As much as wearing soaking wet clothes to work is unpleasant, I am grateful for the change in weather - it was such a hot weekend. We tried cooling down in the pool, lying in front of a fan and eventually moved as little as possible. My herbs were dying (I think the coriander is gone for good) and my skin was getting very pink... maybe the pool hadn't been the best idea after all.
It was definitely too hot to use the oven or stove or just be in the kitchen at all. And while doing very little seems very appealing on a Sunday, we needed a way to escape the heat and nourish ourselves after the festivities of the weekend.
With an extra straggler (Ben) still around in the light of day - a few of us had traipsed back to my place in the late hours of Saturday night to continue our 'deep' philosophical conversations - we ventured out to the Malthouse Theatre to grab a bite from the Malthouse Kitchen.
The late breakfast crowd had dissipated and only a few people were sitting outside under the shade of large umbrellas. Being early in the afternoon on a Sunday (they close at 1pm on a Sunday), there was still a few paninis and salads left, but not much else. I chose a noodle salad and the boys got toasted paninis (it looked like it had salami in it).
While inside was pretty empty and very cool, we decided to eat outside. And despite the oppressive heat, it was comfortable in the shade. Being outside also placed us right between the ACCA and the Malthouse Theatre, two iconic and architecturally fascinating buildings, which all Melburnians and tourists in Melbourne should visit sometime.
My noodle salad was interesting. It had a couple of ingredients that I couldn't identify by sight or taste, but I tucked in anyway. The chillies, cold noodles and assortment of lettuce leaves just didn't fill the spot - I probably should have ordered something with more protein. However the textures and flavours, especially ingredients such as the sesame seeds, made me appreciate the salad's potential. It's just not a dish for me.
Dan ordered a cappuccino, which he seemed to enjoy. He described it as a coffee that was fearlessly intense; dark roasted with a heavy body.
Then the boys' toasted paninis were brought out to our table. Neither seemed overly excited by the paninis, but I didn't hear them complaining either. To be honest, we were too busy laughing about events in the last 24 hours to share decent food notes.
Located in Melbourne's Arts Precincts, the Malthouse Kitchen mostly caters to pre- and post-theatre crowds. It offers a range of 'lighter' meals from paninis to cakes and even serves alcohol. The Malthouse building is absolutely beautiful - it used to be a brewery - and being able to dine between that and the ACCA is a drawcard all on its own. The food is not overly scrumptious or creative, but it gives you a few options in an area that really doesn't have many quality restaurants.
As for us, we'd cooled down and eaten - two crucial activities we needed to undertake to get through a stinking hot day after a big couple of nights - and as the shampoo bottle says "rinse and repeat".
- Dani
Summary
Name: The Malthouse Kitchen
Cuisine: Cafe
Price: $$
Location: 113 Sturt St, Southbank VIC 3006
Map:
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