Takeout stakeout
IN: If you don’t already live there, Pt Chev is a bit weird. You go there if you’re going to the beach, or visiting Coyle Park with the kids. Food? It’s always seemed like there are two options: bring your own, or go somewhere else. That seems to be changing — and changing quickly. There’s been the recent arrival of some great coffee spots, brunch options and eateries (see sidebar). Things don’t seem quite as strong for dinner options but, having shacked up in the suburb for a couple of nights, we asked around, read a few reviews and decided to take a punt on
Samadi, a small eatery close to the library, producing a small menu of traditional Afghanistani food. We weren’t disappointed.
OUT: It was a Sunday night and we could have used Uber Eats. But we were just down the road and it seemed far too lazy. So we phoned in our order: Banjan Sia — a slow-cooked eggplant dish ($16), a Large Mantu — a plate of beef dumplings ($28), and the Qorma — a beef curry served with Qabuli Palau or fragrant rice ($24). We were told it would take 20 minutes and it was ready bang on cue: three tubs of delicious-smelling food in an Uber Eats bag waiting for us on the bench. The small restaurant has a unique dining experience, with two large inside tables inset into the floor. Next time, we’ll bring the kids. They’ll love that.
THE TAKEAWAY: Everything was delicious. The eggplant was soft and silky, its smooth curry flavour tempered by plenty of yoghurt. The dumplings were soft and addictive: sprinkled with slightly crunchy yellow peas, I could have eaten the entire dish myself. The beef qorma was slowcooked to perfection, meltingly good. And the rice was something else too, so fragrant and embellished with extras it’s was an entire dish all of its own. Pt Chev. Who knew? We’ll definitely be back.
Chris Schulz