Melbourne’s July food rush: 14 standout dishes so far

It’s only the start of July, and it’s already been an incredible year for Melbourne’s food and drink scene with a crop of new bars, restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops. From exceptional stuffed pasta to an elite fried chicken sandwich, here are the 14 best things we’ve eaten this year (so far). Gomtang, Sagye The idea some people have that soup is limited to one season (winter) always baffles me. Catch me eating pho, laksa, wonton noodle soup, potato and leek soup, and now Sagye’s

gomtang, year-round. The latter is a traditional clear beef soup made by boiling beef and intestines. It’s one of only five dishes on the menu at Sagye, and the Russell Street restaurant’s signature for a reason. The pure broth is served over rice – perfectly softened by the soup – with sliced beef on top and house-made kimchi on the side. – Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor Tiger Sundae, Seoul Tiger 1988 I’m a sucker for texture and the Tiger Sundae at Seoul

Tiger 1988 gives me everything I need in one cup. Co-owner Aileen Seo makes the buttermilk soft serve in-house, and it’s spot on – creamy and rich, but light and not too sweet, so you’re not overwhelmed after a few spoons. What really won me over, though, was the textural contrast: silky soft serve against the snap of peanut brittle, the fine crackle of feuilletine, a layer of milk chocolate and dulce de leche drizzle. – Pauline De Leon, branded content editor Spicy stir fried

beef tripe and tendon, Gaon I’m not a fan of offal, so the fact that Gaon‘s stir-fried spicy beef honeycomb tripe and collagen-rich tendon stands out so strongly in my mind is surprising. I’ve ordered this dish on every visit to this seven-month-old gomtang and seolleongtang specialty restaurant. The meats are simmered for three hours in a 240-litre traditional gamasot to achieve optimum tenderness, then cooked in a sticky sweet, savoury and spicy red pepper sauce. There is barely any gaminess, and it’s particularly enjoyable

to those who like chewy and gummy textures. A rocket salad tossed in house-made grapefruit syrup tops the final dish, adding a refreshing twist. Apparently, the tripe and tendon stir-fry was a last-minute addition to Gaon’s menu to diversify the offering, but it has become an essential order for me. – Wee Liam Foo, contributor Wagyu tartare, Mudo The tartare at Mudo sees richly marbled Wagyu served with nashi pear, egg yolk, whipped tahini and crisp sourdough. It sounds simple, but it’s a masterclass in

restraint. Every decision feels considered and every ingredient earns its place, which is something that could be said for the restaurant, too. Mudo never tries to overwhelm you; instead, it quietly builds confidence through thoughtful cooking and impeccable execution. This Wagyu tartare is the benchmark I’m measuring every other dish against from now on. – Sebastian Pasinetti, contributor Rigatoni cavolo nero, Bar Carnation Bar Carnation‘s European feel, thoughtful wine list and excellent cocktails make it the kind of place I love to sit and linger.

On a recent visit, the pasta del giorno (pasta of the day) was rigatoni cavolo nero. The rigatoni came enveloped in a silky cavolo nero sauce that let the flavour of the fresh greens take centrestage. It tasted like a garden in the best possible way, with a dusting of parmesan rounding everything out. It’s not currently on the menu, but I’m quietly hoping it returns. – Emmanuelle Lee, social media coordinator Iced oat matcha latte, Matcha Mate I make a matcha latte myself most

days, but it never tastes as good as the one at Matcha Mate. Maybe I don’t whisk enough? Every time I’m in, I marvel at how strong the staff members must be – they’re constantly whisking vigorously as punters watch on and wait for their orders. Or maybe I don’t have the right matcha powder? The cafe lets you choose your powder: Nanako when you want a nuttier drink; Osu for a savoury single cultivar packed with umami; or the balanced, creamy notes of house

blend Hikari. Whatever the reason, it always tastes better here. – Chynna Santos, branded content editor Prawn ravioli, Alt Pasta Bar Pasta and seafood are very nostalgic for me; I grew up in WA with ritual carb feasts at my Italian godparents’ house every Friday. But I never knew the classic combo could taste as stratospherically delicious as Alt’s prawn ravioli. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting it. The dish landed midway through the restaurant’s new pasta omakase – bookended by other excellent plates –

and stole the show. A plump parcel of house-made ravioli, stuffed with prawn and ricotta, sitting pretty in a pool of orange beurre blanc – I can’t fault it. Chef Mino Han is carving out a loyal fanbase for his inventive, future-classic Italian food bolstered with everything from dashi stock to black garlic, and this dish showed me why. – Holly Bodeker-Smith, newsletter editor Chocolate mousse, Bar Carnation A lot of people in my life don’t like ordering dessert. It’s been my (heavy) cross to

bear since I was a kid. But no one has ever complained about me ordering Bar Carnation‘s chocolate mousse. Mousse is like risotto in that, if not done properly, it can arrive on your plate like heap of wet slop. That’s far from the reality at Bar Carnation. The dessert is dense, rich and covered in olive oil and salt flakes. After a rich meal with dishes like pork cutlets, beef carpaccio, meatballs and Martinis, there couldn’t be a more perfect ending than this perfectly

indulgent dessert. – James Williams, creative solutions manager Hoentey momo, Apa’s Canteen Gyoza. Pierogi. Wontons. I’ve had my fair share of dumplings in Melbourne, but never any like these. That tracks, considering Apa’s Canteen is the CBD’s only restaurant dedicated to cuisine from Bhutan, where these parcels originate. Distinct from the round, thick-skinned momos of neighbouring Nepal, these are crescent-shaped and made with nutty buckwheat flour. Turnips and turnip greens underscore the earthiness of the dough, while chopped nuts add crunch, and cheese – a

