From Chinese hot pot, to beer-friendly grub in a converted Fitzroy warehouse. I had plans this evening with some friends to head for Chong Qing Hot Pot - perfect Winter chills-buster but due to last minute re-shuffle of plans, I had to rethink where to go with a friend instead.
We had first come from a warm cuppa of hot chocolate at a "secret" bar on the second floor of the Abbotsford Convent. Cold and shivery, we had no clue where to go this Saturday night - MoVida? Nacional... Mr Wolf? Places which have been recommended, but I haven't had a chance to sample yet since returning to Melbourne. Undecided and not too starved, I decided to head to Brunswick St Fitzroy and have a looksee.
Parked on Brunswick St and followed the trail of happy voices into an old converted warehouse. Little Creatures Dining Hall - it was labelled. Inside, it was warm, darkened and I caught a whiff of delicious beer aroma. A waitress soon came and brought us to a cozy table in the middle of the dining hall, before proceeding to explain how the menu worked.
(above: we sat next to these hollow blocks filled with books on beer brewing!)
(above: simple one page menu attached with a ratty string onto a brown clipboard, very raw and unfinished feeling, i like)
Either: Tasting Morsels to share (about 2 per person would suffice), prices range from $7 - 19 and there was an assortment of cured and pickled goodies, deep-fried, dips. Pizza is good for two people to share, together with other munchies, or if we were hungry we could go solo and head for the Mains. We chose the whole crystal bay garlic prawns, confit pork belly, silverbeet and grain mustard sauce and a spicy meatball, tomato, buffalo mozzarella and oregano pizza. Liquids wise, I had a Rogers ale (smooth, amber ale with caramel notes from the malt and 3.8% alcohol content) and my dining bud had a Pinot Noir. Beers were Little Creatures and White Rabbit, and came in three sizes - small, medium and large. I opted for the medium (330ml i think) so that I had more space for grub and not be over the alcohol limit.
The whole crystal bay garlic prawns arrived first. Served with two grilled toast slices on the side, and a wedge of lemon, the four prawns (complete with head and tails) were simply divine! They sat partially swimming in a shallow pond of olive oil, tossed with what i believe was basil leaves and had just the right amount of salt that didn't overwhelm the prawns or force us to gulp down water. I rate it 7 out of 10, because although very delish, four pieces is definitely not enough for the $18 price tag!
Confit pork belly served up next. Finely sliced 3mm french-style pork belly (good ratio of meat and fat, with a healthy crisp skin on top) sat about a dainty mound of silverbeet cooked in a yellow mustard sauce. Note: must eat pork belly while hot because the meat and fat literally melts in your mouth. Skin cracked beautifully when it was warm, got slightly chewy upon cooling down. I give this a 8.5/10 only because the five slices for $16 finished way too quickly!
The pizza came last. Thin crust (woodfired??) pizza with generous dollops of buffalo mozzarella, crumbles of spicy meat (they weren't in real balls as the menu suggested), quarters of cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of fresh baby herbs made up the $20 tag on this dish. I'd rate this 7/10 because there wasn't really a kick to the "spice". Then again, with my Peranakan tastebuds I'm probably much more accustomed to the spiciness of chili padi (aka bird's eye chili in Australia) and a kick to me would set many a tongues on fire!
(above: two double-wheelers painted little creatures tm red sat by the front entrance, reminding us patrons of the bike-loving community that frequent the area)
Until the next post! X
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