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Tyga


91 Koornang Rd


Carnegie

Carnegie has quietly become one of those places where you can eat very, very well and still pretend you’re just popping out for a casual dinner.

Tyga is not casual, though. Tyga is the sort of place that walks in wearing a leather jacket, orders the best thing on the menu, and somehow makes it look effortless.

It calls itself neo–South East Asian, which is a fancy way of saying, modern Asian fusion. Think modernised 70s, retro feel. They’ve nailed the fit out, a massive door welcomes you into the bright but moody space. Dark wood, vinyl playing through the speakers, trendy pop art on the walls, paper lights.

The owner Tommy Tong has had the idea to open Tyga for a while, under his hat just waiting for the right moment. This is his second restaurant along Koornang Road, he’s understood the power Carnegie is holding right now.

As you head toward the back of the restaurant you get a hint about the secret to a lot of their dishes. An open kitchen and wood fired grill with fire regularly flaring which provides the smokiness (and the drama) for a lot of the dishes ahead.

This is a menu that clearly likes a bit of drama, but the good kind. The kind where the food arrives, everyone at the table leans in, and suddenly there’s that awkward few seconds of silence because no one wants to be the first person to start eating and ruin the presentation.

We kicked off with the woodfire bone marrow with crab sambal (chilli paste) and coconut roti, which is a sentence that already sounds like it should come with a warning.

Rich, smoky, indulgent, the marrow does all the heavy lifting, but the sambal zips in and shakes it awake before it gets too cosy. And the coconut roti? Very clever. 

Then came the crying kangaroo-bringing Australian into the fusion mix, but Tyga takes it somewhere much more interesting with a Vegemite bush rub, horseradish jeow and betel leaves.

So yes, there’s Vegemite, there’s a bit of heat, a bit of lift, a bit of southeast Asian flair, it’s the kind of dish that sounds like it was invented by someone with excellent taste and no fear. 

The Dalat duck was another standout – smoked duck breast with jicama salad, preserved radish, sesame and plum dressing. This is one of those dishes that feels very composed and very clever, but doesn’t come across as trying too hard, which is refreshing.

It’s smoky, crisp, sweet, savoury, all the good things in one bite. If the kangaroo is the loud, cheeky one of the starters, the duck is the one who turns up looking polished and then quietly steals the whole show.

Now, the mains. The beef cheek bò kho was basically comfort food in a nice shirt. You’ve got slow-cooked beef cheek, orange wine sauce, pumpkin purée and Vietnamese herbs, so it still has that deep, rich bò kho soul, but it’s been given a little Melbourne makeover.

The beef cheek was beautifully soft, the kind of soft that makes you feel slightly smug because you know the kitchen has done the hard work for you. If someone asked whether it was hearty, I’d say yes, in the best possible way. It’s the sort of dish that makes you nod while chewing.

The fish curry was a beauty too: Tasmanian salmon, assam pedas, snake beans, strawberries and red vein sorrel. That’s a very Tyga sentence right there.

It sounds like a dish that has gone through a few excellent ideas before settling on the final version. The assam pedas gives it that sharp, sour, spicy edge, and the salmon keeps it grounded and local.

The strawberries sound like they’re about to cause trouble, but they don’t, they actually add brightness and a touch of sweetness that makes the whole thing sing. I can already hear you asking, strawberries in curry, seriously?! Very serious. And very good.

Then there was the som tam, reworked with green papaya, green apple, local goat’s cheese, spinach and sundried tomatoes.

It still has the crunch and bite you want from som tam, but then in comes the goat’s cheese and suddenly it’s got a bit of attitude, a bit of creaminess, a bit of Melbourne about it. 

And the cocktails with names like Lost in Thailand, Pisco Disco and Ceylong Alexander continue the theme of Asian fusion. Nothing is left without meticulous thought.

What Tyga does so well is keep the whole thing feeling lively. It’s clever, but not smug. Playful, but not silly. And the food has that rare quality where you can tell there’s been a lot of thought behind it, but none of the dishes arrive wearing a tuxedo and asking for applause. It’s just really good food, with a bit of swagger.

So yes, Tyga is absolutely worth the trip to Carnegie. It’s got energy, it’s got personality, and it’s got a menu that makes you feel like you’re in on a very good secret.

Images: Supplied