And whilst Darwin locals are very familiar with Southeast Asian cuisine, Salted Egg will provide an elevated offering in the popular Darwin Waterfront lifestyle precinct. The menu pays homage to Salted Egg’s Australian roots by incorporating native ingredients with Northern Territory sourced Humpty Doo Barramundi, Kakadu Plums, salt bush, and finger limes.
“Our Kakadu plums are sourced through The Australian Superfood Co. in partnership with Palngun Wurnangat Aboriginal Corporation in Wadeye. Their fair wage harvesting initiative now provides seasonal employment for more than 300 community members, and we’re incredibly proud to support this Territorian business.”
Other menu highlights include Son-in-law Eggs with tamarind chilli and zesty finger lime and Kangaroo spring roll with Kakadu plum dipping source for starters; the Humpty Doo Grilled Barramundi with snake bean sambal, shallot and charred lemon and Chicken Southern Curry with fried salt bush - finishing off with Mango in coconut cream with black sticky rice or Banana and Jackfruit spring rolls for dessert.
“It was a joy to get in the kitchen and work with these ingredients when we were creating the new menu – the Asian-fusion cuisine coupled with the local ingredients really gives it a unique burst of flavour,” Chef Langat said of the collaboration with Chef Thomas.
A new dining destination: With doors opening on 11 May, Salted Egg Darwin will showcase a relaxed indoor/outdoor space to cater for Darwin’s tropical climate, seating up to 125 guests. A mix of booths, dining and lounge style seating options will create a diverse and relaxed dining experience adjacent to the forecourt. While South East Asian cuisine is traditionally created from a fast-paced kitchen, the restaurant design lends itself to long, lazy lunches and grazing over dinner.
Salted Egg Darwin is located adjacent to the Adina and Vibe hotels and The Precinct pub in the Darwin Waterfront. Its fresh take on Asian fusion cuisine and sleek restaurant design t is sure to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
Address: 7 Kitchener Drive, adjacent to the Vibe and Adina Hotels and The Precinct pub, Darwin Waterfront.
Open: 7 days for breakfast, lunch & dinner
Breakfast: 6am to 10am
Lunch & Dinner: 11.30am-9.30pm
For bookings, visit Salted Egg on Instagram: @saltedeggdarwin
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EDITOR’S NOTES
Interior design and décor by Nic Graham & Associates: draws inspiration from local materials and environment. “The space has been designed to feel like an open veranda using ‘Pan Asian’ design features,” says designer Nic Graham. “Bold use of colour, such as textured terracotta was drawn from the red earth and pink salt, is contrasted with dark floors and detailed ceilings and walls finished in split bamboo panels, while matchstick blinds are reminiscent of the old colonial houses in Darwin.”
Crafted locally: Artist Lorraine Williams, an emerging elder in the Larrakia Nation, created the woven pendant shades above the restaurant’s welcome desk. Crafted from Pandanus leaves, traditionally used by Aboriginal women to weave baskets and dilly bags, fittingly, to gather and carry food, the woven pendants reflect generations of cultural knowledge and practice.
“All of the materials are sourced from the surrounding bush, only using native plants, roots, fruits, leaves and bark to produce the natural dyes which are boiled over an open fire, with time and ash deepening the colours,” says Williams. “The fibres are then woven using a mix of under over and coiled techniques, which I learned from my elders as a child. I still enjoy sitting on the beach weaving – it’s a mixture of the sand, the knowledge, and the memories.”
Salted Egg has been designed to feel like an open veranda using Pan Asian design features. Download images here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Yvette Peverell – TFE Hotels (PR Business Partner) | +61 403 834 111 | [email protected]
Jodi Clark - TFE Hotels (Director of Communications) | +61 499 900 658 | [email protected]
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MORE ABOUT SALTED EGG
Salted Egg, was born from the eclectic and vivid origins of Southeast Asian cuisine. It offers destination dining for those with a curious appetite and a desire for culinary adventure. It’s not just place to dine, but a place where ideas are hatched.