Darwin 2023

July 2-15, 2023

   

I was lucky to travel to Darwin for work this month. Michael and I had booked a Darwin-based holiday back in August 2021 that was cancelled due to lockdowns, so we decided to have a do-over when my conference finished, with the bonus of a few co-worker friends also sticking around for fun.

This was a trip centred more around the outdoors than around food (check out Michael's twitter and instagram for wildlife pics!), and we considered any great meals to just be a bonus. Here's a quick run-down of some of the more memorable dishes.

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I've learned over the years that I don't really enjoy conference dinners, and it can be fun to plan something different just for myself. I chose a table for one at the Moorish Cafe while many of my colleagues were socialising together. A chalkboard out the front proudly announced that they're celebrating 20 years in business and I could see why this place is a stayer - it's informal but a bit special, with a friendly buzz, and a long menu of dishes designed for sharing.

I shared with my future self, ordering enough to take home a left-over dinner for the following night. The roast pumpkin, blue cheese and dried figs ($11.50) wasn't quite as good as it sounded, but every other dish exceeded my expectations: cacio e peppe broccolini ($11.50) was perfectly seasoned and accompanied by crisped cannellini beans, the mac and cheese ($11) was pure comfort finished with a glug of truffle oil, and the portobello mushrooms ($24.50) were dotted with almonds and currants, and sat atop the smoothest, most savoury cauliflower puree.

   

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On my first morning after the conference concluded I explored Darwin on foot, and I fueled up first at KOPI stop. They proudly offer the stylings of a Singapore Kopitiam: laksa, congee, and of course, kopi. Unfortunately I didn't see my favourite teh tarik as an option, but I happily settled for a milosaurus ($8.50, pictured before I spilled Milo all over the table). I preferred my kaya toast ($7.50) without the soft-boiled eggs. This sweet start got me through a browse in the neighbouring Art Warehouse, then over to and around the Botanic Gardens (which has a very pleasant cafe of its own, Eva's).

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Once Michael arrived in Darwin, the brunching began in earnest. Our friend Nick steered us to Ruby G's, which has an extensive menu of toast and toasties, eggs and avo, as well as a cabinet bursting with all manner of baked goods (we made sure to take some of those home for later). Their most unique offering might be the Aussie Croque ($16.50), a white sourdough toastie of three cheeses, bechamel and Vegemite, topped with fried eggs and served with a side of Dijon mustard. It's at least five shades of yellow and it's very rich, but it also really works.

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The MVP of the trip was Ray's Cafe & Patisserie. They're centrally located, airy and have abundant seating - our group called on them for early morning coffee and pastry pick-ups, late lunches, between-errand pit-stops, and laptop work sessions. After a big morning of bird-watching (and mosquito-battling), I tucked into Ray's Mexi Brekie Bun ($19), a soft milk bun stacked with smashed avo, fresh tomato salsa, coriander, lettuce, two fried eggs and chipotle mayo. Michael relieved me of one of the eggs, adding it to his Turkish eggs ($22), which featured wilted greens, labne and za'atar.

   

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Tash got us over to Parap for one last shared brunch before she set off home. Laneway Coffee was very cool, and everyone struggled to choose among a list of appetising dishes: the nourish bowl came with arancini, while the Indo brekkie had house-made chilli sambal; there were more Turkish eggs, and garlic mushrooms on toast, and even the classic avo smash was spruced up with heirloom tomatoes, feta, fresh herbs and Middle Eastern spices. Ultimately, the lure of the sweet breakfast called me back and I was very satisfied by the buckwheat hotcake ($23.50), which was crowned with lemon pannacotta, orange slices, raspberries and edible flowers. More subtle were the dried native fruits and seeds. I had no need for the syrup on the side.

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The Rabbit Hole, located in Darwin's central mall, was perhaps a bit less hip but I want to congratulate them on doing a classic well. Their French toast ($23) achieved my ideal balance - the thick toast was soft, light and not too eggy, a spoonful of mascarpone added density and richness, there was tangy passionfruit curd, and a little lift from the garnishing fresh berries.

