The funkmasters behind the band Surprise Chef are more often than not busy cookin’ in the studio, but that doesn’t mean they don’t find time for some of the city’s more discerning drinking and dining options. And like their music – which has been praised by such names as Questlove, sampled by Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah, and soundtracked many a festival – their taste knows no boundaries.
Here’s guitarist Lachlan Stuckey on where you might find the band before and after the show – and which Fitzroy record bar serves up the best Ghanaian feast.
Our local is Sweet Nectar Inn on Nicholson Street, Coburg. It’s a new wine bar that opened up this year. I can’t say I’m civilised enough to really be a wine bar kinda cat but it’s been great to stroll down on a balmy evening and sip some of the natty stuff. The owners Devon Hunter and Sam O’Farrell are super sweet people and have done a ripper job. There’s always a decent record on the platter too. We drink at High Note on High Street a lot – always a friendly face to be found down there.
When we want to celebrate an occasion with a special meal, we hit Old Plates on Brunswick Street for a Ghanaian feed. Old Plates is a bar run by our mate DJ Manchild. It’s definitely our most-rinsed boozer, but they also do a tight selection of Ghanaian dishes on select evenings. The food pairs well with whatever nice Highlife record Manchild will be playing in the bar.
When we’re on the road and we’re trying to explain the flavour of Melbourne, we say it’s multicultural.
The high-water mark for music about the city is the in-stores at Northside Records. Seeing a local band play in the shop on a Friday arvo is one of the best things you can do here. Grab a quesadilla and a Modelo or two from Trippy Taco next door to help your chances of winning the prize for the best dancer.
The best new thing we’ve found is Da Bepi on Sydney Road. It’s a great Italian spot that’s just opened up. The pasta is wicked and the vibes are great. A sweet roster of tasteful local DJs on the platters ensures the atmosphere is always on point. They also have a scopa and briscola night on Wednesdays for the card sharks.
When we want to show off the city to friends from out of town, we take them to Half Moon Cafe in the Coburg mall. Half Moon is an institution and never disappoints. The fried cauliflower is the one.
Our favourite place to load up on supplies is Preston Market. Jethro Curtin, our keyboardist, mostly does the household shop so I can’t speak to the details but he comes back with the goodness every time.
There’s no better value in the city than N Lee Bakery on Smith Street in Collingwood. I hit it pretty much every Friday. I’ll either rock the chicken schnitzel sandwich or the crispy pork bánh mì. They give you a dollar off if you pay cash, which is my kind of mathematics. Also Peshwari on Sydney Road is unbeatable for an affordable Pakistani curry.
And we wish more people would experience the excellence of Big Elma on Nicholson Street, Coburg. It’s gotta be the best cafe in the neighbourhood. Great food, great coffee, but more importantly it’s a homely, unpretentious and generally friendly place to be. If you’re local to Coburg, don’t delay, go there today.
Our defining food moment in Melbourne was each and every blessed trip to the legendary A1 Bakery. We’re in there a lot. Jethro and I run our label College Of Knowledge from Hope Street, which is right around the corner, and we’ll often get it during our regular Surprise Chef play on Thursdays. The tawouk wrap is the business, but these days I’m pretty attached to the kibbeh platter which comes with hummus, tabouli and pita bread.
And the thing we hope never changes here is DJs in bars. All of us in the band do our fair share of DJing around town, and the bar DJ economy allows us to have flexible work that fits in with full-time music activities. It’s a pretty awesome feature of the city. It’s nice to go check a fine selector playing records in your preferred watering hole or eatery.
Keep an eye on surprise-chef.com for latest tour dates, and follow along for more at @surprisechef.