February 15, 2009: Min Lokal II

Cindy and I first stumbled across Min Lokal in an attempt to locate Wild Flour bakery and I was instantly smitten. Ever since I've held their baked eggs up as some sort of paragon of eggy goodness, finding fault with every other cafe that tries to compete. I eventually snuck back one afternoon to make sure that my memory wasn't deceiving me and was once again overwhelmed by the quality of the brekkies. So when we met Mike and Jo and some friends at Ici to be confronted by a long wait for a table, I dragged everyone around the corner to sample the delights at this unassuming little place.

Things have changed a little since we first visited - they've got the freezer situation sorted out, so iced coffees are on the menu, and they've greatly expanded their menu including the addition of something sweet: waffles (more on them later). The claypots remain, with two vego options and a meaty alternative. I went for the Adafina claypot ($14): baked eggs with pumpkin, green olive paste (and a few half olives), harissa, saffron, green beans and toast.

Mmmmm. Look at that deliciousness. A great mix of flavours, with the olive and harrissa flavours packing the real punch, while the eggs and pumpkin added a bit of heartiness. The eggs were cooked perfectly again, and the toast was ripe for the dunking. I could have eaten two.

Cindy was very excited to spy the waffles ($13) on the menu, after being reduced to ordering toast the first time we visited. The menu promised balsamic strawberries and grapes, vanilla mascarpone and pistachios alongside. It wasn't the biggest serve of sweetness, but it was an impressive breakfast nonetheless - Cindy complained about the relatively small serve of fruit, but was wowed by the waffles themselves and the combination of colours and flavours.

The other folks at our table avoided the baked eggs and opted for pan-fried haloumi or the aforementioned waffles - everything except the eggs was a little on the small side, but it all seemed to hit the spot.

We've tried a few times to hit Min Lokal on the weekend and been overwhelmed by crowds - for some reason we walked straight into a table this week, but I think it's always going to be a bit of a gamble. So if you're keen for a fine breakfast, but not so hungry you won't be put off by a wait, Min Lokal is my pick of the Fitzroy breakfast scene.

(You can read about our first visit to Min Lokal here.)

UPDATE: Melbourne food bloggers' meet-up

Duncan, Thanh and Sarah wisely postponed the recently planned food bloggers' bbq and have now cooked up an alternative plan.

The new and improved
Melbourne food bloggers' meet-up
is being graciously hosted by
The Commoner
(at 122 Johnston St, Fitzroy)
on
March 7, from 2pm.

The courtyard will be set aside, free of charge, and The Commoner folks have even offered the use of their wood-fired oven for reheating food! (Oh, how we food bloggers love a wood-fired oven.) As a show of appreciation, bring your wallet and order your drinks from their staff rather than BYO-ing.

Sadly Michael and I won't be in attendance, but it seems that almost everyone else with a modem and an appetite has already signed up. You can, too, by leaving a comment on Duncan's official meet-up post.

700 posts, one giveaway

700 posts! Can you believe it? To celebrate we've got a double-barrelled treat for you. First up, let us take you on a 12-hour tour of Melbourne. Almost five months ago the Amateur Gourmet asked his readers how they'd spend a final 12 hours in their dearest city. Though it's taken us a little while, Michael and I have drawn up an itinerary and laid it out over 9 posts. We couldn't quite agree on everything so we'll be splitting up along the way and you can decide who to tag along with. Don't worry, we'll be converging for a damn fine dinner at the end of it. So lace up your favourite sneakers, stuff $50 or so into your pocket, sling a roomy bag over your shoulder and...

click here.

Are you back? Did you have fun? Now tell us, what hidden gems were missing from our last 12 hours in Melbourne? Usually we're simply appealing to your sense of generosity when we ask your advice, but this week your recommendations could win you this...

That's right, it's a copy of Veganomicon! Its chickpea cutlets, po' boys and black beans have wowed us, and as we've had only a couple of months with this book, we've no doubt that there are many, many more awesome recipes to discover within its pages.

