Parotta Station, 28A Millers Road, Brooklyn. Phone: 9314 9934
At Parotta Station, you’ll be served south Indian food.
So anyone even passingly familiar with the west’s many dosa joints – or even its Sri Lankan places – will feel right at home.
There’s string hoppers, a simple dosa offering, the chopped bread dish that is kothu – along with things of broader Indian outlook such as lamb and chicken kormas, biryanis and a small range of Indo-Chinese dishes.
But the proprietor has some twists going on here very much down to his home state of Tamil Nadu.
Most emphatically, they come in the form of the eponymous parotta, a version of the eternal flatbread.
In this case, the bread is lovingly moulded into a scroll before being fried, the result being a marvellous, magical and flaky experience.
Parotta Station serves them in a variety of ways, including egg-stuffed ($3.50), two of which we take away for Bennie’s next-day school lunch.
But the big hit for us is the combo named “parotta with saalna” ($6.50).
Two standard, fresh and sublime parotta.
A salted fried egg.
And a generous tub of coconut/tomato curry gravy. We’re told this is meat-based to the extent it uses a mutton stock as part of the base. I’m sure it’d be no problem to have it substituted by the potato or mixed vegetable dishes on offer.
How good is this?
Right up there.
We’d rate this as good a cheap eat as can be found and rank it right alongside the very best to be had at banh mi or dosa establishments anywhere.
These look like plump ginger cookies.
They’re not.
Shamiyan ($11.50) are patties made of lentils and lamb mince that taste and feel of neither.
They have a very mild spice kick and are very dry; we happily dip them in the curry gravy served with our parotta.
They’re an interesting experience, but not one that completely bowls us over.
Aatu kaal paya ($12.50) is a stew of lamb trotters.
Forget any ideas of similarity to pork hocks or even lamb shanks.
The most precise comparison here is with chicken feet – there’s no meat whatsoever, just various shards and lumps of random glutinous material.
So not everyone’s cup of tea – obviously!
But if you are hip to Chinese-style chicken feet, go right ahead.
But at Parotta Station, parotta are the main go.
We reckon we’ll be inhaling that “parotta with saalna” combo many times in the coming year.
Parotta Station is on Uber for those in appropriate postcodes and is closed on Tuesdays.
consider the sauce 
Looks good.
LikeLike
Looks great,this year is its year to try african.birthday day coming; any african recommendation
LikeLike
Hi there! Plenty of African stories here. Search for “African”!
LikeLike
Cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great ethiopian footscray konjo may be
LikeLike
Very popular it looks
LikeLike
In the meantime, we are particularly fond of the Somalian eateries on racecourse Rd in Flemington – all of them!
LikeLike
Curious of somalian! Looks indian
LikeLike
Konjo is fine. Also Ras Dashen and many others.
LikeLike
African town footscray may begin there.flemington has african theme these days ,haven’t stopped there yet
LikeLike
Never been to african restaurant.thanks mate for the recommendations
LikeLike
Is straight six burger still there flemington?
LikeLike
Sorry the question,honestly didn’t visit flemington a while,now live closer to racecourse rd.there hype around straight six
LikeLike
👐👌 https://considerthesauce.net/2017/09/17/a-somalian-wonder/
LikeLike
Very economical too!
LikeLike
Hi melbourne_style this somali eatery is good,they don’t do breakfast.my fav us new somali kitchen,same family own
LikeLike
The abyssinian restaurant is also good.but flemington is little somalia with many somali eateries.most of them are good although there is some yet to try
LikeLike
The aryan drinks in house of mandi is ace!. House of magic.love the decor
LikeLike
Few good place showed search “african ” this blogger.thank for the recommendations
LikeLike
Somali food mostly consist pasta & rice.the meat rice is really good,the pasta is ok
LikeLike
not fan of their pasta,though new somali kitchen makes good one now,but I’m keep coming back for their rice meat.had takeaway camel milk from house of mandi,weird delicious tasty!
LikeLike
The pasta in #somalieats is good,it’s african style pasta,less moisture.
