palookaville, fitzroy: an eclectic mix

Perched on the north end of Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Palookaville seems to be just the sort of place you visit when you want to be a little adventurous, without having to worry about the possibility of getting bad food. The regular menu has an eclectic selection of dishes with inspiration from various regions, and if you ever tire of those, there's always a special or two that might take your fancy. I've been a few times now, and am yet to discover a dish I dislike. Not to mention that at $12 a pop for most of the mains, you'd be hard pressed to find similar dishes elsewhere which are nearly as affordable.

So I went to Palookaville with Simon and Kelvin last night and again we all left satisfied.

Simon had the tried-and-tested twice cooked pork belly. All three of us have ordered this before and all gave it the thumbs up, so I didn't even bother asking how it was this time.

twice cooked pork belly

I wanted the Persian lamb shanks, but they didn't have it so I settled for the chicken saltimbocca. This I think is a new addition to the menu, as I had not seen it before. The verdict: I would still have preferred the lamb shanks, but it's difficult to fault this. Both the chicken and the polenta were rich and moist; the salad counterbalances with pleasant acidity.

chicken saltimbocca

Kelvin, intrigued by the spaghetti with crab featured on the specials menu, ordered it, declared it tasty, and said that it was something he would order again.

spaghetti with crab

I still haven't tried any of their desserts yet. I think that is definitely a mission to be embarked upon next time!