When talking about Indigenous food restaurants in Melbourne, my research showed that Mabu Mabu was the first to come to mind for most Melburnians (by “research,” I mean the five people I asked and myself). However, I had never had the chance to eat there until late last year when Jik treated me to a Secret Food Tour—pushing the dial even further away from my claim that I am not a food blogger.
Mabu Mabu was our first stop that morning. Tucked in the corner of Fed Square, it’s not a hard restaurant to find, thanks to its iconic bright blue sign—the same sign I remembered from the first time I spotted it at South Melbourne Market.
Jik and I shared a table with Carmen, another food tour attendee who had also received the voucher as a birthday gift.
Since it was still practically breakfast time, we opted for the Indigenous food-tasting platter, which was a fun way to kick off a food tour.
The first thing we tried was a Cassava Rosti.
Cassava is nothing new for us Indonesians—it’s a staple, especially in eastern Indonesia (we usually have it as a midday snack in Java). However, the cassava at Mabu Mabu was cooked differently and presented beautifully, giving us a unique take on Indigenous food.
Next was a crocodile – Charred Kodal (crocodile) tongue skewer, tea grass and garlic shoots. And I must say that I have eaten more Crocs in the past year than in my whole life ever.
The last item was Damper bread – Island damper, tea grass & warrigal greens, golden syrup butter, another interesting introduction to the Indigenous food experience.
For more than one reason—but mainly because I had Damper bread on my list of must-try Indigenous delicacies in Melbourne for years—I was thrilled to get to taste it finally.
The Indigenous food at Mabu Mabu was exquisite, and I’ve always believed it’s a privilege to be introduced to another culture through its food. And for this experience, I have Jik to thank.
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[…] Mabu Mabu sells native, freshly made dips, sauces, and chutneys, all using indigenous ingredients. They also stock seasonal spices such as Rice Spice and Salt Bush). It’s owned by a Torres Islander and runs together with her partner. I recently reached out to the chef/owner, Noire, for an interview. […]
This looks good, I’ll need to try it