133 Ormond Road
Elwood, Melbourne
dandelion.ws
This new restaurant (in the site of the former Collective Bar) is a recent win for the bustling Elwood villagers who are sure to benefit from the contemporary Vietnamese menu on offer. The attraction of the menu offering is the rich and diverse cuisine that it offers. “Anyone who has been to Vietnam will agree that it is one of the great food journeys,” says owner Geoff Lindsay.
“I hope to capture some of the optimism, soul and complexity of this underrepresented cuisine.” The site will feature a ‘wrap and roll’ like sushi bar that’s based on rice paper rolls, rather than sushi rolls and the focus will be on luxury fillings like soft shell crab, Peking duck and raw tuna.
There are plenty of hearty salads on offer; Crab meat with avocado, spearmint, chilli and lime juice or steamed and shredded chicken with Vietnamese slaw and nuoc cham.
There’s Wagyu beef and braised brisket and Glenloth corn fed chicken too if you’re settling in and a wine list to suit. ‘The deliciously esoteric wine list will seduce even the most jaded palate,’ says Lindsay. In the whites (a good bet for this style of food) you’ll find some good options like Gruner Veltiner and Arneis that will be sure to tame the spice on offer