Winter may have well and truly descended on the city, however the kitchen at 180 Flinders Lane is anything but chilly. From lunchtime to late nights, the restaurant is pumping – luring patrons with the promise of midday ramen, warm gatherings with friends, exceptional local seafood and basement karaoke kick-ons (with liquid whisky courage).
The new winter menu packs as much punch as the newly-installed Street Fighter II arcade game downstairs. Head Chef Perry Schagen takes Chinese, Korean and Japanese favourites like kimchi and congee and introduces them to the new season’s Australian produce – a playful confluence of Asian and antipodean.
May through to August sees an ever-changing wave of seafood at the restaurant – species that are fresh, light and full of flavour. As ever, Schagen favours sustainable Australian seafood, including Queensland cobia, Lake’s Entrance sea bream and later on in the season, Port Phillip Bay sea urchin. To ensure the quality of the produce, all fish and cephalopods used in the restaurant are hand-caught, using ethical fishing procedures established by fishmonger, Mark Eather that leave zero footprint o n marine environs. Seafood is immediately processed by administering the ike jime method, a humane process that maintains integrity and flavour.
Sourced from far North Queensland, cobia, pickled fennel, yuzu & chilli is a deft meeting of bold flavours. Often called black kingfish, the marbled flesh of the cobia matches the distinctive pickled fennel and the salty zest of the yuzu kosho. Tuna, perilla kimchi & kombu is an equally robust player on the raw bar. The peppery and earthy flavours of the perilla kimchi leaf compliment the darker flesh of the Sunshine Coast tuna.
Pickled mussels, potato, kimchi, mayonnaise & lap cheong is a new favourite, owing to its mix of tastes and textures. The plump mussels contrast with the texture of the potato and lightly spiced Chinese sausage.
More warming fish dishes include blue eye, congee & coastal herbs; the Chinese breakfast staple is topped with generous fillets of Tasmanian blue eye. Alternatively, pan roasted whole flounder or John Dory, burnt butter, wild watercress & shaved kombu, is a luxurious addition to the banquet menu: classic comfort food, perfect for sharing.
Ramen makes a return this season and in typical Supernormal fashion, the quality of the ingredients makes this iteration a cut above. Loaded with grilled chicken, dumplings, soy egg, wakame and togarashi, the light chicken and miso broth takes a more delicate approach, making it perfect for power lunches.
For the first time, Supernormal is bringing street vendor snack favourite taiyaki to the dessert menu. An Australian spin on the Japanese classic, the warm fish-shaped cakes are filled with creamy custard, yuzu curd or ice cream.
Winter inevitably calls for whisky and this season Supernormal’s Wine Buyer, Leanne Altmann and her team have turned their attention to small-batch Australian labels. Smith’s Angaston distilled in Yalumba’s brandy still is one of the oldest Australian whiskies the team have encountered. Aged in Yalumba’s ex-wine casks, it displays distinctly fruity characteristics.
Distilled in 2006, the Southern Coast Single Malt is a rare find from a distillery no longer in operation. Mellowing in an Adelaide warehouse, the malt was eventually discovered and bottled in 2015 by an enthusiast, to great acclaim. Distillers Ian Schmidt and Vic Orlow are now distilling Tin Shed’s single malt, Iniquity, which is also on the Supernormal list.
This season’s cocktails have taken inspiration from rich fruit flavours. Shrub is a traditional vinegar fruit cocktail created using preserved summer fruits and combined with Ogasawara mirin. Tang Dynasty is loaded with the citrus flavours of yuzu, pomegranate and lemongrass whilst Alpha Green is an eclectic combination of botanicals – Tanqueray Ten, coriander, Manzanilla sherry and chamomile.
Supernormal operates daily from 11am; the bar and kitchen are open all day until late.
Supernormal, 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne | supernormal.net.au
