2 weeks Ago By Emma Breheny
Melbourne’s best bar snack might be at new Filipino rooftop bar Inuman on Exhibition Street. On paper, it’s just a chicken sandwich, but this one packs in enough thrills to make you sit up and take note. The Inuman team, who also run Askal restaurant two storeys below, have plenty more lightbulb moments for your tastebuds.
They’re calling Inuman – which means “to drink” – Melbourne’s first Filipino cocktail bar. The list is by co-founder Ralph Libo-on, who was previously shaking at Serai , also part of Melbourne’s current wave of contemporary Filipino venues . Once again, Libo-on is putting Filipino ingredients, from ube to tapuy rice wine, front and centre in tongue-in-cheek yet delicious drinks.
Snacks are by Askal’s culinary director John Rivera (also a co-founder at Inuman), who trained in fine dining then brought Melbourne gelato shop Kariton Sorbetes before opening these venues. Think of Inuman as a capsule of the Filipino flavours that are on show downstairs at Askal. Or just a really fun spot for snacks and drinks that you won’t find elsewhere around town.
What to drink We’re calling it: the Sari-Sari Sparkle will be the most photographed drink of the summer in Melbourne. The thirst-crushing vodka, lemongrass, feijoa and hibiscus number comes in a crumpled-looking glass that Libo-on spent months hunting for. He wanted it to resemble the plastic pouches that soft drinks are served in at Filipino convenience stores, called sari-sari.
The rest of the cocktail list covers freezer martinis to daiquiris, with a story behind each one and boutique booze from the Philippines in most drinks. Filipino and New Zealand beers (both nods to Libo-on’s heritage) join a short list of smashable wines. What to eat Back to that chicken sandwich.
The best part of roast chicken – the skin – is made ultra-shattery and laid on white bread with sweet-sour inasal sauce (a popular Filipino chicken marinade). Lemongrass, makrut lime and other fresh herbs are packed in for extra punch. “When you’re three Old Fashioneds in and you need something fatty and salty to give you a second wind, this is it,” says Rivera.
The rest of the menu reimagines typical Melbourne bar snacks through a Filipino lens. There are olives but they’re warmed in a dressing inspired by Filipino adobo, with lots of sour notes and aromatic spice. Cheese comes with Rivera’s take on Skyflakes, a Filipino cracker.
And Inuman’s Gildas combine the culture of Spain (a long-time ruler of The Philippines) with a Filipino method of preserving fish to create a new entry into Melbourne’s Gilda Hall of Fame. What’s the vibe There are two sides to Inuman. There’s the rooftop scattered with plants and candy-striped cushions for lounging on.
Then there’s the more intimate bar inside, which is decorated with a deep-red stone bar, jade-coloured ruffled curtains and other flowing fabrics. It’s a love-letter to the Philippines and its laidback drinking culture, but the team is going beyond nostalgia. The attention to detail in the cocktails and snacks puts Inuman in a category that’s above most people’s expectations of a rooftop bar.
Rivera sums it up best: “You can unwind, but you can also take your date there and we’ll be your best wingman.” Our favourite detail The illustrated cocktail menu helps you pick a drink for your mood. Are you ready for a sharp and boozy nightcap or something more resort-adjacent? Open Wed-Thu 4pm-12.
30am, Fri-Sun 12.30pm-12.30am .
Level three, 167 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, inumanmelbourne.com.
