A brand-new venture from Victor Liong of Melbourne’s acclaimed Le Ho Fook will add to the destination dining at Melbourne’s highly anticipated 500 Bourke St when the precinct relaunches after a $150 million facelift later in the year.

Noted for his innovative creativity and ability to push culinary boundaries, Liong will lean into his Malaysian-Chinese heritage and training at prestigious restaurants such as Marque and Mr Wong when SilkSpoon opens its doors in 2023.

Liong spoke to delicious. from Hong Kong, where his famed restaurant Le Ho Fook (which means ‘good fortune in your mouth’) recently completed a collaboration with Ho Lee Fook (an appropriation of the English term ‘holy f**k’). Liong says his newest venue in Melbourne will be an all-day dining experience alongside MoVida Aqui and Rosa’s Canteen, which will continue to lure diners to the reimagined piazza at 500 Bourke Street.

“I’m really excited about becoming part of the fabric of Melbourne’s dining scene in the fashionable 500 Bourke precinct and joining the legendary MoVida and Rosa’s Canteen,” says Liong.

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“SilkSpoon is going to be different from Le Ho Fook as it will be my take on the cuisine found along the historic Silk Road, which will be a broader spectrum offering,” he says. Liong says SilkSpoon will offer casual meals with seasonal ingredients while dinner will be more about drinks, snacks and light meals.

“SilkSpoon will offer a vibrant eclectic cuisine catering to people who want a casual lunch or dinner. We’re going to include classic brunch favourites, satisfying lunch options with a focus on market-fresh vegetables and light snacks and drinks for dinner,” he says.

MoVida’s Frank Camorra says the beauty of 500 Bourke St retail and dining piazza is that it caters to the modern worker who wants more than just an office space in the city. “Nothing about MoVida is going to change apart from the fit-out. We’re pretty happy with the food and service. We’ve been there 12 years and have such a dedicated following. We have designer Paul Izzard onboard and he’s going to introduce a bit of old-world charm. There are going to be beautiful banquettes, and rather plush interiors that better suit the level of service. It’s going to have the feel of a Euro brasserie and a private dining room, too,” says Camorra.  

“The outdoor space that overlooks the Supreme Court of Victoria is also going to be reimagined. It has a nice feel to it already so it’s going to be great to reactivate that with a pergola and to make it more weather-proof,” he says.

In addition to the reimagined dining piazza, the transformation of 500 Bourke by property fund manager ISPT will include additional office spaces as well as wellness facilities, additional retail outlets and recreational spaces.

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