Thirroul is now home to a buzzing Izakaya-style restaurant and bar, Chiba Nights

Words: Dani Sherring Images: Chris Frape

Wed-Sat, 5-10.30pm, Shop 1/269 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul finbox.com.au/chiba-nights

Many would have stopped for a coffee, croissant and a chat at Thirroul institution Finbox over the years, but have you wandered past the much-loved cafe lately as the sun goes down? From Wednesday to Saturday, the coffee/surf shop now has a new after-dark incarnation as a Japanese Izakaya-style bar, Chiba Nights. And what a triumph it is! The service is friendly, the space is cosy and cool, and the food is spot-on! A fresh and versatile dining spot, where you can go with a group and sample the whole menu, or fly solo and enjoy a bowl of ramen and a natural pinot at the bar, Chiba Nights has fast become a must-visit.

The idea to utilise the cafe space and convert it into a night-time dining destination started brewing for Finbox owner Chris Kelly after his first trip to Japan in 2015. He’d travelled to Yokohama with local artist Simon Perini to attend the Greenroom Art Festival and immediately fell in love with the country. “I’ve been back to Japan many times since and I’m always blown away by the food and hospitality,” says Chris. “The concept for Chiba Nights, other than the obvious inclusion of Japanese bar food, was to try and channel a bit of the fun and quirkiness that you would experience on a night out in Tokyo or in some little 10-seater restaurant in a Japanese snow town – good food, good music, great aesthetics and friendly service. It’s also been a great way to maximise the venue and add another layer to the Finbox brand.”

Coming from a surf industry background, Chris admits he had very little hospitality experience other than running the existing cafe. Having never set up a restaurant or commercial kitchen before, he leaned on friends in the industry for advice and direction. “The planning, construction and liquor compliance process took a while to work through as these things do. I learnt a bunch of stuff that will make it easier if I ever have to do it again,” he says. “Finding staff that have the experience and the required skill sets has also been key to setting up a successful venture.”

The most integral staff hiring, the role of head chef, has been expertly filled by local hospo icon, Yon Miller. Yon’s long resume lists some of the most celebrated eateries to have graced the Illawarra. Along with his equally-impressive wife, Emma (of Miller’s Local Bakehouse), Yon owned and operated the beloved Sandygoodwich in Wollongong for years (there was public outcry when the doors closed), before opening its offshoot Eat at Sandy’s in Bulli, and then moving onto head chef roles at Robertson Pub, The Deck at Ryan’s Hotel and Resin Brewing, to name a few. Now at Chiba Nights, Yon’s impressive expertise are really on show. Having served up countless cuisines in his 30-year career, Japanese was one he hadn’t had much experience with, in a professional setting, at least. And yet, the food at Chiba Nights is remarkable… truly something special!

“I’ve cooked in many different restaurants and many different styles of food within those establishments. But Japanese has been one of those things that slowly worked its way into my head,” says Yon. “I’ve been to Japan twice now, and the food has been of great interest since that first trip, roughly 13 years ago, so I’ve been dabbling for a while.”

When Yon first had a proper go at Japanese cuisine, he owned Sandygoodwich, so he had the time, access to ingredients and equipment that he needed to try to make ramen. And that’s what he did. “I was also lucky enough to be in the company of an absolute ramen fanatic, my wife Emma,” he laughs. “Together, we worked on the bits and pieces for a while until we thought we had a pretty good product. Then we put it on the menu in the cafe.”

In 2019, the pair hosted a ramen pop-up bar in Wollongong’s Globe Lane, during which time they also trialled a few other dishes like charcoal grilled fish collars, “one of my favourite dishes on the Chiba Nights menu,” says Yon.

And now a fan favourite among Chiba Nights customers, too. “The ramen is an obvious crowdpleaser,” adds Chris. “But the hibachi grilled fish collars get a lot of comments as does Yon’s take on an Izakaya classic – the katsu sando.”

The menu which boasts other star dishes like Nasu Dengaku (miso glazed eggplant), yakitori and deep-fried lotus root crisps – so simple yet so morish – was created by Yon as a modern take on traditional Japanese dishes, featuring bold Asian flavours and showcasing the beauty of fresh produce, sourced locally wherever possible.

“We absolutely do our best to support local businesses,” says Yon. “All of our meat comes from Hasties Toptaste Meats in Wollongong. The seafood comes from Harley & John in Fairy Meadow – they supply us with sustainable seafood, and I have been working with them for 10 years. Vegies are supplied by Leisure Coast Fruit & Deli, who stock local growers. And we also get a variety of goods from Wan Long in Wollongong.”

When designing the small but impactful menu, Chris and Yon drew on their experiences travelling through beautiful Japan to create a culinary exploration for customers that is unpretentious and quirky, yet affecting.

“In Japan, an Izakaya is like an informal bar that serves drinks and snacks similar to tapas,” says Chris. “Our menu is a riff on these traditional Izakaya dishes, and we delve into the world of ramen and yakitori, too. Our drinks menu is also heavily influenced by Japanese flavours and ingredients.”

The wine list was developed with help from Chris and Yon’s friend, local winemaker and sourdough star Joel Mucci, of Benson & the Mooch and Pane Paradiso, as well as Ray De Souza from Wet Dreams wine wholesale. “The criteria was natural, juicy and delicious,” says Chris.

Spend some time sipping on a chilled carbonic shiraz, pet nat rose or a Yuzushu spritz and it’s clear that they nailed the brief!

Chiba Nights has filled a void in the area, with the snack-style bar food a real point of difference on the Wollongong food scene – and, in good news for everyone, there’s plenty to more to come from the fledgling eatery, who also offer takeaway.

“There’s lots of stuff in the works,” Chris says, “We’ve increased our outdoor seating capacity to 16, which is great for the warmer months and the menu will also change and evolve. We are also looking at teaming up with some of our suppliers to host some specific pairing nights with wine and sake.”

After only a few months of operation, Chiba Nights has cemented its spot as a go-to – and then go back and back again – eatery. And the excited community response is a reflection of Chris and Yon’s passion to deliver something new and delicious, which respects the traditional, while adding their personal twist.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” admits Chris. “We wanted the experience to be casual and fun, but with a level of service leaning towards what you would expect from a fine dining venue. It’s been a success so far and I’m excited to see where things go this summer.”