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I’ve been to Bhoj a couple of times before (though not recently), but it wasn’t until my most recent visit that I discovered they have a page in the back of the menu listing their meals that are gluten free, dairy free, sugar free and low fat. I know that many Indian dishes are naturally gluten-free (or at least should be) but this was a nice confirmation.
We tried my two favourite dishes - the ones I judge Indian restaurants by - Chicken Butter Cream (also known as Butter Chicken, Chicken Mahkani and similar names in other restaurants) and Lamb Biryani. Both dishes were very nice and pretty much what I expected. The rest of the meal (Pappadums, coffee) wasn’t as good as I’d like but the mains were good enough. My biggest complaint is with the service - a little slow at times and not particularly friendly. However, Bhoj offers a nice meal out in the Docklands, it has good ambiance and a nice view which is unfortunately rare enough for the dietary-challenged out there!

54 Promenade, Newquay, Docklands 3008
www.bhoj.com.au

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I was recently taken to Federation Square for dinner, prior to seeing a ballet at the Arts Centre. I was a bit hesitant to try Japanese because there is usually very little that is gluten free. However, after trying to order something at Chocolate Buddha without gluten, I was told by the waitress that they have a special gluten free menu! The menu is not particularly extensive but there was variety enough. I tried the gluten-free Chicken Yakitori because I’ve always liked Yakitori. The waitress warned me that it might be a bit dry but I didn’t think it was too bad, it was very tasty.

Chocolate Buddha pride themselves in using free-range organic eggs and organic beef and chicken. It has a communal style dining room with a friendly vibe and being at Federation Square it seems to be quite busy most of the time. However, we managed to squeeze in for an early Friday evening dinner.

The Chocolate Buddha website has more information but unfortunately, it does not include the gluten-free menu.

Chocolate Buddha, Federation Square, Melbourne

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My husband and I love Indian food.  We don’t cook it but we eat Indian food almost every week - either takeaway or dining in.  Our new favourite Indian restaurant is Bombay by Night in South Caulfield.  Because it’s somewhat of a drive, we usually eat there.  In terms of gluten-free eating, I’m told that everything but their Naan and Roti are flourless.  I’ve certainly never had a problem and I’ve even tried their Onion Bhajia, which is deep-fried in lentil batter.

What I like about Bombay by Night - recently rated 14/20 by The Age Good Food Guide -  is that it’s not tacky or ostentatious; the restaurant is cool, comfortable and quiet; the staff are friendly and helpful; and the menu is not too typical of an Indian restaurant in Australia: it has a selection of favourites as well as a few other options.  The food is about as good as any Indian I’ve ever had and it’s not heavy or too spicy and they even have a decent wine list.  My favourite dish (and I think I’m not original here) is their Roasted Hazelnut and Praline Kulfi - a “must try”!

My husband and I recently dined at Bombay by Night in celebration of Valentine’s Day (though we couldn’t get a table on the day itself so we went a week later) and left fully satisfied, but not too full, after a shared entrée, Alu Bengal, Tandoori Chicken,  Kulfi (one each!), sparkling wine and Naan (for my husband, of course).  I’m not much of a food critic so I won’t go into detail but we enjoyed it all and are going back there with friends this weekend.

I definitely recommend Bombay by Night for a nice, grown-up meal out (or take away!). As ever, if you are very sensitive to gluten, you should enquire with the chef about the risks.

www.bombaybynight.com

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It’s been a while since I’ve eaten at a Michelin Hat restaurant and also a while since I’ve discovered a new restaurant with gluten-free options.  My husband took me to Da Noi (on Toorak Rd, South Yarra) to celebrate my recent 30th birthday.  It was recommended to us by friends (thank you!).  Da Noi specialises in Italian food but the service has a twist: you can select an “a la carte” menu or the defustation menu for which you don’t have a say in the dishes.  You tell the service staff what foods you dislike or cannot tolerate and you then get what the chef decides to cook for you.  Now I’m open to new tastes but I can be a little fussy - I requested “gluten-free”, no shell-fish and no mushrooms as my absolute must-not-haves.  But I also dislike offal and one or two other “delicacies” and so was a bit worried about what we would be served.

I had no need to worry.  In fact, we were service five delicious dishes and sent every plate back thoroughly cleaned.  The food was light, tasty and served with minimal delay.  The first course was a mixture of small portions of vegetables served in pairs (eggplant with pecorino cheese, roasted capsicum, grilled zucchini), and small fish bites.  Second course was a delicious chick-pea soup (which was declared favourite by the both of us and probably a gluten-free alternative to the pasta dish).  Third course was a polenta “cake” with a strong cheese and truffle-oil sauce.  Fourth course was slow-roasted goat on roasted vegetables.  And dessert was vanilla bean pannacotta with a balsamic reduction, orange icecream, and a slice of flourless chocolate and hazelnut cake.  All absolutely delicious.  I accompanied this with a glass of probably the best white wine I’ve ever tasted (or at least, the most pleasing to my tastes!) and we followed with tea.

We will definitely return to Da Noi some time in the future.  The narrow, long Victorian building, with high ceilings, the bizarre mixture of art, soft lighting and relaxed music made for a cosy, and somewhat romantic evening and we left satisfied (but not over-full) and relaxed (quite unaffected by our position next to the long, narrow stairs, up which dashed wait staff every few minutes).

Da Noi does not have a website but you can find them at 95 Toorak Rd, South Yarra (03 9866 597).

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My husband and I recently took a drive to the Dandenongs and stopped for lunch at a small café in Sassafras (I think it was just called Sassafras Café - they serve Map Coffee). To my delight, they had a gluten-free menu with sandwiches, toasts, cakes and even scones! So I, being from Cornwall in England and very partial to scones, opted for the Devonshire tea. The scones were made in-house with a gluten-free flour bought from a local bakery. They were delicious, though a little crumbly.

So, I decided to try some out for myself, because I’m hosting an afternoon tea in a couple of weeks. I bought some Laucke Bakery flour from the health-food section at my local Coles and followed a recipe in my Stephanie Alexander cookbook (The Cook’s Companion). I used lactose-free milk, but normal butter, and needed a little more flour than the recipe called for. I was really amazed by the results, the scones were fantastic. They didn’t rise a great deal but they certainly weren’t crumbling apart. Definitely something I will have to try and reproduce for my upcoming afternoon tea!

Laucke Bakeries
www.laucke.com.au

Stephanie Alexander
www.stephaniealexander.com.au