Lady Moustache has been a Gamon Street resident for well over a year now but its just that little further out of the hustle and bustle of the main streets of Seddon for it to always be the one cafe you drive past and go "oh I wonder what that place is like ... must check it out next time" ... and never do, obviously.
But this time round we felt like (a) an alcoholic beverage and (b) something non-Asian for our CBA Friday repast. And so we finally made it!! And guess what ... we loved it.
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So the food isn't quite of the blow your mind category, but it certainly is slightly above average. There is a reasonable wine list and a plethora of spirits and beers to choose from, and service is friendly, and in one instance extremely charming ... *cue early Prince song*
Its one of those conglomerate tex-mex-spanish-tapasy type menus where you are encouraged to share. Again something we were up for that night.
Let me apologise for my lack of attention to detail in regards to the menu. I will paraphrase as best as my memory serves me. I generally go to places such as these firstly to eat, and if I am suitably enthused by the experience to spread the good good (ok too much Beyonce at the mo) around by blogging.
As with every first visit to a new eatery we had to try their signature dish which was the Cuban Black Bean Rice (I think I got this right) which sadly was the only dud of the night. Well I say dud, but I honestly think that my version of this dish would win hands down in a cook-off. If you want a rather prosaic version then check it out here, but I'd hook a brother up with heaps more cumin and a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes for a little pep!
We also had the South American crispy fried chicken ... my appetite for crunchy battered fowl remains unabated. Still not quite in the celestial realm of a good Korean Fried Chicken, or the Malay style found at a reputable Nasi Padang stall, this dish was delicious enough and certainly moreish, but it was let down by the rather unconsidered smear of limpid chilli mayo (was it?). Thankfully chipotle chilli sauce came to the rescue. The accompanying lentil and chickpea salad was yummy.
Ourr third, but not final, choice was the Crab Cakes. So they weren't quite as firm or even as crisp as we thought they would be, seeing as they were served in a Mango soup. But in comparison with the horror we recently had at another establishment slightly "north of the border", Lady Moustache's offering was a culinary delight.
That slightly rancid seafoody taste (ok this is just my personal opinion) of pre-prepared crab flesh with its herb inflected batter combined nicely with the sweet pureed Mango soup and the corn, avo and tomato salsa - the taste of a tropical beachy holiday with each mouthful. Definitely a must try. Oh and what looks like a rather miserly serving of chips, is actually Sweet Potato ... ok yes still miserly!
We figured we could squeeze in just one final shared plate but unfortunately they were out of the Cheese and Chorizo Empanada (we will seek this out at our next visit and also ... typical!), so we opted for the Prawns (see previous comment about remembering menu descriptions) instead.
These could have been a little spicier (yes we are those people!) but I couldn't fault the freshness and the consistency. Just enough give but not quite flailing in the mouth like a drunken prawn at a Chinese celebratory dinner. I believe there was some kind of salsa or guac underneath, but really the crustracean was the main event and everything else was just filler.
A lovely new drinking hole that actually has above average bar snackage and is reasonably close with ample street parking ... next up breakfast and hopefully on the balcony off the second floor ... oh and the charm of youth!
PS - so is this end of Gamon Street actually Yarraville or is it still Seddon? Or are we wasting time splitting hairs?
