Mike McEnearney is best known as Executive Chef and Owner of Kitchen By Mike in Sydney, and now brings his culinary food philosophy to Melbourne with Here By Mike – a restaurant located at 1 Hotel Melbourne at the Docklands.
He’s just added Forged cultured Japanese quail by Vow to the menu – a decision that allows his as a chef to explore flavour and craft in a new, responsible way.
“It captures quail’s delicate, savoury profile with incredible consistency and purity, giving us the freedom to focus on technique and balance,” says Mike.
“Cultured meat is a brand-new food category in Australia, and I like to think of it as something designed to sit alongside traditionally farmed meat, not replace it. It’s another protein in our diet, one that can support ethical farming by easing pressure on the system, giving us more choice while still celebrating craftsmanship, flavour, and the people who grow and raise food the right way.”
He talks to The Write Drop for our At the Bar series – sharing his favourite local wineries, bars worthy of an old-fashioned cocktail order, and a favourite London bar.
MY CITY
Melbourne is a city built around food. It’s a place where people genuinely eat out to connect — whether that’s over a perfect flat white, a natural wine, or something shared. The seasons here are defined, the produce is world-class, and there’s this creative, quietly confident energy that runs through the dining scene. It’s generous and grounded — that’s what makes it special.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
There are two defining moments from the early ’90s. Going to Stephanie Alexander’s restaurant and having the steak sandwich; simple, generous, and cooked with that quiet precision that defined Melbourne dining back then. Fast-forward to the mid-2000s, and the slow-roasted lamb shoulder at Cumulus Inc. stands out as another defining moment. It’s everything Melbourne does well: humble, deeply flavourful, and meant for sharing. That’s what dining out should feel like.
FAVOURITE BAR
Caretaker’s Cottage — it’s pure Melbourne. Great space, beautifully executed, and filled with warmth. Every drink feels like it’s been made with intent, not ego. I usually try a different cocktail every time I go — they’re so creative without being in your face. It’s the kind of place where you settle in and lose track of time, which is exactly what a bar should do.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
Probably a smoky Mezcal Old Fashioned — grounded, a little wild around the edges, and built around the raw, honest flavour of good ingredients.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
A swim in the ocean, strong coffee, and something salty — usually eggs with anchovies or fermented chilli. Works every time.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Cantina OK! in Sydney – it’s a tiny laneway bar with huge personality, just like the city itself. The craft and care behind what they pour remind me why I love the Australian bar scene.
OVERSEAS BAR
Bar Termini in London. Tony Conigliaro is a genius, he understands flavour and balance like a chef. His Negroni Classico is an iconic masterclass: elegant, restrained, and perfectly measured. It’s proof that simplicity, when done right, can be profound.
FAVOURITE WINE
For bubbles, Coda by Nadeson Collis. Ray and Maree’s oxidative-style sparkling that’s layered and complex, a little wild but totally controlled. It’s got that savoury edge I love – more texture and nuttiness than fruit. It reminds me a little of Selosse Champagne.
For white, Quealy “Feri Maris” Pinot Grigio made by Kath Quealy, who’s an absolute legend of the Mornington Peninsula. It’s got this beautiful sea-salt lift and texture from skin contact – like standing near the ocean.
For red, a smashable Sangiovese from Timo Mayer – the man who brings back the funk. It’s bright, wild, and bursting with life, all rhythm and no pretence. Pure Yarra Valley groove.
FAVOURITE WINERY
By Farr Wines – the father-and-son legacy of Gary and Nick Farr has been shaping the Geelong region since the early ’80s. Their attention to detail is extraordinary — low-intervention winemaking that speaks entirely of place. They’ve just been named the #1 winery in Australia for 2025, so my opinion can’t be too Farr off.
NEXT DESTINATION
The Otways – that mix of ocean, forest, and farmland is the kind of landscape that feeds both creativity and appetite.
Tell us about the menu offering at 1 Hotel and how it reflects your food philosophy?
The menu at From Here by Mike is built around connection to producers, to place and to each other. Everything begins with what’s in season and what’s grown nearby. We work with incredible Victorian growers and makers: vegetables from Five Tales Farm and Ramarro Farm, seafood from Corner Inlet, goat’s cheese from Meredith Dairy, slow-grown chickens from Aurum Poultry, and ex-dairy beef from Vintage. It’s simple, instinctive food cooked with care and respect for the ingredient. The aim is to eat well, but also consciously – to understand where things come from and to taste that sense of place in every dish.
Why have you chosen to bring cultured quail on the menu?
We’re featuring Forged cultured Japanese quail by Vow because it lets us explore flavour and craft in a new, responsible way. It captures quail’s delicate, savoury profile with incredible consistency and purity, giving us the freedom to focus on technique and balance.
We interplay with three Forged ingredients on the menu – the gras candle, served for dipping warm bread into the slowly melting fat; the foie, often featured on the blackboard, poached gently in a late-harvest Riesling broth with lentils; and in the upstairs bar, we serve the silky parfait, simply on toasted brioche with madeira jelly.
What is the future of dining in Australia?
People are looking for meaning in their meals now. It’s not about fuss or formality, it’s about food that feels honest and connected. Australians want to know the postcode of their asparagus, who grew them, and that they’ve been treated with care. The future of dining is ingredient-led, sustainable, and generous. It’s about sitting at the table and feeling part of something real, not just being served.
Why was it important to become part of a hotel food offering in Melbourne?
I’ve always admired Melbourne’s dining culture – it’s thoughtful, layered, and grounded in community. Partnering with 1 Hotel made sense because their ethos of “nature led, conscious luxury” mirrors my own approach to food: quality, sustainability, and connection. A hotel gives you a built-in community from day one, but the aim was never to make a hotel restaurant – it was to build a restaurant in a hotel. Somewhere locals would claim as their own. I’d thought about opening in Melbourne before, but it needed to be the right time, the right partners, and the right story to tell. This felt like all of that coming together.
