Ételek a three-month pop-up, will take residence at the former Gastro Park/Antipodean site in Potts Point this July. Chef Adam Wolfers, together with Marc Dempsey are to continue the successful pop-up, which has seen them take the reins at Ester, Bar Brosé, Casoni, EightySix (Canberra) and Lee Ho Fook (Melbourne).
Meaning ‘food’ in Hungarian, Ételek will feature a menu that draws on Wolfers’ heritage, as well as his time in the kitchens of est., Marque, Monopole and Yellow. With an Austrian Grandmother and Hungarian Grandfather, Wolfers was brought up eating Eastern European food and learned to cook the cuisine from a young age. This time around the chef will use the pop-up to explore a menu drawing inspiration from Eastern European, Middle Eastern and North African dishes and introduce the flavours of his past to Australian appetites.
Throughout his time at Yellow, Wolfers helped oversee the menu transition to entirely vegetarian, and will continue this vision with vegetable-focused dishes that hero local produce. Those who have followed Ételek around the country will recognise signatures such
as Lángos, cultured cream and Hungarian dukkah and the meat-free parsnip schnitzel, hot sauce and gherkin, as well as brand new dishes including Nokedli, sea urchin and walnut. There will also be an emphasis on artisan breads, like flat bread with cabbage skewers.
Despite the nomadic nature of Ételek, Wolfers intends the three-month pop up to feel like a permanent fixture.
"I want to create the feel of a neighbourhood restaurant, with a regularly changing menu allowing for multiple visits" says Wolfers. "Ételek has given us the opportunity to travel interstate, where I continue to be in awe of our countries produce. My intention is to showcase these ingredients through contemporary interpretations of the dishes I was raised on" he adds.
Dempsey, Wolfers’ long-time collaborator and front-of-house, will be in charge of the drinks list, which will draw from previous establishments and characters he has worked for and learned from. The wine list will focus on predominantly small producers working with ethical practises that reflect their own character. In his own words, "producers with heart".
"Things will be organic wherever possible" says Dempsey. "There will be wine for all palates and budgets with some safer things and some wilder things. There will be some mystery drinks too."
Ételek will pop-up at 5-9 Roslyn Street, Potts Point from 25 July to 13 October from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday and from 2pm on Sundays.
Keep an eye out as Wolfers and Dempsey also plan to host one-off Sunday sessions, which may include a New York style brunch, serving house-made lox and bagels, or a wine event by local producers and drinks personalities. More details to come.
