Where Chefs Eat: Residence’s Robbie Noble Wants You To “Get Weird” At This Ice-Cream Shop

At Residence at the Potter Museum, each year a different chef will move in and open an original restaurant for a year. In June, Residence welcomed its first chef Robbie Noble, who opened Cherrywood.

Cherrywood nods to British nostalgia and subtly showcases the experience Noble has gained from working at Northcote, a Michelin-starred restaurant an hour north of Manchester; as an executive sous-chef at the Vue de Monde group; head chef at Clamato, a top Parisian wine bar and seafood spot; and Fitzroy North pub The Royal Oak, which he helped open.

We caught up with Noble to find out where (and what) he’s been eating in Melbourne lately.

What’s your favourite bakery?
Baker Bleu. Specifically, the South Yarra outlet. Great snacks, stellar bread and South Yarra does a naughty little soft serve that changes seasonally. So good.

What’s your go-to breakfast spot?
The most breakfast I eat out probably comes in the form of some fresh prawns and oysters at Queen Vic Market whilst I’m getting my weekly shop in. Not conventional, but so good. It’s a shame I don’t live in Brunswick anymore because I love a little A1 Bakery trip. The lahmacun, which the team calls a “meat pizza”, would be my go-to if I was still in the area. 

And I almost forgot Cibi in Collingwood. They do such a good classic Japanese breakfast that makes you feel like you’re starting your day the right way. Great coffee, too. And it’s super close to Inner Studio, which is becoming a bit of a morning ritual for me twice a week.

What’s the best place for a drink and snacks?
The Royal Oak in Fitzroy North on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The team takes such good care of its beer lines, the cocktails are zippy and delicious, there’s a fun wine list that spans from approachable to interesting, and the snacks go from crispy fried hangover fixers to fresh delicious seafood numbers. And check out the specials board!

Where do you recommend for a date night?
I recently went to Zareh with a friend and although the company was great, I did spend a lot of time thinking about how good a date spot it would be. It’s intimate, fun, noisy and requires just enough adventurousness to figure each other out a bit more or to create a talking point if it’s not a first, second or third date. There’s flame, brass, good music and Tom [Sarafian]’s as fun to talk to as he is to watch cook. Such a great spot for anything really.

What’s your favourite ice-cream or gelato spot?
Fluffy Torpedo on Smith Street. Try them all and get weird. Put weird with weird. Weird is fun and weird is tasty.

Where do you go for a special occasion?
Depending on the milestone, I honestly don’t think anywhere provides for that special something more than Vue de Monde. I worked there for a good stretch and the amount of dreams that I’ve seen come true on Level 55 just makes it such a special place. Proposals, anniversaries, birthdays and the like, Hugo [Simoes Santos] and Raj [Soin] facilitate such beautiful experiences and moments for people in the restaurant and at Lui Bar, too. Whenever friends or family visit from overseas, I’ll always take them up to the Lui Bar for a drink or two. It’s such a good way to see the city, hang out and get a lay of the land.

What’s the best place to eat when you’re with a big group?
Juicy Bao in Chinatown. Pork and prawn wontons with chilli and peanut. Fish soup, big bowls of rice and big plates of greens perfectly drenched in garlic, oyster sauce and ginger to name a couple of favourites. It’s so good to see the dumplings made right in front of you with such detail.

Where can you find your favourite dessert in Melbourne?
It’s been a while since I’ve been there but I’ve got such fond memories of Cumulus Inc’s rum baba. The cake is so perfectly chewy and dense and the choose-your-weapon approach – providing a choice of three different bottles of rum – makes dessert fun.

What’s the best place to eat as a solo diner?
I’m a big fan of Cam’s Kiosk and the $20 pasta night on Mondays. It’s really close to home, and a nice walk by the river. I’m not discounting the other dishes either. I had the marinated octopus and potatoes the other day and it reminded me of what I miss about living in France and being so close to the simplicity of Mediterranean cooking.

What’s the best place for a late-night feed?
Late night after service I always crave something salty, fatty, spicy and delicious. Beers aren’t necessary, but often welcome after a week of work, so I’d go for Dosi Rock just off King Street in the CBD. There’s hot rice, kimchi, tofu and pork belly and good quality fried chicken if you so desire. I spent a long time working in the city and it’s a bit of a hidden gem where my chef friends and I would go to eat well and blow off some steam.

Where can you find the best bread in Melbourne?
Bread’s a very personal thing, I feel. My upbringing means I appreciate white loaves. But my time in France means I love sourdough, baguettes and breads loaded with heritage grains. Wood Frog Bakery makes incredible baguettes and sourdough that stand up really well.

Is there a dish in Melbourne you wish you came up with?
In this day and age, it’s hard to create something completely unique in creative spaces. We’re all cooking from similar recipes using well-known techniques. But Kyle Davis-Hill made Wagyu marmalade on toast during his time at Fred’s in Cremorne, and it was such a special snack.

What’s your bucket-list restaurant?
Benu [in San Francisco]. I’ve had the book for years and I’ve dreamt of going there since I heard about it. A legend of the industry that has brought together classical and Korean cooking with such elegance. And Yiaga. I’m going next week and I’m so excited to see what Hugh [Allen] and the team have been working on. Michael [McAulay] is the head chef and a good mate of mine. He’s definitely one to watch in the future.