TYGA, a neo-Southeast Asian restaurant and bar, has opened on Koornang Road in Carnegie, serving up street food-inspired dishes with serious heat.
Helmed by chef Esca Khoo, TYGA in Carnegie draws inspiration from the energy and flavour of 1970s Bangkok, pairing bold Southeast Asian cooking with colourful cocktails and a vinyl soundtrack that channels the era’s funk and rhythm. Khoo has spent years working in some of the world’s most acclaimed kitchens, including stints under René Redzepi and Heston Blumenthal, and brings that experience to a menu that’s playful, confident and packed with personality.
TYGA’s approach leans into the buzz of Southeast Asian street food culture, translating smoky, spicy and vibrant flavours into a dining experience that feels alive and energetic. Khoo’s cooking merges his Asian-Australian background with techniques honed across Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, London, Mumbai, Hokkaido, Bali, Saigon and Hong Kong, where he’s staged pop-ups, takeovers and collaborations everywhere from wine bars to Michelin-starred restaurants.
TYGA – Carnegie
- Where: 91 Koornang Road, Carnegie
- When: Monday to Wednesday, 5pm till late; Thursday to Sunday, 12pm to 3pm and 5pm till late
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Supporting Khoo in the kitchen is head chef Michael Iskandar, who brings over a decade of experience from kitchens across Australia and Asia. Iskandar’s most recent role was at Pt. Leo Estate on the Mornington Peninsula, where he worked at both the one-hatted Pt. Leo Restaurant and the two-hatted Laura Restaurant. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Sydney and Shatec Institutes Singapore, Iskandar has also cooked at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, Lakehouse Daylesford and Akira Back Jakarta.
His approach to food centres on fresh produce, refined technique and honest flavour, making him a strong match for TYGA’s vision of elevated street food that doesn’t lose its soul in the process. Together, Khoo and Iskandar are creating a menu that feels grounded in tradition but unafraid to push boundaries.
TYGA is the latest project from restaurateur Tommy Tong, who’s behind Melbourne favourites Saigon Mamma and Fat Pho. With this new venture, Tong continues to champion bold, accessible Southeast Asian dining in the city, this time with a nostalgic nod to Bangkok’s golden era and a contemporary edge that keeps things fresh.
Whether you’re after fiery flavours, a well-mixed cocktail or just a spot with good energy and better music, TYGA is now open and ready to bring the heat.
For more information, head here.
