MAGIC MINT CAFÉ – INDIAN CUISINE

9 Hall Street Moonee Ponds 

Fully licensed (BYO wine only)

Lunch: Mon – Fri 11am

Dinner: Open 7 nights from 5pm

www.magicmint.com.au

To eat in or take away?  That is sometimes the question…

After almost three years of living very close to this place, we decided it was time to try it.  I wish we had gone sooner!

When we arrived there was only one other table (a large group) in the restaurant.  I started to wonder… but soon decided there was probably more demand for take away than eating in… and it was a horrible winter’s night.  When we were about half way through our meals, however, the place was more full.  So maybe it is a bit of take away and a bit of eat in…

From top: Aloo Gobi, Saffron Rice, Beef Saag

The food was wonderful.  The fit out of the restaurant is fine.  The service was good.  The toilets were a bit of shame. 

Oh well, back to the great food!

We ordered two curries, rice and two garlic naan, which was perfect amount of food for the two of us.  Usually, we tend to order the classics when we have Indian (Rogan Josh, Butter Chicken), but tonight we thought we would try something different.

The first was Beef Saag.  This was a lovely smooth, thick, mild curry.  The meat was cooked perfectly in onion gravy with spinach puree, cream and ginger as a garnish ($13.90).  Very moreish!  It’s a great one to keep dipping your naan into.  There wasn’t anything left of it when we had finished!

The second curry we chose was Aloo Gobi Matter a mild to medium vegetable curry with cauliflower, potatoes and peas and the occasional fresh burst of coriander ($12.90).  Also very good and probably a good choice to go with the Saag.

The saffron rice we ordered was great, with the occasional cardamom pod ($4.50).  And the naan, oh the naan!  It was probably the best naan I have had in ages!  Really soft, stretchy, delicious and not too oily ($4.00ea).

Our food bill was $39.30 for two. I would say that is pretty good value!!

We will definitely going back to Magic Mint and are happily making this our new favourite local Indian.  Take away might be on the cards next time, but it is sometimes good to get out of the house!

Chew Chew

For breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a coffee

0408 470 114

7-11 Norwood Crescent
 Moonee Ponds, 3039

This new breakfast and lunch venue is potentially my new local favourite. I have been watching the venue reincarnate over the past few weeks. What was once a forgettable site is now a triple-fronted rustic haven.

A little Alice in Wonderland, you need to make sure you choose the correct door. There are at least three, but only one will open…

The interior has been done beautifully. Rustic. Exposed brickwork. A long communal table near the entrance offers you a neatly arranged selection of the daily papers. There is a warmer furnished section to the left and to the right, a much brighter, whiter section. But if you don’t want to sit at a table, why not perch on a stool in the window and watch the trains and passengers come and go? What mood are you in?

We choose to sit on the church pew in the warmer, darker section. Above our heads is a shelf of bonsai plants. An interwoven antler-horn chandelier lights the room.

The Gaggia coffee machine is bright green. A standout bench item. I love the way this place is fitted out. Having been recently renovating, I think I know where most of the items have been purchased. Perhaps I am biased because it is consistent with my own home-style? Anyway, I love it (give or take the green machine).

The menu offers a more than decent selection of options. Breakfast is “served all day”. The Panini range is exciting. A selection of sweet treats tempts you from the cabinet next to the green machine. Typically I am a sweet tooth, but today I order the Roast Beef Panini ($10.50).My Company orders the Sausage Panini ($10.50), with broccoli and parmesan. He orders a Chinotto ($3.90), I order a Chai latte ($4). Sorry, not yet able to comment on the coffee!

My Panini is delicious: roast beef; caramelised onions; cheese; horseradish; and baby cos. The onions give just-right sweetness and, despite being toasted, there is a good crunch in the lettuce. My Company’s Panini is very salty, but I think that is to be expected when Italian sausage meets parmesan. If you don’t like salt, steer clear of this option!

The service is cheerful and things are “going really well so far” according to the waitress (I didn’t expect any other answer did I?). There were a number of tables occupied though, so I suppose, like me, all my fellow train travellers have been curiously aware of this place over the past few weeks and are popping by to suss it out. You can’t miss it coming off the train at Moonee Ponds station.

The total bill was $27. Cash only (always a bit of a bugger). So, not cheap, but we were not at all disappointed and will be returning soon. If for nothing else, to sample the coffee!