Where Jamie Oliver should have eaten in Melbourne on his grand food tour

He’s been eating and drinking his way around our city, but there were a few places Jamie Oliver overlooked.

Jamie Oliver has been eating and drinking his way around Melbourne while filming as a guest judge on the new season of MasterChef Australia.

The celebrity chef has been spotted at Thornbury’s 1800 Lasagne, Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, Carlton’s Lagoon Dining, Gimlet at Cavendish House and the Prahran Market.

But there were five restaurants the Naked Chef overlooked on this visit— and the food he should order at each.

Crab masala filled zucchini flowers. Picture: Annika Kafcaloudis

1. ETTA

Crab masala stuffed zucchini flowers

This Brunswick East restaurant has been the talk of the town for its flame-powered eats and killer drinks list for almost eight years. Owner Hannah Green and head chef Rosheen Kaul are responsible for many good times and those zucchini flowers will kick things off nicely. Fried and generously filled with crab and tomato masala, they wield the same chaotic energy as an Indian summer night market. All curry spice and heat – what a treat.

Mahob’s Amok ahar samout (seafood amok). Picture: Valeriu Campan

2. MAHOB BY AMOK

Seafood amok

This Cambodian restaurant has popped up at a Hawthorn East pub— and is responsible for some absolutely killer food. Mahob is one of those places where you can order anything and trust it’ll be good. The seafood amok, Cambodian fish stew, is one of my favourites.

Get in before the end of the year or miss out forever.

3. THE HELLENIC HOUSE PROJECT

Potato cake with taramasalata

George Calombaris’s Highett comeback restaurant has many delicious tricks up its sleeve from fresh from the spit souvas, a knockout slow cooked lamb shoulder and clevers take on spanikopita and saganaki. But his humble potato cake, slathered in white taramasalata and bursting with cod roe, is an almighty snack.

Comte Gougeres

4. FRENCH SALOON

Comte Gougeres

Nuzzle worthy comte gougères make for many worthy bites at this CBD favourite. A crisp savoury choux pastry is loaded with ooey gooey cheese and Dijon, finished in a blizzard of more comte. Get comte fluff on your snout, suck the luscious cheesy mess from each of your fingers and enjoy indulging on something so rich, airy, light and downright delicious. Team it with a crisp glass of pouilly fume. That’s an order.

The Originale.

5. ROCCO’S BOLOGNA DISCOTECA

Originale

It was love at first bite. This Maccas-inspired late night (or daytime, you do you) sandwich has a squishy warm potato bun, stretchy mozzarella cheese, a squirt of American mustard and some locally made bologna; which is similar to mortadella. Rather than a pink and white patchwork of green olives and peppercorn, the bologna emulsifies into one glorious porky sheet of deli meat. And when you stamp it in the sandwich press, it gets all hot and sweaty and sizzles with a new-found sexiness. Oh boy.