Astro, a modern Asian BBQ izakaya, opens within The Streets of Barangaroo
7 May 2024
The Streets of Barangaroo welcomes Astro, a modern Asian BBQ restaurant inspired by the izakayas of Tokyo and the barbeques of Seoul. Sitting in the former SOOT site, Astro is open for lunch and dinner offering casual, izakaya-style dining accompanied by fun, Japanese 80s ‘City Pop’ tunes.
After the successful launch of sibling venue, Matkim, Astro is the latest venue from David Bae and Kolture Group with the name Astro coming from Astro Boy, the first popular anime created based on manga that brought Bae joy in his youth.
“As a child, I was happily glued to the TV watching Astro Boy with friends and family. Fast forward to today and I feel we are all so glued to the hustle of the rat race that we’ve forgotten how to balance work with fun. I wanted to create a venue where you can unwind at lunch or after work eating incredible Izakaya style dishes, combining the communal atmosphere that Yakiniku or Korean BBQ brings, while knocking down some refreshing highballs and just having a damn good time,” says Bae of the inspiration behind Astro.
Following on from his recent success with Matkim, executive chef Jacob Lee shifts gear from fine dining to semi-casual with a lunch menu that focuses on donburi bowls (all served with onsen tamago, a soft-cooked egg and soy broth) with diners able to choose from: ‘Guytan’ – BBQ beef tongue with Japanese green onion sauce; miso salmon; gochujang pork, wagyu brisket; pork katsu; unagi (eel); vegetarian; as well as a wagyu Tsukune don.
The dinner menu offers a selection of izakaya-inspired small dishes, yakiniku (BBQ meats) and rice and noodle dishes. Highlights from the opening menu include: Sydney Rock Oysters with lime, white soy mignonette; Ora King Salmon with yuja wasabi and cucumber sobagi; grilled mochi with brown butter doenjang and La-yu chilli oil; a truffle bulgogi sando; wagyu hanger steak claypot with garlic butter rice; and kingfish collar with yuzu pepper ponzu and mizuna.
The dessert menu consists of two, creative iced offerings: jeju mandarin and plum sorbet with maesil, basil granita and honeydew; and charcoal ice cream with chestnut makgeolli cream and truffle ice cream.
Astro’s drinks list features a selection of fun cocktails: Shiso Sexy, a mix of vodka, coconut, pistachio and shiso; Full Moon, a combination of gin, lychee, shichimi and green tea; and Soju Wanna Drink, a blend of soju, Toki whiskey, vanilla, apricot and plum. The list also offers a selection of highballs, mocktails, soju, sake, beer, wine and spirits.
Nestled in The Streets of Barangaroo, Astro blends the electric energy of Tokyo and the vibrant nightlife of Seoul, via a Japanese Nordic aesthetic with neon signage, vintage red pops of colour and a City Pop soundtrack.
The Streets of Barangaroo is Sydney’s prime, waterfront precinct and home to a curated mix of over 90 unique operators in food and beverage, lifestyle, fashion, wellness, curiosity and convenience. Barangaroo’s mouth-watering line-up of restaurants, cafes and bars has something for everyone with a collection of venues offering casual eats and waterfront dining.
Astro is open Tuesday – Saturday for lunch from 12pm – 3pm and dinner from 5pm – 10:30pm.
Bookings available via astrosyd.com.au
100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW 2000
https://www.thestreetsofbarangaroo.com/directory/astro/
