Until recently, us Melburnians spent significant chunks of our lives in our city’s world-renowned restaurants, bars and cafes. Drinking and dining out is part of our DNA.
But now, after government restrictions on non-essential services were brought in to curb the spread of coronavirus, we’re settling into a new reality – one where picking up or ordering in is the new dining out.
Some of the best venues in town, though, have adapted to the situation with creativity and innovation. Check out our regularly updated live list of all the delicious new initiatives here, or peruse this week’s top takeaway picks below, as selected by Broadsheet Melbourne editor Ellen Fraser.
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After three weeks closed, one of the city’s most popular pasta spots is resurrected as a click-and-collect eatery. Stock up on fresh pasta – rigatoni, spaghetti, casarecce et al – and sauces such as Wagyu bolognaise, rabbit ragu and a simple tomato sugo. For more immediate satisfaction, order from the pronto da mangiare (ready to eat) menu. The squid-ink spaghetti with bottarga, a $22 bottle of citrusy pinot grigio and a serve of the “Tipomisu” is an unbeatable dinnertime combo.
Arepa Days
Preston’s cosy Colombian cafe is now delivering its signature arepas – soft, taco-like cornmeal discs – by the bucket. Order yours with a big serve of spiced pulled beef or black bean frijoles for piling on top, but they’re just as good with things you’ll find in most home kitchens. Try topping with Vegemite, avocado and tomato, or scrambled eggs and cheese. You can also add hot sauce, Portuguese custard tarts, Noisy Ritual wine, toilet paper and jigsaw puzzles to your order.
Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca
We’ve seen closure after closure in the restaurant world, so it’s a delight to cover an opening – even if it is hidden behind a boarded-up Fitzroy worksite, and here for a limited-time only. Rocco’s is by former Marion and Cumulus Inc chef Josh Fry, who describes the food as “Italian Macca’s”. It specialises in Italian sandwiches of the saucy, cheesy kind, made with bologna (a smoked mortadella-like luncheon meat) and served on Martin’s potato rolls. But it also does fried-eggplant sangas, bone-marrow garlic bread and hand-cut fries.
Kisumé
The sushi mavens at Chris Lucas’s refined three-level Japanese eatery have opened up its renowned sushi bar for takeaway sushi and sashimi boxes made with some of the best-quality seafood in the country. Expect soft-shell crab rolls; tuna and salmon nigiri; and kid-friendly boxes that include cooked tuna and teriyaki chicken rolls. Pre-order only. Pick-up is available from Kisumé or Richmond's Baby.
Ruyi
The husband-and-wife team behind this city eatery have just launched a drive-through service for dumplings and wontons (delivery is available for orders over $50, too). On this week’s compact menu: spring-onion pancakes, prawn shu mai, xiao long bao, pork and chive dumplings, and chilli wontons. Everything is made that morning, frozen, and delivered with sauces, fried shallots and those little paper discs for the bottom of your steamer, so the dumplings don’t stick.
(Editor's note: Rocco's Bologna Discoteca closed on June 21.)
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