Overview
Cooking can be many things. For some, it's merely a means to an end; for others, it can be meditative to the point of being therapeutic. But no matter which side of the fence you fall on, there are days when we just can't be bothered doing it. And the same is true of professional chefs — after all, if you do something for a living there surely comes a point where you just don't feel like doing it in your spare time, right?
But where do chefs eat in their downtime? We've teamed up with UberEats to ask four Melbourne hospo stars — Josh Fry of Poodle, Ross Magnaye (pictured above) of the soon-to-open Serai, Anneleise Brancatisano of Hector's Deli and Stephen Clark of Robata — about their top local picks for those times they feel like handing over the reins to someone else.
Gami
GO-TO MEAL FOR A HANGOVER
Josh Fry: "A1 Bakery is easily one of the best places to eat on Sydney Road. It's the tawook chicken wrap for me — a toasted pita filled with grilled chicken, toum, pickles and chips. And of course, we always grab a couple sambousik for an entree. But, that said, I do think fried chicken is the ultimate hangover cure, and you can't go past the boneless fried chicken with garlic sauce and spicy sauce from Gami."
Ross Magnaye: Like Fry, Magnaye knows of the miracles worked by Gami fried chicken after a few too many. "The fried chicken wings with spicy sauce is my favourite hangover food, with steamed rice and fries. I'm a sucker for fried chicken and Gami is unreal. You definitely have to pair it with an ice-cold Korean beer." Hair of the dog met with fried chicken? You'll be right as rain in no time.
Anneleise Brancatisano: "The beef and brisket pho from Pho House in Flemington. It is the ultimate 'fix me' — I love it! It's my local, and they're super consistent and friendly. The beef broth is so fragrant and everything else is the perfect level of fresh and spicy. It's the only way to revive my (self-inflicted) sad body. Though, a medium McSpicy meal — add tomato and cheese — with an ice-cold Coke, delivered by Uber from the Maccas 500 metres down the road also does the trick."
Stephen Clark: The Robata chef is pulling through with a classic here — a bacon and egg roll. After a big one, nothing soothes quite like the layers of crispy bacon meeting a golden yolk. "I order extra egg and extra bacon from Oscar Cooper in Prahran," shares Clark. "It's the best egg and bacon sandwich in town." Big call for the classic next-morning order — it must be good.
Kaoyum
GO-TO MEAL FOR A DATE NIGHT
Josh Fry: "There's nothing sexier than a pizza pie, and both of these places are insanely good. From Compass Pizza, my pick is the capricciosa (with a garlic bread of course); and at Wolf and Swill you can't go wrong with the mortadella pizza and the blackened cabbage salad."
Ross Magnaye: "For a proper date night at home I order from one of my favourites in South Yarra, Kaoyum. It's an amazing Thai restaurant with super delicious food. My go-to dishes there are the kha moo braised pork hock and the crab fried rice, but I love to eat properly on a date so I could order the whole menu there."
Anneleise Brancatisano: "Supper Inn is a favourite date spot and some of my most cherished memories involve sharing the incredible food with loved ones, in the restaurant or at home. Order the XO pipis with Chinese donut."
Stephen Clark: Sometimes you just can't muster the energy to produce a date-worthy dish, let alone a full meal, so having a known winner that can be delivered is a must in your romancing tool kit. "The tuna salad from Mopho Canteen is a go to, and its sticky pork belly is also sensational. So much flavour! Half a roast duck and special fried rice from Harmony BBQ and Seafood is also perfect — and great for leftovers the next day, too."
Leonard's House of Love
GO-TO MEAL FOR A NIGHT OF NETFLIX AND CHOW
Josh Fry: It's heat, aromatics and classics for the Poodle chef when settling in for a streaming session. "I always lean towards Spice Mix Restaurant, they do very yum Indian. My pick is the gobi manchurian" — that's the sweet-yet-tangy dry curry featuring lightly fried cauliflower — "and rogan josh."
Ross Magnaye: "Congee with century egg and pipis with XO sauce and fried vermicelli noodles from Seafood St. I always eat this after a night out, so therefore it counts as comfort food (and is perfect for a night on the couch when you can't be bothered cooking). Nothing beats this combination, trust me!"
Anneleise Brancatisano: "A mixed veggie curry from Curry Canteen. And, this is horrifically clichéd, but I'm a diehard fan of its butter chicken. With saffron rice and extra raita, you can't beat it."
Stephen Clark: "I love the cauli bomba bowl from The Pita Man. I discovered this place during lockdown, which definitely provided lots of comfort. Or, another go-to is the south side fried chicken burger with bacon and ranch from Leonard's House of Love. With fries and onion rings — you gotta have both."
Pidapipó
GO-TO DESSERT
Josh Fry: "Okay, this is a classic. Tropical passionfruit cheesecake from The Cheesecake Shop. It is a whole cheesecake, but it's worth every penny — and you can freeze the leftovers. As a bonus, if you're feeling lonely, you can get them to write on it for you." Yep. A whole cheesecake. With your name on it. That's a powerful Uber Eats order.
Ross Magnaye: "I really love the whisky and smoked sea salt cream eclair from Hector's Deli. The owner Dom just welcomed Anneliese to the team to create some amazing desserts; her sweets are next level, super delicious and no frills."
Anneleise Brancatisano: "I'm a dessert person by choice and by trade, and can confirm that a take-home tub from Bico Gelateria in Brunswick will always satisfy. It feels like Melburnians eat ice cream every day of the year, regardless of the weather, which is a comforting thought. My favourite flavours are the ricotta and honey, which is layered with pistachio and fennel seed crumb, and the fior di mandarino."
Stephen Clark: "I don't stray from the three-flavour ice cream tub from Pidapipó, with pistachio, chocolate and Nutella. It's the best ice cream shop in Melbourne by a mile, and I never order anything else sweet because it's just never as good."