The second - and largest - stage of Tiger Lane in the Canberra Centre opens in late May

We've been patiently waiting since the first venues, Taki and Inari, opened in the Canberra Centre in late 2022, and now we're getting a peek behind the hoarding.

This second stage is the largest and includes five hawker-inspired eateries, a modern Chinese restaurant, and a central bar, each offering a unique and delicious culinary experience, spanning signature pan-Asian flavours from Japan to South Korea, China and Southeast Asia.

We're particularly excited by the restaurant Mrs Wang where local chef Gerald Ong, of Project Enoki fame, will steer the ship. The restaurant pays homage to the 1930s art deco style with its design but the menu is very 2023.

"Mrs Wang is modern Australian Chinese that's interesting enough for the well-travelled gastronaut, yet familiar enough to call it your new Chinese local," says Ong.

"Some of the menu will change daily, based on what we're getting from local farmers and what's in our fish tanks.

"There's also a lot of fun speckled throughout the menu with dishes like fried ice cream with char siew caramel.

"Or one of my favourite dishes based on a tale where a beggar stole chicken and hid in mud, only to find that once cooked over fire with the right aromatics, it tasted delicious. Except it's 2023 and inflation is creeping up so we're making ours with cabbage."

Ong is also driving two of the hawker stalls, Lucky Duck and Golden Panda.

"Lucky Duck is inspired by traditional Cantonese barbecue culture, with a wood-fired duck oven at its heart, while Golden Panda honours the hawker, dai pai dong and Tze char shops of Asia," he says.

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Shaun Presland, ex-culinary director for Sake and frequent MasterChef guest chef, is leading the food direction across Tiger Lane. He leads the menus for the remaining three hawker offerings - Sticky Beak, Blowfish and Inari Express.

"Sticky Beak is where you'll find Asian fried chicken and Korea's version of the dagwood dog. Inari Express is the little sister of our signature restaurant Inari and serves up everyday Japanese street food favourites on the go," says Presland.

"Blowfish offers next level hand rolls and groovy poke bowls, putting a pop culture spin on your standard sushi roll using everyday sando concepts like a bacon and egg sushi roll, a Philly cheese roll and a fried chicken and curried egg roll."

The vision was brought to life by specialist interior architecture firm, Interior Life, led by director Tomas Scerbo. The urban thoroughfare, inspired by the hawker centres of Asia, is an action-packed sensory overload, lined with the hawker food stalls, and anchored by the three restaurants.

"We worked hard to evoke the feelings that you get in bustling Asian streets like Tokyo, and Hong Kong from which we drew inspiration, places that are all joined by a common thread of vibrancy," says Scerbo.

"When you walk inside Tiger Lane you will experience a huge sensory awakening because it'll feel as close as possible to the real thing - the vibrant, electric and intense energy and spice in the air and in the food of these places."

Lining the ceiling are endless rows of red and white neon strips, mimicking the passing traffic of busy streets. A stainless steel bar sits at Tiger Lane's heart, reflecting the chaotic surrounding visual stimuli in its mirrored surfaces.

Urban features include a life-sized bus stop and quirky Asian vending machines. Setting the tone at the precinct's entry is an Australian-first digital LED floor and responding soundscape to capture your attention and welcome you inside.

"They're loud and they overload the senses but that's how they're meant to be," he adds.

Keep an eye on social media for more information about opening dates. @tigerlane.cbr