As I compile my favourite restaurants into a list, I realised I had not written about Embla. The extreme versatility of this Italian wine bar has meant I’ve been many times, but only in a large group have I actually sat through several courses. To me, Embla is the place that I’d love to be down the road, but I’d be there too much.
The dark interior makes mid-afternoon Embla look closed on a classic grey Melbourne day. This is one of my favourite times to visit unannounced, ready to sip a negroni, or have one of the expertly selected wines by the glass. The bar at the front of the long rectangular restaurant is the place for a drink.
On Derby night I break away from the group for an hour to grab a seat further inside the restaurant on the kitchen bar. In front of the wood-fired oven I have a great view of the chefs plating up, and risking limbs as they get dangerously close to the inside of the oven. A glass of Italian red, and a classic ragu on pappardelle. This is what I call celebrating the winner in the last!
Meeting a friend for lunch on the bar we both cannot go past the special for both deliciousness and price-point. Slow cooked lamb falls apart, juicy and enhanced by the other flavours in the dish. There’s been plenty of times Embla has been too busy to get a seat immediately, and the atmosphere is palpable as you enter. Every other time there is a seat or two, and you can indulge in a great glass of wine, grazing on some salumi and cheese.
For a group, this is a fabulous place for friends or close work colleagues. They pack you in, so you’d better be seated next to people you enjoy being with. I’ve been here with work colleagues who had become close friends. Feasting at Embla is good fun, but as I mentioned there are more comfortable ways to do a business lunch.
Embla is a wonderful enoteca. It serves comforting Italian classics alongside carefully selected wines, and is as versatile as it is brilliant. Don’t send out a search party. I’m on the bar at Embla.
Powerful. Brilliant. Overpriced. Snacks are awesome. Prolific in Europe, snacks were kept secret from Australian diners for too long.
First came fine diners making snacks the first course, which is now obligatory on most tasting menus. As part of the evolution tapas took over which for pinxos is essentially snack after snack for dinner. Then came a la carte menus featuring an initial section called ‘snacks’ that should be renamed extremely flavoursome bite sized expressions of terrible value for money.
I simply cannot resist. I love snacks. Rich bites that leave you begging for more. For many years I’ve wanted to go around the city and sample my favourites in the one evening. Tonight is my opportunity. Catherine is onboard too.
Where else to begin but the Golden Fields’ delectable lobster roll. The only thing that has changed about this incredible number of a snack is the venue and the price. At first you’d pay $15 over 10 years ago, but now it has been transported to Supernormal and is $24. The combination is immaculate, and I’m not sure it can be perfectly reinterpreted in a larger form. I recognise that statement is controversial because lobster rolls do get big, and they are great. This one to me is perfect though.
Washed down with a reasonably priced Bellvale Athena Chardonnay from Gippsland, this was an epic way to begin the evening. We’d entered the restaurant in a reserved manner, asking for some space for a quick drink and bite. Allowing us to pull up a stool on the bar for a 30 minute sitting was exactly the time we needed. Excellent service.
Just down the road is a place where I revere some of the snacks. Choosing between a scallop sando and the crab doughnut is impossible so we had one of each at $12 and $20 a pop. Catherine’s Hibiscus Swizzle is delicious and inventive; my Domaine Pichot ‘Le Marigny’ Chenin Blanc from Vouvray is superbly made, showing some of the best attributes that this grape variety offers. Chenin Blanc continues to grow in popularity for good reason. Back to the Swizzle it is unusual for Catherine to order a tequila based cocktail but its balanced with the sencha (green tea), lime, mint and hibiscus.
The scallop sando is exquisite. Lightly fried means that the scallop stays tender and juicy, exhibiting its full flavour. The whole snack consists of 2-4 bites and each one is a moment. The aspect I love is the difference in the final bite set against a heavy main where it starts to lose its impact. While the crab doughnut sounds expensive, it is actually one of the better value snacks going around with some oomph. Spanner crab, sriracha mayo, and salmon caviar on a sweet bun. Snack night is going well. This was Dessous.
As we near the time to watch the Edinburgh All-Stars Comedy, around the corner from the Capitol Theatre is Aru. Previously Aru was best known for its fancy Bunning’s style duck sausage in bread. That’s not on the menu tonight, but the expertly executed Yellowfin tuna cracker ($17) is, and somehow keeps its form intact with each bite. We get this along with crab toast ($19). You cannot have enough crab.
Catherine is on to a mocktail, with the Afternoon Ember proving too smokey and medicinal tasting. The easy winner therefore is my Rockford ‘White Frontignac’, which is from the varietal Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. White Muscat is reasonably unusual, and being a little bit odd myself, I was pleased with my choice. It pairs well with both snacks, and the punch of the wasabi that comes with the spanner crab is set off beautifully by the young white.
The comedy comes and goes, with plenty of laughs to be had as we are joined by Catherine’s brother Richard, and girlfriend Emma. Our tradition continues with three years of comedy get togethers in a row. To finish the evening we are back at Supernormal for dessert. The kakigori, a traditional Japanese shaved ice dessert, is currently taking on creme caramel flavouring. The soft serve comes with delicious fig and cardamom. Rich chocolate cake is topped with blackberries, and sided by a small amount of creme Chantilly. They’re all great desserts in their own way, but I’d probably go with the soft serve next time over the others.
There was nothing cheap about tonight. Or particularly filling for that matter. But grazing on these glorious snacks, and drinking these wonderful drinks, was a hell of an evening. Snacking and comedy for the win.
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