Yan Melbourne: Smoke, Spice and South Yarra Style on Toorak Road

On a lively stretch of Toorak Road in South Yarra, a red neon “YAN” sign glows in the window of a heritage shopfront. Step inside and the scent of wood smoke, chilli oil and slow-cooked meat meets you before the first plate arrives. This is Yan Melbourne — an Asian smokehouse that has quietly become one of the inner south’s most distinctive dining rooms.

The name is no accident. “Yan” means smoke in Chinese, and that idea sits at the heart of everything the kitchen does. Rather than treating smoke as a blunt barbecue tool, Yan applies it with precision to vegetables, seafood and meats, pairing Cantonese and Japanese flavours with techniques closer to American low-and-slow cooking. The result is food that is bold without being heavy, refined without being precious.

 

The Melbourne restaurant opened in 2023 in the former Yagiz site at 22 Toorak Road. It is the first interstate outpost of the original Yan, which Narada Kudinar opened in Sydney’s Wolli Creek in 2017. That Sydney dining room earned a Good Food Guide chef’s hat and a cult following for its unexpected use of smoke. Melbourne diners now get the same philosophy, adapted to local produce and the city’s appetite for sharing plates.

Head chef Joel Gangho Lee knows the building well. He cooked here when it was Yagiz and brought both that familiarity and his own background — South Korean heritage, French fine-dining training and a love of fire — to the new kitchen. Executive chef Ewa Goralewski, previously at Dinner by Heston in Melbourne, oversees the broader group. Together they have kept the spirit of the Sydney menu while allowing Melbourne-specific dishes and seasonal specials to emerge.

The room itself is industrial-chic rather than theatrical. Exposed brick, polished concrete, dark timber, a long custom brass table and warm lighting create a space that feels intimate even when busy. Candlelit private tables sit against the brick walls; the main dining room can stretch to a dramatic communal setting. It is the kind of room that works equally well for a midweek dinner for two or a celebration that runs late.

 

The menu is built for sharing. Start light: freshly shucked oysters with lemon or Jeju mandarin and chilli oil; cold-smoked prawns with ginger dipping sauce; kingfish sashimi with burnt leek, tosazu, Thai basil and ikura. Then move into the dishes that define Yan. Braised wintermelon with smoked almond cream and chilli oil is frequently singled out as a revelation — delicate vegetable given unexpected depth. Confit duck cigars, fried tofu with Sichuan pepper and crushed peanut sauce, and grilled corn with smoked teriyaki butter and furikake keep the table lively.

Larger plates carry the smoke more openly. Smoked chicken katsu arrives with Chinese barbecue sauce and pepper mayo. Smoked lamb ribs come with eggplant and an Asian chimichurri. Smoked beef short rib is paired with sautéed kale and mountain pepper. There is also steamed barramundi with smoked soy, ginger, shallot and chilli, and a vegan set menu at $88 per person that still delivers smoked cauliflower, wintermelon and roasted pineapple.

Dessert has its own following. Coconut ice cream with coconut jelly, served in a young coconut, is the house signature — creamy, refreshing and Instagram-famous. Cinnamon doughnuts with condensed-milk custard have also won praise from reviewers who planned to take “just one bite.”

Drinks match the food’s range. There are inventive cocktails (yuzu, smoked whisky, fruit-forward serves), a thoughtful wine list, sake, and non-alcoholic options that do not feel like an afterthought. Happy hour and oyster specials appear on some evenings; it is worth asking when you book.

Yan also does events well. Three spaces cover most needs: the Sterling Private Room for up to 14 guests, the Saloon for around 30 seated or 45 standing, and the main dining room (including the striking Reflection table) for larger groups of up to 70. Packages can be tailored for birthdays, corporate dinners, engagements and product launches. The team handles menu design and coordination so hosts can focus on the occasion.

Location is part of the appeal. Toorak Road in South Yarra sits between Chapel Street energy and the more residential streets toward Toorak. Trams stop nearby; South Yarra and Heyington stations are a short walk. Street parking and nearby car parks (Como Centre and others) serve those driving. The restaurant is easy to combine with a stroll along the shops or a pre-dinner drink elsewhere on the strip.

Reviews consistently mention the same things: the unexpected success of smoke on vegetables, the generosity of sharing plates, attentive service that explains dishes without fuss, and an atmosphere that feels special without stiffness. Google ratings sit around 4.7 from hundreds of reviews. It is not the cheapest night out in the suburb — expect $60–$160 per person depending on how you order — but it delivers a clear point of view.

Yan Melbourne is not trying to be every restaurant at once. It is a smokehouse with an Asian accent, a neighbourhood dining room with private-event capability, and a place that still feels like a discovery even after several years on Toorak Road. Book ahead, come hungry, and leave room for the coconut.

Yan Melbourne
22 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: (03) 9821 4758
Email: info@yanmelbourne.com.au
Website: yanmelbourne.com.au
Instagram: @yan.melbourne

Reservations: via the website (SevenRooms) or by phone.

Typical hours (always confirm when booking):
Dinner Monday–Saturday 5pm–10pm
Lunch Friday and Saturday 12pm–2.30pm
Closed Sunday

A 10 per cent service charge applies to groups of eight or more. Credit-card and public-holiday surcharges may apply. Dietary requirements can usually be accommodated with notice, though FODMAP and onion/garlic-free options are limited.