Jamila Rizvi is a woman of many hats – and likes to eat at her favourite Melbourne restaurants while wearing them. She’s a best-selling author, a columnist for The Age, a podcaster, and the deputy managing director at Future Woman, where she champions gender equity in Australian workplaces.
Rizvi has called Melbourne home since 2015, after moving to the city for love. She remains fiercely loyal to the inner-north suburbs of Collingwood and Fitzroy where she first landed, but insists she can be tempted to cross the river in search of Indian food that matches up against what her grandmother used to make. Here’s how she Melbournes.
My local is Sonido in Fitzroy and Terror Twilight in Collingwood. And despite not being an actual local anymore, I remain a loyal regular at both. My go-to order at Sonido is two queso arepas, one with beef and guacamole and the other with butter and salt. It’s the ideal breakfast. Terror Twilight can’t be beaten for music or atmosphere when you’re after a not-quite-in-the-city working lunch. Plus, their bowl options give you that smug healthy feeling.
My favourite place to stock up on supplies is Gewürzhaus. I mostly shop online these days, but visiting their Fitzroy store is always a treat. My favourites are the Moroccan Souk spice, and the Korean Gochugaru and Mama’s Meatball blends. For general deliciousness and bought meals that feel home-made, I love wandering the aisles of Cedar Bakery in Preston for Middle Eastern groceries, oils and pickles.
The best new thing I’ve found is Marmont. A friend booked us in for lunch recently and it was reminiscent of a trip my family and I took to LA last year. We sat outside and watched the sun go down, sipping Mango Mezcal Margaritas and eating (fancy) fried chicken and corn bread. The venue’s tunes perfectly matched the moment.
When I want to really go crazy on a fancy meal, I… A meal at Vue de Monde requires the most special of occasions. I am a brain tumour survivor, and this is where my husband and I went for dinner to celebrate after I’d recovered from surgery. Since then, it has firmly cemented itself as my favourite fine-dining option. I love their showmanship around food, and it’s almost making me look forward to turning forty next year.
When I want to show off the city to friends from out of town, I like to wander the inner north for some of the best window shopping in the city, before having a quiet wine at Marion. I want to pretend that drink turns into a destination dinner somewhere else, but why would I leave when they have some of the best small bites in Melbourne? (Don’t get me started on the flatbread and fromage blanc, which is a religious experience.)
There’s no better value in the city than Shop Ramen. Shop Ramen. Shop Ramen. I only survived pregnancy thanks to its deliciousness. My go-to is the pork belly ramen with shoyu. Despite having visited a near-infinite number of times, I’ve actually never had anything else. I can’t fathom not having it.
If I could change one thing about eating and drinking here it would be… someone please help me and bring more Indian options to the north-east. I am desperate.
But the one thing I hope never changes here is that Melbourne prides itself on good food, music and atmosphere. We may not be as pretty as Sydney, but we have more fun.
Broken Brains by Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland (Penguin, RRP $36.99) comes out on 6 May. Order your copy here, and follow Jamila on Instagram at @jamilarizvi