Dosa Hut

Anyone remember "hit the hut" from Pizza Hut?

Growing up with one health freak and one culture freak for parents, hitting that particular hut was strictly verboten.  It therefore followed that as a child, it was all I ever wanted.  I remember on maybe my 12th birthday my dad saying I could go anywhere I liked for lunch - anywhere at all!  I know he wanted me to say Mask of China or wherever else was the "it" place in the early 90's.  I said - you guessed it - Pizza Hut.  He was horrified!

Something must have rubbed off, though, as I now have zero interest in unlimited quantities of bad chocolate mousse and every interest in this particular hut, which I recommend you hit with vigour.  Meet Dosa Hut.

Dosa Hut has been in Barkly Street for at least as long as I've lived in the area (9+ years).  Over that time they have expanded into the place next door, and continued to expand their menu into a greatest hits of South Indian cuisine.

One of the best-known South Indian staples is dosa - very light, impressively huge pancakes made from a lightly fermented (like sourdough) rice and lentil batter.  They have crisp, burnished bottoms and are unflipped, making their top layer capable of soaking up all manner of delicious juices.  This was a nontraditional but particularly awesome dosa "filled" with Chicken 65...

...which are battered chicken pieces in a sticky red sauce spiked with curry leaves.  It's an Indian spin on Chinese food, but instead of being dumbed down, it's amped up.  Spicy, rich, tangy - awesome.

If that all sounds a bit much, start with the classic masala dosa.  This one is filled with a dry-ish potato dish made with peeled potatoes fried with spices.

It's a classic and deservedly so.  The dosa come with a zesty, runny pickle, amazing coconut chutney and sambar.  If you like it a bit hotter, get the Mysore version, which has special chilli powder added.

Sambar is a South Indian soup of sorts made with onion and other vegies (here, carrots), lentils, spices and tomato.  You spoon mouthfuls in between bites of dosa.

Mango lassi are awesome.

Dosa Hut's menu is voluminous.  If you don't know what things are, just ask - the staff are very friendly.  A few things I can tell you is rava dosa is a dosa made from semolina; uttapham is like a very thick pancake with toppings cooked into the top (kind of like a pan-fried pizza); the spring roll dosa is rolled up tight, almost like a burrito!  I have not partaken of the "Lindt chocolate dosa", but that sounds like a particularly worthwhile ordering experiment - and just as good as an all-you-can-eat dessert bar!

Dosa Hut
604b Barkly Street, West Footscray
Check out the menu here (Tarneit store, but as far as I can tell, the same as the WeFo one)

Ovest, West Footscray

"Ovest...  Now, why does that seem so familiar?"  I couldn't pick it.  Then it dawned on me - it's the name of Footscray Hospital's cafeteria!  As a friend said on Facebook yesterday, let's hope the name is the only thing the Ovests have in common!

But anyway, let's rewind.  This post is not about "hospital Ovest"; it's about "new upmarket pizzeria Ovest", which just opened last night in Barkly Street, West Footscray.

This is a partnership between Alex and Kate Rogers of Seddon's Sourdough Kitchen and Ben Sisley, ex-Mr Wolf, the Karen Martini-owned pizzeria in St Kilda.  It is patently obvious they know what they are doing.  Ovest has arrived fully formed, like some sort of incarnated being - at least from what we saw last night, there is no messy infancy here.

$18

Loved this bresaola (air-dried beef) with huge fresh figs, vincotto, fresh mozz and rocket.  The bread is of course from Alex's other business, Sourdough Kitchen.  All the flour there and all the flour here is certified organic.

$12

Zucchini fritters were gorgeous, with a non-oily breadcrumb-y crust just clinging to surprisingly juicy zucchini fingers.  A good swizzle through some "truffle mayo" and they were even better.

$21

Look at that gorgeous thing, just rippling with prawns and tommies!  I've always been a bit unexcited by fancy pizza joints as they seem dear for what you get.  Twenty-odd dollars for dough and a smattering of toppings - but when the pizza is this good, it feels worth it.

$12

Plus, Ovest's pizzas are big - if you have starters, you probably only need one between two.  If you want to be extra greedy, get a side like this lovely coleslaw with cabbage, pear, radish and lemon.

If you want to bypass the pizza, there's a tuna nicoise that looks the business, as well as pork and veal lasagne, cannelloni, and a daily roast special.  The kids menu is good value and a smart addition to a family-heavy area - your choice of lasagne, two pizzas or cannelloni plus ice-cream scoop for $12.  There is gluten-free pizza for $1 extra.