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There are other great experiences in Darwin that include food - laksa and fruit juices at the markets (we went to Parap and Nightcliff in the day and Mindil Beach for the sunset), pub food with a sunset view (the Trailer Boat Club has a vegan and vegetarian section on their menu), and the lucky dip of food trucks along the Nightcliff foreshore. In these cases the setting, and hopefully the company you share it with, are just as enjoyable.

Kines II

June 30, 2023

   

We've had Kines on a semi-regular brunch rotation since it opened in Brunswick back in 2016, but never quite managed to get ourselves organised to check out their regular Friday night offerings. A quiet winter outing seemed like just the thing, especially with Theresa in town for a visit. It was an all-vegan menu with lots of gluten-free options and a kind of snacky vibe. We happily cobbled together a bunch of dishes to share.

This is the cheeseboard ($24), which came with a couple of different spreadable nut cheeses and an array of house-made pickles - they really know their way around a pickle at Kines and that lifted this whole spread.

 

   

We obviously couldn't resist the hot chippies with kim chi salt and fermented chilli mayo ($10) - these were my highlight, which either says something about my basic taste or is a testament to the nice variation on classic chippies that Kines are putting out. Maybe both.

    

   

We messily divided a piece of sourdough with more cashew cheese spread and a generous covering of pumpkin chutney ($12) into three - the chutney was really excellent, and this was probably my favourite way to enjoy the cheese.

   

Finally, we had a serve of the white beans with sweet carrots and green beans ($20). This felt like the fanciest dish of the night - a really excellent combo of simple roasted veggies and a gorgeous white bean spread. 

   

We had a really lovely night at Kines - it was all very laid back the night we visited, although apparently there are DJs sometimes, so check their social media to make sure the atmosphere matches your expectations. The staff were friendly, the drinks were great and the menu really nailed what we were after. Definitely worth a revisit.

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You can read about our ancient brunch visit here, plus a slightly more recent one from Whatever Floats your Bloat. I can't find any bloggers reviewing Kines at night.

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Kines
11 Hope St, Brunswick
0401 666 229

sample dinner menu (from their instagram, which seems like the best way to keep up with them)

Accessibility: The entryway was flat and the interior was reasonably spacious, with mixture of second hand-looking furniture. We ordered and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Mankoushe X

Edit 12/04/2026: Mankoushe closed in January 2026. We miss them a lot!

May 28, 2023

   

Michael's main birthday event was a netball game a day early, so for his birthday dinner he chose a low-key meal at our long-time favourite, Mankoushe. We had no problems securing an early dinner reservation a few days in advance, though the restaurant gradually filled up as we ate.

The Mankoushe menu is consistently variable, inspired by the produce available at that time. There's a range of breads and pizzas prepared in their wood-fired oven, thoughtfully prepared vegetables and dips, as well as a few meats and house-made desserts. About half of the menu is vegan and labelled as such, but gluten-free veg*ns might feel like restricted to grazing on side dishes.

   

It's been a while since we've eaten beetroot, and this simple dish of roasted beetroot with harissa and parsley ($10) was a reminder to have it more often.

   

We also shared a tender wedge of fried eggplant ($22), which was smothered in a tangy tomato paste dressing with chickpeas and tamarind.

   

The rich centrepiece of our meal was a 3 Ajben pizza ($25), layered with haloumi, kasseri and Turkish feta cheeses, dotted with sweet chewy figs and streaked with oregano oil.

It's a privilege to visit Mankoushe regularly across more than a decade - while a couple of staple bakery items are evergreen, it's exciting to see different produce and new configurations each season.

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You can also read about one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of our previous visits to Mankoushe. Since our last post, it's also been covered by Sweet and Sour Fork.

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Mankoushe

323 Lygon St, Brunswick East

9078 9223

from the wood-fire oven, from the kitchen + desserts

https://mankoushe.com.au/

Accessibility: There is a small step up through a narrow entry. Tables are regular height, chairs have backs, and furniture is medium-spaced across the floor. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

More miso caramel cake

May 25-27, 2023

   

Readers who know Michael personally or follow his other social media accounts will know how much he loves playing mixed social netball. This year he decided to celebrate his birthday by gathering his netball-playing friends for a game on a local court. I tallied scores during the game and baked a couple of cakes for afterwards. They're both miso caramel cake: one is the regular recipe decorated with licorice to resemble a netball, and the second is an adaptation that's both vegan and gluten-free. 

