New Orleans Kitchen

The sounds, smells, and tastes of the bayou are heading to Melbourne's Ding Dong Lounge late July, with the arrival of the King Creole kitchen serving Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Direct from New Orleans, Head Chef Chris Weysham, will introduce Melbourne diners and music lovers to his Cajun heritage and home style, Louisiana cooking.

Chris is a graduate of the University of Louisiana, and the San Diego College of Culinary Arts, where he graduated with high honors. Excited to be chosen for such a unique adventure, he - and his partner Amy - will relocate to Melbourne to set up, and run the kitchen with Ding Dong owners Bill Walsh, his wife Simone, and Darve Smith.

"The restaurant will be a casual affair," explains Weysham. "We'll be serving lunch and dinner, with a focus on home cooked dishes with a modern twist, including, Gumbo, Blackened Fish, Po Boy sandwiches, muffulettas, Jambalaya, crab cakes, and Oyster Pie, and will be using only the freshest seasonal produce available."

Walsh has also borrowed from Melbourne's cultural heritage, and will be bringing a bit of the Continental Cafe back when Ding Dong Lounge begins offering dinner shows, highlighting the talents of some of Australia's greatest performers, and songwriters, in a band room recently refurbished and redesigned to suit both functions.