Life in Melbourne without gluten

Joey’s Place - Sorrento

Pamela — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:20:28 +0000

I’ve recently moved to Amsterdam so at least for the next year or two won’t be posting about my own gluten-free dining experiences in Melbourne. However, I will continue to add other people’s recommendations. And here is one I received today - thank you to Mel Lawrence:

We had a fab experience at Joeys in Sorrento at the weekend.

The restaurant is primarily Italian, with lots of choice and a good wine menu.

When we mentioned we are gluten free the waitress asked us what we liked and that she could make what ever we felt like, or transform most of the menu to be Gluten Free.

Nothing was too much trouble, great food and service.

Great for people on a weekend away…

Listing for Joey’s Place in Sorrento

Bhoj - Docklands, Melbourne

Pamela — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:04:20 +0000

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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Chocolate Buddha - CBD

Pamela — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:59:04 +0000

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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Bombay by Night - Caulfield South

Pamela — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:39:40 +0000

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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Da Noi - Toorak

Pamela — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:46:41 +0000

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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Gluten Free Scones

Pamela — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:37:54 +0000

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

Hooked: Healthy Seafood to Go - Windsor

Pamela — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:02:56 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any new gluten-free dining options, but that’s because it’s been a while since I’ve discovered anywhere new.

I’m really pleased that I’ve found this place though. My mum came down for lunch this Monday and I remembered that our usual haunt, Pizza Piazza, is closed on Mondays. However, Hooked across the road from there was not and for a few weeks now I’ve had a craving for good fish and chips after discovering they had gluten-free options. So, we decided to go there for lunch.

Being from England we really appreciate good battered fish and “proper” hand-cut chips and such a thing is hard to come by in Australia - let alone free from gluten! We both ordered the standard battered fish and hand-cut chips (but gluten-free of course) and sat down at the long, cosy, communal table. After a 5-10 minute wait our meals were ready and we almost wished we’d ordered one serve between us because the plates were piled high. At $10 each, it was pretty good value and we both polished off most of the meal. We were both very pleasantly surprised at the lightness of the batter, the quality of the fish and the authenticity of the chips - especially given they were all gluten free. The meal really satisfied my hunger for a good plate of fish and chips such the likes of I haven’t had since leaving England 19 years ago. I’m not sure how “healthy” the meal was but it definitely wasn’t drowning in oil and there are plenty of alternatives such as salad. My mum, who spent much more time in the UK than I and is very choosy about her fish and chips, really enjoyed her meal.

I definitely recommend anyone, gluten-challenged or not, to try Hooked. I’ll avoid any jokes about being hooked, but I will say that I won’t hesitate to go there again. You can download the menu, which also includes dairy-free options, from their website.

www.hooked.net.au

172 Chapel Street, Windsor VIC

EDIT: I’ve been informed that Hooked cook their gluten free orders in the same oil they use for their regular fish and chips so there is a cross-contamination issue. If you are Coeliac it would be best to check when you order.

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Oriental Tea House - South Yarra

Pamela — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 02:26:15 +0000

Since being gluten-free, and also being very sensitive to MSG, I’ve found Chinese and Japanese foods to be mostly off-limits. Particularly due to their love of soy sauce, which almost always contains wheat. However, I was very thrilled to find out at a family dinner that many of the yum cha items at the Oriental Tea House are in fact gluten free - including some of their dumplings! And they were so delicious. I loved the Honey Pepper Eye Fillet Steak and the Chicken dumplings the most. The staff were very helpful - you need to ask which items are gluten free but they’re happy to list them for you. So, if you fancy something a little different in a relaxed, calm atmosphere, head down to Chapel St and order yourself some dumplings. However, you best book first because they’re very busy.

You can download their menu from the website. They also sell teas and a variety of gift packs as well as having a Chinese medicine practitioner in-house.

455 Chapel Street, South Yarra.
New store opening December in 378 Little Collins Street, CBD.
www.orientalteahouse.com.au

Gluten Free Confectionery

Pamela — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:04:23 +0000

Do you miss the sweets from your younger days such as Strawberries & Cream? Milk bottles? Jelly Babies?
Thanks to Sue Shepherd you can now purchase packets of gluten-free sweets online (they are also egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free and contain no artificial colours). I bought a packet at the Gluten Free Show and they taste exactly as I remember them. So then I ordered a few packets online to keep in the cupboard. They took about 1.5 weeks to arrive and I’ve already polished off a packet of Milk Bottles (naughty me).

They’re a great idea as a treat for gluten intolerant kids, particularly at parties.

Go to www.foodshow.com.au, click on Products and then click on Confectionery (note to the developers of their website: Don’t use frames! Then I would be able to link directly to the Confectionery page).

www.foodshow.com.au

Moroccan Soup Bar - Fitzroy North

Pamela — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:42:01 +0000

The Moroccan Soup Bar isn’t a bar - they don’t even serve alcohol - apparently seldom serves soup, doesn’t have a written menu and doesn’t serve meat. However, I’ve known about it for a while and was very keen to try it out. Fortunately, last week I got the chance with my husband and another couple.

After a pleasant half-hour wait at a nearby bar for a table we managed to get in (this was a Friday night). The usual routine at this restaurant (unusual everywhere else) is that the staff talk you through the menu options, preferences for ingredients and dietary requirements. We didn’t mind being surprised so instead we asked for the banquet and I made sure there would be gluten-free options. I was told this wouldn’t be a problem.

And it wasn’t. The Moroccan / Middle-Eastern food, familiar to me from Lebanese cuisine (my sister-in-law is Lebanese) was delicious and I was given separate gluten-free alternatives to the ones that usually aren’t. Being vegetarian there was nothing we didn’t like and it wasn’t too heavy.

On arrival we were greeted with a cup of fresh mint tea. The meal started quickly with flat bread and dips (with carrots for me to dip with), moved on to an array of tasty rice, lentil and split-pea based dishes and finished with a cup of their strong, delicious coffee. We polished everything off and left with full, satisfied tummies and money still in our wallets (the banquet is a bargain at $17 per person).

This restaurant has won many awards, including from the Cheap Eats Guide. I definitely recommend to anyone, with any dietary requirements, to try it out.

183 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, 9482 4240