Foxtrot Charlie - Brunswick

Breakfast: my least-favoured meal of the day. All too often I avoid eating until after 11am purely so I can call the bowl of soggy cereal in - what is certainly by this stage - tepid milk "brunch". Deep down in my heart I know what this bowl before me really is - a bowl of disintegrating dreams - but somehow it becomes more palatable with a different title. (A rose by any other name indeed!)

Apologies for appearing to get so morbid, I should confess that I rarely actually eat cereal, but I DO vastly prefer brunch to breakfast. Don't get me wrong, I love the crunch of my vegemite on sourdough toast in the morning, but whenever I go out for breakfast I regularly find the menu options to be particularly uninspiring. Essentially, they seem to be bacon and eggs made fifty different ways, invariably with the veg. twist being that the bacon has been removed from the dish with slightly more egg added. And the vegan option? Don't get me started! Fortunately, there are many breakfast spots that have decided they can't put up with my whinging any longer, and have decided to prove that there can be more to your morning meal than pig and eggs (Exhibit 'A': Grigons & Orr). Many such cafes can be found in the cultural mixing pot that is Brunswick, and one in particular is Foxtrot Charlie on Sydney Road. Boasting the use of organic produce, and a rotating range of interesting deli goodies, there is sure to be something to take your fancy. For instance, the 3 cheese Panini: Meredith Goats Cheese, Schamorza, and assaggio, layered with salad-y goodness. One look at it and it screams out to you! Also, for the uninitiated, schamorza is a personal favourite of mine, and under-utilized far too often in my opinion.

But I came here to go for one of the breakfast specialties, so I opted for the Saint Joseph's Day Fritter

The Fritter!

(Veg. Version - $16.50): a ricotta fritter served with sauteed mushrooms on a pea fondue. There is only one word that for me accurately captures this dish: juicy! This fritter is like a water bomb exploding in your mouth. You know, the kind you used to throw at your friends in those carefree youthful summer days. Or, alternatively, at your best friend's Winter bbq last June - hilarious at the time, but his girlfriend hasn't spoken to you since. Of course, when I say "water bomb", I don't mean to say that it is loaded with liquid. Nope, I'm referring to the taste explosion that goes off the moment you crunch through the crispy fritter exterior. The mushrooms, too, were unbelievable. I'm the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of mushrooms, but in this dish I did not merely tolerate them, I gobbled them! Juicy, sweet, salty...they were a work in contradictions. The pea fondue was like the calming voice of the dish, keeping all the outrageous flavours in check, binding them.

Pistachio and Yoghurt Mousse Cake

It's not all peaches and cream. Whilst I was served a very elegant looking hot chocolate, it was rather watery. However, there are only a few places in Melbourne where the hot chocolate is the decisive factor in me returning, and - fear not Foxtrotters - this is not one of them. Aside from my incredible breakfast, the other thing that stood out for me about this place was the service. The wait staff genuinely make you feel like they're happy to see you...more so than some of my close friends! As an added bonus, we were treated to a sample of some freshly made pistachio and yoghurt mousse cake, which is certainly worth a try.

There's plenty more on offer here for the meat-a-tarians amongst us and the veg. options are a little limited, but what they do have, they do exceedingly well. Watch out Green Refectory, you've got competition!

5/5 (How could I not, they actually had me enjoying my mushrooms!)

Gazi - Melbourne

I know I know, yet another review about Gazi in Melbourne. Does George Calombaris really need more of a leg-up? Probably not, but his contribution to cuisine in Melbourne should be acknowledged. And no, I'm not referring to Masterchef. Honestly, I could not give two 'you-know-whats' about most reality TV shows, let alone one where all of our natural senses get repeatedly assaulted by Matt Preston's 'look-at-me' cravats. That being said, I suppose any show that re-engages people with food should be commended.

But allow me to backtrack from this tangent and get back on point. My real interest in Gazi comes from my often neglected Greek heritage. I owe much of my culinary education to my Nonna (I know, 'nonna' is Italian. It was a confusing childhood, roll with it) and her three sisters. I have many memories of Greek Easters and family gatherings where unbelievable amounts of home-made Greek fare mounted every surface in the house, none of which you could knock back. Not that you'd want to of course, but have you ever tried to knock back food offered to you by a Greek Grandma? You're taking your life in your hands if you do!

The problem for me with going out for Greek these days is that most restaurants are far less accommodating to my vegetarian needs than my nonna. Fortunately, Gazi has a wide array of meze to cover most dietary preferences. No fuss Athens street food, that's the order of the day. Unlike its predecessor on this location The Press Club, there's a more chilled out vibe at Gazi, a Greek diner motif. There's a stack of backgammon boards near the entrance, presumably free to use for diners. That being said, I'm not sure how keen the wait staff would be on a backgammon tournament starting up during dinner hours. The ceiling is obscured by kitsch hanging terracotta pots, and the kitchen is open plan so that you can see the flair with which your dinner is being whipped up, presumably just like on the streets of Athens.

Oh yeah, that brings me to the food.

DIPS: Served with lightly grilled house-made pita
Zucchini, Feta & Mint - Lumpy and green, almost salsa-like. Offers almost lemony undertones, countered nicely with the sharp taste of the feta. In stark contrast to the smoother consistency of the more yoghurt based dips. My favourite.
Miso Melitzanosalata - An interesting twist on a Greek classic, this version has a creamy texture, the bitterness of the eggplant countered by the saltiness of the miso, and finished with yoghurt and capers for extra tang.
Sweet Potato skordalia, pinenuts, orange - Skordalia: another Greek staple I remember from my childhood. This was the dip I was looking forward to the most. As a result - perhaps unsurprisingly - it was the most underwhelming of the three. That says more about the quality of the other two than it does about this one. I love my garlic, however the strong garlic-y tones I recall from my youth were absent here, a little overpowered by the sweetness of the sweet potato (yep, sweet potatoes are sweet. Must remember that).

