The team behind FISHBOWL, FISH SHOP and Side Room have announced the launch of their new concept – FSH MKT. The dedicated takeaway-only venue will be their take on the old school ‘beachside fish market’, conveniently located next door to sister venue and restaurant, FISH SHOP. The new concept is set to open mid-October, located on the park at Glenayr Avenue’s Sevenways precinct in Bondi.
FSH MKT will showcase the best of sister-venue FISH SHOP’s local and sustainably caught selection of seafood available for purchase by the kilo, as well as a fresh take on some of their house favourites. The menu will include a range of new fish burgers (including prawn katsu and a flathead ‘zinger’), a market selection of grilled fish (ocean trout, snapper, barramundi) with generous salads and rotating vegetables. There will also be a BYOP (build-your-own-picnic) display so park-goers can curate their own picnics with freshly shucked oysters, prawns, a house-made taramasalata and more. The guys will also be stocking their classic condiments (tartar sauce, ketchup, fermented chilli, chilli jam and house cured/smoked fish) that can be purchased by the jar or gram.
Founders Nic Pestalozzi, Nathan Dalah and Casper Ettelson, formed the idea of FSH MKT following the immense success of FISH SHOP’s launch, with overwhelmingly large crowds and over two-hour waitlists. Unable to sustain the high-demand of takeaway orders, the team made the decision to cut the format entirely from the venue.
The unintended benefit of this, however, was a decision to open a new venue dedicated solely to takeaway park-friendly meals – a move the team behind FISH SHOP believe will only add to their overall ‘fish-based’ offering and the precinct in general.
The Fishbowl Group Founder, Nathan Dalah notes: “It’s the fish shop of your dreams … well at least of ours! We’re so excited to bring FSH MKT to life. It’s been 6 months of planning, testing and tasting and we can’t wait to finally open and start serving the locals”.
On the food … “we want to continue to raise the standard of takeaway food – consumers these days are even more discerning and know what real value is. Our customers can expect a perfectly grilled piece of fish paired with a condiment of their choice, salads, vegetables and even some shucked-to-order
oysters – all packaged up perfect for a day on the grass or back at home.”
Throughout the course of planning to launch FSH MKT, Greater Sydney experienced a statewide lockdown, resulting in the shift of FISH SHOP to a temporarily takeaway pop-up, FISH SHOP 2 GO. Having this time allowed The Fishbowl Group to experiment with new menu options and for their local customers to peek inside what’s next to come.
Founder Nic Pestalozzi adds that the excitement for FSH MKT has grown with the recent shift to takeaway: “FISH SHOP 2 GO has been hugely popular and a great learning experience for what’s to come at FSH MKT. We’ve had lines forming every weekend for our specials and the popularity of each will certainly have some influence on the final menu at FSH MKT. FISH SHOP 2 GO has purely been a lockdown exercise and we will go back to focusing on the dining experience for FISH SHOP once FSH MKT opens”.
The Fishbowl Group Executive Chef Joel Bennetts designed the menu with takeaway, delivery and picnics in the park in mind, noting: “The menu at FSH MKT will be centred around sustainably caught seafood paired with a rotating selection of condiments, in-season vegetables and generous salads. We’ll be keeping the menu super fluid, and there’ll be heaps of specials depending on what’s available at market. As always, expect fuss-free food, bold flavours and ridiculous value”.
After a year of lockdowns, Sydney is set for a summer of exciting openings and celebrations. As for what’s next for The Fishbowl Group, they won’t be slowing down anytime soon with a further expansion of 13 stores planned to open in the next 12 months. Dalah further adds, “We’ve got a ‘COVID backlog’ of stores – 13 to be exact (between brands FISHBOWL, FSH MRKT and Side Room). The market’s really bounced back, everyone’s out and about, and people are eating Fishbowl more than ever!”
FSH MKT is set to open in Bondi mid-October 2021.
FSH MKT
87–89 Glenayr Ave, Bondi Beach NSW 2026
Opening hours: 11:30am–10pm