I stretched the preparation out over three days, so it didn't feel like an excessive amount of effort in any session. Here's how it played out:

Thursday: make a vegan, gluten-free version of the miso caramel sauce using Loco Dairy Free Thickened Creamy instead of dairy cream and Nuttelex Buttery instead of butter. I carefully checked that my usual white miso was vegan and gluten-free, too. The original recipe makes double what's needed, so I didn't alter the quantity.

Friday: bake two cakes! The first precisely as described in the original recipe, and the second using more Nuttelex Buttery as butter, Orgran No Egg instead of eggs, and a gluten-free flour mix I'll describe below.

Saturday: slather those cakes in buttercream. The first, again, as described in the original recipe, and the second using Nuttelex Buttery for butter. After refrigerating the cakes for an hour, I pulled out the regular one and decorated it with sliced strips of vegan but not gluten-free Fyna licorice.

   

To be more precise, I actually made the vegan, gluten-free bit first each day so that the kitchen and utensils were clean and least likely to get contaminated. The gluten-free flour mix, which I've included below, comes from our friend Mickey. She knows her vegan gluten-free baking and we'd sampled her own excellent birthday cake a few months earlier, so I was keen to try it for myself instead of just relying on my usual Orgran mix. I like that there's almond meal involved to head off the potential chalkiness, but not so much that the mixture seems grainy.

You can see the two cake slices side by side, above. I baked them both for 50 minutes, based on my notes from last time, and this was just right for the gluten-free cake but perhaps a touch too long for the regular cake. The gluten-free cake didn't rise as high as the regular one, and the buttercream was proportionally much thicker. I found the Nuttelex a bit greasy and overwhelming in this quantity, so I might reduce the buttercream by a quarter if I baked this again. I didn't beat the cold regular butter enough, and little light yellow flecks of it were visible in the buttercream - that's a mistake I typically make once every few years, the reminder I need not to take shortcuts.

The regular cake was snaffled up within 10 minutes of cutting, and the second cake found some extra appreciative gluten-free and vegan eaters amongst Michael's non-netballing friends at the pub later. They were a small success within a big celebration.

   

Gluten-free cake flour mix

(a recipe shared by Mickey)

310g brown rice flour

300g white rice flour

105g almond meal

175g potato starch

8g xanthan gum

Big Esso II

Edit 12/04/2026: Big Esso closed suddenly in April 2025.

May 26, 2023

   

We recently took a friend of many years to Big Esso for dinner when she was visiting Melbourne. While dinner was great, I want to focus this post on dessert! On my previous visits, Big Esso did not offer dessert and I'm thrilled that it's now part of the experience.

The two options available to us were unfortunately not vegan. But for those of us who eat dairy, they're both winners. Pictured up top is the strawberry gum eclair ($21), which is piped with passionfruit mascarpone chantilly, studded with candied quandongs, and sprinkled lightly with honey oat crumble. It's easy to share between two, and fiddly but possible to share between three.

   

The second, gluten-free dessert is dubbed the 'meta choc cherry ripe' ($21). This is a very dense block with a wattleseed chocolate cremeux base, coconut Davidson plum fudge filling and dark chocolate casing, garnished with a pecan and scattered with saltbush puffed rice crisps. 

I more easily detected the nuanced flavours of the native ingredients in the eclair, while Michael preferred the meta choc for the overall effect. We all agreed that it was fabulous to have them both at the table.

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You can read about our first visit to Big Esso here. Since then it has received positive reviews from The Spice Adventuress, Mamma Knows Melbourne, Whatever Floats Your Bloat and Matty Somewhere, plus a disappointed review from Sweet and Sour Fork.

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Big Esso

Fed Square, corner of Swanston and Flinders Sts

9121 0510

menu

https://www.mabumabu.com.au/dining

Accessibility: Big Esso has a wide, flat entry, although Fed Square itself has an undulating and cobbled surface. Furniture is a mixture of outdoor benches, low indoor tables with benches and back seats, and high tables with backless stools. We ordered at our table and paid at a high bar. We didn't visit the toilets.