Ovest were almost full on opening night last night, which had not been publicised widely, so I would imagine they are only going to get even busier.  Queues in WeFo - who would have thought?

And as for "hospital Ovest"?  For all I know, they do a brilliant Friday lasagne special.  If you have a hot tip there - let me know!

Ovest
572 Barkly St, West Footscray
9687 7766
ovestwest.com.au

FFB mega-post - Footscray pub goss, dumplings galore, and the FFB dish of the year!

To me, leftovers are like dominos.  Each skerrick, each tidbit does not get thrown out but joins the next meal in an endlessly delicious loop.  That bit of leftover rice is perfect mixed into a spinach and ricotta pie...and that last scoop of ricotta is perfect spread on a thick bit of toast, topped with frozen berries, and grilled till soft, warm, gooey and sweet.

The point when it gets a bit tricky, though, is when I'm going away for a while and need to clear out the fridge.  Sometimes it's kind of awesome - bacon, featuring in today's breakfast, lunch AND dinner! - but it's a real challenge making a dinner out of a manky end bit of cheese and a pile of cucumbers.

In the spirit of the fridge clean-out, then, I present to you a banquet of a blog amnesty post, bringing together all the treats and tidbits I've enjoyed over the last few months.  Join me in clearing out the virtual crisper drawer and making a gorgeous word salad out of it all.  Then we'll be ready to enjoy all the new and exciting treats that 2015 is set to deliver!

FYI, this post is going to be pretty epic.  Pretty much as epic as this oyster I ate!

It was from these guys and was amazing, going from minerally and sharp at first chew, to creamy and unctuous at the end.  'Twas et during a trip to Hobart which I just loved every minute of.

The food highlight (apart from the above oyster) was the degustation and matched sake at Three Japanese.  This place is proud to not do the usual sushi and teriyaki chicken thing, and to serve food that Japanese people would apparently go out to eat in Japan - not necessarily what westerners expect.  The sakes we tried were incredible and so varied.  If you thought like I did that clear sake was essentially metho, this is where to go to have your mind thoroughly blown.  Food highlights - chawanmushi savoury custard with sea urchin, and sesame-encrusted rice ball in sublime chicken stock.

I just have to show you where I stayed - a gorgeous Air BnB in West Hobart.  I love the architecture in Hobart.  The Tuscan toilet block units Melbourne is so enamoured with have not yet spread there, and long may they never.  Look at that roaring fire!  Not visible are the harbour views from every room in the house.  It was very hard to get on that bus to the airport.

But get on I did, back to the west.  Even giant oysters can't trump the yum cha at Gold Leaf Sunshine.  This continues to be my go-to, not just in the west, but anywhere in Melbourne.  (Recently tried elsewhere - Golden Dragon Palace, Templestowe [overpriced and yawningly average]; Me Wah, Hobart [strange, staid, expensive and unremarkable]; Tao Tao House, Hawthorn [exxy, boring].

Oh, Gold Leaf, I do heart you!

Speaking of dumplings, we recently decided to give Magic Momo in West Footscray another go.  The guys who own this place are so nice and are trying so hard.  In the last year or so they redid the whole menu to focus exclusively on Nepalese food.

A lot of the south Asian restaurants in West Footscray and surrounds have the atmospherics of a bus shelter.  Hats off to Magic Momo who have gone to some effort with colourful piccies and posters and nice tunes playing.

The momo here are really pretty good.  Here we have steamed, fried and in a spicy sauce.

We loved the lamb choila, with spicy, tasty chunks of lamb, spicy soybeans, and rice bubble-like "beaten rice".

Also had this vegetarian thali-style dish which we weren't mad about - everything on the plate needed more oomph.  Go, bring a BYO bottle and give Magic Momo a try.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Over December we also really got into the Plough.  Scott Thomas, who used to run the Courthouse in North Melbourne and the Montague in South Melbourne, recently took over as head chef and the food has done a complete 180.

LOOOOOOVED these oysters with creme fraiche and fish roe!!!  Such an inspired combination.

We have eaten a lot of things on the menu now and are always very happy.  There are a few small misfires, like kipflers in duck fat that weren't crispy enough, or a millet salad that needed a bit more zing.  But on the whole, I think the food here is fab.  Congrats on snaring Scott Thomas and long may his steady hand steer this plough.

The other big news in the Footscray pub scene is that Sean Donovan has sold the Station!  This news was met with much devastation.  I have never blogged about it, but the Station is one of my most regular haunts.  We went back with trepidation to see if it was still any good.

