The face of dining in Melbourne is an ever changing beast. Venues and flavours come and go. With the warmer months well and truely upon us now, it’s little wonder we’ve seen a host of new menus brightening up our dining options. Here are some of our favourite transformations:
Patch Cafe
Undoubtedly one of Melbourne’s best ‘clean eating’ cafes, inspired by the paleo lifestyle, Patch Cafe has created a new menu that will have punters coming from far and wide to sample.
While they’ve left some of the ol’ favourite (such as the Cave Man and Chilli Eggs) the new additions add a some delicious options for the health conscious flavour seekers, including a steak option (grass fed scotch fillet with fried egg, housemade pumpkin bread, served with kohlrabi slaw and a cherry tomato and balsamic sauce), and the best looking vegetarian omelette on Bendigo street! Our favourite is the Rice to the Occasion dish, consisting of cauliflower rice, grilled salmon, mango chutney, pickled red cabbage, turmeric pickled cucumber, sweet potato cubes and cherry tomatoes – well worth heading over to Richmond for!
32 Bendigo Street, Richmond
(03) 9029 0328
patchcafe.com.au
MJR Tom
Mjr Tom launched their new dinner menu this January, including tapas-style sharing plates and a new cocktail list to compliment the dishes.
After a thriving first six months of business, Mjr Tom’s new Latin-inspired dinner menu features dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients such as the lightly fried calamari with squid ink aioli and chorizo crumb, and the kingfish ceviche with avocado, chilli curls, and olive salt.
Mjr Tom also runs a couple of weekly nights to get you through the week. Wednesday night is Taco Night where you get two of Mjr Tom’s famous fish tacos and a frozen margarita for $22, and on F.A.T.W (Forget About The Week) Fridays between 5pm and 7pm expect half-price cocktails, spirits, wine glasses and beers.
108 Smith Street, Collingwood
(03) 9419 804
mjrtomcollingwood.com.au
Red Spice Road
The award winning Red Spice Road opened in 2007 and has had a number of updates over the last eight years – none as significant as the $1 million dollar refurbishment which has just been completed. Re-opening their doors on Tuesday 19th January, diners have been treated to new tables to dine at, new colour schemes, an improved kitchen design and new menu, updated courtyard area and new private dining spaces. The renovation has been in planning for some time, with every detail from the building exterior to air-conditioning system, flooring, tables and seating, colour schemes and kitchens included in the $1 million dollar refurbishment.
Executive Chef John McLeay has designed an exciting new menu incorporating influences from his recent travels through Japan, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and China. “We have retained our signature dishes and introduced some great new flavours and styles,” he said.
The new menu features delicious dishes like Cured Salmon, Pickled Radish, Seaweed, Herbs, Dashi Mayo, Furikake as well as Soft Shell Crab Sri Lankan Curry and Braised Lamb, Cumin, Sichuan Pepper, Celery, Coriander, Steamed Mantou.
27 McKillop St, Melbourne
(03) 9603 1601
redspiceroad.com
Academy Kitchen and Bar
Richmond locals may well have already noticed Academy Kitchen and Bar new summer menu. A re-engineered breakfast and lunch offering sees some delicious new additions including the watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, feta and balsamic breakfast options as well as the very popular sweetcorn and wattleseed fritters with crushed avocado, heirloom carrots and poached eggs.
View the entire menu here
318 Bridge Rd, Richmond
(03) 9427 8231
academykitchenandbar.com.au
Munich Brauhaus
Munich Brauhaus just got crafty. Melbourne’s Munich Brauhaus has taken a hop from the keg of the original craft brewers of Bavaria and launched its own range of haus-brewed beers.
The Crafty Bavarian range includes Munich Lager, Butcher’s Bride Pale Ale, a wheat and barley blend called Hop Dock and the low carb Blonde Moment. They are all brewed in Australia under the Crafty Bavarian
Brewing Co. label and leverage authentic Bavarian recipes and 500 years of Bavarian brewing traditions.
The craft beer range is available on tap at Munich Brauhaus and are in addition to an extensive and unrivaled line-up of traditional, imported German beers.
The craftiness doesn’t end there. The in-haus genius behind the beers (we call him Ein Stein) has created an enticing range of Bavarian-inspired burgers and hot dogs, all with sensational haus-made sauces and condiments that complement the new craft brews. This accomplished craftsman has combined authentic Bavarian flavours with fresh Australian produce to create six delicious burgers and five hotdogs that pair perfectly with those cold beers.
45 S Wharf Promenade, South Wharf
1800 686 424
munichbrauhaus.com