culture diet - june 2k25
what to consume across the city and the web
I had a hectic dream last night that I was meeting with a migration officer who ended up being god and taught me an invaluable lesson about the meaning/importance of my personal life challenges (and facing hardship with love and acceptance)
can you tell i’m between shrinks right now? one of several morals I woke up with this morning is that there’s value in things being not quite right or even a complete failure
I spent the last month worrying that the last GRUEL event would be that. in the end, it was okay based on the metrics that I measure “success” but in a roundabout way, my subconscious god figure reminded me of a major reason I started this platform in the first place –
to allow myself and others to try and, at times, fail, because there are not many spaces in our adult lives where we’re given an opportunity to do that
so thanks to those who came to lupine last night and to those who fuck with my vision, even when I get in my head about it, and bear with me while I try stuff
in other news, that’ll be the last event for a while because, like everyone else, i’m off to japan (with a quick day trip to busan). my google maps hit list is already overloaded but if anyone has extra hot tips, please let me know! and save the date for a big collab in an undisclosed northside location coming to you on august 1
in the meantime, there’s lotssss happening locally so read on
australians are eating record amounts if chicken. if that’s you, check this
pistachio papi heads can now get it at woolies
magma pizza has slashed prices to $20, always
a new study shows australia’s food system prioritises economic and production success at the expense of public health and the environment , causing “hidden” costs of close to $270 billion annually
JUNE
chez manzé feat. kasun - TONIGHT at manzé - prices vary
going away luncheon by zyugoo - sat 7 june at hotel house - FREE*
sunday lunch by sicilian smokeout - sun 8 june at lumen people - $55
onigiri-making party by linhs food - mon 9 june at secret location - POA
winter menu by saadi - thurs 12 june - sat 26 july at sunda - from $40pp
drinks & glizzys by a mixed business - sat 14 june at fenton - prices vary
hearts for burma (myanmar) market by victoria - sun 15 june at flippy’s - FREE*
solsticio collage workshop by yo soy collective x boss witch d - sat 21 june at dukkana - $20
mnxavák (mikanaki) zine launch by oscar - sun 22 june at capers - FREE*
* food / drinks available for purchase
ahma chicken schnitzel bento (cbd) - I think about the loss of my beloved eku noodle nearly daily but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, ahma has emerged in its place. I was initially most excited by their “taiwanese hot dog // small sausage in large sausage” but what stuck with me was their perfectly crispy, juicy, well-seasoned chicken schnitz bento
sogumm doenjang bibimbap (richmond) - this new spot serves four core dishes inspired by korea’s four foundational seasonings – gochujang, soy sauce, salt and doenjang (like miso but funkier). that’s the base of their bibimbap, which eschews onion and garlic in line with buddhist temple cuisine yet still goes so unbelievably hard
everyday coffee rhonda (cbd) - I stopped going to everyday after a few instances of curdled soymilk but rhonda has restored my faith. I visited on a quest to find the city’s best cinnamon (sc)rolls and this one blew me away, no cap. can pair with a coffee (not curdled! the curse has lifted) for $10 on tuesdays
diamond indian hungarian feast (clifton hill) - full review on this is coming later but let me just say, they’re two cuisines that are perfectly matched
moment coffee china matcha (cbd) - japan gets all the matcha cred but china was the og and now they’re reclaiming their status. like chinese coffee and wine, i sense that chinese matcha will soon develop its own cult following abroad. if you’re sick of bland, weak, milky matchas, you’ll loooove this
kentaro foie gras scallop (cbd) - a crazy combination but it somehow works. also into the fact that it looks like an inverted spam musubi. TLDR on kentaro is that it’s very rich but, if you’re into that, then also v good
andrew’s burgers classic burg (albert park) - like krispy kreme, I feel like I could down a million greasy smash patties and not be full. meanwhile cake donuts, or in this case, old-school burgers, are less rich and yet somehow more satisfying. so that’s my case for andrew’s
bbq king buffet (cbd) - as a cruise-goer I am, by default, a buffet stan, but I regretfully don’t get to them often (on dry land). so what a treat it was to go to bbq buffet and manage to skip the queue because apparently they take bookings? the DIY meat stuff freaks me out re: timing the cook right, but I otherwise recomend. pro tip to avoid overwhelm/food waste/having to get up multiple times: get a carb and/or veg base first then circle back for complementary proteins (e.g. japchae + beef, candied sweet potato + halloumi, etc.)