Cindy welcomed me home on Friday evening with a delicious wok full of fried rice and, after my first non-hotel breakfast in weeks, I was ready to get out there and buy some food again. I couldn't possibly eat three meals in a row at home. You've got to ease back in to these things. So, with some vague excuses about shopping, we headed into the city to try out Mr Tulk, the state library's on-site cafe. I'd read good things about Mr Tulk, so I was quite surprised to see only a selection of pre-made pides and the like and a couple of specials on a blackboard. It turns out that there's a whole menu as well, but by the time we figured that out we'd already made our selections.
And fine selections they were too: crostini with hommus and a red pepper, walnut and tarragon dip along with a pide filled with pumpkin, ricotta and caramelised onion. The dips came with a splash of olive oil on top and a couple of tangy peppers for garnish. The red pepper dip was particularly enjoyable, although it must be said I couldn't really detect the tarragon, and, for once, an adequate amount of crostini were provided for the amount of dip. Usually we're either left eating undipped bread or stuck with an abundance of leftover dips - it's rare for someone to get the balance just right. The pide was served up nice and hot (something of a bonus for me as I readjusted to Melbourne's winter following a couple of weeks of 30+ degree days overseas) and was flavoured with an earthy spice - cumin maybe. All in all it was a pretty satisfying lunch - next time I'll make sure we grab a proper menu. If the readymade options are any indications there'll be some tasty treats to explore.Address: Corner Latrobe and Swanston streets (in the State Library)
Ph: 8660 5700
Licensed
Price: Our two dishes (and a couple of Tiro drinks) cost $22.50, but that's all I can tell you.
Website: http://mrtulk.com.au/
Lo-lo-love Mr Tulk, nice and quiet on a Sunday morning, and their fruit salad comes with a delicious honeyed yoghurt that made me swoon!
ReplyDeleteEllie, we'll be back one day to look at the menu properly and I'll keep that fruit salad in mind!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of Mr Tulk and was there yesterday. Not a vegetarian myself, I settled for a special of oxtail pie with purée of pea and an unspecified jus. Good, hearty winter fare all round!
ReplyDeleteI've walked past Mr Tulk soooo many times and your post encouraged me to pay a visit this morning for breakfast. Boy was it a great choice! I also had the pumpkin, ricotta n carmalised onion pide. It was DELISH! Quite filling too. I did check out the menu and lets just say i'll be back many more times to try out the rest of the menu!
ReplyDeleteHi Matthew! Good to see another Mr Tulk fan. As the weather turns cold I am becoming increasingly obsessed with pies. :-)
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Anired28! Happy to know you enjoyed the pide as much as we did. :-) We must get back there and look at the menu properly next time!
I lurve Mr.Tulk. Apart from the food (which is fab), it is also where I had my first date with EG :-)
ReplyDeleteMellie, it's a nice spot to mark an informal first date! Michael and I finished our first at a Coffee Club in Brisbane - not sure if that translates in Melbourne but it's far less chic. :-D
ReplyDeleteWell Cindy - if you want to re-live old times or mark an anniversary, there is a Coffee Club in Chapel St, Prahran. It's the same franchise from up north.
ReplyDeleteHeh, probably won't take the trouble - would rather look forward to new times (and new foods!) together. :-)
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