Well, a rump like this does not lie.  Still as gorgeous as ever.  People think the Station is too expensive, but their entry-level steak is $28 (including chips, salad and sauce) and is bloody amazing.  A steak at most other pubs in Melbourne would be around the same price, and most are nowhere near as good.  Try it before you knock it!

PS: Did you know the Station do possibly the best pub kids' meals in Melbourne?  They're not cheap - about $18 from memory, which includes drink and ice cream - but much better quality than the normal crappy offerings.  And the ice cream had real vanilla beans in it.

Speaking of ice cream, you must try the green tea ice cream at Sapa Hills.  You met Long in this post and Ha, his wife, makes this ice cream at home for the restaurant.  It's delicious, richly flavoured, refreshing and not too sweet.  Totally going back to try the black sesame and coconut flavours.

I know our banquet table is beginning to groan, but let me just wedge a few more delicious treats into those gaps.  Just a few weeks ago we got back from an amazing two-week trip to Chicago, where my children proceeded to claim their culinary birthright in the form of Lucky Charms (cereal with mini marshmallows), ranch dressing, mozzarella sticks and other nutritionally disastrous delights.

The adults didn't miss out either, merrily scarfing Italian beef sandwiches...

...Pequod's special caramelised cheese crust Chicago-style pizza...

...and Paradise Pup's drip-down-your-forearms juicy burgers and fries with sour cream, bacon, and Merkts spreadable cheddar!!!  Some of these things we ate while watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network, which is kind of like drinking Bollinger when you're already completely pissed.  It was the most deliciously debauched two weeks ever.

But much as I love Chicago food in all its colon-blocking glory, it was yet again time to come home to treats like those at Co Thu Quan.  I continue to be completely enamoured with this fast-paced, cute-as-a-button and uncompromisingly Vietnamese cafe, tucked away inside Little Saigon market.

And it is here that I am delighted to present their banh trang cuon as the Footscray Food Blog dish of 2014.  These are rice paper rolls, made with either a different rice paper or a different process so that the skins are slightly crackly and tantalisingly al dente.  They're filled with julienned sour green mango, tiny dried prawns and spicy, rich beef jerky.  They are completely amazing, and just five bucks a plate.  Run, don't walk!

And so that concludes this pot luck of a post!  I feel refreshed and ready for all the delicious things 2015 will bring.  My fervent hope for Footscray is that as gentrification continues at breakneck pace, while we may be having lots of fun with what's new, let us continue to appreciate what we already have.  Will you join me in a cheers to that?

Brother Nancy

You know those stories about women who go turn up at the doctor's with a touch of heartburn, and the doc tells them they're nine months pregnant?  Who the bloody hell are they, I want to know.  How can you withstand forty (plus) gruelling weeks of cankles, mood swings and twelve wee breaks a night without noticing that something was cooking in the oven?  (Obviously I do not adore being pregnant!)  But I kind of feel like one of those completely oblivious (and perhaps lucky) chicks when I was told there was a new cafe opening on Essex Street.  The Essex Street I drive or walk down at least once per day.  How could I have not known?!

Of course, if you have a bath and a baby pops out, that would be somewhat of a shock.  Realising there is somewhere with a classically trained French chef and Proud Mary coffee just a hop, skip and a jump away was equally a shock - and just as equally a delightful one.  WeFolk, meet your new family member, Brother Nancy.

Firstly, I LOVE the name.  So fresh and cute!  Although there are a few Melbourne cafe tropes like succulents in jars and a communal table, the interior doesn't have a cookie-cutter Melbourne cafe feel.  There's a real freshness in the slightly unusual wooden chairs, the interesting parquet-style woodwork on the bench, and the little pops of green on the clock, the stools or the espresso cups.

Now, Melbourne.  I know you probably want to see some #yolkporn.  You probably want to see some smashed avo.  (Maybe you don't.  I know I couldn't care less if I ever ate another serve of sodding smashed avocado with effing Meredith feta.)  But - Brother Nancy have BEEF TARTARE.  That is crazy impressive for a cafe in the deep heart of West Footscray.

It is also one of my favourite things in the entire world, and this one was incredible.  It's 100% raw beef, and here it's given a little bit of an Asian spin by being ever so gently spiked with sesame and Thai basil.  I know people like to go on about food being sexy, which normally I absolutely cannot stand - what is sexy about a cake?  A bowl of pasta? - but this beef tartare was so silky, so smooth and supple, it was a seriously sexy meal.  My only complaint is such a studly dish deserves a plate mate with a bit more personality than mesclun mix (I told this to the owner - in between swoons).

