Bentwood, Fitzroy

Bentwood - Golden Gaytime Panna Cotta - Chocolate panna cotta, salted caramel, honeycomb biscuit crumb, roasted peanuts, banana and raspberries ($20)

21 Dec Bentwood, Fitzroy

Posted at 12:17h in Bentwood, Cafe, Fitzroy, Food by A Chronicle of Gastronomy 0 Comments

Julien Moussi, of Penta, Tinker and MOB fame, just opened his latest cafe in Fitzroy. Bentwood is an appropriate name, given the site was once the address of a furniture manufacturer. The cafe is much larger than the others. The umber colour scheme meshes with exposed brick, giving it a modern-fused-with-heritage look that’s quite different too.

Bentwood (19) Braised Spiced Lamb - Grain herb salad w baked eggplant, feta, pomegranate, sumac, labneh and pickled red cabbage ($22,50)

Bentwood - Braised Spiced Lamb - Grain herb salad w baked eggplant, feta, pomegranate, sumac, labneh and pickled red cabbage ($22.50) — Braised Spiced Lamb - Grain herb salad w baked eggplant, feta, pomegranate, sumac, labneh and pickled red cabbage ($22.50)

Bentwood - Grilled Salmon w raw zucchini zoodles, edamame, avocado, sriracha, sesame, fried cavolo nero and herb dressing ($22) — Grilled Salmon w raw zucchini zoodles, edamame, avocado, sriracha, sesame, fried cavolo nero and herb dressing ($22)

There are similarities in the menus across all their cafes. Most seem to include a lamb salad, and Bentwood’s Braised Spiced Lamb is grain herb salad with tender baked eggplant, feta, pomegranate, sumac, pickled red cabbage and labneh, which seems to be mixed through the grain salad. One of the other like dishes is the Grilled Salmon. As with the others, the salmon fillet sits atop twirls of raw zucchini zoodles, though Bentwood’s version has edamame, avocado, sriracha, sesame, herb dressing, and a pile of cavolo nero fried till crisp. The zoodles are raw, but soft, and the dishes is quite spicy.

The Golden Gaytime Panna Cotta is a sight to behold. The panna cotta is very rich and chocolatey. Its texture is soft, and more mousse-like than most panna cottas. The richness of the hero element is broken up by salted caramel, honeycomb biscuit crumb, roasted peanuts, banana and raspberries. Including more of these other ingredients would bring more balance to the dish.

You’ll be pleased to know that Bentwood brings the same quality food and coffee that its siblings offer, but the inner suburb location will be easier to access for many.