Originally published by Two Thousand in 2014
It’s late and you’re drunk. Actually it’s not all that late and you’re not all that drunk, but at 1:15am that sense of panic sets in among your crew and the race to get to your last party venue before the lock out kicks in begins. There’s arguments, tears and genuine terror as half your squad tries to sprint down Oxford St in heels. There’s not enough time to make it to Goodgod, hell, there’s not even enough time to make it to the Burdekin. You charge into The Cliff Dive as the clock hits 1:29am, waving your IDs in the air. The relief is short lived. You haven’t eaten since brunch, tricking your body by promising yourself dinner and then punishing it with drink after drink. At 1:31am, the tropical air hits you like a piña colada bath-bomb to the face and you can already picture the cold sweats of tomorrow’s hangover as you contemplate the next 90 minutes of empty-stomach drinking.
Good news! The above nightmare no longer applies. Yes, we still live in a city with party destroying lock out laws, but the good folks at The Cliff Dive are serving food now. Fun, tasty, cheap food! No longer will we consider eating the pineapple our drink is served in – instead we will feast on sticks. Sticks of delicious grilled meat!
Wedged behind the bar, behind a pane of glass that bears the glorious word ‘SKEWERS’, is a small and simple kitchen. Manning that kitchen is Tin Jung Shea, an old friend of The Cliff Dive’s owner Jeremy Blackmore. Shea, better known to all behind the bar as ‘Honky’, had been working as a mechanical engineer and running a yakitori stall at Crows Nest Market. After stumbling across Honky’s stall one weekend, Honky was convinced to quit his engineering job and make the switch from Japanese to Thai.
Honky’s menu is short and simple. There are five sticks to choose from: pork, beef, chicken, octopus and tofu. Each stick is $3, or you can ball out with the outrageous deal that is ‘The Hungry Honky’ – all five of the sticks with a side of pandan coconut rice and fresh pickled vegies.
The kitchen is open late every night – making this a great option for those of us who forget about the lock out every single night they’re out.
Where
The Cliff Dive, 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst
When
Wed-Sun 6pm-1:30am
How much
$3 a stick or $16 for one of each stick with sides
