Frederik Jones is at the helm of Onya – a new Bermagui restaurant from the Mimosa Winery team. Photo: Cassie Abraham.
Bermagui just got a new dining destination serving classic Asian dishes with a whole lot of South Coast charm. Onya is modern, ambitious and untethered to a single cuisine.
Belgian-born chef Frederik Jones moved to the area about four years ago, following a few years travelling around Australia. He was working at Mimosa Wines and Restaurant with chef Matteo Ponti when the owner Aymeric Grand tapped them on the shoulder to develop a new project, taking over the space where Il Passaggio Italian restaurant used to be at the Fisherman’s Wharf.
“We’re really excited to change over the entire concept [of the space],” Frederik told Region.
“The menu is our take on classic Asian dishes, not really pinning ourselves to a particular region or cuisine. We’re starting out small, focussing on classic dishes like sweet and sour pork, satay chicken, pad Thai, massaman curry …”
The team is starting small, with a limited menu while they find their feet. Frederik said that as they became more comfortable in the space they’d expand the menu and run specials using local, seasonal produce, in much the same vein as Mimosa.
The dishes on offer at Onya are untethered from a single cuisine, offering a wide taste of Asian dishes. Photo: Cassie Abraham.
While Frederik’s background is European, he’s keen to take on a new challenge and expand his experience in Asian cooking, plus he’s getting plenty of guidance from partner Trang, who is Vietnamese. He describes being a chef as “a never ending learning experience”.
The menu is divided into small and large plates with sides, with diners encouraged to share among the table. In addition to a creative drinks menu, there’s a handful of fusion desserts – think sticky rice pavlova and brownies with Vietnamese coffee sabayon – which Frederik and the team have developed in collaboration with neighbours the Bermagui Gelati Clinic, and hope to work with more local businesses as they grow.
We’re looking forward to trying the prawn toast with green Vietnamese sauce, sea bream Asian-style ceviche and the Onya special fried rice. Bermagui doesn’t have much in the way of Asian dining options, so it’s exciting to see Onya filling a void in this South Coast town. Hopefully Bermagui will soon be as culinarily diverse as Batemans Bay or Merimbula.
Creative cocktails and collaborative fusion desserts are on the menu at Onya. Photo: Cassie Abraham.
The team from Il Passagio hasn’t left town entirely: they’re focussing on Elsewhere, their nearby deli/bar/restaurant project which they opened during the pandemic.
In the future the Onya team is hoping to expand the menu, start offering takeaway dishes and also open for lunch service. But for now, they’re focussing on providing the best experience for every diner that comes through the doors.
“We’re still a fairly limited kitchen team so we still want to make sure we’re providing quality. The first week is always a bit tricky, but people have been pretty positive about it!”
Onya is located at shop 5/73-79 Lamont St, Bermagui Fisherman’s Co-operative Wharf.
It is open from 5:30 to 10 pm Thursday to Monday.
Follow Onya on Facebook or Instagram.
