Simon Wilkinson reviews Malobo
THREE brothers from the family behind Swedish Tarts have opened a likable eatery with a world view at Henley Beach.
CAULIFLOWER, in case you hadn’t noticed, is this year’s vegie megastar. The Britney of the brassicas, its pretty head of white curls is popping up all over magazine spreads and TV shows, as well as on restaurant menus.
I’ve had it roasted, toasted, smoked and blitzed into rice. Blanketed in cheese sauce, tossed with pasta, supporting scallops. Even plain, old steamed.
Malobo’s cauli dish, however, is one to remember. Chunky florets are encased in a golden brown beer batter and sprinkled with a lime and cumin salt.
The crunch and punch of the spicy coating turns the tender veg inside into an irresistible snack, with or without a dip into a dish of thick yoghurt.
And, at $10 for a substantial serve, it’s worthy of return visits.
Good vegies and good value are two of the big attractions at Malobo, a likable, all-day eatery opened earlier this year on the corner where Henley Square meets the road. Considering its broad repertoire, covering breakfast to dinner, the kitchen here does remarkably well.
Just don’t go there looking for a steak, or much else in the way of red meat.
Malobo is owned by the family behind Swedish Tarts cafes (one of which is across the road). While mum and dad concentrate on the original business, brothers Lukas and Mattis Vanzati take care of this establishment, as well as the Hermanos Cubanos takeaway next door. Another brother, Liam, is the head chef.
When the warmer weather eventually gets its act together, the tables Malobo has out on the square will be prime real estate, particularly with live music on the agenda.
Inside, in what was previously Zootz cafe, the coffee machine and trays of pastries are by the door, while the dining space is decked out in timber planks and a psychedelic mural. Our booking from earlier that day has gone AWOL and, after a little confusion, we are shown to a high table with stools at the back, next to the entrance to the toilets. Downlights hanging loose from the ceiling and a grotty wine list that looks as if it has been retrieved from the bin also don’t make a great first impression.
Fortunately, what comes from the kitchen shows greater attention to detail. A higgledy-piggledy pile of whitebait, for instance, demonstrates exemplary frying, each of the little fish lightly coloured, crisp and without any remnant of oil. Cos leaves could have been plucked from the vegie patch moments earlier, are properly cleaned and dressed with a drizzle of nicely lemony dressing and a sprinkle of seeds.
Other than fried squid and the whitebait (a special), all the snacky/share plates are vego, which makes a change.
So does a list of larger dishes without beef, lamb or pork, save a lamb and feta burger. Instead there is salmon and soba, mussels in a saffron and tomato broth, laksa and baked polenta. Yes, these Swedish-born brothers have a wide world view.
And yes, considering the prices, they pull it off, more or less.
The “chowder of the sea” is a big, glazed bowl filled with fresh and smoked fish pieces, prawns and mussels, all thrown together as if dumped by a wave. Plump corn kernels add a sweet pop and the soup itself is rich and satisfying.
You might quibble about the quality of the prawns but not when it all costs $24, including excellent garlic bread.
“Bang bang chicken salad” is another large serve, with rice noodles, shredded breast meat, cucumber batons, chilli, herbs, wedges of lime and a spoon of dressing. A smaller dish is filled with a pure-flavoured broth that hasn’t come from a packet and turns the salad to more of a soup. It just needs a big blob of sambal or chilli paste to really “bang”.
Chicken sliders are more about the condiments – avocado, aioli, chilli jam – than the chook. The result is delicious at the start but all that rich, creaminess means one is probably enough. At least that’s what the young one says.
Desserts are a step up in class.
A cardamom panna cotta would stand up in the flashiest restaurants around town, both in terms of technique – perfect, quivering texture showing gelatine is just so – and presentation with berries, petals etc. Eton mess is the sweet frivolity it is meant to be.
Malabo has the difficult part right, delivering decent and often delicious food that is surprisingly affordable. The packaging, however, could do with some work.
Just make sure you try that cauli before it goes out of style.