The 9 Best Things I Ate In Melbourne

In talking to people before my trip to Australia it was pretty obvious that Melbourne often plays second fiddle to Sydney. After all, Sydney has the beaches, the shopping and nightlife that often goes strong until 8am. When I landed in Sydney, I asked the cab driver what he thought of Melbourne. “Melbourne? You don’t want to go to Melbourne,” said the 30-year resident. Fact: He had never been to Melbourne. Apparently, when you live in Sydney, you just don’t go to Melbourne.

But an interesting thing happened when I started researching the trip. Everybody said I had to go to Melbourne for the food. Coffee, Greek, seafood, roasted pumpkin, neighborhood bistros for miles and miles, more coffee. The food is what Melbourne is known for. And with that, I booked a ticket to spend the most time in Melbourne. After telling the cab driver all this, he still didn’t get it. I placed my business card in his hand and asked him to read in a couple weeks. Maybe he understands now, but probably not. Here are some of my favorite dishes from four days of eating and drinking around the city.

The 9 Best Things I Ate In Melbourne

Roasted pumpkin pizza at Giant Steps

Roasting pumpkin is a national pastime in Australia, even in the middle of a scorching summer. At Healesville winery Innocent Bystander—a converted barn that houses a bakery, cheese room, coffee roaster and pizzeria called Giant Steps—a sour dough-crusted pie is topped with chunks of burnt-orange pumpkin mingling with garlic, caramelized onions, arugula, pine nuts and barrel-aged feta. And, yes, that is a Coltrane reference. The best. 336 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville, Victoria 3777 giant-steps.com.au

Smoked eel, white chocolate and caviar at Vue de Monde

You see the components listed in this dish? It’s not something that rolls off the tongue—or excites the tongue really. It sort of makes my tongue sad. But, wow, it worked. It was magic. Rialto 525 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD Victoria 3000 vuedemonde.com.au

Lobster roll at Golden Fields

In Australia, lobster is called crayfish. It’s sort of confusing. Anyways, Golden Fields chef Andrew McConnell told me about his lobster roll—crayfish roll doesn’t roll off the tongue. “I was in New York 18 months ago and had a lobster roll and I figured I could do one better,” he said. Was it better than Pearl? No. But it's a very fresh interpretation where he takes a semi-sweet brioche roll, slathers on some Kewpie mayonnaise, adds watercress, shallot and piles on sliced Tasmanian crayfish. The Maine fisherman would not be hating. 157 Fitzroy St. St. Kilda, Melbourne 3182 goldenfields.com.au

 

Cucumber sorbet with crushed herbs at Vue de Monde

A middle-course “palate cleanser” is often more about utility than invention. Not the case with this two-part dish that begins with liquid nitrogen being poured over a selection of astringent herbs placed in a mortar and pestle. After being obliged with the smashing, a second server adds a scoop of cucumber sorbet to the bowl. The perfect bridge between lamb sweetbreads and barramundi. Rialto 525 Collins Street , Melbourne CBD Victoria 3000 vuedemonde.com.au

Lamb log at Huxtable

Lamb is Australia’s national protein. It’s a point of national pride. Huxtable chef Daniel Wilson does it justice with a slow-cooked shoulder, spiced with currants and other Middle Eastern flavors, rolled in angel hair-styled strands of philo dough and sided with a lemon yogurt. 131 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne 3065 huxtablerestaurant.com.au

Blackmore wagyu beef, rose petal and anchovy dust at Vue de Monde

Intensely marbled (and flavourful) wagyu is coveted worldwide and raised throughout Western Australia. Here the beef is prepared sous-vide and seasoned with anchovy dust and garnished with rose pedals and fried kale. Rialto 525 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD Victoria 3000 vuedemonde.com.au

Soy-roasted pumpkin seeds at Golden Fields

Beginning the meal with a tiny bowl of seeds is a little precious for my taste. But steering diners into umami territory from the top is a wise move—a sort of thesis for the Asian-influenced cooking at Andrew McConnell’s latest opening. Also, they are really, really good and salty. I kept eating them. 157 Fitzroy St. St. Kilda, Melbourne 3182 goldenfields.com.au

Lebanese cauliflower florets at Huxtable

Another big winner at Huxtable. Lebanese cauliflower florets, heavily spiced with cumin and deep-fried, is served over a wonderful harissa yogurt was the standout on Daniel Wilson’s vegetable-driven “Earth” section of the menu. 131 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne 3065 huxtablerestaurant.com.au

Cappuccino at Fitzrovia

OK, it’s impossible to pick one cup of coffee that stood out. The plunger hotel coffee was better than most of the cups at Stumptown at the Ace. Truth. This was admittedly the prettiest photo though. 155 Fitzroy Street St. Kilda VIC 3182 fitzrovia.com.au

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