“I learnt early on that trends come and go but quality stays forever.”
Michael Lambie has been shaping Melbourne’s dining scene since the late 1990s. The Claridge’s-trained chef swapped the UK for Melbourne and quickly made his mark – first at Stokehouse, then at Circa the Prince, before going on to open a string of venues that won many fans, Lamaro’s, Taxi, The Smith and Lucy Liu among them. Along the way, he rode the wave of pan-Asian dining, and built a reputation for developing talent from within his kitchens and dining rooms.
Now he’s back in the CBD with Juni, a 140-seat Southeast Asian bar and dining room on Exhibition Street, named in honour of his mother, June. His MFWF event, Duck, Duck, Sip – a progressive duck-and-wine tasting across Juni, Cookie and Magic Mountain Saloon – sold out instantly. Here’s Lambie on what he’s learned, and what keeps him going.
How did you get your start, Michael?
I started my career as an apprentice chef at Claridge’s London. I then worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, France and Germany, and ended up in Melbourne by chance as the chef at the Stokehouse, and eventually was offered an equity partnership at my first venue Circa at the Prince of Wales. It was great timing and I was very lucky that my business career seemed to flourish from there on.
What do you think it is about your venues that has gained traction in Melbourne?
Bringing my European experience and attitudes to Melbourne, I quickly established myself as a leader in the industry and someone that could run top quality venues. This resonated with the Melbourne dining audience who have always warmed to any venue that I have created. I have always listened to what my customers are genuinely enjoying and looking for from a restaurant experience – I learnt early on that trends come and go but quality stays forever.
Is there any other special sauce to what you do?
I have always been able to adapt and make changes and try to reinvent myself, and my restaurants, as the industry changes. I came to Melbourne cooking classic style food, yet I won restaurant of the year cooking modern Asian at Taxi Dining Room. I’ve also been a big believer of developing the skills of my team and promoting my staff from within, which helps build careers and a great team culture. I love working with the younger generation and passing on skills and wisdom – it’s the most rewarding part of what I do.
Your last venue, Lucy Liu, had become somewhat of an institution in Melbourne’s dining scene. Why do you think that is?
Lucy Liu was founded by me and most of the old management team from Taxi Dining Room – serving Taxi-style Asian classics in a more relaxed, fast-paced style. The team was very strong and Lucy Liu made a big impact on Melbourne as it was unique at the time; it tapped into the new wave of fun, high-energy dining, and delivered a great consistent product. I think the new owners haven’t deviated much from the original plan – if it’s not broken don’t fix it.
And your new restaurant Juni is part of this year’s MFWF program. Tell us about Duck, Duck, Sip.
The idea is you start at a particular venue – either Cookie, Magic Mountain or Juni – and try two different types of duck canapé with paired wines, and then walk towards the next venue to try their take on it. Guests will probably have about 30 minutes in each venue, with each of the chefs talking about the food and their approach. I have hosted similar events before, and it’s always a really fun evening. It sold out instantly.
Any regrets?
I’m a big believer that you shouldn’t have any regrets, as it’s all part of life’s journey, and it’s more about enjoying the highs and learning from the lows – because lows happen to everybody, whoever you are. For me, this is the best attitude as life is a marathon not a sprint, and I’ve learnt to take nothing for granted. I have had a huge amount of success, coupled with a few knock-backs, which always keeps you grounded.
What about the big lessons learned?
Hospitality is very fickle, especially now, and being great doesn’t guarantee success. You need to have a thick skin to survive and don’t take knock-backs personally. Stay true to yourself, and to your loyal staff members and customers.
What’s been the key to scaling up successfully for you?
Surrounding myself with the right people, and creating career paths and goals for each individual. With the right vision and leadership, scaling is achievable – this has been fundamental in my career, and many of Melbourne’s top hospitality individuals have gone through one of my establishments, from chefs to front-of-house managers.
Times are tough right now. How are you adapting?
Focusing on the finer details – I always say to use the best ingredients you can afford while keeping your costs down, and ultimately just focus on giving your customer a great experience.
Any advice for other operators who are hurting?
Make sure to control your costs and manage your cashflow as much as possible. Don’t be scared to change – change is good – yet nobody likes change. If your concept isn’t working the way you need it to, embrace a change, or run the risk of facing huge problems in your business.
Who do you look to in Victoria for inspiration? Which venues and people set the bar for you?
It has to be Andrew McConnell, who heads Trader House – the way the group opens and operates venues is always seamless. He understands his concepts which are usually impeccable. A lot of work goes into staff training which shows with the really high customer and service standards. My go-to venue would be Gimlet as the overall experience is always exceptional and world class.
Best-case scenario, how do you want people to think about what you do?
Best case would be that many great hospitality operators have worked within my establishments, and that I have helped to grow and foster the careers of the next hospitality generation. Also that I was one of the pioneers of the pan-Asian venues that have washed over Melbourne since the early 2000s, starting with Taxi – it will always be my number one restaurant. It was ahead of its time and will always be my benchmark.
Juni, 136 Exhibition St, Melbourne, (03) 8663 3422, junimelbourne.com.au, @junimelbourne