Bhutanese staple – ties everything together. The accompanying achar is welcome if you want a hit of spice, but these momos are so flavourful they hardly need it. – Quincy Malesovas, contributor Mohinga, Burmese House Like many Burmese kids, I grew up on the gospel that mohinga should always be eaten at home. Anywhere else risks disappointment, or worse, inauthenticity. Burmese House‘s weekend batch is a surprising exception. Catfish-and-barramundi broth might be decanted into a cutesy carafe, but its complex robustness comes from hours of

simmering with banana stem, lemongrass and other imported Burmese aromatics. Roasted rice powder turns the soup velvety and ready to coat the silky rice noodles. Addictively crunchy split pea crackers (give me 10!) and a hard-boiled egg round things out. You can’t have Myanmar’s national dish without its equally beloved drink: a hot milk tea that’s extra sweet and creamy. – Haymun Win, contributor Vol-au-vent at Little Rose, Fitzroy I didn’t expect warm oysters to be the best thing I ate all year, but Rosheen

Kaul’s version at Little Rose quietly rewrote the rulebook. Lightly sauteed with oyster mushrooms, they’re rich without feeling heavy, and lifted by sharp bursts of spring onions and a peppery sauce that’s best enjoyed with the buttery star of golden puff pastry that comes with the dish. Alongside Joe Jones’s Little Rose Martini – all floral lift and clean acidity – it’s the dish I’ve found myself thinking about most this year. – Lily Beamish, contributor Margherita pizza, Porco Ciccio There is a specific kind

of magic found in Roman street food – the kind that relies entirely on a crisp, sturdy base and the absolute refusal to overcomplicate things. It’s an effortless philosophy that Thornbury newcomer Porco Ciccio has captured perfectly. The margherita pizza arrives with a beautifully blistered crust that holds its weight under a vibrant shroud of tomato and stracciatella. And one bite instantly transports me back to a sun-drenched solo day in Rome last September, delivering a hit of pure holiday nostalgia. – Steph Vigilante, head

of social media OG sandwich, Chicky Boi I love fried chicken, but it had been a long time since I bit into a sandwich and tasted something I hadn’t tried before. The sangas at Chicky Boi are familiar, but the coating concoction the chicken is brined in gives them a quality that’s new and exciting if, like me, sandwiches excite you. Owner Adriel Reddy doesn’t give much away in regard to his “secret” chicken brine – the extra crunchy double-dredged coating gives way to tender

meat with a flavour that I can’t quite pick. The Chicky Boi OG with dill ranch and pickles is enough reason to visit; trying to figure out what’s in the brine and the batter is another reason to keep coming back. – Scott Renton, Hot List editor Cappuccino, orange juice and smashed peas on sourdough, Mario’s I’m a bit of a Garfield – I struggle with mornings, especially Mondays. To curb the dread, I made a ritual out of leaving the house 30 minutes early

to plonk myself at a window seat at Marios with a coffee and the paper. Marios Mondays have become the highlight of my week. The staff quickly learnt my face and order, asking whether I was in the mood for a cappuccino or an orange juice today (often both) as soon as I’d gotten comfortable. The people-watching is unrivalled, the service is effortlessly precise and warm, and I really love the smashed peas on multigrain. Served with a poached egg, feta and a chilli kick,

it’s a crumbly and nourishing dish that marries two wonderfully humble concepts: smashed avo on toast and mushy peas. One day I arrived to roses and balloons decorating the window. For me? No, for Mario himself, for his birthday and the diner’s 40th anniversary. The walls were lined with photos of staff from across four decades, and somewhere between the coffee and the OJ it hit me: other people have been having their version of my Monday morning for 40 years. The ritual isn’t mine,

I just joined it. It made me feel like I was a part of something. Where familiarity can sometimes cost a restaurant its polish – the formality slips, the romance fades – Marios has mastered the rare trick of making you feel known without making you feel too comfortable. I’m still a guest, not a regular. After all my Monday mornings here, I still feel the romance of walking in. – James Williams, creative solutions manager

Melbourne food, gomtang Sagye, Tiger Sundae Seoul Tiger 1988, Gaon stir fried beef tripe tendon, Mudo wagyu tartare, Bar Carnation rigatoni cavolo nero, Matcha Mate iced oat matcha latte, Alt Pasta Bar prawn ravioli, Apa’s Canteen Bhutanese momo, Burmese House mohinga, Little Rose vol-au-vent, Porco Ciccio margherita, Chicky Boi OG sandwich, Mario’s smashed peas