Ed Charles dishes up the latest on Melbourne’s food, wine and bars
FUNF FUN
Popular eatery Yelza has new owners and a new name, Sentido Funf (245 Gertrude St, Fitzroy). A much-needed lick of paint has given new life to the baroque, red velvet-draped space. Friday to Sunday DJs play in the back glasshouse. The kitchen will be reopening in a couple of weeks offering tapas-sized grazing plates.
EUROPEAN NIGHTS
I won’t mention the Supper Inn (15 Celestial Ave, city) for a late-night feed because the queues are too long.
Instead, I’m suggesting the European (161 Spring St, city), which is open until 3am. Owner Con Christopoulous’s latest venture, the Commercial Bakery (360 Little Collins St), last week received the health inspector’s tick and will open within a fortnight. It will be offering rustic Italian food and his trademark, hand-pulled Italian coffee.
Christopoulous is opening a second cafe at the CAE in Little Collins St.
BREAKFAST WINNER
It’s known to be the best place to find out about breakfast around town. Now The Breakfast Blog has been voted the best blog in Australia and New Zealand in the Oscars of blogworld, the Bloggie Awards. thebreakfastblog.blogspot.com
INEPT SERVICE
How many people find stuff in their food? I heard of four product contaminations in one day. Two were glass and all were in well-known institutions. Perhaps the most ineptly handled case comes from Scusami (mid-level Southgate).
“I think there’s glass in my pesto.”
“No, that’s plastic.”
A second dish arrived with more plastic. No apology was given.
BEST FEED
SHOYA
Market Lane
You can eat four cuisines in this short alley: Chinese, Japanese, Korean and German. I sat at the sushi bar at Shoya (25 Market Lane) watching a crayfish sashimi being prepared. It was so fresh the beast’s antennae were still twitching. I was up for something a little more dead and opted for a plate of sashimi. There are scallops, salmon, sea urchin roe, tuna and, best of all, the melt-in-your-mouth tuna belly known as toro. Drink: cold sake.
Read Ed Charles at www.tomatom.com