AND ALSO
Line of fire
Melbourne’s David Thompson drought has officially ended with Long Chim opening at Crown. Like the other branches of his Thai street-food chain, it delivers with guns (and chilli) blazing: Thompson’s legendary finesse runs from incendiary chicken Chiang Mai larp to grilled sticky rice with banana. There are good cocktails, too – the perfect way to celebrate the breaking of a drought. Long Chim, Riverside at Crown, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, (03) 9292 7898
Plume with panache
The Geelong suburb of Belmont now has a casually sophisticated bistro
(or “bistrot”) to call its own. Bistrot
Plume has a short, sharp list of local and European wines, plus a menu with a yen for French classics – steak tartare and steak frites, chicken parfait and roast chicken. There are good ingredients, such as Balmain bugs simply grilled with parsley and garlic, savvy service and the general feeling of being in a safe pair of hands. Bistrot Plume, 56a Mt Pleasant Rd, Belmont, (03) 5245 8483
New out of Africa
Chef Pierre Khodja (ex-Flinders Hotel) has surfaced in Northcote in a smartly kitted-out shopfront named after fellow Algerian Camus. It’s Khodja’s first time cooking in his own place and his sophisticated take on the cooking of his homeland includes calamari stuffed with prawns with a mushroom borek, and Turkish delight soufflé with pistachio baklava and halva ice-cream. The bar has its own menu and is an excellent place for a pre- or post-cinema pitstop. Camus, 61 High St, Northcote, (03) 9486 3063