ETHNIKA VROMIKA (HELLENIC DIRTY FOOD):
Vegetables - I got the impression from our waiter that the vegetables in this dish are subject to variation. Today it consisted of various coloured heirloom carrots, radish, cucumber and celery, coated with a tomato and oil dressing, all sitting on a bed of tahini and garlic yoghurt. Very simple dish, prepare for things to get messy once the yoghurt and tahini climb all over the veg!
Cheese (Saganaki) - Fried in a generous amount of oil to add extra crunch, the large slab of saganaki oozes richness. A tip, don't do it all by yourself, your body won't thank you! Goes great with some of the lighter salads/dips.

WOOD FIRE GRILL:
Corn - Only a small half-cob, another simple pleasure, but what a pleasure it is! Outrageously coated in various seeds, you could mistake the cobs for bird-feeders. Add to this a generous (and I mean generous!) smattering of the Aleppo pepper mayonnaise to coat the cob and, baby, you just bought yourself a one way ticket to Flavour Town!

SALADS, VEGETABLES, PULSES & GRAINS:
Grean Peas Salad: Neglected from the online menu, this option consisted of peas and crispy fried cauliflower, dressed with a herbed garnish and almond dressing. A much lighter, summery option that complements the Saganaki nicely.
Fasolia: Fresh crunch of green and yellow beans, asparagus, shaved fennel, radish, and hazelnuts on a thick white bean skordalia. The bitterness of the bed of Skordalia is offset by the crispy greens. I was particularly drawn to this dish due to the fasolia I consumed in my youth. Doesn't stack up to my Nonna's version, but nothing ever does. Still worth a try.
Chips: I know what you're thinking. Why go to one of Melbourne's hottest restaurants just to order chips?! Well slow down there Judgy McJudge, let me explain. Much like with Castrol where "oils ain't oils", at Gazi chips ain't chips. The house-cut 'tiganites patates' are crispified (it's a word) in a healthy amount of garlic and olive oil, then crashed together in a bowl with oregano and feta. If you take up a seat near the open kitchen you can watch the magic of it all unfold before you.

To accompany this plethora of food, I elected to go for a fresh juice over the ludicrously priced beer selection. One option stuck out above the rest: cucumber juice. Well, I'd be stupid not to, right? It tasted, well, pretty much how you'd expect I guess; like cucumber flavoured water. However, it was exceedingly refreshing. I can see myself blending many a cucumber to help cool myself down during our coming climate change infused summer days.

As you can see, there are ample veg. options, and there are plenty of others I was simply too stuffed to try, and not outrageously priced either. With all the hype, you expect Gazi to be good. And whilst there were a few underwhelming dishes, it has to be said, it still lives up to the hype!

4/5

Blurry Mezé shot

Ministry of Curry - East Brunswick

Lygon Street, East Brunswick, is fast becoming my favourite food and bar strip in Melbourne. Where once there was just the iconic Gelobar swimming amidst a sea of Indian curry houses, now there are countless wine bars, pizzerias, and other restaurants serving dishes from all corners of the globe...except for maybe Greenland. From Burger houses, to Mid-Eastern cuisine, and an array of Asian restaurants, Lygon Street has a little somethin' somethin' for all and sundry. AND, being in Melbourne's hipster inner North, you can bet your sweet bippy there'll be veg. options wherever you choose to chow down.

Ministry of Curry is one of the relative newcomers to the strip. I know I know, another curry restaurant in East Brunswick? I can hear John McEnroe's catch-cry "you cannot be serious!" ringing in my ears. But this place differentiates itself in that it is the only restaurant around these parts to serve up traditional Sri Lankan cuisine. Well, that was enough to prompt this curious cat to investigate.

First of all, I should say that there is quite a bit of range on the menu, so naturally I didn't even come close to getting an adequate sample size, but let's just work off what I did try. There is only one vegetarian option amongst the entrees - lentil croquettes (5pcs - $10.90) - so naturally these seemed like the logical way to begin. The croquettes are nice and crispy on the outside, with a lightly spiced, floury lentil and potato filling, drizzled with a mild, tangy dipping sauce.

For the mains, a couple of curries to share were the order of the day. On recommendation from the rather shy waitress, we went with the green bean curry($8.50) - served with onions and a little chilli, swimming in a lightly spiced coconut sauce - and the parippu (lentil) curry($7.50), with sides of rice and the coconut roti - thinner and firmer than the Indian equivalent. Both curries were fairly mild, but not lacking in taste by any stretch. The prevalence of coconut - milk and shavings - added that tropical fragrance to the dishes, really enlivening the flavours and combining perfectly with the rice, roti and the parippu curry.

I'm a little sick of going out to eat at establishments where blandness in cooking is accepted and celebrated. I want my taste buds to come alive with flavours, not have to conduct some sort of CSI experiment to determine whether any DNA traces of taste exist in my mouth. Thankfully, none of that was necessary at the Ministry.

It's not all flowers and chocolates. The service was a little awkward, and they managed to initially forget our order of rice. But that's just me nit-picking. Ministry of Curry is a place still finding its feet on what is now becoming a very congested restaurant strip, but I really hope they hang in there. I'll be returning, that's for sure.

4/5