This touring Brisbane comedian loves the diverse food scene in this small but mighty city. She even had what she considers the best meal of the year there.
Australian comedian Mel Buttle is currently on tour with her new show, Taking My Sunglasses Off to Hear You Better. The busy Brisbane mother-of-two, who welcomed her second child in May, has been navigating the challenging newborn phase, including four nightly feeds.
To survive the exhaustion, the self-proclaimed foodie is leaning on her go-to strategy: easy-to-prep meals for her family.
And while a busy schedule often calls for convenience, the comedian and Everyplate ambassador also values traditions. For her, a Sunday roast is a cherished ritual that helps her feel grounded.
“At this stage of my family’s life, I need easy, and having a meal-kit-ready option takes the stress away for me,” says Buttle. “But I have always loved cooking at home, and when I cook, it’s always something that can be used as lunch options a few days after I’ve cooked it.”
Having moved four times in the past few years, she’s become a kitchen minimalist, expertly eliminating unnecessary gadgets from her drawers and cupboards.
“I got rid of the rice cooker. If you learn to cook rice, you don’t need a big contraption,” says Buttle. “I also got rid of a device that helps strain and separate eggs for you. It doesn’t work.”
But there’s one kitchen item she can’t part with, even though it doesn’t get used. “It’s a special measuring spoon that tells you how much spaghetti you should put in the water for how many people – that I can’t give away because it was a gift.”
EATING OUT
My favourite hometown restaurant
Taj Mahal in Brisbane’s New Farm serves the best Indian food I have ever had, and I have been to India! It’s owned by a husband-and-wife duo who have run it for more than 20 years. They have dishes you don’t see everywhere. My favourite is gobi Manchurian – it’s buttered cauliflower in a light chilli sauce, which is phenomenal. Southside is where I go for a modern-East Asian banquet meal. It’s a sophisticated place – take someone who is a good eater.
My favourite hometown bar and/or cafe
Whisky bar Death & Taxes in Brisbane. It’s one of those amazing places that makes you feel like you could be in New York – it’s dark, cool and calm, and they’re big on table service. My cocktail of choice there is an Old Fashioned.
Alphabet Cafe in West End is where I go for Swiss brown mushrooms and a potato waffle. They make a lot of the ingredients in house – the pickles on your breakfast can be purchased in a jar, too. The house-baked goods and biscuits change regularly, and the Supreme coffee is excellent.
Ben’s Burgers in Fortitude Valley is also very good. It’s a small place and they have a few burgers on the menu; I always order a classic burger.
Favourite spots in Sydney
Mamak in Haymarket for Malaysian. There are often huge lines, and you can watch them make roti from the window while you wait. I order the nasi goreng, noodles, the roti and two curry sauces, an iced Milo and, if I want to take some home, I order the water spinach in chilli paste.
I also like Chiswick Restaurant in Woollahra. I order the slow-roasted lamb shoulder with mint and salsa jus. Henrietta in Surry Hills is great for chicken. bills is a breakfast spot I adore. In my 20s, I used to watch him cook on telly, and then go to the restaurant and have the ricotta hotcakes. It blew my mind.
The Ace Hotel is where I stay when in Sydney. They make all-day breakfast, and the brunch is generous. I like their room service, too. I order a bowl of greens with miso dressing, and add salmon or fish to that. I also order their chips or roast potatoes.
Favourite spots in Melbourne
Embla in the CBD for snacky share plates; there’s a fire-cooked focus here, which makes the food so tasty. I also go to Nana Thai on the corner of Bourke and Russell streets, which often has huge lines. It’s cheap and open late. We always go in a group and share. I order crispy pork with rice. It’s not for a Western palate – it’s proper spicy.
I eat breakfast at Bowery to Williamsburg – an American bagel place. Tropicana Juice on Elizabeth Street is the best for a smoothie. For coffee, I go to Brother Baba Budan in Little Bourke Street – it’s always a flat white for me.
After doing a comedy show in Melbourne, I get a pizza slice from Pizza Pizza Pizza in Meyers Place, or head out the back to their cocktail bar and eat the same pizza for a $1 more and have cocktails. I like going to Nick & Nora’s, where I drink red wine or gin cocktails.
ON THE ROAD
Favourite food city and why
Adelaide is my favourite food city because there’s so much variety. You don’t expect to find so much good food in a smaller city, but it packs in plenty.
Which are your favourite places to eat and drink there?
Exchange Coffee in the Adelaide CBD for breakfast. I am there every single day when I am performing at Adelaide Fringe Festival, and I order either the avocado on toast or beans and mushrooms. OVO is a great coffee spot for a flat white. They also sell quality gelato.
Herringbone Restaurant is a standout. I haven’t had a better meal this year; it’s the sort of place where the food is five-star, but it’s a wooden table setting and friendly staff – there’s no stuffiness to it. They make bread on site and also make their own potato crisps with whipped cod roe dip. The cheesy gnocchi are served with pan-fried porcini.
The Salopian Inn in McLaren Vale is another wonderful spot. It’s well worth hiring a car and driving there – this is regional dining at its finest. I ate red-braised Paroo kangaroo tail and the Salopian dumplings. They have a wine cellar where you go and pick a wine you bring back to the table to drink.
Where do you stay when you’re there and why?
I stay at the Majestic Rooftop Garden Hotel. It’s in the heart of the action and an easy walk to the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The rooms are big, and it’s quiet. I love it.
What is your favourite place to eat in Australia, and any special food memories here you have?
It’s a bittersweet memory for me because it was the last place I ate a meal with my late friend, comedian Cal Wilson. We were doing a comedy gig, Grapes of Mirth, at Josef Chromy Wines in the Tamar Valley, Launceston. We both ordered the pork belly, which was tender and crispy, and drank the best wines.
EATING IN
Signature dish at home
It’s a slow-roasted lamb shoulder on a Sunday for the family, which I serve with potatoes roasted in duck fat when I am fancying it up.
My guilty pleasure
I have an obsession with cheesy, creamy and carbs. If I see a three-cheese gnocchi dish on the menu, I will order it. Same goes for carbonara or cacio e pepe pasta.
Best kitchen wisdom I cling to
My dad, Barry, used to be a chef in the navy, and also worked for SunRice Australia in the early ’80s. It meant we ate amazing Chinese dishes such as salt-and-pepper quail. My kitchen wisdom comes from him – he taught me to chop properly and explore ingredients. He also said to do all the prep before you start cooking. He was methodical, and that stuck with me.
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Jane Rocca is a regular contributor to Sunday Life Magazine, Executive Style, The Age EG, columnist and features writer at Domain Review, Domain Living’s Personal Space page. She is a published author of four books.Connect via Twitter or email.
