Sambal, Ice-Cream and Kangaroo: What (and Where) To Eat in and Around Asia Topa

Triennial performing arts festival Asia Topa is back again from February 20 until March 10, bringing some of the Asia-Pacific’s best music, theatre, dance and visual art to all corners of Melbourne – such as a powerful Bunyi Bunyi Bumi performance from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Indonesian artists at Bunjil Place, cross-cultural dance, film and music collaborations at Arts Centre Melbourne, and plenty more.

If you’re heading along this year, there are also delicious things in store at or near events. We’ve listed a few of the best places to eat and drink close to all the action.

Nongkrong – Sarapan at Fed Square

Nongkrong (February 23, 9.30am–6.30pm) roughly translates as “hanging out” in Bahasa Indonesia, and with a packed program exploring Indonesian Australian identities, Nongkrong at Fed Square is the place to hang out, learn and eat. Besides the free, all-day program of regional gamelan music and dance performances from artists like Sanggar Lestari and Poppin Jack, Nongkrong is a true food hub, with options skewed towards sarapan (breakfast) dishes. Among the selection will be Indonesian-influenced sandwiches from Warkop; chicken and vegetable laksa from Darwin’s laksa queen Amye Un; Aldwin Hidayat’s take on Chinese Indonesian noodle dish bakmi; and plenty more served in Fed Square and along Flinders Street.

Club 8 at Arts Centre Melbourne

For those with an appetite for both nightlife and ice-cream, please turn your attention to Club 8 at the Arts Centre Melbourne (now until March 10, 9pm–1am). Set on the eighth floor, the purpose-built club is set to host nine nights of dance floor-filling DJ sets, live performances and installations from artists like Phasmahammer and Fateeha. Besides the Club 8 bar, we’re making a beeline for the Japanese-inspired ice-cream from Kori. It’s known for inventive flavours like Hokkaido cheesecake and white sesame, but the real treat here will be a few Asia Topa-exclusive flavours that you’ll have to discover for yourself.

Benchwarmer, West Melbourne

You don’t have to stray too far outside of the CBD for more of Asia Topa, with North Melbourne another central site of festival action. There’s plenty to see at the Arts House – led by South Korean choreographer and artist Geumhyung Jeong’s safety instructional, Fire Drill Scenario (March 6 to 9) – giving you great excuses to grab a bite or drink at one of the area’s best spots, Benchwarmer. The beer hall and bottle shop sports an eclectic menu of Japanese-inspired bites (we’re talking kangaroo tataki and agedashi tofu tacos) alongside a tap list of limited edition craft beers and local wines: an ideal spread whether pre- or post-performance.

Papelon, Footscray

There are two major artworks in Footscray on this year’s program, and they’re both interrelated takes on inheritance, history and family. Those heading to Footscray for Chronotopia (now until March 22) or One Day We’ll Understand (February 27 to March 1) – an exhibition and a performance, respectively – will find more than just powerful statements on our past and future, with the suburb nearly overflowing with old-guard Vietnamese and Ethiopian restaurants, and new wine and cocktail bars. For our part, we’re heading to Papelon, the orange diner serving Venezuelan and pan-Latin dishes like arepas, pepitos (a classic late-night street food sandwich) and hallacas, a stuffed corn dish similar to tamales.

The Barre at Arts Centre Melbourne

As Asia Topa takes over the Arts Centre precinct, The Barre – a bar and restaurant under the iconic spire – is perfectly positioned as a spot to rest and refuel. For this year’s festival, the venue is offering an Asian-inspired food and drink menu: including a double-baked crab soufflé, matcha and white chocolate mousse, and a Yakult and soju spritz. We recommend taking a seat in the beer garden – which backs onto the NGV – while the weather permits and digging into the limited-edition menu before the next show.

Waroeng Spesial Sambal, Carlton

With the University of Melbourne just a short stroll away, Carlton is never far from the latest lecture series – though you’ll rarely find anything like Borrow and Exergie – Butter Dance (February 28, 6pm). Blending lecture and performance together at Carlton’s Dancehouse, Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo explores the depths of her artistic back catalogue to uncover her unique process.

In keeping with the strong Southeast Asian flavour of Asia Topa, we’d recommend heading along to Waroeng Spesial Sambal while you’re in the Carlton area. At the Indonesian chain’s first Australian store (there are around 100 locations in Indonesia and Malaysia), you can pick one of 20 signature sambals with rice and a choice of protein, which could be anything from omelettes to grilled fish.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of Asia Topa. Asia Topa runs from February 20 to March 10, 2025. Check out the full program.