So drop us a comment on your absolute favourite place to go, thing to do or food to eat in Melbourne. If your comment is not linked to a profile with an email address and you'd prefer not to give your email details publicly in a comment, then email us at wheresthebeef_blog[at]yahoo.com.au immediately after posting your comment. We won't share your details with anyone else and we'll delete our records of them once this competition's over. And it'll be over at midnight, Melbourne time, on Friday February 20. The winner will be drawn at random and announced on the morning of Saturday February 21 as I lounge, bleary-eyed, in front of Video Hits.

Edit 21/02/09: The giveaway is now closed and we've drawn a winner! However, we'd still like to know what you'd do in your last 12 hours in Melbourne - add your ideas below and earn our gratitude, if not a cookbook.

February 10, 2009: Maesri curry pastes

Last month I had a little whinge about non-vegetarian curry pastes. A couple of commenters helped out with shrimp-free brands, and I've discovered another one at my local independent supermarket - Maesri. These little tins go for a dollar apiece, are vegan, and every ingredient listed is recognisable as an actual food - no weird chemical codes here!

I cooked up the masaman paste with a can of coconut milk, tofu cubes and lots of fresh chopped vegetables. This is a lot less coconut milk than recommended on the curry can, but I found the spice level bang on and it was even a little too mild for Michael. With a base of steamed rice and a crown of cashews, it made for a fine weeknight dinner (and several great workday lunches). It's by no means an instant meal, but the most time-consuming part is simply chopping up the vegetables.

I'll happily buy this product again, at least until I muster the motivation to make my own bulk curry paste and freeze it in batches.

February 7, 2009: Hellenic Republic II

Update 12/06/2023: Hellenic Republic is now closed.

While we were keeping cool in this cafe on Melbourne's hottest-recorded day (46°C/115°F!), another even less enviable record was broken - rural Victoria was hit by the most damaging bushfires on record in Australia. Many, many lives and homes have been lost and it's not over yet. Please make a donation, if you can, to the Australian Red Cross response.

After arriving home from Stockholm late on Friday night, Michael was keen to get back into the swing of Melbourne and suggested eating out for breakfast on Saturday morning. With the temperature already in the mid-30s, we took the lazy (but cool) tram north to Hellenic Republic. Inside, it was barely recognisable from our previous visit - where once there was a crowded and cacophonous room, dimly lit, now only a handful of tables were occupied in a space streaming with light.

Perhaps it's just as well - Hellenic Republic has only a modestly sized espresso machine and they just barely kept up with the higher morning demand for coffee. It's no problem for caffeine-free me, of course - I happily slugged down water as I checked out the menu of twelve items before us. Eight or nine of them appear to be vegetarian, though probably none are vegan - this is a feast of feta, yoghurt and eggs, if not meat.

Michael happily surrendered, ordering the spanakopita with poached free range eggs ($12.50). The eggs were perfectly poached and the spinach pie was more enjoyable than last time we tried it - though he relished every bite, Michael was equally conscious of what an unbalanced meal it made. (It's worth noting that there's no list of add-ins on this menu, so requesting a side of vegetables wasn't an obvious tactic.)

Mindful of the heat, I skipped past the sweet trahana and tried the salad of watermelon, feta, almonds, mint and rose syrup ($8.50). As I pictured hefty chunks of salty feta, I considered this a bit of a gamble, but my bet paid off - the juicy watermelon chunks were augmented with just a sprinkling of creamy feta crumbs. With that minty top note and undertone of roasted almond flakes, I neither noticed nor wished for more of the rose syrup I'd been promised. This was a prince among fruit salads!

Hellenic Republic by day is a different but equal prospect to Hellenic Republic by night. Our bill was no larger than what we'd rack up at any other cafe in the neighbourhood; though the portions were modest, they were satisfying and impeccably executed. And for now, at least, there seems to be no wait for a table; only for coffee!

(You can read about our previous visit to Hellenic Republic here.)

Address: 434 Lygon St, Brunswick East
Ph: 9381 1222
Price: veg breakfasts $8.50-$14.50

Website: www.hellenicrepublic.com.au (still 'coming soon'... yawn)