November 23, 2024
Green Man's Arms is probably our favourite spot for dinner around a Cinema Nova movie. Not every visit makes it to the blog, but their menu's changed a lot recently and this one's worth the note. First, the bad news: my beloved vegan charcuterie board is no longer on offer, down-sized into 'hummus olive focaccia plate', 'chorizo focaccia plate' and 'chilli hummus focaccia' options. The good news? An all-vegan menu with abundant focaccia (see above), vege sides to share, an eclectic mains list of Asian dishes, pasta and pub classics, a few desserts I never have the room to eat, and almost as many mocktails as there are cocktails. Gluten-free and allium-free options are well marked.
Michael took a shot at the linguine carbonara ($26), a deceptively small-looking but actually hefty portion of pasta in a rich sauce with tomato yolk, confit tomato, chickpea bacon and parmesan. I reckon it's the best veg*n carbonara we've eaten. (My recent Brother Bon one, while also absolutely delicious, just barely resembles the traditional dish.)
I was looking for something a little fresher and took a chance on the tofu larb ($24). I'd almost never order larb, and the plates I saw travelling to other tables looked a bit beige and dry, giving this dish plenty of space to exceed my expectations. The tofu was golden, succulent and exceptionally seasoned, served with pickled snake beans, a wedge of lime, and neat cos lettuce leaves.
Everything was delivered without any need to rush to our movie (a 20th anniversary screening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, an eternal fave of mine), and we even ran into an interstate friend, who comfortably fit by me on the bench seat for a catch-up. Green Man's Arms offers a high-quality veg*n experience that we shouldn't take for granted.
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Green Man's Arms
418 Lygon St, Carlton
9347 7419
Accessibility: The entry has a small lip from the street and there's a step up between the front bar and the dining room. Furniture in the dining room is regular seated height and medium-to-high density, with padded benches along the walls and backed seats in the interior. The front bar has medium-to-high density high tables and backless stools. We ordered at our table and paid at the high bar. Toilets are gendered with narrow cubicles and located on the same level as the dining area.
I love a Nova and Green Mans Arms visit to Lygon St. I was there on Monday after seeing Better Man. I was happy to hear they now have kombucha on tap again and loved the eggplant parma. I saw the carbonara and really wanted to ask about the "tomato yolk". Is this a thing? We only had 5 minutes to order and I would have liked more time to take in the menu. I too am sad the charcuterie board is deconstructed into smaller board but would be interested to try some. Sounds like you had a fantastic night and great meal! Wishing you many more in 2025!
ReplyDeleteHi Johanna! I must admit that the tomato yolk did not make a distinct impression on its own, although we both enjoyed the richness of the sauce more generally. Someone on facebook shared with us a link to a method of molecular gastronomy, that 'spherifies' a blended yellow tomato for form a whole 'yolk'. Wishing you a happy and tasty 2025, too. :)
DeleteOooh, the menu looks good! The pasta in particularly looks lovely.
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