March 7, 2025
When a long-time food-blogging friend was back in town, we needed somewhere to eat around the CBD on a Friday night, quiet enough to hear each other chat, with plentiful veg*n and dairy-free options, and ideally structured to share. Back to Makan we went! While we waited for Gill to arrive, I picked out a TGIF mocktail, the sweet-and-sour citrusy Calamansi Groove ($16). This kicked off a month of seeking out multiple salt-rimmed drinks - the concept is nothing new, but I was newly appreciative of it.
Gill urged us to lead the ordering, and I was didn't want to miss out on tempeh. The Tempe Mendoan ($15) was thinly sliced, well battered, and accompanied by an excellent makrut lime sweet soy dipping sauce.
Michael was in the mood for corn ribs, known here as Jagung Bakar ($18) - they had a thorough but superficial char that kept the corn fresh and juicy, a dusting of chilli salt and a rich garlic dip on the side.
Michael also voted for the Opor Labu ($24), a mild curry featuring pumpkin and potatoes with plentiful broth.
We had to go back for another round of Roti Serabi ($8) for the spongy coconut batter and very spicy gulai sauce.
My favourite of the night was probably the Tahu Telor ($25), a huge tofu and egg omelette sliced into wedges, topped with garlic soy sauce and herbs. I've been fond of salty omelettes on rice since Middle Fish days, and this one really hit the spot. (I might consider ordering it on its own if I found myself here ordering alone!)
As if this weren't all enough colour and flavour, there were Krupuk and Acar on the side for spreading across the dishes.
Having eaten and talked so much already, we agreed that dessert wasn't necessary (though I will certainly report back if I ever get a spoon into the Cendol Panna Cotta!). Even without it, we'd confirmed Makan was as handy as fun as we found it on our first visit.
____________
You can read about our first visit to Makan here.
____________
Makan
Collins Way, Melbourne CBD
menu
menu
Accessibility: Makan has a step down from its Collins Way entry into the main restaurant floor. (Michael thinks there is potentially another flat access point from elsewhere in the building, but prior arrangements might be needed with the staff outside of business hours.) The tables are regular height and generously spaced, with a mixture of padded benches and backed wooden chairs. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. Toilets are gendered and include an accessible option.
No comments:
Post a Comment