Hugh Davison
Pincho Disco may combine two unlikely terms (pincho meaning stick or skewer and disco referring to the music style as much as the club vibe) but together they will join forces to form a lively late-night dining and cocktail spot on Cambridge street in Collingwood, Melbourne.
Latin America will serve as the expansive brief for Pincho Disco, with chef Diego Cardenas taking over the Josper oven and woodfire-powered kitchen. The Columbian-born chef worked extensively across Spain and Peru before coming to Australia and will use this time to inform the menu. “Pincho means ‘skewers’ so we’re going to do a section of the menu devoted skewers,” says Cardenas. “Then a ceviche (so raw fish cooked in tiger milk), aquachilies (a Mexican-style ceviche) and crudo, done with octopus, snapper, kingfish, snapper, scallops and more.” This lighter snackier part of the menu is ideal for quick bites across the two-level venue joined by cocktails, or for whetting the appetite before diving into the larger meat-focused plates.
Chef Diego Cardenas and culinary director Jake Furst.
Culinary director Jake Furst is excited to bring his experience in dry-aging meats, which he does at his other venue Cinder, to Pincho Disco. “I have a love for dry-aged meats and steaks – we focused on the dry-aging program at Cinder in Fitzroy, and I’ve got 10 kitchens from Sorrento to Townsville,” says Furst, speaking of the wider Kickon Group which he oversees. “We’re expecting to have rump caps – like a Brazilian cap – then we’ll have grass-fed wagyu and 600-700gram T-bone, so plenty of options whether there’s two of you or a big group.”
The grills will also service vegetarians with a golden Argentenian-style wood-fired cheese. “It’s a cheese that gets a bit of crust but it’s still soft inside – then we’ll serve it with a beautiful herb salad,” says Cardenas. Alongside the Latin-American dishes, drinks will also pull focus on the vast region. “It’s going to be a deliberately designed cocktail menu taking a lot of inspiration from Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina. So think pisco and carnival-style cocktails.” Taylor notes fast delivery of the drinks will be essential, and batched cocktails will allow for more experimentation while still delivering on speed. Cachaça – a Brazilian sugar-cane rum – will also make an appearance in a few of the cocktails. “It’s a white spirit – it’s very floral and sweet but has a rum backbone.”
Snacks and cocktails at Pincho Disco
Across the two levels, texture and bright colors have underpinned the design process, to bring what was once a concrete shell to life. “We got the space a year ago and it’s multi-level so we want to capture all of the night with it. There’s nothing worse than having a nice meal and getting raced out after, so it’s really about going from dinner to drinks.”
Across the two floors, the venue’s capacity will clock in at about 150 people, with a view to expand the outdoor dining area in warmer months. “We’ve bought a lot of textures in – comfy booth seating, bright wallpaper, big long open windows with natural light.”
Finally, another hallmark of the restaurant is set to be seating near the pass, up close to the fiery action. “I pushed the kitchen out into the restaurant – we’ve got seven to eight seats right up near the action of the Josper grill and woodfire,” says Furst. With Melbourne finally gearing up towards warmer weather, nabbing one of these seats will surely be a hot ticket this summer.
Pincho Disco opens 17 November at 16 Langridge St, Collingwood, pinchodisco.com