LikeLike
I think the house of mandi is Arabian not african.not 100% sure
LikeLike
Mixed. Somalian with some Yemeni, afaik.
LikeLike
Oh ok.the staff are gorgeous africans,the food is similar to little african on subway corner. We had the whole chicken there Friday.really tasty
LikeLike
Tried many Arabian mandi rice.that flemington place is somali,or taste more somali, its unique flavor.my husband who is expert on this food with his travels recon that flemington one is one of the best mandi. the people serve us r all african & husband says they are somali
LikeLike
I think they platted a little different to its traditional somali neighbors,they probably platted yemeni.husband says its somali.but these countries may have crossover
LikeLike
Ms matt i am somali,the food is somali house of mandi but some are yemeni but not many.i agree their presentation is yemeni so your husband is correct
LikeLike
Had home delivery from somali dish @ the quiet man Irish pub ,delicious. But think they do only surrounding suburbs of flemington like north melbourne footscray ascot vale
LikeLike
Do they do kensington delivery?
LikeLike
Probably but not sure.
LikeLike
Only footscray,flemington,north melbourne and ascot vale.that is what their menu says when i was there.but you can ask them
LikeLike
I’m not regular somali dish, i eat alot in somalieats,but kenny may able to help you.somali dish is new cafe,nothing is certain still,they are settling still
LikeLike
No they don’t do kensington, its mot listed on their menu.the new somali kitchen may do,try them.
LikeLike
Considerthesauce did you reviewed somali dish’ its little cafe next domino’s pizza.
LikeLike
Yes.
LikeLike
https://considerthesauce.net/2017/12/06/the-rice-is-great-of-course/
LikeLike
Very good review! Ahmed qahira a good man.i hope you enjoyed the plate. That plate looks smaller in photo, its big dish.very good review!
LikeLike
Their food is getting better&better. More soul dishes available chicken /shanks if like it.very good review & impressive,man who knows soul!
LikeLike
I did search engine of his blog, he did many afro reviews in flemington area,they look good but not many large-space cafes but the somali community in uk is much older ,much smaller than uk somali cafes.is he Australia the guy running this blog?great style his reviews
LikeLike
Hi sacad ,i think he is Australian,his name is kenny ,based in west side of melbourne
LikeLike
Aw ok,
LikeLike
On his blog Click menu then click “about considerthesauce ” his story is there,its kind born out from lack reviews on west side of melbourne.he is also been to America,he could be dual American,he kinda went “me against the world” American version with his son in wild wild side to fight for Westside melbourne representation in highlighted mode.movie itself
LikeLike
He is Australian kenny weir.he eaten few times of my unmarked somali restaurant. Wonderful family him and son,
LikeLike
Thanks for the nice comments. West is Best!!!
LikeLike
You are the best too.lovely to see son getin older & you getting younger
LikeLike
Same saw him in our unmarked somali Williamstown direction! Good family
LikeLike
Yes, he’s getting older – and taller. Me getting younger? Haha I wish!
LikeLike
From sitting on chairs like cat to now a big boy who can’t fold legs.its the wonderful world food he eats haha
LikeLike
Watch out when he puts hat on table, food better be good haha.very cute father &son. He is right west is best.very good energy when run to our unmarked somsli plce.
LikeLike
they are cool family,loved our hotdog/spotswood direction too.
LikeLike
ha! his son might be old enough to taste the water there now. ilays can you email me what is happening altona direction.
LikeLike
at 18 years old they can drink alcohol.his son should be old enough to drink
LikeLike
His son had simple fizzy drink,they enjoyed the food,,,everything at early stage now altona,
LikeLike
Simply good family!
LikeLike
Might saw him in our direction too,good people
LikeLike
with & without camera hosted to our joint eatery !!
LikeLike
Mundi Your restaurant face manager know him well.
LikeLike
Familiar face. Loved every moment our foodie place ever the past years too. Down to earth family.
LikeLike
Spotted him our unmarked Carlton /brunswick locations!
LikeLike
He lost alot weight didn’t he in that period. Looks much younger now
LikeLike