Believe it or not, we stumbled into this hidden gem, only to find out months later it was on our “to eat” list for months 😂.
Etta is a warm and vibrant Brunswick East neighbourhood bistro that pairs intimate hospitality with inventive, Asian-influenced Modern Australian sharing plates, awarded one chef hat from Good Foods. They have a great selection of wines by the glass.
This was a walk-in on their laksa special night so we got seated in the private room.
Etta is a warm and vibrant Brunswick East neighbourhood bistro that pairs intimate hospitality with inventive, Asian-influenced Modern Australian sharing plates, awarded one chef hat from Good Foods. They have a great selection of wines by the glass.
This was a walk-in on their laksa special night so we got seated in the private room.
Food
This was tea quail egg skewer, with pickled lotus root and Shicuan chilli oil for $11. It was good, but actually the worst dish of the night for us out of everything. The meat was tender, the flavours were a perfect blend of Asian and Australian, but the lotus root kind of played as a double edge sword.
This was salt bake celeriac with blue swimmer crab and Ramarro Farm radicchio for $30. It was so sweet and refreshing, served cold. They cooked the celeriac really well so that there was not bitterness to it.
This was scallop, bay of fires cheddar, and pickled apple for $14 each. WOW! This was amazing. The scallop had a texture that was almost like tofu that it confused us. They said they blend the scallop into an emulsion and recreate it into a giant version of it. Delicious!
I’m a lover of tofu but even Mick agreed this golden tofu, with corn and kohlrabi for $32 was the highlight of the night. It was the most perfect soft tofu, fried with the thinnest crispy shell. And the toppings brought zest and earthy tones to the bite.
We love that we unexpectedly walked in on a specials night. On Wednesdays only during winter, Etta makes a lorcan’s laksa for $38. This was a coconut curry laksa with house-made noodles, golden tofu and sambal. It was probably one of the best laksas we’ve had in Melbourne. Every ingredient, every ratio, done perfectly. The Australian flair would be the cleanliness of it as a traditional laksa is a lot more fattier and richer, but the serving size was perfect for us 2 on this cold winter night.
Our last dish was this rock flathead with sugarloaf cabbage and burnt grape butter sauce for $60. Oh my goodness, the fish was sooooo good. Cooked to perfection. And the flavour combination of this sauce brought sweetness, savouriness and so much umami. We loved it.
Drinks
For a small neighbourhood restaurant, they had an amazing collection of wines by the glass. Sam (passionate wine lover) was so knowledgable about every bottle. He got us hooked on the Saint-Aubin.
Service
The service was spectacular. We thought by being seated in the private room, we would be forgotten but staff continued to check in on us, bring dishes and clear the table at a good pace. This was a busier night than our Spring visit (due to the special laksa) and we’re genuinely surprise they didn’t get two hats.
Review
This was a great local find for us. We love the aesthetics, a mix of real greenery and warehouse vibes, and the food was delicious. We returned with friends for their Spring menu (HERE).
Thanks for reading, happy eating!
Thanks for reading, happy eating!
