Melbourne chef Mischa Tropp is known for serving home-style Keralan food at Toddy Shop, his cosy restaurant carved into a Fitzroy side street. But before he opened it last year, Tropp ran a series of popular pop-ups refining the handwritten recipes he picked up from roadside stalls and families on a trip through India.
A pro at finding good food on the road, he’s also got tips and tricks up his sleeve for getting out there fast and skipping queues. With his Avis Preferred membership, he jumps straight into the car from Sydney Airport to Wollongong, and he’s taking us along for the ride. “Having a car gives you freedom to be spontaneous,” he says. “It allows you to take a side track to somewhere new.” Here are some food and drink detours along the way.
Lunch for the road
Tropp hops off the plane and straight into the carpark, where his Mitsubishi Outlander rental is waiting, unlocked and with the keys inside – no visit to the Avis counter necessary. His Avis Preferred membership lets him get the road started much quicker, so he can drive straight to lunch to prepare for a day of touring.
Tropp makes a beeline for Mother Chu’s, a vegetarian diner in Sydney CBD. “There are some really great Taiwanese spots in Sydney,” he says. Here he orders Taiwanese-style fan tuan – a stuffed rice roll. “I come to Mother Chu’s for fan tuan with pork floss and egg. And the toasted rice and soy milk is really nice.” It’s also a chance to explore Sydney CBD, with Hyde Park just a block away.
Heading south
For cheeseboard fundamentals, Tropp recommends Lamia Super Deli, a Greek delicatessen in Marrickville. “It’s kind of an old-school deli that’s like stepping back in time,” says Tropp. “I’ve heard through the grapevine that they have an amazing array of dips and cheeses.” When selecting, Tropp recommends balancing out your dairies – his picks are usually one hard, one soft.
For some road trip snacking, Tropp adds a stop at Self Raised Bread Shoppe in Carlton. The retro bakery and cafe serves trays of golden viennoiserie, New York-style sandwiches, focaccias, coffee and more. Tropp walks out with more than anticipated. “The sandwiches are good but I was excited about their baked goods, they’re really amazing. I planned on just getting a snack for the road and walked out with an armful of goods,” he confesses, listing the culprits as a custard tart, a big focaccia loaf and a margherita slice.
On the road to Wollongong
While taking the Princes Highway, veer off at Kirrawee to pick up some wine for later. Smalls Cellar is an indie bottle shop in the Sutherland Shire with a collection of mostly natural wines. “They’ve got a range of natural wines from mainly Australian producers. And a handful of nice natural euro wines. The Gentle Folk sauvignon blanc is really great and Entropy Wines do a really beautiful riesling,” says Tropp.
Once back on the highway, head towards Stanwell Tops Lookout with a panoramic view of coastline and cliffs towards Wollongong. “[The drive] has got rolling hills and is a lot greener than Melbourne. It’s such a nice drive getting out of Sydney in comparison to Melbourne which is just flat and grassy.”
Rest up before heading back
Before you think about the drive back up to Sydney, Tropp recommends staying the night at Pepper Tree Passive House, a leafy chic eco house in the foothills of Mount Kembla. The treehouse-like home follows a German design methodology called “passivhaus”, which reduces a building’s carbon footprint.
“It’s a beautiful passive house that wraps around this deck that has a tree growing up through the middle and the roof is covered in plants.” The centrepiece is a 50-year-old pepper tree shading the perfect deck. “It’s kind of a romantic and beautiful spot. At the end of the day, unwind with a bottle of wine and spend some time eating all of the great food we picked up along the way.”
Watch: The Scenic Route From Sydney to Wollongong – and Where To Stop Along the Way
For some, a road trip means drive-throughs, audiobooks, and bag after bag of lollies. For others, it means escape, the windows down, and the tunes hitting just right. For Mischa Tropp, chef and co-owner of Fitzroy’s Toddy Shop, travelling is about discovering new flavours – whether it’s seeking out a hidden deli or a dish he will happily make a trip across town for. Food, community and connection are at the heart of dining out, which is always worth the trip.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Avis. Avis Preferred members can go straight to their rental car in Sydney Airport; you’ll receive a notification when you land with details of the carpark bay where your rental is waiting unlocked with the keys inside, so you can jump in and effortlessly take to the road. The Avis straight-to-car experience at Sydney Airport is exclusive to Avis Preferred members . Conditions apply.
