Just in: Alejandro Saravia to open two Morena venues in Melbourne

Alejandro Saravia has announced he will open two iterations of his Sydney Latin American fine diner Morena in Melbourne later this year.

Morena Restaurant and Morena Barra will join Saravia’s Renascence Group portfolio which includes Morena Martin Place, Farmer’s Daughters, and Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters.

Morena Restaurant will operate as a formal dining venue with an a la carte and chef’s selection menu showcasing Latin American cuisine.

Meanwhile, Morena Barra will be an all-day dining affair taking inspiration from the cantinas located throughout Latin American.

Both venues will be located at the 80 Collins precinct in the Melbourne CBD and will champion dishes from Saravia’s native Peru as well as from Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil.

Saravia opened Morena in Sydney’s Martin Place earlier this year, with the venue his return to local dining scene after 12 years.

“After the outstanding reception to Morena Sydney, I am so excited to be bringing the Morena concept to life in the heart of Melbourne,” says Saravia.

“With Farmer’s Daughters around the corner, Morena will be continuing to deliver warm hospitality and exciting culinary experiences in Melbourne’s CBD. The new venues will re-focus the ways that Melburnians engage with the diverse cuisines from across Latin-American cultures.”

Saravia spoke to Hospitality earlier this year on the opening of Morena in Sydney and his aspirations for the venue to be an exploration of Latin American cuisine.

Alejandro Saravia opened the first Morena in Sydney’s Surry Hills 12 years ago. The culinary landscape has shifted in considerable ways since then — and the same sentiment can be applied to the Morena 2.0 experience.

For one, the restaurant’s footprint has grown exponentially, now seating 200 guests in the heritage-listed GPO building at No.1 Martin Place. Secondly, it’s perhaps the only fine diner in the city where diners can sample Latin American dishes from Saravia’s native Peru as well as plates from Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina.

“We are bringing an elevated, formal approach to Latin American cuisines without taking away the essence of our culture,” says the chef. Beneath the surface, Morena is the culmination of Saravia’s 15-year culinary career, which has seen the chef champion Latin American culture via food from day one. Saravia speaks to Hospitality about returning to the Sydney dining scene and transporting guests abroad through food.

Word broke last August that acclaimed chef Alejandro Saravia was gearing up to open a restaurant in Sydney’s CBD. It’s been a while since the culinary talent was last in the city, with his portfolio of restaurants all located in Victoria.

While interstate expansion is commonplace for many groups, Morena is symbolic of more than just growth. It’s an homage to Saravia’s first Sydney restaurant as well as a platform to change the way diners think about Latin American cuisines — something that has begun to occur in recent months thanks to the increase of Latin American restaurants.

“When I opened the first Morena 12 years ago, there were only street food stalls or casual Latin American restaurants here,” says the chef. “Latin American cuisines have since been growing, evolving, and finding a way in the market. Now, there are restaurants that focus on one cuisine or even fusion, which shows how much the market has learned about Latin American cuisines and cultures. Travelling has been a big influence and it’s powerful nowadays that customers understand what an asado is and that Peru is not the same as Colombia.”

Some readers may have dined at the original Morena, which largely focused on Peruvian cooking. But the present-day restaurant covers multiple Latin American cuisines, which is an approach that ties in with Saravia’s greater vision.

“We want to be a (self-proclaimed) embassy for Latin American culture and gastronomy in Australia,” he says. “We want to help Australians understand more about our countries, cultures, and flavours. I achieved a strong base point when I opened the first Morena and now we’re brought Morena 2.0 to the highest market.”

Saravia worked closely with the kitchen team to develop Morena’s first menu which charts an array of influences and foundational dishes. Group Head Chef Samuel Rivas hails from Venezuela and Head Chef Gianni Moretto is from Chile, with the trio channelling nostalgia during the development process. “We wanted to present the dishes we missed,” says Saravia.

Take lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir fry dish that combines Chinese and Latin influences. Saravia travelled back home to Peru earlier this year to eat the dish at the same restaurant he used to frequent years ago. “I was lucky enough to be allowed into the kitchen to see how they were doing it and speak with the chef,” he says. “Our version is with eye fillet, and it’s made in a wok. It has that deep, moreish, wok hei flavour.”

One of Rivas’ contributions is the arepa, which has been reimagined with smoky eggplant in place of a cheese or meat filling. It’s a dish Saravia thinks will be one of the restaurant’s “most iconic”.

There’s also a selection of four ceviches care of Moretto, who has chosen to feature combinations from Peru, Mexico, and Colombia. A Mexican ceviche is very different to one from Peru, which makes the ceviche section of the menu an educational piece. A Peruvian iteration sees Goldband snapper teamed with leche de tigre, sweet potato, and chulpi while the Mexican version features Spencer Gulf kingfish with aguachile, fermented tomatillo, and serrano chilli. “The ceviches are some of the most exciting things you can try … each one offers a different experience,” says Saravia.

Food aside, people are ultimately at the heart of Morena, and Saravia has built his group on a foundation of development, growth, and training. Key management figures were flown from Melbourne to Sydney to help support the new team as well as experience the ups and downs that come with opening a new restaurant. Front- and back-of-house staff have also attended extensive training programs on everything from ingredients to cultural and customer-focused sessions.

“We dedicate a lot of financial resources as well as time and effort into training programs,” says Saravia. “The key to our success has been investing in our people, knowing and understanding what they want to achieve, and working with them to achieve those goals.”

The restaurant has been open for two months now and the team has hit the ground running. The ultimate goal is for the public to discover the cuisines of Latin America at their own speed and come to a level of understanding that goes beyond the most recognisable dishes of the region.

“We want our customers to have their own journey,” says Saravia. “If we manage to get people to close their eyes and taste a ceviche that takes them back to Colombia — we win. We want to give people a gateway into what they can experience. Latin America is such a big force in gastronomy and the culinary world.”

The return of Morena has been a homecoming of sorts for Saravia, who has poured everything into the restaurant. “This is the collection of all my years working in hospitality,” he says. “A lot of learning and self-reflection has been done. We put 300 per cent into every project we do as a group, not just in the planning but in the execution of the concept. The restaurant is going to be our pride and joy.”

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