Heh heh heh!
Dong Que do awesome coleslaws, from a prawn and pork with lotus root to this 'un, beef jerky with green papaya.
Their signature dish is bun ca thang long or turmeric-marinated fish served with lots of dill. It's a northern Vietnamese specialty, related to bun cha Ha Noi (more on that later). It's so popular that when you step into Dong Que, the air is redolent with gorgeous floral dill almost all the time. To eat, you make a little DIY salad with noodles, herbs and fish. If the supplied stinky anchovy sauce is too much, don't be shy to ask for the standard nuoc cham mam!
Dong Que were one of the stops on this year's Rickshaw Run. I volunteered over a few sessions, as did the indomitable Kenny and Bennie from Consider the Sauce, as well as a number of FFB readers (big shoutouts to Chris, Mark, Jenny, Carolyn and Eve!) We even had an awesome couple who had moved into Footscray barely a week before and liked what they saw so much that they signed up to volunteer too.
This is Eve who writes Conversation with Jenny who, despite her sylphic frame, managed to haul my ever-expanding person around one evening. Thanks Eve!! Footscray got some star power that night too with HaiHa Lee (next to me in the rickshaw), a long-time local resident and actor with many credits including Bed of Roses and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Her and partner Pier's go-to Footscray joint? Not usual suspects Hao Phong or Sapa Hills - it's Tra Vinh! Instant cred!
In other news, one day whilst roaming about, I found this little gem on the "other" side of Sunshine (near Dragon Express).
They sell gorgeous Polish cakes (I think by the slice) and plum jam donuts, plus take-home meals just like Babcia used to make. (I had a Polish friend at school and I remember her mother pinching the skin on my forehead and saying, "STILL ROOM FOR MORE PIEROGIS!" I think that's where my problems started.) You can read more about Roli Poli over here at Pretty Wak by Amie Batalibasi, founder of Footscray's Colour Box Studio.
And while we're on the subject of dumplings, West Footscray's newest eatery opened just a few days ago! It's called Magic Momo Kafe and it's the baby of Ravi (above). Given the name, the four momo varieties are only a tiny part of the menu, which ranges from a big breakfast, to burgers or calamari and chips. Everything is well priced, especially kids' options - from memory, pancakes with ice cream are about $4.
These chicken momos were yummy, the mince inside juicy and spiked with herbs, ginger and onion. They can come simmered, steamed or fried, and Ravi said the steamed option is the most traditional. We didn't get so lucky with the vegie version, which had collapsed somewhat. Kenny and Bennie had better luck - theirs looked a bit plumper. But surely all sins should be forgiven in the first week of opening! (Magic Momo are at 588 Barkly St, West Footscray.)
What Magic Momo Kafe also have is a dizzying display of Indian sweets including four varieties of one of my faves, cham cham, which is almost like an eclair with a lightly-cooked gulab jamun-like exterior and a fudgy filling. (It's the pink one above.) They're all $2 each.
In other West Footscray news, Rino at Vari's Fruit & Veg has started offering seasonal organic fruit and veg boxes. There are two sizes, $35 and $60, and you need to order by Wednesday for Saturday pickup. He read me what was in both sizes and it's a very impressive amount of fresh organic produce. You can also get eggs, and while I was there, Josh (aka, "the boss") and mum from Seven Hills Organic Farm came to drop off that week's order. Boxes can also include Sourdough Kitchen bread (which Vari's actually sell fresh every day) and organic juice. Call 9689 1491 for more deets.
West Footscray was pretty devvo that Andres and Shannon of Besito decided to hang up the arepa press, for family reasons. The old site of Besito is currently under construction and is going to be the third Melbourne branch of Chawla's Indian. According to their website, "Chawla's cream chicken was born not to die". Yum, I think?!
And while we're on the subject of dumplings, West Footscray's newest eatery opened just a few days ago! It's called Magic Momo Kafe and it's the baby of Ravi (above). Given the name, the four momo varieties are only a tiny part of the menu, which ranges from a big breakfast, to burgers or calamari and chips. Everything is well priced, especially kids' options - from memory, pancakes with ice cream are about $4.
These chicken momos were yummy, the mince inside juicy and spiked with herbs, ginger and onion. They can come simmered, steamed or fried, and Ravi said the steamed option is the most traditional. We didn't get so lucky with the vegie version, which had collapsed somewhat. Kenny and Bennie had better luck - theirs looked a bit plumper. But surely all sins should be forgiven in the first week of opening! (Magic Momo are at 588 Barkly St, West Footscray.)
What Magic Momo Kafe also have is a dizzying display of Indian sweets including four varieties of one of my faves, cham cham, which is almost like an eclair with a lightly-cooked gulab jamun-like exterior and a fudgy filling. (It's the pink one above.) They're all $2 each.
In other West Footscray news, Rino at Vari's Fruit & Veg has started offering seasonal organic fruit and veg boxes. There are two sizes, $35 and $60, and you need to order by Wednesday for Saturday pickup. He read me what was in both sizes and it's a very impressive amount of fresh organic produce. You can also get eggs, and while I was there, Josh (aka, "the boss") and mum from Seven Hills Organic Farm came to drop off that week's order. Boxes can also include Sourdough Kitchen bread (which Vari's actually sell fresh every day) and organic juice. Call 9689 1491 for more deets.
West Footscray was pretty devvo that Andres and Shannon of Besito decided to hang up the arepa press, for family reasons. The old site of Besito is currently under construction and is going to be the third Melbourne branch of Chawla's Indian. According to their website, "Chawla's cream chicken was born not to die". Yum, I think?!
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