There’s plenty of news to digest in Melbourne’s food and drink scene; so much so that keeping up with the goings on might sometimes feel overwhelming. But we’ve got the cure for what ails you – or at least your attention span – with Melbourne and Victoria’s latest served up hot, fresh and fast.
If you’ve ever wanted to try burrata s’mores or burrata-filled lasagne sandwiches, then this is it
Well burst my burrata and call it a day, burrata reached critical mass in Melbourne. The mildly contentious and mildly flavoured knotted cheese is hitting new heights at South Melbourne Market’s burrata festival, hosted by the That’s Amore crew.
Your favourite burrata and burrata-adjacent names will all be in attendance – including UGO Burrata Bar, La Manna and Farmer’s Daughters – crusading for the curd with classic takes and rule-breaking riffs on the burrata on Thursday 30 October.
South Melbourne Market burrata festival, 5pm-9pm Thursday 30 October. Tickets from $15, head to That’s Amore for more.
Lucas Restaurants turns 30, but it’s you who gets to celebrate
For one exceptionally affordable month, some of the greatest hits across the Lucas Restaurants folio will set you back just $30 at lunch – including Grill Americano’s most memorable combo, the wagyu and porcini pappardelle and that tiramisù.
The celebrations don’t stop at Melbourne’s most Instagrammed dessert, either. As a nod to 1995, the year it all began, diners score a 19.95 per cent rebate on any lunch bill, redeemable on their next visit. There’s also $19.95 cocktails going, including one very Dirty Martini from the Lucas Group’s latest venue, Maison Bâtard, and the chance to win up to $1,000 in vouchers valid across the growing list of Lucas venues.
Lucas Restaurants 30th birthday celebrations run from Tuesday 5 August until Thursday 25 September. Head to lucas30.com for more.
Shannon Bennett is back on the pans for a good time, not a long time
After an eight year hiatus, Shannon Bennett is cooking in Melbourne again – and this time, he’s setting up shop in Fitzroy’s hottest hotel, the StandardX. It’s a French-forward, hyper-seasonal affair at what they’re calling BistroX: think French onion soup in a Gruyère puff pastry, herb-crusted tuna loin with celeriac remoulade, and a Gundagai lamb hot pot with plenty of salted tongue. If Oscietra caviar tickles your fancy, throw in a bump alongside an optional but encouraged shot of vodka.
Bennett’s calling on several heavy hitters from the Vue de Monde orbit along with him: cuisine chef of the year Cory Campbell, head chef of Christchurch’s Pescatore Ryan Henley, and master sommelier Carlos Simoes Santos.
BistroX runs until Wednesday 15 October for a dinner service on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 5 –10pm. Bookings are recommended via their website or phone (03) 9124 4814.
Express lunches are everywhere in Melbourne, and Aru is giving you 30 good reasons to order theirs
In great news for people who like to eat at fine diners at modest prices, $30 will get you a hearty bowl of duck and vermicelli noodle soup at Aru on Little Collins Street. And this isn’t any noodle soup, it’s a soup prepared by chef Nico Koevoets that’s slowly simmered with the duck’s bones and served with tender duck leg. Bonus: double down on the duck with a side of skewered duck hearts grilled over the hearth.
Aru’s $30 duck and vermicelli noodle soup is available for lunch, Tuesday to Saturday throughout winter. Bookings are recommended.
Westgarth’s Ophelia extends its all-day dining model late into the evening
It’s Yolk Group’s first foray into after-dark dining, and the trottole with prawns, bisque and espelette is just one reason to book a table. A year in the making, Ophelia’s evening service launches with a new chef packing Cumulus and Marion credentials, alongside new venue manager Heidi Modra, fresh from a successful 14-year stint at her neighbourhood bistro Pinotta.
The hot ticket at the High Street diner is Tuesday nights, with a pasta menu at $20 a bowl. On Fridays and Saturdays, meanwhile, the offering expands beyond Italy and across Europe: think smashable snacks like pickled mussels on toast and charcuterie, and a generous pork schnitzel to finish.
Ophelia’s evening service runs on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Book here.
Import to in-house: introducing Morning Market’s viennoiserie
After 12 months of research and development, the team at Morning Market are taking their baking in-house. They’re doing everything you’d expect to see in the pastry cabinet – classic croissants, almond croissants, and a morning bun soaked in spiced syrup that you’ll definitely want to take with a napkin – but if you’re getting in line for one thing, make sure it’s the apple and caramel chausson, their grown-up spin on the hot apple pie.
Morning Market’s viennoiserie offering is available at their Fitzroy and Prahran stores. Head this way for more.
Etta is doing $30 laksa every Wednesday
It turns out there are several spots around town to get a good laksa, at a great venue, and at an excellent price. For this one, Etta chef Lorcán Kan takes the staff meal to the specials board, available to you for $30 every Wednesday. Kan lets the lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime, galangal and chilli do the heavy lifting, resulting in a deeply fragrant midweek laksa hit. Bonus: it comes with a handful of crunchy deep-fried school prawns to satisfy your deepest dipping desires.
Lorcán’s laksa is limited to 20 servings at Etta’s front bar in Brunswick East every Wednesday night. Reserve a table here.
Your new favourite oyster bar is Arlechin
Every Wednesday from 5.30pm, CBD cocktail hideout Arlechin is serving oysters at a very reasonable $3 a shell, and these aren’t just any oysters, they’re freshly shucked Appellation Sydney rock oysters. Take them natural or throw back a throwback as oysters Florentine – a serving style of days gone by where cream, parmesan and spinach are the star of this supremely savoury show.
Walk-ins only. Follow Arlechin for more.
All pizzas are now $20 at Magma, all the time
John-Paul Aziz, owner of Pizzeria Magma, thinks “pizza should be an essential service, not a luxury,” and that’s why they’re dropping the price of their pies to $20. From the Margherita to the marinara, there’s no catches, and no changes to the quality of their pizza. All that’s left to do is book yourself a seat at the table – or roll the dice and try your luck with a walk-in.
Pizzeria Magma in Fitzroy North is open from 5pm – 10pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Bookings are recommended.
An express experience at Marmelo
Do you like your yellowfin tuna with a dollop of bottarga cream? Your eye fillet with anchovy butter? And do you like it served fast? Melbourne’s Iberian fine diner Marmelo is getting down to business with preço fixo, a fixed-price two-course menu at $65 per person that takes flavour as seriously as your time.
Marmelo’s preço fixo menu is available for lunch, Tuesday to Friday, with limited early dinner sittings at 5.30pm and 5.45pm. Book here.
By Lauren Liao and Rick Stephens