When chef Ben Willis closed his restaurant Aubergine in late 2022 he was looking forward to spending more time with his family and working on his golf game.
That idea didn't last very long.
He knew then he wasn't finished cooking, that he had more to offer the Canberra hospitality industry. He was appointed culinary director of the DOMA Group in April 2023, tasked with opening their fine-dining venture Louis.
The doors opened in June, the space classy and sleek, the menu predominantly European. The DOMA Group had high hopes and they were well met.
Now we're being welcomed into his second restaurant in the precinct, Med, opening on November 28.
"We're going to have lots of fun here," Willis says.
"The menu at Med is a celebration of relaxed, casual and fun dining, inspired by the vibrant Eastern Mediterranean culinary culture.
"We'll draw our inspiration from the region, the menu is inherently healthy, full-flavoured and fresh.
"Think plates of bread and dips, light entrees and mains, complemented by fresh salads and vegetables, all infused with a rich tapestry of spices and herbs you would expect from Eastern Mediterranean food."
It's completely revitalised the space where Lilotang used to be. Architects and interior designers Luchetti Krelle, who also refurbished Louis, have created a space that's full of texture and muted colours, transporting you to exotic places.
There's banquette seating along one wall, large booths along another, wooden tables with rattan-backed chairs in all kinds of configurations.
From Corten-coloured, steel-lined arches to reclaimed timber beams and natural stone, shades of sand, pale greens and pink evoke a paired-back and relaxed interior.
That's the approach Willis is bringing to the menu as well. It's the kind of food he likes to eat, sharing around a table, how many of us like to eat now. And it's a cuisine that's been missing at that top-end, he says, since Serif Kaya closed Ottoman in 2021.
"We're not trying to replace Ottoman, that didn't even cross our minds, but the fact that Serif had that place for more than 20 years shows that people like eating that kind of food."
The initial menu is full of dishes to share. From barbecue quail with grape molasses, to cabbage and mushroom skewers, to snapper baked in vine leaves with chermoula and octopus with amba and passionfruit tahini. Desserts include tahini and almond parfait with roasted apricots and a baklava ice cream sundae brings the fun.
There's a private dining space to seat 16, tucked away behind an arched portal under a ceiling feature crafted from reclaimed timber.
Outside, there's more seating on a large timber deck. A long, wooden, raised bar-table offers communal seating, perfect, say, for summer evenings with the extensive drinks list and some Wagyu beef shashlik on a bed of herbed yogurt,
DOMA has curated an excellent team both in front and back of house. Alongside Willis, head chef Tony Park will man the Josper oven and grill. Out front, venue manager Maria Estanillo and food and beverage operations manager Juan Fernandez will ensure everything runs smoothly.
Willis has enjoyed the freedom this new position has given him, it's allowed him to think in different ways, have more fun, he says.
And that's exactly what he wants you to do at Med.
