Once a Waitress

Yo Yo Sushi
With the general standard of Japanese food in South Melbourne shoe-scrapingly low, Yo Yo Sushi does a roaring trade. The sushi is a little sweet to my taste, but the pre-packed selections are varied and reasonably priced, making sushi or sashimi a great grab-and-run option. A hot menu is cooked to order, crossing the spectrum of basic Japanese street food, tasty ramen, udon and rice based dished abound. Takeaway only.
Stall number 88
9682 2752
Closed Mondays

South Melbourne Market Dim Sims
Oh my, many a hangover has been cured by these babies in the last 60 years. South Melbourne wouldn’t be the same without them, as the often 20 (or more) deep line will attest. Steamed or fried, these dim sims are the best ride you’ll get all day. At $1.80 a pop and filled to bursting with mystery meat, load up on soy or Sriracha and these lumps of joy will wipe away your transgressions from the night before. Take away only.
Stall number 91
0418 334 202
Open market hours – Wed 8-4pm, Friday 8-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 8-4pm

Kőy
On market days plump old Turkish ladies run the show at the gözleme stall outside Turkish restaurant Kőy, hand-rolling and filling pastry with cheese and spinach; Turkish spiced mince and mushroom, onion, capsicum and dill ($8.50-$10). Piping hot and fresh off the grill it’s lunch all by itself – but the addition of self serve yoghurt and lemon wouldn’t go astray. Eat in or takeaway.
Stall number 96
9696 9640
Closed Mondays

Linx BBQ Yum Cha
I’m all for shops that hang meat in the windows – but when they sell yum cha and duck soup and pork buns I’m a REALLY big fan. The cheapest duck in town (actually, pretty much the only duck in town…) is an $8.50 soup, delicious broth with bok choy and noodles thrown in as companions. Avoid the bain-marie and order from the above-counter menu, then stock up from the self-serve freezer with frozen dumplings to take home – they’re some of the best from the market. Eat in or take-away.
Stall number 92-93
9696 7302
Closed Mondays, 10am until 5pm other days

Simply Spanish
Another newcomer, these guys run three bathtub sized paella pans on rotation in front of their sit-down restaurant, providing steaming hot dishes of rice stained yellow with saffron and fragrant with spices. At $12.50 a pop it’s a generous serve, but it would be nice to see more chicken, calamari and mussels per plate. Eat in or take-away.
Stall number 94-95
9682 6100
Open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday (big pan paella served 11am – 3pm), dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings only

Min Lokal. Sweedish for My Local, apparently. Although the guy that owns it is a Kiwi. Once upon a time this building housed a milk bar, then (randomly) a singles dating service, then a vegetarian cafe, THEN a bakery, and now Min Local – a funky cafe-cum-brunchy type spot that I happen to like very much. It’s kind of in Fitzroy and kind of in Collingwood. It depends where you draw the line.

I eat here at least once a week. I almost always order the Dooba eggs (pictured above). Dooba eggs are baked eggs with North African spiced pumpkin and minced beef ($16). To be honest, we could skip the eggs and I’d be satisfied with mashed pumpkin and minced beef on toast for breakfast.

What do you need to know? It’s open seven days a week and serves breakfast things and lunch things. Also serves Supreme coffee and there is beer and wine. Expect to get cosy – it’s two massive communal tables up front and one in a side room – seating about 20-30 really but the turnover is good. A cute (yet slim) courtyard out the back provides the only smaller tables. 

There are newspapers and other things to read too. I personally prefer Min Lokal when it’s quiet – more space to stretch out and not having to sit close up next to strangers. Inspiration for taking Monday’s off work and lolling around at Min Lokal writing blog posts. Just maybe.

Min Lokal

422 George Street Fitzroy
(03) 9417 0333

Tue-Sat 8am-4pm
Sun 9am – 4pm

Note: this is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Milk Bar Mag.

A smart new eatery has opened in Brunswick, with dessert superstar turned savory queen Phillipa Sibley at the helm, smack in the middle of Sydney road’s thoroughfare (on the corner of Sydney and Albert Streets of course).

Doors open at 8am – simple breakfasts of piadini and pastries to begin, and a full breakfast menu to follow in January when the kitchen has settled in.

For now it’s all day dining off the very modern menu. If you’re snacking at the bar the pizzas will please (perhaps the Albert St special – roasted peppers, pork and fennel sausage with smoked mozzarella). Or if you like it salty try the potted rainbow trout rillettes or the deliciously moist fresh broad bean felafel served with tangy tahini yoghurt.

Catering to those after something more substantial there’s a selection of pastas (try saffron gnocchi with braised veal, broad beans and sage) and modern Mediterranean themed mains with subtle European influences, from coteletta of pork with red cabbage and apple slaw, to a summer cassoulet. There’s charcuterie and cheese aplenty, and of course there’s the calling card of Sibley’s signature deserts (the ‘Snickers’ of Masterchef fame was the special on the day of my visit).

A side-room retail space acts as both bottle shop and providore (with a peep hole window into the kitchen to boot). With a focus on hyper-local labels (stocking Brunswick produce first and foremost, then moving outwards) there’s more stock to come, but the tidy help-yourself space boasts the finest breads, pickles, cheeses, smoked fish, charcuterie and crackers your local dollars can buy. There’s a sustainable focus – refillable oil bottles on a return trade system are available now, soon there will terrines, pizzas, condiments and potted hams available on the ‘zero-packaging’ system of reusable glass containers.

The Sibley factor is high – there’s a copy of her new cookbook on display everywhere you look – but hell, if she was the Executive Chef at my restaurant I’d probably take out a full page ad in the Epicure. Albert St F&W isn’t going to need to ride one her reputation to find success though – the sheer style and quality of the food, service and decor will speak for itself. A delicious journey to be sure.

Albert St Food & Wine
Corner of Albert St & Sydney Rd, Brunswick
8354 6600
Monday to Thursday 8am to 12pm, Friday to Saturday 8am to 1am, Sunday 8am to 11pm.
www.albertst.com.au