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Restaurant

CHAE

33 Mountain Rd, Cockatoo VIC 3781, Australia

Recommended by 31 people

Updated

Find CHAE

33 Mountain Rd, Cockatoo VIC 3781, Australia

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HoursMonday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: Closed Thursday: Closed Friday: Closed Saturday: 1:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 8:00 PM Sunday: 1:00 – 3:00 PM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About CHAE

Six seats in a private Cockatoo kitchen, won strictly through a monthly ballot draw. Chef Jung Eun Chae strips away dining-room theater—focusing purely on patience, fire, and time. Those who manage a seat point straight to the backbone of the meal: vinegars, soy sauces, and aged jang fermented entirely on the property. The food lands in a quiet, steady rhythm at the counter—steamed fish, pumpkin porridge, and a crisp glutinous donut served with house drink pairings.

  • Six-Seat Home Counter: Just six guests per sitting dine directly inside the chef's Cockatoo kitchen while each course is prepared in front of them.
  • In-House Fermentation: Foundational condiments—including soy sauce, sesame oil, and aged pastes—are fermented and crafted from scratch on site.
  • Ballot-Only Booking: Reservations are allocated strictly via a monthly lottery draw rather than open standard bookings.
RestaurantKoreanRestaurant

What's On at CHAE

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

Why Dine at CHAE

Six seats, unmatched fermentation craft, and an unhurried mountain setting. Enter the monthly ballot to secure your reservation.

  • Meditative Open-Kitchen Dining

    Chef Chae prepares and plates every course directly before an audience of just six guests in her home kitchen, creating an unhurried, peaceful rhythm far removed from commercial dining rooms.

    Watching her work quietly in the open kitchen added an intimate, almost meditative quality to the evening.

    Pauline De Leon

  • Mastery Without Pretense

    Exceptional Korean culinary technique and artistic presentation are delivered with warm, unassuming hospitality, proving that world-class dining requires no pretension.

    It's fine dining stripped of all the wank. It was watching a master at her work.

    The Lam Family

  • Entirely Scratch-Fermented Condiments

    Every foundational condiment—from aged jang pastes and soy sauces to pressed sesame oil—is patiently cultured, fermented, and crafted by hand on the property.

    everything from the sesame oil to the soy sauce and pastes are fermented and made by Chae herself.

    Vi Dang

  • Deep Dive into Traditional Techniques

    The tasting menu serves as a masterclass in Korean slow food, unlocking extraordinary depth through patient daily fermentation and thoughtful seasonal pairings.

    the menu revolves around the many sauces, vinegars, based and concoctions which are a result of the skillful fermentation, knowledge and experimentation happening here on a daily basis.

    Bo Wen (bowlsbybo)

  • A Coveted Bucket-List Draw

    Operating on a strict monthly ballot makes winning a seat at this six-guest mountain counter one of the most celebrated culinary achievements in Victoria.

    After so many unsuccessful ballots, we were finally able to come to Chae, one of my Melbourne Bucket List items.

    Sam Pang

  • Unforgettable Milestone Celebrations

    With the entire home space reserved for just six diners, milestone birthdays and shared celebrations become intensely personal, unforgettable memories.

    It was one of the best dining experience and it certainly made my husband's birthday celebration special.

    Alys W

Signature highlights from Chae's intimate seasonal tasting menus

  • Glutinous Donut

    We ended on her glutinous donut and it was just unreal, what a highlight.

    Vi Dang

  • Pumpkin Congee

    My favourite dish for the night was the pumpkin congee, it was sweet enough to be a dessert, but the depth of flavour had this savoury taste that kept drawing you back for another mouthful.

    Sam Pang

  • Steamed Snapper with Beef and Shiitake Mushroom

    my favorite dish of them all was snapper with beef, w/ shiitake mushroom stuffing - a unique combination that worked exceptionally well together.

    Eveline

  • Shiitake Mushroom Stuffed with Prawn

    My favourite dishes were the deep fried shitake mushroom stuffed with prawn and the spicy braised mackerel with radish.

    Tony

Other favorites

Artisanal ferments, specialty drinks, and thoughtful palate cleansers crafted in-house.

  • Banana Makgeolli

    I also really enjoyed the little treats she served in-between meals such as the banana makgeolli!

    Tony

  • Pear and Mandarin Kombucha

    We purchased a few bottles of the pear and mandarin kombucha and they were amazingly good.

    Tony

  • Homemade Kimchi

    The kimchi had a crisp and fresh taste that must be from being homemade and paired well with the meal.

    Tony

  • House Palate Cleanser

    Even the palate cleanser was a work of art.

    Kirsten G

Beyond the menu

Thoughtful domestic details and artisanal hospitality that make a seat at Chae unforgettable—enter the monthly ballot to secure your table.

  • Personalised Handwritten Welcome

    Guests arrive at their seat to find an individualized, handwritten note welcoming them into the chef's home dining room.

  • Backyard Fermenting Grounds Sneak Peek

    Visitors can step outside into the mountain backyard to see the traditional earthenware pots and hanging soy blocks aging on-site.

  • Take-Home Pantry Ferments and Brews

    Diners can purchase small-batch jars of house-made kimchi, seasoned radish, and bottled pear and mandarin kombucha directly from the kitchen after the meal.

  • Chef-Crafted Pairings and Intermezzo Pours

    The tasting menu incorporates house-crafted beverage accompaniments, from fruit vinegars to unexpected intermezzos like house-brewed banana makgeolli.

Before you head over

Practical guidance on navigating the monthly lottery, planning your mountain journey, and securing a place at this six-seat table.

  • Prepare for the Ballot Draw

    Bookings for the intimate six-seat dining room run on a monthly lottery system. Submit your entry consistently and keep your schedule open to take advantage of rare short-notice cancellations.

  • Factor in Mountain Travel Time

    Cockatoo is approximately an hour's drive from central Melbourne. Leave extra travel time to safely navigate winding mountain roads through the Dandenongs, particularly for dinner seatings in the dark.

  • Take Home Small-Batch Ferments

    At the conclusion of the sitting, guests can buy small batches of Chef Chae's handcrafted pantry goods to take home, including house-made kimchi, seasonal vinegars, and fermented drinks.

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