What Broadsheet Melbourne’s Team Ate and Drank (and Loved) in 2023

At Broadsheet we’re lucky enough to get to eat out. A lot. And this year, we had some world-class dishes, desserts and drinks from spots around Melbourne. Here’s a list of the Broadsheet team’s picks of the year.

Steak frites sandwich, Hugo’s Deli

I love sandwiches, and when I see a fresh chicken one on the menu, it's normally very hard to convince me to order something else. But for Hugo's Deli steak frites sandwich I made a one-off exception – and it paid off. It's got the holy trinity: medium rare steak, fries and salsa verde. On a plate, delicious. In a sandwich? Even better.
– Lachsley Parton, social media executive

Sha-ke salmon ochazuke set, Chiaki

Unfortunately, I’ve never gotten the chance to try traditional ochazuke, a Japanese dish made by pouring green tea, dashi or hot water over cooked rice. Thankfully Chiaki in Collingwood serves up its own take on the comfort food. I ordered mine with a perfectly cooked slice of salmon and fried salmon skin. The flavours were perfectly balanced and, I have to say, the house-made dashi was practically the star of the show.
– Pauline DeLeon, contributor

Cured snapper, green lentil, pistachio, parsley, Carlton Wine Room

A laundry list of four of my favourite things, but I was sceptical about them all working together (especially with a glass of orange wine). Thankfully, I was proven wrong. I ended up eating it at a snail’s pace and a front-of-house member came over to check if everything was alright. “I think it’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever eaten,” I told them. “I just don’t want it to end too soon.”
– Chynna Santos, deputy branded content editor

Focaccia, Napier Quarter

I’m increasingly convinced good bread is the meaning of life. This idea has been further validated by the recent arrival of chef Steve Harry at Napier Quarter. The first thing he added to the menu was crisp and caramel-crusted yet melt-in-your-mouth focaccia. Eating a slice out on the footpath on a warm evening, I can’t help but feel deeply happy and satisfied. He serves it with agrodolce, made by mixing caramel, vinegar and whatever else he has lying around – perhaps the brine from pickled beetroots, or some dates – and reducing it down to a deep, rich, tart and sweet, but very, very delicious, syrup. This is meaning-of-life stuff.
– Nick Shelton, founder and publisher.

Corn madeleine, Madeleine de Proust

I can’t believe this corn creation from chefs HyoJu Park and Rong Yao Soh’s Madeleine de Proust exists (and I can’t believe I got to eat it). The duo brought their serious (Michelin-starred) kitchen experience to their new bakery – and their attention to detail and respect for their industry and craft are evident in this corn-shaped artwork.

Like all Park and Soh’s madeleines, the corn is infused with nostalgia. It draws inspiration from a corn ice-cream from Park’s childhood in Korea. It reminds me of my first jobs, working in movie theatres. The cake nods to a pastry great in that it’s reminiscent of Eunji Lee’s ground-breaking corn dessert from Lysee in New York. It’s pastry at its finest: inventive yet totally familiar.
– Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor

Grilled sardines, Pipis Kiosk

Pipis Kiosk has been around for a while now, but of all the glorious food I have eaten this year, head chef Ben Parkinson’s sardine special stopped me in my tracks. Plump butterflied grilled sardine topped with impossibly thin lardo, pickled daikon and grated frozen kumquat was a delicious textural delight.

Pipis is hyper seasonal and local-produce-driven. The menu changes at least weekly, so the dishes may be ephemeral, but the consistent experience is enduring. Any of their dishes with a glass of crisp Victorian white wine and a view of the sea = perfection. Plus, the fish‘n’chips from the kiosk window are next-level.
– Jo Rittey, contributor

Pumpkin and ricotta tortellini, Chauncy

Chauncy is a charming French-ish bistro off the main drag of Heathcote, where everything from the warm service to the seasonal menu is worth building a weekend around. The standout dish on my mid-winter visit was three plump tortellini stuffed with lemony ricotta in a velvety pumpkin velouté sprinkled with espelette pepper. It was warming, elegant and just so satisfying. One of those plates you want to scoff (but don't want to end) and have to force yourself to savour.
– Michael Harry, national editor

Cheeseburger, Gimlet (from the late-night weekend menu)

