First look: Igni chef Aaron Turner fires up new Thai dive bar in Geelong’s CBD

Aaron Turner is no stranger to flipping restaurants. The Geelong chef and restaurateur has long held a monopoly on dining in the regional city – previously helming Geelong’s only two-hatted fine diner, Igni, before flipping the concept into northern Thai eatery Songbird. That closed late last year, but Turner has been busy cooking up its replacement.

Now, he’s firing up his first new restaurant in nearly three years, a casual Thai dive bar that quietly opened on Thursday in the buzzing Little Mallop Street dining precinct in the city’s centre. Named The Snake Pit as a nod to skateboarding culture and the venue’s former life as a renowned skateboard shop, the venue replaces Turner’s Mexican drinking den and taqueria Tacos y Liquor, which he sold this year.

“I wanted to open something that was colourful, loud, fun and easygoing,” Turner says. “I think COVID probably set [Geelong dining] back five years … and it feels that economic pinch more than Melbourne. We just need to get that confidence back.”

The Snake Pit joins a swathe of new openings in the bayside city. Little Mallop Street in particular is set for a rollicking summer, having recently welcomed French restaurant Lalou Bistrot a Vin, country music bar Honky Cat Saloon, and even an outpost for Gelato Messina. Turner also holds two other venues on the strip: Nashville-style fried chicken shop The Hot Chicken Project, and burger joint OK Smash next door.

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Joining The Snake Pit team as head chef is former Igni chef Kyle Odgers, while Turner will oversee the menu as executive chef. Locals missing Songbird will find some familiar favourites among the line-up, including house-made sai oua, the northern Thai sausage, ready for dunking in a garlicky nam phrik num chilli dip.

Flame-licked crying tiger beef also makes a reappearance alongside a tangy nam jim jaew dipping sauce. Paper tick-box menus add to the fun of the experience – grab a pencil and choose from punchy snacks and fire-fuelled meats designed to be eaten with a robust selection of Thai salads including chicken larb and yam khai dao, a sour and spicy fried-egg number, plus sticky rice for good measure. Cool the tongue with shaved ice made with seasonal fruits, kicking off with mango on the opening menu.

“I just miss eating that style of food, and I really enjoyed the era of Songbird before that lease wound up,” says Turner. “I think it will do well for the street … there’s something for everyone.”

The tight offering is reflective of the tiny space, with room for just 36 punters including on outdoor seating. A “cupboard-sized” 3.9-square-metre kitchen stars a mini version of the fire pits seen in the kitchens at both Igni and Songbird. The rest of the overhaul was subtle – custom benches were cut before being squeezed into the kitchen, and tasselled stools sourced from a strip joint in Melbourne were bolted in.

Drinks also keep with the fun, vibrant theme. Cocktails include a riff on mango sticky rice, plus frozen pandan pina coladas and Never Never oyster-shell gin martinis, while taps are pouring Singha and Chalawan, the latter a pale ale brewed by Phuket craft brewery FullMoon. Iced Thai milk tea and lime tea round out the non-alcoholic offering.

There’s still more to come in Geelong over summer with the arrival of Moon Dog Wild West on Yarra Street in the old Geelong Hotel site. It’s the Melbourne brewery’s seventh venue and its first in regional Victoria. It spans two levels including a mechanical bull, live music and line dancing on weekends. The saloon bar is slated to open this December.

The Snake Pit is open for lunch Friday to Sunday, and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.

87 Little Mallop Street, Geelong, instagram.com/thesnakepitthai

Emily Holgate – Emily is a producer for the Good Food App at The Age. She previously wrote for the likes of Broadsheet and Urban List.Connect via email.