The Kingfish Tostada share dish. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Pumpkin flatbread. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Pork belly flatbread. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Kodiak’s oysters. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Scallops from the specials menu with Yuzu butter and Nori. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON  finds herself at a bar for those who love loud music. But the food’s good. 

RECENTLY opened Kodiak in Kingston promises a new experience for the inner south – upmarket, casual, sophisticated, playful and stylishly relaxed. 

The fit-out reflects Kodiak’s elevated offering. The black and white artwork featuring stylised Kodiak bears (the largest bears in the world, in case you need to know) are fabulous. The warm colour palette is inviting and Kodiak is divided into two sections – order-at-the bar on one side and sit-down, full-service dining on the other.

I’ve been there a couple of times, but only dined once. Kodiak takes its food seriously and Ben Sanderson (formally Raku), as executive chef, has done a stellar job creating dishes that look as appealing as they taste. Owners Leeroy and Sophia Petersen have worked hard with their team on creative cocktails and an extensive champagne and wine menu.

The oysters were stunningly beautiful ($6 each from main menu). The rum and pineapple version was funky, the pickled ginger and honey vinaigrette fresh and the bacon and Worcestershire bold. 

Absolutely divine were the plump scallops from the specials menu ($32 for four), with Yuzu butter and Nori. They were some of the best scallops we’ve ever had.

Another tasty share dish is the Kingfish Tostada ($20), designed to get the taste buds grooving. Other raw plates include salmon tartare ($19) and beetroot tartare ($17).

Instead of pizzas, Kodiak has a lineup of flatbreads. The pumpkin was our fave ($18). The pork belly holds promise but some of the meat was dry ($20). The zucchini with whipped goats’ cheese, peas, and chilli ($18) sounds amazing and the octopus with tomato and chilli ($20) does, too.

For those looking for heartier fare, a good-old-American-style cheeseburger is available ($24).

While the food is fab, and the drinks too, Kodiak is a bar for those who love loud music from opening to closing. On our first visit on a late afternoon the music was so loud we had to raise our voices considerably to hear each other. When one of our party asked if it was possible to turn it down, the bartender asked her to repeat her question because he couldn’t hear what she was saying. We abandoned the idea of dining and rocked up to Queenies. 

The music was equally loud on my second visit, but sitting on the dining side eased matters. The style of music on our visits didn’t seem to be in sync with stylishly relaxed but I suppose everyone has their own take on the definition of stylishly relaxed.

Kodiak’s large outdoor area features rough wooden wine cask tables and seating. We weren’t sure if the area is “finished” … design is subjective, but for us the look is more pub style than sophisticated.