Anyone who works in restaurants has a little black book in their head crammed with their go-to bars, favourite restaurants (especially those open on Sundays and Mondays), and affordable places where cravings are quickly satisfied.
That’s abundantly clear when speaking to the front-of-house stars named as finalists for the Katie McCormack Young Service Talent award, introduced in the most recent Age Good Food Guide. These six professionals – all aged under 30 and working in some of the state’s top restaurants – know their way around a wine list and how to take your coat, sure. But they also know where to find Melbourne’s best fried chicken sandwiches, late-night menus and bargain Portuguese tarts.
Sam Ross, Carnation Canteen
What’s the most un-fancy thing that you eat out regularly?
Anything from Soi 38. It’s one of my favourite places to eat in Melbourne, and I love taking friends and family from out of town. The vibe is unfussy and super fun, and the food is incredibly delicious. I never skip the pork jowl, the vegan larb and the som tum.
What’s your go-to pub in Melbourne?
The North Fitzroy Arms, which reopened last year, is my favourite pub at the moment. It’s a great place to meet friends. The team has refreshed such a beautiful old building, and the food and drink is amazing. I usually get the cheeseburger made with retired dairy cow, a Guinness tini (an outrageously fun spin on an espresso martini), and a very cold Stella Artois.
What’s your favourite bar on your night off, and what’s your order?
Bahama Gold in Brunswick East. The team are great fun, and Kit Iacuzi from Da Paolo is making some of the best pizzas in Melbourne at his residency there. I usually ask the staff what beer they’re enjoying at the moment, as they change their list so often. It’s not hard to find something tasty on the wine list either – it’s huge.
Where do you go for late-night eats after work? What are your picks of the menu?
Ling Nan is an institution for good reason. The food is fast and delicious, and the menu is dense enough that there is always something new to try. A Tsingtao beer after a hard shift goes down a treat, especially with XO pipis and Chinese doughnuts, salted fish fried rice, and the stuffed pig intestines.
Otherwise, if I’m staying in the neighbourhood after work I’ll always go to Bar Bellamy. [Owners] Dani and Oska [Whitehart] make delicious and innovative cocktails, and the steak sandwich is to die for.
What’s your number-one hidden gem in Melbourne that you don’t want anyone to know about?
Vex in Northcote, except I want more people to know about it. Florian [Ribul, chef] and Owen [Probert, front-of-house] are doing some of the best and most underrated work in Melbourne. I think it’s a really beautiful representation of contemporary Australian cuisine, delivered in a genuine and down-to-earth way.
April Farkashazy, formerly Cumulus Inc.
What’s the most un-fancy thing that you eat out regularly?
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big sweet tooth, which no doubt fuels my great love of pastries. You can find me most mornings walking down the street with an iced latte and a croissant.
While I love trying things from new bakeries, my go-to treat is a Portuguese tart from RG Pantry at Queen Victoria Market. This little stall in B Shed not only has the greatest, but also the cheapest Portuguese tarts in Melbourne.
I also love to stop by The Terrace cafe in the Royal Botanic Gardens to pick up a cup of their chocolate-covered strawberries while strolling in the sun (whenever we’re lucky enough to get some).
What’s your favourite restaurant out of Melbourne, and why?
I visited Montalto in the Mornington Peninsula more than a year ago, and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since. It’s such a beautiful regional restaurant with such a strong sense of place and warmth to the hospitality. Sitting outside in the sun for a long lunch, with the option of taking a stroll through the gardens to see where all the ingredients are grown is my idea of perfection.
Where do you go for late-night eats after work?
When I’m with a group, I love to go to the usuals: Supper Inn and Ling Nan.
But if I knock off early and want a solo snack before I head home, I love to make a quick stop at Gimlet. I usually just order some cheese and try a few half glasses of wine while I’m there. They always have such a good range, from approachable classics to emerging producers.
What’s the best dish you’ve eaten at a restaurant recently in Victoria?
Not only was Brae’s pork jowl dish my top dish of last year, but the wine pairing was undoubtedly the best pairing I’ve ever had, full stop. A skewer of barbecued pork jowl is glazed with smoked eel and served with smoke still wafting from the pork. It melts in your mouth.
The savoury, fatty and earthy notes were really enhanced by the pairing with Syrahmi’s 2018 XV shiraz. The wine’s plush fruit, slight meatiness, structure and smokiness almost felt like the dish had morphed into the wine. Normally, I like a contrasting pairing, but this made me totally rethink my approach.
Nicole Sharrad, winner of the Katie McCormack Young Service Talent award
What’s the most un-fancy thing that you eat out regularly?
Ramen is one of those things I’ve tried to make at home but never get anywhere close to the real deal. I’ve decided I’ll leave it to the professionals from now on. Gogyo in Fitzroy is a bit of a favourite. Their kogashi (burnt miso) shoyu ramen is a delicious point of difference.
What’s your favourite bar snack in Melbourne right now?
Black Pearl’s homemade sausage rolls and spinach and cheese triangles hit me with a whack of nostalgia. They’re both items my mum would make for us as kids if we had friends over. At this point in my life they’re paired with a Manhattan instead of a lime cordial, but they still hit the spot.
What’s your number-one hidden gem in Melbourne that you don’t want anyone to know about?
Obelix & Co in Fitzroy North is my favourite place to pick up French cheese, game meats and smallgoods, which the team make in-house. The staff are so welcoming and will offer advice on how to cook your purchases.
