After just over a year of trading, North Adelaide’s ODÉ Bistro has already earned its first Chef Hat from the Australian Good Food Guide, and now it’s setting its sights on a bold, eco-conscious new direction.
Led by celebrated chef and owner Simon Ming, formerly of Orana and Arkhe, ODÉ is redefining the fine dining experience with a fresh, purpose-driven approach he’s coined “fine bistro” – intimate and charming, but playful. Now, he is ready to take the restaurant to a higher level.
In this new chapter, the restaurant leans into an eco-conscious philosophy, focusing on locally sourced produce, minimal waste, and innovative techniques that honour both flavour and the environment.
“We’re here to create a dining experience that respects the land, so we want to be in a place where ingredients aren’t wasted. Our goal is to move toward a zero-waste kitchen, and that starts with the way we cook and serve.”
Part of that mission includes the permanent removal of the commercial deep fryer. Instead, the team has embraced alternative techniques that retain texture and elevate flavour without compromising on health or sustainability.
“It’s about modern cooking without shortcuts. We want to show that you can still achieve crunch and maintain the texture and taste without excess oil,” Simon explains.
“And it’s also a better working environment for the kitchen staff.”
At the core of the new concept is a refreshed menu with seasonal dishes that change to celebrate the current, autumnal produce and different cooking style.
A standout is the Hokkaido scallop tartelette – a delicate interplay of finely diced raw scallops from Japan paired with fresh milk cheese, sweet pea mouse and yuzu gel, and finished with sweet pea tendrils. The dish is the perfect nod to the transeasonal weather, balancing sweeter, richer flavours with a refreshing citrus zest that cuts through.
“It’s a dish built entirely on layers of natural sweetness,” Simon explains.
For the dessert lovers out there, the seasonal changes also welcome a sweet treat – a caramelised peach semifreddo with oolong jelly and vanilla cream. It’s a textural sensation, sinfully delicious and the perfect finish to a meal.
But Simon’s not cutting the classics. Signature staples – including the one and only dry-aged MB6+ wagyu steak – aren’t going anywhere.
For those unfamilar with this cult-favourite, it’s melt-in-your-mouth MB6+ wagyu, cooked on a hibachi grill leaving a smoky, charred crust from the kiss of the flames. Then, it’s coated in a 72-hour meat glaze infused with house made fermented chilli, and served with a black garlic miso to create a savoury richness. The moment you bite in you’re hit with a smooth and buttery softness that echoes long after the last mouthful.
What’s new is a rotating cast of three to four hero dishes, designed to keep the menu evolving and push the experience “up a notch.”
“We want returning guests to enjoy their favourites while discovering something new,” Simon says.
As the food evolves seasonally, so too does the wine list, boasting a high-end selection of European classics, as well as South Australian staples that champion small boutique producers.
For Simon, “Great wines are born in the vineyard with soil, climate and surrounding landscape all contributing to express a sense of place.”
The Chef Hat recognition is only one of the many milestones for this unique bistro. With its zero-waste ambitions to its contemporary twists on fine dining, ODÉ Bistro is proving that sustainability, sophistication and mouth-watering food can – and should – go hand in hand.
WHAT: ODÉ Bistro eco-conscious direction
WHERE: 151 O’Connell St, North Adelaide SA 5006
WHEN: Wednesday & Thursday 5:30pm – 9pm, Friday & Saturday 12 – 3pm & 5 – 10pm, Sunday 1-7pm
For more info and to book, click here.
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