Brothl - CBD

Joost Bakker's hardware street cafe Silo has been transformed into BROTHL - the cheekily named soup specialist that is pioneering the 'Zero Waste' philosophy in Melbourne. Brothl takes unwanted organic waste and transforms it into delicious nutrient rich food.

 BROTHL does this by using left over bones provided by Rockpool and Attica combined with rainwater from Monbulk and upcycle them into flavoursome broths, which are perfect for the winter season. On top of being tasty, the broths boast numerous health benefits which includes boosting your immune system, reducing joint pain and even promoting healthier skin and hair.

The 'Zero Waste' philosophy is extremely admirable and that philosophy translates into the entire restaurant as well. The furniture and decor is made from recycled materials, even the bowls are adorable recycled pots - a hipster's paradise. 

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However as much as I like the concept and decor of BROTHL, I was left a bit disappointed after my visit. My waitress at BROTHL must have misheard me and my beef broth was missing a few items including the brisket, which left my inner carnivore unsatisfied. Aside from that, the broth itself was flavorsome and just what I needed to combat the cold Melbourne weather.

I'll be making a second trip to BROTHL very soon to finally get a taste of their brisket and to try out their other broths too. If broths aren't your thing I hear they also do a great chick pea falafel.

But whether you're a hipster who's keen on doing your part for the environment or just wanting to try something different, BROTHL is definitely worth trying out. 

MON – SAT 10AM – 10PM

123 Hardware street, melbourne 3000

PH: 03 9600 0588

E-MAIL: BROTHL@BYJOOST.COM

duNORD - CBD

Originally just a bar serving up little Nordic snacks, duNORD is now a full fledged restaurant and bar.

The dimly lit restaurant/bar is perfect for those wanting to try something a little different or even just for after work drinks. The space itself channels typical Scandinavian style by keeping things simple with subdued colours and blonde wood furnishings.The Scandinavian influence is also present in the food with Chef Matti Fallon (formerly front of house at Touche Hombre & Mamasita) using Scandinavian flavours and ingredients, like juniper, lingonberry and elderflower to create his own unique and inventive menu. 

For starters, we had Ocean trout, dill oil, linseed and caraway crisp with butter milk followed by Swedish meatball croquettes topped with a lingonberry foam. Both starters were excellent, with lovely combinations of flavour and textures. 

For my main, I had duck in a chocolate, lingonberry and blood jus with stone potatoes and foraged leaves. The duck was perfectly pink on the inside and the jus complimented it nicely. The plating was very beautiful - the duck breast was plated amongst foraged leaves and stone potatoes, that resembled smooth pebbles upon the ground.

Our other main was Venison with cacao poached apples, smoked potato puree and sour leaves. The venison was cooked really well, it had a lovely char on the outside whilst the meat was ridiculously tender and melted in your mouth.

To accompany our mains, we had Charred cauliflower in soubise, horseradish and mustard foam. It was a gorgeous cauliflower covered in a rich, creamy sauce with a hint of horseradish and mustard for an exciting kick. A moreish but refined take on your average cauliflower and cheese.

Finally after our meal, we were ready to order dessert. To our delight, our wonderful waiter had informed us that our dessert had already been arranged. Fallon sent us out a very pretty Parsley parfait with pineapple and shortbread. The parsley flavour was very subtle and I loved the gorgeous shade of green. The textures of the dish were fantastic, the creamy parfait  paired well with the crisp and buttery short bread.

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My night at duNORD was excellent. The staff were so kind and attentive and the food is exciting. Fallon has done very well interpreting Scandinavian food into his own individual style without falling into the trap of being too Noma-esque. His creativity and generosity is enough reason to go back. I'm definitely looking forward to the spring Menu and seeing just what ingenious new creations Fallon will come up with. 

367 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 

ph: (03) 9642 0052
www.dunord.com.au

Kettle Black - South Melbourne

The boys that brought us Top Paddock, Three Bags Full and Two birds one stone have done it again. This time, gracing the people of South Melbourne with their fine food and coffee.

The food is similar to  Top paddock - creative, fresh and sourced as locally as possible but this time Chef Jesse McTavish is taking things up a notch. Popular items on the menu are the crayfish burger with yuzu mayonnaise, cured ocean trout with raw kale and seaweed salad and chilli scrambled eggs with air dried Flinders island wallaby and feta.

Whilst the food is enough temptation to pay a visit, the cafe itself is a stunning piece of architecture that is worthy of admiration. The place combines the traditional and contemporary with one half of the cafe being a traditional Victorian terrace house whilst the other the modern foyer of an apartment building featuring lots of windows for natural light. As with all their cafes, the place is also well decorated with beautiful flowers and gorgeous light fixtures.

My chilli scrambled eggs were cooked well and the feta added extra creaminess. 

The ocean trout was also very good, the only fault being that the ocean trout was a bit on the small side.

The steak sandwich was unfortunately a bit of a let down. The Kettle Black bun was certainly interesting and the flavours were excellent but the beef was an absolute chore to chew. Which is a shame because it tasted really good, but the skirt steak just didn't break down. If you have to use a knife and fork to eat a sandwich, is it still really a sandwich?

Aside from that, the Kettle Black is an outstanding Cafe. Its staff are wonderful and dealt with the masses of people extremely well and I look forward to my next visit.

50 Albert Road, South Melbourne

(03) 9088 0721

www.kettleblack.com.au