South Society

The four-cheese ravioli with cauliflower at South Society

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435 Blackburn Road, 9887 9877

My score: 3/5

If there’s one thing that’s important about a neighbourhood restaurant it’s that the owners understand the neighbourhood. They know the locals because they are the locals. They respect their rhythms and preferences: if they’re earlybirds, whether they need almond milk in their coffee, if they’re happy to dig into a share plate or prefer their own main course, thank you very much.

That’s definitely the case at South Society, an all-day eatery at the modest Pinewood shopping centre. The owners not only live in the area, they also own the four-year-old Last Piece, a brunch powerhouse at nearby Waverley Park. There’s an open and welcoming feel about venue and staff, and the menu is inclusive and unthreatening but interesting enough to tempt a coffee-and-cake crew back for a celebration dinner.

By day, people pop in for a fancy juice before a trip to the supermarket or after putting in their lotto ticket. Tradies swing by for grilled chicken burgers. Office workers escape for lunchbreaks to fuel with fattoush or fried calamari. Families drop by after weekend sport for chilli scrambled eggs and banana smoothies, or perhaps the best bircher in the burbs. Oats are soaked in apple juice, yoghurt and a drizzle of rosewater. Cranberries are sodden separately so they’re extra plump. Labne is stained a dramatic purple with freeze-dried blackcurrant powder. Strawberry puree is set with agar agar and blitzed into a gel. The colourful mess is scattered with seeds and fresh fruit: it looks lovely and it’s packed with slow-release goodness.

English chef Alex White was here before South Society opened two years ago: he worked at the rundown Italian restaurant that predated it and the owners kept him on when his eyes lit up at their concept. His dinner menu is a canny balance between the familiar and the interesting. There’s no point getting too uber-foodie here: confit duck doesn’t fly but soft-shell crab burgers scuttle from the kitchen every few minutes.

Alongside the burger, steak, pasta and daily fish special, there’s a leaning towards trendy Asian flavours. Lamb ribs are braised in a Coca Cola-based caramel that also includes sriracha, a Thai chilli sauce. They’re sticky and spicy and pull from the bone in melty strands. Chicken thighs are brined with star anise and cinnamon, then fried and glazed with honey and Korean gochujang, a fermented chilli paste. There’s a bright pink pickled ginger mayo to dip it in.

Also simple but clever is the four-cheese ravioli submerged in a smooth cauliflower puree. It’s jazzed up with pine nuts and nubbins of purple cauliflower that bring wow factor without rocking the boat.

Desserts cater to post-cinema moochers who’ve steered away from choc tops in favour of South Society’s deconstructed gaytime, an easy-to-eat plate of cheesecake splodges and biscuit crumbles that’s as easy to enjoy as the restaurant itself.

See their website.

More All-Day:

Archie’s All Day, 189 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, 9417 0066.
The name says it all, really. Archie’s is easy and approachable anytime, with creative yet unfussy food, friendly service and a cute courtyard.

Cumulus Inc, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 9650 1445.
Any time is a good time for oysters at the bar. Otherwise, consider crumpets at breakfast, barley and farro salad or ricotta dumplings at lunch, and charcuterie and short rib at dinner.

Fitzrovia, 155 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 9537 0001.
Start the day with crème brulee French toast, stop off later for quinoa falafel, or come in for a lazy dinner of confit duck leg or seafood pie. Look out for the owners’ Roxborough in Acland Street, coming soon

Green Park Dining, 815 Nicholson Street, Carlton North, 9380 5499.
The day rolls along easily from 63 degree eggs to lentil, pumpkin and feta salad. Then it’s an easy tumble to the bar for croquettes, then rump cap with onion rings and, finally, tarte tatin.

First published in The Age, 11th December 2016