Bondi Harvest opens in LA

A piece of Bondi Beach has arrived in Santa Monica with the launch of Guy Turland and Mark Alston's café Bondi Harvest.

What started as a whimsical dream – two blokes joking about opening a restaurant in America – came to fruition with a launch party in Los Angeles last night.

"This has been a dream for a long time," Alston told the crowd. "It's the kind of pie-in-the-sky dream, where over beers late at night you go, 'You know what would be awesome? Let's open a café in the States. That'd be wicked!'"

Around 250 guests, including actor Brett Tucker and Consul-General Chelsea Martin, were served Vittoria coffee, avocado on toast and grilled hiramasa kingfish at the ocean-inspired spot, decked out with surfboards, picnic tables and photos of Bondi Beach.

The concept stemmed from the duo's hit online cooking series, which lead to the opening of Bondi Harvest in Bondi Junction two years ago and a subsequent cookbook.

Having discovered their biggest web audience outside of Australia was in California, the pair started travelling to LA and working with video network Tastemade, in an industrial complex with an abominable café.

"We would always walk past and go, 'We're going to take that café over and turn it into Bondi Harvest,' recalls Turland, who trained at Icebergs. "It's like we manifested it – the more we said it, the more it was going to happen!"

When the building's lease became available, Turland and Alston jumped in, renovating the spot, while filming the process for reality series Grand Opening.

The arrival of Bondi Harvest has prompted LA Weekly to declare, "The Aussie food invasion continues," a nod to Australian-inspired eateries including Paramount Coffee Project, E.P. & L.P. and a growing number of pie stores.

However, locals won't find pies or Vegemite on the menu, the emphasis on healthy, seasonal and locally-sourced fare.

"There's more to Australia than pies," laughs Turland. "I've travelled the globe and our palate in Australia is advanced in comparison to much of the world, so to come here and share that is an honour."

Adds Alston: "We want people to enjoy killer coffee and great food in the friendly, relaxed way Aussies are renown for. Often, great coffee in the States gets served with an attitude and no food. In Bondi, it's fast and friendly. That's how we're doing it differently."