Eater – Page 21 – Dani Valent

We’ve all got to eat so it might as well be good! I’ve been a restaurant critic for almost 20 years, and have been writing a weekly restaurant column in Melbourne’s Sunday Age since 2006.

My approach is to always take a restaurant on its own terms: there’s no point slamming a burger joint because it doesn’t have white tablecloths. I try to be constructive in my criticism and I’ve always got the diner in mind: there are many places you could choose to go. Why should it be here?

 

Mr and Mrs Howell

Whatever else they may be, restaurants must be logistics businesses. Without systems and rigor none of the other branches of hospitality – nice food, an appealing dining room, friendly staff – can thrive. I was thinking about that at Mr and Mrs Howell, a neighbourhood restaurant in Brunswick, while watching chef Mark Brozic toil in his open kitchen. He was there alone, feeding 40 or so diners from a menu of up to 30 dishes with hundreds of elements. At busy times, Brozic brings in a helper but it’s still an impressive feat of efficiency and focus, especially as most of the menu turns over every season.

Clever Polly’s

Ever thought of roasting Vegemite? Of course you haven’t. But in case you ever do, be aware that it takes six hours of roasting and three weeks of drying to turn it into a crumble. That’s the conclusion of chef Sam Stafford, who was part of concerted yeast concentrate experiments when he worked at Momofuku Seiobo in Sydney, but didn’t crack the mighty ’Mite code until he developed the menu for Clever Polly’s, a wildly experimental wine bar in West Melbourne.

Penta

Who am I today? Am I the person who eats a breakfast bowl with quinoa and kale then spends the rest of the day beaming shining energy rays, boosted periodically by sips on a beetroot smoothie? Or am I that reckless creature who hunkers down over eggs benedict and braised beef cheek piled on crunchy sweet potato waffles, then spends hours galumphing around with jalapeno hollandaise on my chin?

Roving Marrow

I have a dream. It involves snacks. The snacks come to me. They are endlessly replenished and of infinite variety. There is crunchy chicken skin, juicy beef, rice pudding with candied lemon peel, rich chocolate with honeycomb. In my dream, I am sated and glowing. Waking was always a grand snack-less disappointment. Until last Sunday when I went to Roving Marrow’s contemporary yum cha.

© Dani Valent 2024