The rest of the menu is really interesting.  There are some potential crowd-pleasers (like the "fish and chip burger - brioche bun, cos, aioli") but there's also a watermelon and tomato gazpacho, and the "Chapin breakfast" with fried plantains, scrambled eggs and black beans.  The chef, Jordi, is French, "has travelled the world" and has previously worked at Philippe Mouchel's PM24.  His specialty is desserts.  Ooh la la!

I had a chat with very proud dad Leigh.  He has a background in design, and lives locally.  He said he is determined to keep prices reasonable (the tartare was $14.50, which is crazy good) and also to make families feel welcome.  (There are kiddy breakfast options like a soft-boiled egg and a ham & cheese toastie.)

Coffee is Proud Mary and quite good - maybe could have been a touch less hot, just to let the sweet milk really mingle with the evidently quality coffee.  But this will still be the first of many.

Leigh, Jordi and team are open tomorrow prior to their official opening day, this Saturday at 7am.  Go easy on 'em, WeFo!

Brother Nancy (Facebook page)
182 Essex Street, West Footscray
Hours:  Wed-Mon 7am-4.30pm (closed Tues, but check this with them!)

COMING SOON - Nuevo Latino, West Footscray + Barkly Village Showcase

Remember Besito?  For newer WeFolk, this was a Colombian cafe that was open for about a year a year or so ago, and brought beautiful white corn arepas and Five Senses coffee to Barkly Street.  Sadly it closed (for family reasons, I believe).  But we are going to get another chance to bring some South American sunshine into our lives (and bellies) - Nuevo Latino is opening soon!

So, here's the goss.  Nuevo Latino will be opening soon in the old Cafe Bianco premises.  The folks behind it are the Rodriguez family, namely brothers Salvador (aka Sal) and Juan, plus their mum.  They are originally from El Salvador and have run a successful Latin American catering business in Melbourne for a number of years.  Sal tells me they are the official caterer for a number of Melbourne's central and south American consulates.  That's a pretty big endorsement!

Sal tells me they are really excited to take up residence at Bianco Cafe.  "We loved the vibe of Phil, the previous owner, who would feed the poor by giving soup," he tells me.  In the same spirit, Nuevo Latino will have a suspended coffee scheme (a voluntary system where you can pay in advance for someone in need's coffee - read more here).  "We still want to keep that community feel," says Sal.  In terms of decor, a graffiti artist is coming from Colombia to decorate the beer garden with "an Aztec or a Mayan feel".

And the menu?  It's not locked down yet, but Sal told me of inspiration from "Nuevo Latino"-style cooking from Miami, which embraces a modern spin on traditional central- and south-American recipes.  His partner is Japanese, so there might be some Japanese-El Salvadorean fusion going on!

Neuvo Latino's big launch is on November 6th, but if you can't wait till then, you should check out the Barkly Village Showcase, happening on Wednesday October 29th.  This has been put together by Col Cameron, local resident, comedian and MC.  He runs the Barkly Village Facebook page and says, "I created the page because I live close to the short strip and felt that it could be so much livelier.  My dream is to have all the restaurants regularly posting their specials for locals each week.  I also want the restaurants to work together on events to liven up the area."

Tickets are $60 and include:

*  A three-course dinner, with each course at a different Barkly Village restaurant.  It's a lucky dip, with punters learning the location of their first restaurant two days before the event, and then being guided "to their second mystery restaurant and the same for dessert".  Participating restaurants include 540 on Barkly, Thai Angels, Hyderabad Inn, Akshaya Sweets and Chat, Magic Momo Kafe, Gusto at Barkly and Nuevo Latino.

*  A donation to Soulhouse Men's Cooking Program, a cooking program run by the West Footscray Neighbourhood House which "responds to a keen interest among local rooming house men in coming together each week to develop their skills in the kitchen in order to provide nourishing meals, both for themselves and others". 

PLUS

*  All restaurants will be hosting live entertainment...

*  Nuevo Latino will serve savoury and sweet tapas throughout the night to all patrons as they move between restaurants and courses...

*  Non-restaurants on the strip will be contributing prizes and gift bags to be won throughout the night...

*  Two Birds in Spotswood will bring their "mobile brewing station" !

To purchase tickets, head to TryBooking.  I have no financial association with this event - I just think it's a great idea.

Also make sure to like Barkly Village on Facebook to stay up to date with the strip.  You can also get all the news and updates from Nuevo Latino right here.