Sometimes I’ll get kangaroo to make a slow-cooked roo pie or a whole rabbit to make a ragu for homemade pasta. There’s always something different in stock, depending on what they source from local hunters and suppliers. I definitely want everyone to know about it!
What’s your favourite restaurant out of Melbourne, and why?
Tansy’s in Kyneton. Tansy Good is truly an iconic Melbourne chef; she trained so many of today’s leading names. Heading out to her restaurant in Kyneton is such a heartwarming experience. You’re so well looked after, the food is classical yet interesting, the wine list is incredibly considered.
I remember eating chargrilled Port Lincoln sardines with romesco sauce, and roasted duck breast with perfectly cooked vegetables and red wine jus. It’s honest and delicious food that doesn’t cater to current food trends but requires skill and refined technique. Tansy and her husband John are a no-bullshit dream team.
Fiona Evans, Taverna
What’s your favourite bar snack in Melbourne right now?
Choosing just one is tricky, but right now, I’d have to say the bone marrow at City Wine Shop (inspired by St John’s signature dish). They keep it simple, serving it straight from the bone with a side of bread, and the little hit of capers just takes it to another level. It’s one of those dishes that just works!
What’s your favourite bar on your night off?
Above Board is my go-to. It’s a bar that just gets hospitality right. For my first drink, I usually order the HSL Special, a shaken cocktail using Amaro Montenegro, blackberry liqueur, lime juice, sugar syrup and a dash of absinthe. It’s surprisingly refreshing.
After that, I like to leave it up to the team to suggest something. When you make decisions for others all week, it’s nice to trust someone else and know you’ll get exactly what you want.
Where do you go for late-night eats after work?
I’d love to say something different to everyone else in hospitality, but let’s be honest – it’s Ling Nan every time. You can’t go past the pipis and doughnuts (and trust me, you’ll want to ask for extra doughnuts). Add the fried quail and some greens to balance it out. It’s the ultimate late-night feed!
What’s the best dish you’ve eaten at a restaurant recently in Victoria?
I’m usually all about the savoury dishes, but the dessert I had last year at Tedesca Osteria totally blew me away. It was a salad of candied mandarin and kumquat, fresh grapefruit, fresh orange and rum molasses served on top of toasted brioche. It was light yet still packed with depth of flavour, but what really stood out to me was the freshness of the produce. This dish truly showcased what it means to be in tune with the seasons – something I’m really passionate about.
Georgia Limacher, Gimlet at Cavendish House
What’s the best dish you’ve eaten at a restaurant in Victoria recently?
The Elements of Duck course at Navi. While I often find myself more excited about snacks and entrees, this dish stood out. It featured multiple preparations of duck, from a small tartlet filled with duck liver cream to a duck bone broth and a crumpet served with duck leg pancetta. But the centrepiece was the most delicious duck breast I’ve ever had. The accompanying components added a sense of fun and excitement, making the whole dish truly engaging.
What’s your favourite bar on your night off, and what’s your order?
I love sitting at the bar at Embla, especially on a cold Melbourne night. I usually start with one of co-owner Dave Verheul’s Saison vermouths, served on the rocks.
What’s the best bargain around town you’ve found recently?
I’ve been enjoying the many Indonesian spots now open on Lygon Street in Carlton. At Tambo Ciek, for $21, you can get a nasi kapau that includes two meat curries, two vegetables, rice and a selection of sambal. I like to get silverbeet curry, beef rendang, fried chicken, potato cake, banana leaf, jasmine rice and fried shallot. It’s tasty, spicy and a textural delight.
What’s the most un-fancy thing that you eat out regularly?
Fried chicken: any time of day, any cuisine. It rarely lets me down. Some standouts around town are the shokupan fried chicken sandwich from Hugo’s Deli in Richmond and the deep-fried chicken with nam jim jaew from Soi 38.
Kobi Watson, Ten Minutes by Tractor
What’s your favourite restaurant out of Melbourne, and why?
Chauncy in Heathcote. It’s a three-hour drive for me but totally worth it for the service from Tess [Murray], the compelling wine list and Louis [Naepels]’s incredible food. They’re redefining what a small regional restaurant can be. Bonus points for being open on a Monday.
What’s your favourite bar on your night off?
Locally you’ll often find me at Many Little in Red Hill. I always go for a cold beer and chef Gayan Pieris’ chicken wings stuffed with Sri Lankan chicken sausage and lime pickle.
If I’m in town you’ll find me at Caretaker’s Cottage for Guinness and a Welsh rarebit.
What’s the best dish you’ve eaten at a restaurant in Victoria recently?
Vue de Monde’s macadamia, caviar and kelp oil dish. There has been a lot of hype about this dish, but I think it’s the most technically perfect thing I’ve eaten in a long time, and yet it’s so restrained. Hugh [Allen, executive chef] only uses three components, but together they turn into something masterful. It’s a texturally unique dish, full of unadulterated flavour. For me, it was a lesson on how clarity and simplicity allow you to execute a concept at a super-high level.
What new restaurant are you excited to check out when it opens?
I’m sad I never got to Bar Saracen before it closed, so I’m really keen to try Zareh, the new venue from Saracen’s head chef, Tom Sarafian. The last few years he’s been cooking at pop-ups, events and the Australian Open, and launched his hummus brand Sarafian.
With its focus on Armenia and the Middle East, Zareh sounds like one of those venues that will only add to Melbourne’s culinary scene and the diversity of what’s on offer.
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