I don’t feel comfortable publicly admitting how many of these burgers I ate this year. It’s a cheeseburger at Gimlet. It doesn’t take a smart person to work out what a good combination that is, but if you have doubts, just ask my bank account (and my waistline).
– Rory McKenna, product manager

Chicken mousse eclair, Lilac Wine Bar

I have eaten more of these than I can count this year. It's the perfect little bite of rich chicken liver mousse and a sweet umami hit of sticky black garlic honey. Chef Kyle Nicol even made me a full-size version for my birthday, which was the best birthday cake I've ever had. And, yes, that includes the Women's Weekly cakes from my childhood. (Sorry mum.)
– Kosa Monteith, contributor

Fresh chicken sandwich, Juniper

Everyone thinks they know where to get the best chicken sandwich, but there is only one correct answer and that is Juniper. The inclusion of chicken skin is almost revolutionary and there is just enough butter to make its mark without crossing a line into too-much territory.
– Ruby Harris, branded content editor

Lahana sarmasi (cabbage rolls), Tammy's Borek

I’m a multitasker to my detriment, and that’s most evident during a market shop. Planning my week’s meals while fondling an avocado for ripeness at Preston Market? No worries. Downing a spinach-and-cheese borek while counting my coins at Queen Vic? Easy as pie. I was expecting the same from a recent snack at Tammy’s Borek, the mostly vegan Turkish bakery by mother-daughter duo Tammy and Tanya Kaygisiz in Preston. I ordered some cabbage rolls, thinking I could scoff them down while bagging my vegetables at the nearby vendors. But these sweet, tender numbers could stop me on the eve of an apocalypse. I sat down at the crowded market to eat them with both hands. The soft cabbage, spice-laden rice and sweet tomato paste balanced each other perfectly. The clock slowed down as I savoured every bite. The groceries? They could wait.
–Holly Bodeker-Smith, directory editor

Birria tacos, CDMX Brunswick East (also in the CBD)

As I wrote recently, these melty, drippy, Tiktok-famous tacos are still rare enough in Melbourne to seem novel to me. And this is one of the better renditions out there – the smoky fall-apart beef nicely offset by plenty of raw white onion. Forget your manners and drink the beef consommé dipping sauce after you’ve devoured everything else. I always do.
– Nick Connellan, publications director

Chicken liver parfait cannoli, Bar Bellamy

When I'm next to a cheeseboard, politeness and social cues prevent me from doing what I really want to do: smear the entire jar of pate onto a single cracker. I'm like a kid with a Nutella jar. But Bar Bellamy's chicken-liver-parfait cannoli – with their parfait-stuffed crispy-sweet shells with a pistachio sprinkle – satisfy my animalistic cravings. And because it's a parfait (more airy and mousse-like than pate), it's not sickeningly rich, so you can (and should) order another serve.
– James Williams, creative solutions manager

S&D Tiramisu, Smith & Daughters

One of my least favourite food tropes is coconut subbing in for dairy in vegan desserts. (Odd, because I stan coconut milk in other contexts – hello, Old Palm Liquor’s creamy coconut and lentil crackers.) Then the Smith & Daughters tiramisu entered the chat, changing the game with lentil cream and custard (instead of coconut) to masterfully match the real thing. It’s creamy and spongy and caffeinated and boozy and all the good things.
–Daniela Frangos, editor-at-large

Kaya Morning Set, Little Cardigan (inside Bench Coffee Co)

This is an elegant chemistry set that evokes childhood nostalgia for those who grew up in Southeast Asia. You dip the first piece of thick shokupan toast into a bowl of softly boiled egg cracked open, with a dash of tamari soy sauce and pepper imported from Japan, and the other piece with cultured butter and house-made kaya. In fact, there’s no right way to eat this; the only rule for enjoying it is to eat it with your hands.
–Harvard Wang, contributor

Persimmon bingsu, Chae

It feels cruel to say my favourite dish of 2023 was the dessert from a restaurant that has six seats, uses a booking system that's drawn like the lottery and rotates its menu each season – but I'm doing it. The final course of this year's winter menu at chef Jung Eun Chae’s Cockatoo restaurant was a delicate pile of milky shaved ice, topped with rice malt candied walnuts and fermented persimmon. It prompted our entire dining party to Google “shaved ice machines” on the drive home.
– Claire Adey, contributor

