Super Norma

March 21, 2024

   

I've been keen to try Super Norma since they first started popping up doing special event catering at Fenton. They crank out fresh pasta dishes right in front of you, with no formalities at all - it's all very friendly and very casual. The menu is scrawled on a couple of scrolls - there are nine pasta dishes and a handful of sides, about half is vego (with one or two vegan options usually) and they'll do GF pasta for a few bucks extra. 

We took a friend on a Thursday night and grabbed a speedy dinner. Cindy had the pesto Siciliano ($24), with fresh ricotta, datterini tomatoes, parmigiano, basil, almonds and cashews. It was really lovely - creamy and rich without being heavy, with the fresh basil really shining through. I tried the puttanesca (cherry tomatoes, black olives, capers, chilli, $18), which was exactly the kind of salty, spicy delight that you want from a puttanesca. 

The whole experience is incredibly low key - food comes out in little cardboard cartons, there's no liquor licence (or toilet!) and it all gets cooked right in front of you and dished up in a matter of minutes. It's probably not a place you'd go to linger over a meal, but it's damn near perfect for something quick and comforting and high quality. I can't wait to go back. 

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Super Norma

140 Rathdowne St, Carlton

0488 568 777

menu

https://www.instagram.com/super.norma/?hl=en

Accessibility: Super Norma has a flat entry and a pretty densely packed interior - just a handful of low tables and a medium counter to order and pay at. There are no toilets.

Charred cauliflower & crispy tofu with sweet peanut sauce

March 10, 2024

   

One of my colleagues brought in a delicious-looking gado gado lunch a few weeks ago and I was reminded how excellent a plate of anything covered with peanut sauce can be. We went digging around in our books for inspiration and hit upon this version in Hetty McKinnon's Tenderheart. It's a lot less work than the Ottolenghi recipe we've made in the past, and the results are just as satisfying - the charred cauliflower is sweet and smokey, the crispy tofu triangles add a bit of texture, and the peanut sauce is so, so easy. 

You can mess around with this however you like - add some nuts or different crispy veggies, trade the eggs for some tempeh, really whatever you've got to hand. Let's face it, everything tastes delicious doused in sweet/spicy peanut butter.

Charred cauliflower & crispy tofu with sweet peanut sauce

(a recipe from Hetty McKinnon's Tenderheart)

olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

salt and pepper

1 cup chickpea flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

500g tofu, sliced into 5mm thick rectangles

2 Lebanese cucumbers, roughly chopped

4 jammy eggs

bean sprouts

crispy shallots

1 lime

sauce

1/2 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

2 tablespoons kecap manis

salt

Heat the oil in a large pan on high heat and fry the cauliflower florets in batches, for about 8 minutes each. Just turn them occasionally, you want them to char up a bit. Set them aside and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the chickpea flour out on a plate, combined with the garlic powder and a bit of salt and pepper. Dredge the tofu slices through the flour mix to coat and then fry in a hot pan with some more olive oil. A couple of minutes on each side should get the tofu nice and golden. Set the tofu aside and, once it has cooled, slice into triangles.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until smooth. Add more water if it's too thick - it will get thicker as it cools down. 

Layer up your plates with cauliflower, tofu, cucumber, egg and sprouts and then drizzle with sauce, squeeze a quarter of the lime over everything and top with crispy shallots. 

Ima Asa Yoru

March 10, 2024

   

I've been following Ima's social media accounts since they were located in Carlton, but it's only very recently that Michael had the bright idea to stop in for lunch when we were in their newer Brunswick neighbourhood running errands. Ima Asa Yoru is located within Nightingale Village and with the temperature in the high 30s we were really putting their eco-friendly non-air-conditioned set-up to the test: it was pleasant but still warm.

   

Iced drinks were very much in order: my house-made yuzu lemonade was ringed with salt ($8.50), while Michael perked up with an iced filter coffee ($6.50).

   

The brunch menu had clearly marked, plentiful veg*n and gluten-free options, all of them varied and highly appetising. Michael was thrilled with the agedashi tofu teishoku ($30) with a bonus onsen egg ($3.50). Beyond the delicate tofu and soft egg, there was rice, miso soup and four little side dishes!

   

Meanwhile, I tried the onigiri teishoku ($28). These rice balls were served on crisp open nori and concealed the most delightful tangy, creamy umeboshi filling. I also received a complex miso soup and two side dishes of pickles.

This was such a luxurious meal, with both variety and attention to detail. Though Ima was reasonably busy, we weren't rushed through in any way. We will absolutely be back for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.

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Ima Asa Yoru

1 Duckett St, Brunswick

9989 2309

food, drinks

https://www.imaproject.co/

Accessibility: Entry to Ima Asa Yoru includes shallow, wide ramps. Furniture is densely packed, made up of low tables with backed chairs and high benches with backed and backless stools (I found it difficult to comfortably use the footrest). We ordered at our table and paid at a low open counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

The Yarra Hotel III

March 5, 2024

   

The Yarra Hotel had such a long hiatus after the pandemic commenced that in January 2022 I declared it closed in our archives. Happily they re-opened mid-2023, we eventually caught up on the news, and in March we arranged a visit with our book club. 

The Yarra has a pub menu with at least one vegan and one gluten-free option in each section (dessert excepted, unfortunately for the vegans): cauliflower bites and corn ribs are listed ahead of the chicken ribs, and with a smoky tofu sando, quinoa salad, eggplant parma and green Thai curry for mains most predilections are covered.

We both wanted to test out that smoky tofu sando ($24). It's served on Turkish bread (which I heartily approve of) with slaw, chipotle aioli, and caramelised onion. It was the sweet-savoury onion that dominated the flavour, and I liked that! Chips were plentiful and a worthy support.

While the Yarra Hotel is very roomy, with indoor seating, a huge covered area with a fireplace, and a smaller third area for smokers, it's also very loud... with music, even when it's not packed with patrons. We're not sure that it's the right spot for ongoing book club meet-ups but their decent veg burger is something we can all rely on.

   

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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to the Yarra Hotel.

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The Yarra Hotel

295 Johnston St, Abbotsford

9417 0005

menu 

https://www.theyarrahotel.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a small step on entry and another down to the beer garden. Tables are quite generously spaced. We ordered and paid at a high bar.

Small Axe Kitchen V

March 2, 2024

   

We've been going to Small Axe semi-regularly since way back in 2016, when they burst onto the scene with their now-famous breakfast pasta. Until this visit though, we've been forced to settle for non-pasta brekkies, with their signature dish usually riddled with pork products. At some point in the last few years they've added a vego option, and I finally tried it on a lazy Saturday morning. 

The vegetarian version seems to be basically the regular version with the cured meat omitted: maccaruni, peas, mint, parsley, salted ricotta and slow-cooked egg ($27). It's a pretty lovely way to start the day, but it did kind of miss the richness and saltiness that the meat would have provided - I'm not sure what the best substitute would be, but there's definitely room to improve the meat-free version of this. 

Still: now the non-meat eaters can start their day with an eggy, cheesy pasta and it's hard to be anything but happy about that.    

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You can also read about one, two, three, four of our previous visits to Small Axe Kitchen. 

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Small Axe Kitchen

281 Brunswick St, Brunswick

9939 6061

brunch; classics, sides & specials 

https://www.smallaxekitchen.com/

Accessibility: There's a small step on entry. Tables are densely packed with a clear corridor through the middle. Tables outside have small backless stools, high benches in the front room have tall backless stools, and tables in the back room have ordinary backed chairs. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.