berangkat in the skies pop up
Kyoto came to Lorne.
This August, we brought Berangkat to the Great Ocean Road for our very first Auri experience in Australia.
Berangkat is a small restaurant in Kyoto with a quiet reputation, a kitchen known for the alchemy of Japanese and South-East Asian flavours, where precision meets warmth and nothing is overstated.
This collaboration was especially meaningful to us. Berangkat has long been a place we return to, a gathering place that has become part of our Kyoto story. To share a little of that magic in Lorne was something we were incredibly excited about, and it turned out to be even more than we hoped.
For three days, Chef Tetsu and the Berangkat team travelled from Kyoto to cook at In the Skies, the restaurant and bar inside the Lorne Bowls Club.
Over three seatings, more than 120 people joined us, travelling in from Melbourne, Sydney, Lorne, and beyond. A considered menu from Tetsu and his team. A room held with the kind of care that turns a meal into an evening.
We are so thrilled, and so grateful, that we got to bring this to life.
A huge thank you to Tetsu san and his Berangkat team for trusting in the vision and for bringing the Kyoto magic to Lorne. And to the In the Skies team for opening up their space, it was a true honour and joy to work alongside you, and we hope it's the start of a collaborative journey.
A big thanks to our community. Special thanks to Ukoo Family Carefor their hand lotions and soaps,Pennyroyal Valley View for their incredible produce which we incorporated into the menu, Oborodo Tofu for the tofu in our miso soup, and our friends at Blackmarket Sake, Heigo, and Sakenet. And to our creative team in Kyoto and Australia for capturing the essence of Berangkat in the Skies.
Kyoto imagery by Kingy Hsu.Lorne photography by Holly Hawkins and Pat Franco. Videography by Pat Franco.
Lorne, VIC August 6-8th, 2026
ABOUT berangkat KYOTO
Born in Tokyo, Tetsuo Yoshioka has spent more than 40 years immersed in the worlds of cooking, hospitality and bartending. His career has taken him from opening his first restaurant in Tokyo to leading kitchens across Japan, earning recognition including the Chinese Cuisine Masters Award and contributing to the opening of renowned hospitality projects such as Setouchi Aonagi.
Today, Chef Tetsu is the chef and owner of Berangkat, an intimate 15-seat restaurant in the heart of Kyoto. Set within a beautifully restored former tofu shop, Berangkat has become a beloved gathering place for locals and travellers alike, known for its warm hospitality, vibrant atmosphere and deeply personal approach to food.
Photography by Kingy Hsu
ABOUT in the skies restaurant and bar lorne
In The Skies Restaurant & Bar is a family-owned restaurant, bar and event space located at the Lorne Bowls Club on Victoria's Surf Coast.
At its heart is a commitment to creating and holding space for meaningful community connection and a deeper connection to place. The venue offers a warm, relaxed style of hospitality, fostering an atmosphere where guests feel genuinely welcomed and at home.
Led by owner and Head Chef Simon Holloway, the food offering is inspired by the Mediterranean, celebrating fresh, seasonal produce and generous flavours designed to be shared and enjoyed around the table with family and friends. Complementing the menu is a thoughtfully curated wine list and a dedication to delivering an experience that balances casual hospitality with exceptional quality.
More than a restaurant, In the Skies serves as a gathering place for locals and visitors alike, a space where good food, good wine and genuine connection come together.
BERANGKAT IN THE SKIES
A look inside Berangkat in the Skies. Three days, three seatings, a room at the Lorne Bowls Club. From Tetsu san's handwritten menu to the last bow from the team, this is what it felt like to have Kyoto in Lorne.
Kyoto in Lorne, in sixty seconds.
Videography by Pat Franco.
Berangkat in the Skies, in pictures.
Three days, three seatings, and a room at the Lorne Bowls Club that felt, for a little while, like Kyoto.
Photography by Holly Hawkins and Pat Franco
OPA! In tokyo
Melbourne came to Tokyo.
This March, we brought OPA! to Japan for our very first ever AURI experience, two nights of Australian-Greek cooking hosted at Wine Bar Juni and Locale.
OPA! is a book by Helena and Vikki Moursellas. We met Helena a few years ago and found we shared the same love of food and culture, and after a few conversations, the opportunity came up to bring the world of OPA! and Australian-Greek cuisine to Tokyo.
This collaboration was especially meaningful to us. It marked our first return to Japan, and the chance to collaborate with old and new friends, weaving together the story of Australia and Japan in a way that felt true to both.
On March 11 and 12, Chef Helena Moursellas cooked across two rooms in Tokyo, bringing her take on Australian-Greek flavours to Wine Bar Juni and Locale. Every dish sold out across both nights, a beautiful gathering of our community from Tokyo, Kyoto, Melbourne and beyond who came to support the event.
We are so thrilled, and so grateful, that we got to bring this to life.
A big thanks to Helena Moursellas for jumping on the idea, so grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside you. To Katy Cole and the incredible team at Wine Bar Juni and Locale for sharing your space, what a joy to work alongside you again :)
To Mei for helping us with your incredible skills and energy and for reaching out to help.
To Kingy for capturing the magic and for being our rock.
Photography by Kingy Hsu. Event flyer artwork by The Social Snacks.
TOKYO,Japan March 11 & 12,2026
ABOUT HELENA MOURSELLAS
Helena Moursellas is a chef, recipe writer and food stylist who splits her time between London and Sydney. Alongside private cheffing and events, she is co-author, with her twin sister Vikki Moursellas, of the books OPA! and Peináo, both celebrating Australian-Greek cuisine. Her cooking draws on the flavours and rituals of the Greek table, filtered through an Australian sensibility, generous, unfussy, and built for sharing.
We met Helena a few years ago, brought together by a shared love of food and culture. That connection led to OPA! in Tokyo, our very first AURI experience, where Helena brought the world of OPA! to Wine Bar Juni and Locale across two sold-out nights.
Photography by Kingy Hsu
Wine Bar Juni is a natural wine bar tucked into Meguro, sister store to the neighbourhood's iconic Locale. Both are owned by Katy Cole, a Californian native and long-time Tokyonite, whose eye for good wine and good rooms has made Juni and Locale two of Meguro's most-loved addresses.
ABOUT WINE BAR JUNI
Photography by Kingy Hsu
OPA! TOKYO, in pictures.
Two days and a room full of good vibes,Australia in Tokyo.
Photography by Kingy Hsu
