I knew what I’d come here for, and yes you guessed right – the roti with vegemite curry.
Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar is chief among a new emerging raft of noodle bars in Melbourne, and has developed a cult following.
It’s a tricky task finding somewhere in the city that is a) new and b) intolerance-friendly but I found the perfect place in Calia, a Japanese retail grocer-cum-cafe in Emporium with an adjoining restaurant.
I’d had the best intentions of following my intolerances and ordering a Yangzhou fried rice (I’d scoured the menu thoroughly beforehand), but as soon as I entered the confines of New Shanghai and inhaled the tantalising mix of garlic, ginger and pork, my resolve waned.
The dedicated omnivore that I am, I had been eyeing Green Man’s Arms – a newish Israeli-influenced vegetarian pub in Carlton – with interest over the past year.
A new pasta bar has come to occupy 214 St Georges Road and without any identifying storefront name save for the ‘good times’ sign emblazoned on the yellow façade of the building, the pasta bar is aptly known as Good Times.
Manned by Matt Piccone of Pellegrini’s fame, after his 19 years as a barista there, and his partner Julia Piccone, Pentolina has some serious Pugliese chops underpinning it.
