Toddy Shop
Twenty-seat hotspot for punchy, group-friendly plates.
Critics' Pick
Indian$
In Kerala, toddy shops are informal cafes serving alcoholic drinks made from fermented coconut sap. Chef Mischa Tropp pays homage to these food stands. Spins on well-trodden cocktails include the Toddy Colada: coconut, lime, curry leaf, pineapple and toddy over ice.
Dishes (many of them Tropp family recipes) are built for sharing, spooned onto stainless steel plates. Cubed pork for a peppery dry curry is fried in its own fat until it takes on a firm, jerky-like texture. Coconut and curry leaves are roasted for prawn theeyal, its sauce sharpened with tamarind.
Boiled eggs are oozy treasures in rich onion tomato gravy. Beetroot is cooked with ground mustard to make a perky pachadi. Sop it all up with delightfully nutty red matta rice. The room is tiny – the kitchen fits just one chef – but staff are well-drilled, efficient and friendly.
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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/vic-good-food-guide/toddy-shop-20241112-p5kq08.html