Cover Reimagining Middle Eastern dining with precision and warmth in Melbourne, Australia (Photo: Zareh)
Reimagining Middle Eastern dining with precision and warmth in Melbourne, Australia (Photo: Zareh)
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From Melbourne’s Armenian-Australian kitchens to Auckland’s beer lounges and Mauritian soul food, this Pocket List captures the spirit of dining across Australasia right now
Australia and New Zealand have never been more dynamic. The region’s food scene blends heritage, migration and experimentation, all driven by chefs who cook with both heart and humour.
This instalment of Pocket List comes from Pat Nourse, Tatler Best co-jury head for Oceania. A veteran critic and the creative director of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Nourse has long chronicled the region’s most exciting restaurants and bars—those that feel authentic, hungry and alive.
In case you missed it: 5 ways to experience the Middle East by Tatler Best co-jury head Hershey Gargash
Above Tatler Best co-jury head for Oceania, Pat Nourse, is a writer, author and the creative director of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (Photo: Liz Sunshine)
Tatler Best co-jury head for Oceania, Pat Nourse, is a writer, author and the creative director of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (Photo: Liz Sunshine)
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Start in Melbourne for Armenian flavours reborn
Above Chicken Kebab at Zareh in Melbourne
Chicken Kebab at Zareh in Melbourne
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Zareh in Melbourne is barely a month old and already moving the goalposts for ambitious Middle Eastern dining. [Chef] Tom [Sarafian] is Armenian-Australian, and the magic he works with bastourma is, well, magic.
Zareh
Address: 368 Smith Street, Collingwood 3066, Melbourne, Australia
Pair South Indian snacks with craft beer in Auckland
Above South Indian street-food classics and laid-back charm (Photo: Satya Chai Lounge)
South Indian street-food classics and laid-back charm (Photo: Satya Chai Lounge)
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Spoiler alert: I’m not here for the chai. The Lounge offers the unexpected but completely welcome combination of self-serve fridges crammed with hundreds of artisanal beers, complemented by South Indian snacks. Good times.
Satya Chai Lounge
Address: 271 Karangahape Road, Auckland Central, New Zealand
Discover café culture with a Korean-Japanese twist
Above Moon Mart’s bulgogi sausage muffin is layered with fried egg and cheese (Photo: Moon Mart)
Moon Mart’s bulgogi sausage muffin is layered with fried egg and cheese (Photo: Moon Mart)
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Moon Mart is my hands-down go-to for Korean-Japanese-Australian café eats. That bulgogi sausage muffin with fried egg and cheese is simple cooking, done right.
Moon Mart
Address: 315 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, Victoria 3205, Australia
Taste the wild at Auckland’s cult game restaurant
Above Family legacy meets modern craft at Cazador in Auckland (Photo: Cazador)
Family legacy meets modern craft at Cazador in Auckland (Photo: Cazador)
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Dariush Lolaiy worked at St John and Moro in London, but it was the passion his dad, Tony, had for shooting and cooking game that laid the foundation for Cazador. The restaurant is a little bit St John, a little bit Moro, a little bit of the Lolaiy family’s Iranian heritage, and a whole lot of fantastic sherry, venison, duck, offal and charcuterie.
Cazador Restaurant & Delicatessen
Address: 854 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland 1041, New Zealand
Experience Mauritian soul in Melbourne
Above At Manzé, Mauritian flavours meet Victorian produce and natural wine (Photo: Manzé)
At Manzé, Mauritian flavours meet Victorian produce and natural wine (Photo: Manzé)
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Manzé is where Mauritian food is made with great produce from small farms in Victoria, complemented by wines made with minimal intervention and a maximal vibe. I’m very excited, too, about their brand-new bar offshoot, Boire.
Manzé
Address: Shop 2/1/5 Errol Street, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051, Australia