Spaghetti ajo ojo peperoncino, Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca

Like Vegemite on toast and a Falco chicken sandwich, spaghetti is a staple in my diet. I enjoy it doused in Nonna’s homemade sauce, frittata-fied (crisping leftovers in a frypan with egg) and, most recently, tossed with vongole on a beach in Sardinia. But nothing prepared me for the silky, mouth-numbing pasta at Rocco’s. Traditionally, spaghetti ajo ojo peperoncino combines the holy trinity of garlic, olive oil and chilli. But here, the pearl garlic and fermented chilli add a layer of complexity to the dish. With one twirl of a fork, the oily tangled mess can untangle the most stubborn knots in my shoulders.
– Stephanie Vigilante, head of social media

Jerusalem artichokes with whey, Bar Merenda

Bar Merenda was easily my favourite restaurant experience of the year. We ordered one of everything and there wasn’t a single miss, but the standout was these crisp, comforting Jerusalem artichokes, drenched in a sauce made from delicious curdled whey. I’m learning these are the only appropriate replacement for roast potatoes on a winter’s day.
– Sasha Murray, content marketing manager

Tan tan bone broth ramen, Wabi Sabi Salon

This takes me right back to a backstreet Tokyo ramen joint. Throw in a black sugar umeshu and a homemade yuzu soda to recreate the full experience.
– Ben Siero, design lead

Sweetbreads, Kafeneion

As a recent ex-vegetarian, I’ve swung hard in the opposite direction with a new-found penchant for organ meat. Though the ox tongue skewers from Bar Magnolia run a close second, no organs have been quite as noteworthy as the sweetbreads from Kafeneion. Salty and crisp with a tender interior, they’re perfect standalone bites – but even better if you add a slick of fava dip and sandwich them into some crusty bread.
– Quincy Malesovas, contributor

Maple-glazed doughnut, Hector’s Deli

Don’t sleep on this doughnut. The combination of maple syrup glaze, a bouncy doughy texture and a soft outer layer makes it the best I’ve ever tried. It’s simple, but different to any doughnut I’ve ever tried.
– Evie Baker, photo editor

Deep-fried rice cakes, Sleepy’s Cafe and Wine Bar

If I spot rice cakes or tteokbokki on a menu, it’s always a no-brainer for me. When I ordered them at this unassuming neighbourhood spot, I expected nothing out of the ordinary, just the stock-standard spicy, chewy greatness I was used to. But Sleepy’s rendition turns traditional flavours on their head. Flat, oval-shaped rice cakes are deep-fried and doused in a sticky concoction of sweet soy, dark soy, chilli oil, sesame oil and sugar. Owner-chef Steve Chan calls them “rice chippies” and they’re lip-smackingly good.
– Gitika Garg, assistant editor

Hokkien noodles, doubanjiang, parmesan and butter, Sleepy’s Cafe and Wine Bar

Deceptively simple, saucy, savoury, slightly spicy, spaghetti-like noodles – served by a smiley Steve.
– Vivian Tang, content creator

DXM with Shanxi traditional pork, Dao Noodle

Not much has been written about Dao Noodle since it opened on Little Lonsdale Street in 2021, so I wandered into the nondescript spot for a quick meal with no real expectations. It was a lucky find: turns out this is one of only a few places in Melbourne where you can try dao xiao mian – coarse hand-cut noodles from Shanxi province in northern China. Shaved from a brick of protein-heavy dough straight into boiling water, dao xiao mian have thin, serrated edges and a thick, chewy spine, meaning they’re simultaneously soft and al dente. I ordered them with the traditional pork mince and tomato sauce, whose rich flavours are nicely offset by the dense, satisfying noodles.
– Annie Toller, chief subeditor

Banana choc chip ice-cream, Luther’s Scoops

Tuckshop nostalgia hits me like a big, bulbous best-shared-between-classmates muffin at recess. It’s a Bananarama party in my mouth. Paddle Pops are put to shame. The chocolatey crunch gives me the gumption to publicly admit that ice-cream sans textural element is inferior. But when I returned for another scoop, I found it gone. For good. Only one banana flavour could prevail; it was banoffee pie. This is now an obituary. RIP.
– Tomas Telegramma, contributor