A taste of French Polynesia with a spam twist arrived in the Illawarra on Wednesday with the opening of a new intimate and relaxed club restaurant and bar in Wollongong.
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Pape'ete is the newly refurbished front bar at City Diggers that boasts a unique take on the flavours of the South Pacific. The menu includes a blend of French, Asian and Hawaiian food.
Wollongong Golf Club and City Diggers chief executive Leigh Hingston said he was a little nervous when food and beverage manager Simon Everett first pitched the idea of using spam in the menu, but was impressed with the result.
"We are really fortunate to have Simon who is an executive chef by trade," Mr Hingston said.
"He really took to this project to try and turn it into something a bit different. I think these days everyone wants a point of difference and this certainly was what he went for. But I will be honest when he told me he was going to build a product around spam I was a little bit cautious and asked 'how are you going to sell that to people?'
"Simon is an excellent chef who understands Wollongong and knows that local customers are always open to new things. He has produced something I think people will really enjoy and will definitely get tongues wagging.
"The housemade 'spam' is a nod to the Hawaiian staple. Deliciously layered and cured pork, served as either a slider, toasted jaffle or included in a breakfast roll."
"Add to this a delicious array of share boards, crepes and hearty snacks, Pape'ete offers choices for everyone to enjoy."
Mr Hingston said Pape'ete has partnered with Five Barrels Brewing and Headlands Distillery for local craft beer. The bar also offers custom cocktails made from locally produced spirits.
"A special feature is the Headlands Distillery whisky barrel, home to a four month aged 'Old Fashioned' cocktail," he said.
Mr Hingston said the concept for Pape'ete was to offer a sophisticated but relaxed environment, perfect for a casual cocktail with friends, or a break from shopping.
He said the planning started not long after City Diggers amalgamated with Wollongong Golf Club in 2020.
"We decided both clubs needed a bit of an upgrade and a bit more vibrancy," he said.
"At City Diggers we thought a great start would be to upgrade the front area with great street frontage that used to close at 4pm each day. We took advantage of the lockdown period when we had no customers. And it really helped us to hold on to our team and gave them something to look forward to throughout a pretty horrible time."
Mr Hingston said in a competitive marketplace it was important to keep improving the offering for customers and upgrading facilities.
Pape'ete will be open from 9.30am until late and has created two additional full time positions and more casual roles.
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