Nomad

187 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
https://nomad.melbourne/

Another year, another birthday, and the big one this year is at NOMAD Melbourne – the eminent Sydney transplant known for its wood-fired Middle Eastern inspired menu. Located inconspicuously underground on Flinders Lane, the space is unsurprisingly dark, moody, and modern. The seriousness and precision showcased in the open kitchen is almost stern, a perception softened by the large woodfire oven dominating the space, harkening back to the cuisine’s more rustic undertones. The food follows suit – though all the dishes are polished to a Modern Australian sheen, they nonetheless retain the exuberant flavours from its humble roots. Overall, the night was a very enjoyable one, with good food in a lovely environment. If I were to be especially picky, I would accuse it of being unmemorable, but there is no doubt that the cooking is quality, and overall a great crowd pleaser for any special occasion.

Rating: 14.5/20 – factory-made.
To-order: honestly, I get the hunch it’s all good, though most of it probably unmemorable – prove me wrong!

The Wood Grilled Cuttlefish ($36) sounded amazing on paper, and I will say it was also good in real life, but perhaps not as much as I had hoped. The seafood was of course perfectly cooked into tender, smoky coils, the gentle briny flavours grounded by a charcuterie-based XO heavy with paprika. Don’t waste the residual sauce – mop it up with the signature woodfired bread (more on that later).

I had expected the Fried Pumpkin ($26) to be a double cooked, roasted and fried situation. Turns out it’s exactly as promised – thin slices of sweet, nutty pumpkin fried in tempura batter into a chunky chip, then seasoned with truffle honey and pecorino for that timeless combination of sweet, savoury, and earthy. This is a really fun take on a classic flavour profile, and a great one to share around the table.

We were strongly encouraged to order the Wood Fired Flatbread ($14), and after seeing the endless march of steaming loaves parade from the oven to the pass, well. I’m only human. And this was indeed excellent, the irregularly charred round scattering zaatar and dripping with good olive oil as it pulls apart to reveal the yeasty, puffy middle. Have it with anything and everything, though apparently it’s especially popular with the fava bean hummus.

In the spirit of avoiding the obvious order of lamb at a Middle Easter restaurant, we decided to give the Dry Aged Pork Cutlet ($54) a crack. This was easily the best dish of the night. The dry-aging really brought out the rich flavour of the meat, which was cut through by the bitter radicchio leaves and jammy apple puree. The best part of all was the layer of crackling, which was the perfect golden crunch, layered with a ribbon of well-rendered fat, and the juiciest meat cooked to utter perfection.

The Fried Maris Piper Potatoes ($14) were Ethan’s choice, and we both agreed that we should’ve chosen something lighter. These were good in the way fried potatoes with butter are bound to be good, but nothing to write home about.

I had heard great things about the Olive Oil Ice Cream Sandwich ($25) – you know who you are, Peter. This was basically three desserts in one: ice cream, baklava, and halva. But just like the potatoes, whilst you can’t in good conscience accuse it of being less than adequate, it is rather underwhelming.