Somali Dish, 264 Racecourse Road.
When it comes time – in about a week or so – to collate the now traditional round-up of this year’s CTS highlights, there’s no doubt the Somalian food of Racecourse Road will be right at the top of the list.
It has given CTS – including Bennie and myself and various friends along the way – a lot of pleasure.
And now it seems this fabulous community of restaurants is on the cusp of richly deserved recognition beyond the local neighbourhood and even the inner west, with a Melbourne Food & Wine Festival scheduled for New Somali Kitchen.
In the meantime, what could be better in terms of building on the Somalian buzz than a new eatery?
Nothing at all.
So Bennie and I are only too happy to step into the latest arrival, Somali Dish.
It’s run by another husband-and-wife team, Ahmed Qahira and Sadia H Abdi, and is situated down towards the Quiet Man end of the strip.
I enjoy talking with Ahmed, whose pre-restaurant life seems to have been largely involved with community service of various types.
And he seems to enjoy our enthusiasm for and interest in the food being laid on here.
And terrific it is, too.
This classic federation-style platter costs us a grand total of $13 each and we love it to bits.
The rice is brilliant in the Somalian way, while the pasta sauce is even drier the usual with crumbly (but lovely) meat.
A super jumble of peas, carrots, onion and capsicum is abetted by fine salad.
And the lamb is all yummy and comes from the bones very easily.
We’re even served a couple of those sponge-like Somalian falafels.
This crew is just getting started, really, and in time the fare here will hopefully mirror the photos adorning the frontage, which portray – beyond our rice offerings – a range of snacky things and even lasagne.
consider the sauce 
Beautiful words from the soul Kenny in soul food.westie pride
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How big is the dish.did you eat with banana
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The serve was a good for a platter for two. Yes, bananas were served with it.
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Where about in melbourne is this.any goat meat,my last Somalian meal was west coast los Angeles!
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Racecourse Road, Flemington – one of about half a dozen Somalian eateries. No goat that night.
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Little cafe new Somali kitchen is best place to start, most Somalian do have goat,shouldn’t be much different to los angles,May be more traditional in melbourne you may find ie,no Californian burrito,chips but the rest should be same.
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The Kensington side of the road has some good Asian and Aussie cafes as you’ll discover
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Thank you so much!
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Is the road same by any chance the Kensington black restaurants in my note book,the map point same direction!
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Appear to be Same,disregard my question.
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Would you recommend crowded house in Williamstown.people mention to me.
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Any other recommendations of Williamstown cafes are welcome!
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Tim I don’t know Williamstown but the racecourse rd is actually where the Kensington and Flemington suburbs meet,it’s same place and most of the black restaurants are Somalian,Eritrean. 57 tram from city go right through racecourse rd all the way to highpoint shopping center.
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Tim if are after full blown soul,in Flemington try house of Mandi and hashtag Somali eats,both eateries all the bone soup 2 bone meat & in between.like consider the sauce said Somali dish is still new ,trying to be on its feet
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I’ll
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Easy access to public transport eateries prefer.not familiar Melbourne.if you don’t know disregard it,
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The meals in house of Mandi are enormous,and staff very friendly,in late weekend night out tired,they about to close but accommodate us with smiles and cheeer us up,unforgettable experience for me and my friends,still can’t get over their rice,absolutely delicious.Tim give it ago house of Mandi,you will not regret
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Somalian rice = heaven.
House of Mandi story:
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Was my first time in house of Mandi,but I’m long time regular in New Somali kitchen.but house of Mandi has unforgettable night vibe,we ate leftover next day! warning the green sauce is hot but comes in separate form which I love about Somalian,you can use as much u want on your rice,the Somalian spice will knock your socks off,brilliant!
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Crowded House is a fine modern-style cafe, but Williamstown still lags behind other parts of the west for our tastes. All the Flemington Somalian eateries – and much more – are within a few minutes’ walk of Flemington train station. Other good locales for train stations – Footscray, Sunshine, St Albans.
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Thank you so much considerthesauce & Ali
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Accurate story brilliant,I see more Somalian opening the hood.every one I know who tried the Somalian rice said,heaven.Very well seasoned and their meat too.and enormous for what you pay.home style magic
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Yes, yes and yes! We love them all. It’s the true soul food of Melbourne. We love the fancy rib and BBQ places, but they can really hurt the wallet. Soul food – as in the original US sense of the phrase – means not just great food but also low prices for the people. e.g. Somalian!
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I’m British Londoner but lived in US in some years,the Somalian,Caribbean ranked top in my charter. soul soul soul is the somalians,made that more fabulous the Flem/Ken hood in my humble opinion.
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Affordability is what makes great experience in soul,like my partner says.you will need Harlem dancing shoes after Somalian dinner,it really was unforgettable experience.
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Where about in US you been?
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Haven’t travelled much since my son came along – he’s 16 now. Don’t miss it much – I live in Melbourne’s west! But before then, from 1986 to 2000, I made multiple trips, with stays of many months, to New Orleans and South Louisiana.
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Very chilling place new Orleans&good soul food/music too
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You not going to miss it looking what is happening racecourse rd &it’s western Melbourne in your door step.it’s truely Melbourne soul these Somalian,very cheap too
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Yes – a whole world of great food and wonderful people in the west. Somalian is our current fave, but we also love the hell out of Vietnamese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Latin American, Ethiopian – and those are just the main ones!
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Most of my time in Chicago/new York,relatively has good record soul.but south enormous!
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I live in city technically but in boundary rd north Melbourne,I say Flemington because so close proximity.the west is world of wonder you are accurate ,somalian,Vietnamese Malaysian is dinner routine but others now and then too. The west is cosmopolitan world
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Really good Indian in Fleming too!
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Yes, the new one – Curry Cafe Canteen – is ace.
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5 star!
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I’m not missing London either with these fabulous food in the hood!
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This looks like it should be a cracking day in the west!
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Soo London isn’t it! Caribbean carnival,is it in footscray area
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Ethiopian New year/footscray was ace,wonderful event
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London does great events,but it’s Big cosmopolitan city.Melbourne is my little London👌
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https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/9023471-notting-hill-carnival#Uq7OiR36sjxFWzhi.97
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You know Caribbean in footscray about?
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No. Caribbean food in Melbourne is hit, miss and sporadic – and rarely in the west. There was a very good place in Yarraville a few years back, but it closed as the building was > apartments. Same people run a food truck you may see around.
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That is alright,keep digging other souls,
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Considerthesauce you know your soul.yes Somali ticks all the box of SOUL.,cheap, large portions,home style cooking,nothing is fake,u get what somali eats in their private homes.the Somali meats& rice carry lots spices&less oil,ie healthy.Somalian is mostly highly regarded in Americans soul.
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Even if Somali restaurant is fancy hipster sexy call it what you want,it’s still cheap for average man&women.true soul without question
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Who knew Aussie loving soul,all these comments very encouraging
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