Northern Light

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102 Smith Street, Collingwood, 9416 0698

My score: 3.5/5

Northern Light is a delicious conundrum. The tiny room, strung with light globes and giving the impression of a budding astronomer’s sharehouse, looks like a promising place for a snack. Instead, the waiter (charmingly) pushes a nine-course banquet ($95). The menu mentions sushi rice, miso and yakitori but the food isn’t really Japanese. The wine list is short and moderately priced (mostly $60 to $90) but the offerings are skewed to Europe and rather daring. Chef Adam Liston’s food is creative and thoughtful but is so easy to enjoy in this casual setting that there’s a risk of wolfing it down without due appreciation.

There are distinct Japanese and Korean influences and dude food tendencies (hello, fried chicken) but it all feels very Melbourne – and even very Smith Street.  The key snack is a tapioca cracker flavoured with prawn essence and topped with pickled prawn and seaweed mayonnaise. The prawn is flavoured with yuzu, a tart citrus that makes lime seem sweet as caramel, and the whole dish is tart, earthy, crunchy and flat-out tasty. A zucchini dish is more wistful: raw, pickled and cooked zucchini are draped over cauliflower puree, with sour sorrel leaves and a dressing of dill oil and buttermilk. It’s light and dancing but sesame oil and sansho pepper in the cauliflower add oomph. There’s an emphasis on excellent base ingredients: fish sauce is ethically harvested and soy sauce is created in house. Desserts include simple jasmine-infused custard (cue stories about grandmothers) and a clever ‘broken icecream sandwich’ with chocolate biscuit shards and malty mousse.

A couple of dishes lacked balance. Pumpkin oyaki (dumplings) were a little stodgy and fried chicken strips were dry but the snacking style of a meal here means the occasional rut is easily surpassed, and the overwhelming impression is of a personable, enthusiastic chef-run restaurant.

See their website.

More good value:

Shira Nui, 247 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley, 9886 7755
Sitting at the Shira Nui bar for a sushi banquet is one of Melbourne’s key dining experiences but there are also great lunch deals, where you’ll leave with change from $30 and a belly full of excellent sushi.

Union Dining, 270 Swan Street, Richmond, 9428 2988
You don’t need to show a Richmond passport to enjoy ‘locals night’ at Union Dining. Three courses plus a glass of wine is just $44 and you can BYO for $10 corkage.

PappaRich, QV Square, cnr Swanston Melbourne, 9654 2682
At this Malaysian chain restaurant you write your own order and press buzzers for waiters. It can feel like fun or factory, depending on your mood. The satays, curries, noodle and roti dishes all do the job at keen prices.

First published in The Age, April 5, 2015.