The Renascence Group (Farmer’s Daughters, Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters, Morena Sydney) will open Morena Restaurant and Morena Barra side by side in the Melbourne CBD on Monday.
In the wake of Morena Sydney opening in April 2024, Morena Melbourne will continue to celebrate Latin American food, with each restaurant embodying a different perspective.
Morena Restaurant will be the more formal of the two, offering lunch and dinner dining from Monday to Saturday. On the ground floor is an open kitchen that will host a chef’s table, while the main dining setup, offering a la carte or a tasting menu, is on the first floor.
Executive Chef Alejandro Saravia and Head Chef Samuel Rivas worked together to devise the “playful and innovative” menu. The menu “celebrates the unique ingredients found in South, Central and North America; whilst also incorporating a variety of Latin American traditions and techniques such as cooking in our wood and charcoal fired asador,” says Saravia.
Menu highlights include braised Andean ollucos, smoked oca cream and preserved oca; seared marlin ceviche with tamarillo coconut tiger’s milk, aji panca oil; alfonsino tiradito with aji amarillo kosho, fermented mandarin emulsion; and a suckling goat, aged mole, morita chilli salsa, nasturtium.
Next door, Morena Barra will offer all day dining inspired by Latin America’s vibrant cantinas.
“The Barra menu focuses on bringing our own ‘Morena’ take to a range of Latin American dishes. It’s important that we paint the story of each dishes’ inspiration, so our menu features the country of origin for each dish. We traverse the whole breadth of Latin American cultures from Venezuela to Peru, Colombia to Chile, Argentina and beyond,” says Saravia.
Barra will feature a range of ceviches, from a Peruvian market fish with ‘tiger’s milk’, to Mexican Kingfish Aguachile or a Colombian style king prawn ceviche with clamato sauce.
Overseen by Sommelier Pablo Toledo, wines and spirits at both venues will highlight Latin American producers. The signature Morena Sour with Barsol pisco, quebranta, blood orange syrup, and oloros will be available, alongside an extensive selection of piscos from Peru, Chile and even South Australia.
“After opening Morena in Sydney earlier this year, I am so excited to return to my home city of Melbourne and open not one, but two venues to continue to showcase the traditions and flavours of Latin America to Melburnians. With these two unique venues, we are passionate about offering Melbourne the chance to explore untold ingredients, flavours and dishes from across the very diverse cultures that make up Latin America,” says Saravia.
