Pentolina, 2/377 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Phone: 9606 0642
The place, the space, the back story, the food and the company …
Consider The Sauce’s supremely enjoyable visit to Pentolina evokes many memories.
For starters, so to speak, I recall imbibing a bowl of pasta at the same address many years ago – about 20, I think.
That, too, was a specialist pasta house.
These days, under the guidance of husband-and-wife team Matt and Julia Picone, old-school pasta is still very much the go, though the place certainly looks very different.
It’s classy and stylish, without being overbearingly so.
Matt was a barista at Pellegrini’s for the best part of two decades, and it is that sort spirit and vibe they are trying to foster at Pentolina.
And succeeding.
Justin is my CTS companion for this adventure.
We figure out rough timelines that strongly suggest that not only had we both enjoyed several – and maybe many – coffees made by Matt, but that we were also quite possibly sitting side by side while doing so on occasion.
Are we happy to be here as guests?
Yes.
(Full disclosure below.)
Taking up pews at the window bench – good for watching the passing parade outside and for the taking of photographs – we are happy, too, to leave our leisurely lunch in the hands of the staff in the form of the $60 a head “feed me” menu.
We start with cured swordfish, fennel, grapefruit and pomegranate ($21) and …
… beef carpaccio with truffle cream and parmesan ($19).
There’s little for me to say about these – except that they are wonderful, simple, fresh and prepared with superb ingredients.
And they’re just the sort of thing we feel like.
We discover that we both have something of an aversion to the oft-leaden arancini.
So we love these smaller cousins – Alessandra’s suppli (rice croquettes) with saffron and grana padano ($9).
They’re light and fluffy and beautifully fried.
Then it’s on to the pasta – all house-made.
Squid ink spaghetti with vongole ($28) is lovely, though the simple sauce of white wine and garlic (I think) is quite dry.
Matt’s spaghetti bolognese (ragu with beef, eggplant, zucchini, vermouth, $21) is good, too, though I think – nostalgic for the lusty gusto of the Pelligrini’s version – we both find it muted in both texture and flavour.
In that regard, the simple, righteous rigatoni amatriciana ($23) of pancetta, napoli, fresh chili and olives is a dead-set bullseye – and the pasta hit of the day.
The pasta, however, is just a tad too al dente for my tastes.
But let’s not quibble – this is ace.
Cannoli with ricotta, citrus and raisin ($3 each) are light and champions of their kind, with quite an unusual flavour and very crusty casings.
Justin confesses to not being much of a fan of panna cotta.
But even he is impressed by the Pentolina version with fresh berries ($13).
I love it to bits – so delicious.
I’ll use Justin’s pithy message to me later in the day as a summation: “Ripper lunch and ripper company!”
To which I’ll add: “Ripper place!”
(Consider The Sauce dined at Pentolina as guests of the management and we did not pay for our meals. We enjoyed a range of dishes chosen by the staff as part of the $60pp “Feed Me” deal. Pentolina management neither sought nor was granted any input, oversight or pre-publication access to his story.)
Thanks Kenny for the invitation! Delicious food… will definitely head back there another time as a paying customer. The one thing that sticks in my mind about the cooking (as we discussed at the time) was how consistently deft and subtle it all was, dish after dish. No ingredients overpowered others, everything was there for a purpose, and added the right amount of flavour. My only quibble was I thought the bolognese could have been heartier (a bit more red wine perhaps in the sauce) but the matriciana delivered on the heartiness factor in spades.
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Yep!
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How far do you eat outside western suburbs kenny, there is new somali burger restaurant in south yarra but its American menu http://www.2nahalf.com.au/menu-2/
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Walid he normally does northern suburbs via Sydney road and calrton,fitzroy ,CBD,I haven’t seen him doing south yarra or eastern suburbs
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Hamza is pretty much spot on. Though we do get to Prahran/Windsor when we go to a move at the Astor in St Kilda.
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There is nothing somali about that burger restaurant south yarra walid other than the owner being somali, its all American or australian food but its marked eatery compared to those others we have in Melbourne
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Why marked.the african community is not that big that side of town!!!
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Hidden from hustle of city,probably one of the few affordable pasta place,good vegetarian and most importantly home style plates.true gem in every way also quick service,I’m not paid advertiser but its my personal experience
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Saciid there is south African burger places in south yarra
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Yummy pasta😍
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Did they make changes to menu that burger! look a bit different.
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Kenny did you review the yemeni restaurant in footscray?
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Which one is that?
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One in Nicholson st.
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Name?
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Alami yemeni
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Sorry, don’t know it! Is it new? Where in Nicholson?
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Not sure how old,I’m from kensington. I think Its four shops down from barwaqo cafe. Just of corner paisley st and Nicholson st.
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I’ll have a look.
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We have good yemeni in our area on racecourse rd flemington but footscray was also good.
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Is there community that eat yemeni in footscray mahmud! Flemington has mandi loving students tho.
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If ts on Nicholson st. probably its ethnic somali eatery,,Nicholson is predominantly ethnic somali stock of various horn african nations. i don’t know well footscray but university is close by but if they have mandi loving students or community i don’t know
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Their multi racial cuisine aspect of somali eateries on Nicholson st can ve confusing but it adds greatness to footscray
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what is replaced the old lentil as anything footscray?? Barkly st
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Some work going on still ,finished or not can’t say now
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Considerthe sauce have you tried kakay https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=915762538619668&id=126979044539054&_ft_=top_level_post_id.915762538619668%3Atl_objid.915762538619668%3Acontent_owner_id_new.126979044539054%3Athrowback_story_fbid.915762538619668%3Apage_id.126979044539054%3Aphoto_id.915762538619668%3Apage_insights.%7B“126979044539054”%3A%7B”role”%3A1%2C”page_id”%3A126979044539054%2C”post_context”%3A%7B”story_fbid”%3A915762538619668%2C”publish_time”%3A1536984408%2C”story_name”%3A”EntVideoCreationStory”%2C”object_fbtype”%3A1%7D%2C”actor_id”%3A126979044539054%2C”psn”%3A”EntVideoCreationStory”%2C”sl”%3A4%2C”dm”%3A%7B”isShare”%3A0%2C”originalPostOwnerID”%3A0%7D%2C”targets”%3A%5B%7B”page_id”%3A126979044539054%2C”actor_id”%3A126979044539054%2C”role”%3A1%2C”post_id”%3A915762538619668%2C”share_id”%3A0%7D%5D%7D%7D&__tn__=%2As%2As-R
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Its a little too soul for aussies that cafe but give ago.
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True soul sahras flemington; the big portion dishes and real vegetables we all have in our fridges.nothing remanufactured presentation purpose. Very home style atmosphere
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Yes. We like it a lot.
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Did they become trendy, knew that cafe refusing to go trendy in long time,i liked kaykay too
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I eat somali places in footscray since i move to this side of town,but how is the old east african restaurant,i tried to order uber through but they dont exist any more,are they closed permanent.
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The flemington I’m talking about
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Delicious Italian pasta,good photos
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I like sahras kitchen, they should stay true to soul home style,they don’t need trendy looks,its fine i think 😯
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How pasta should be.thnks tip
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Where is considerthesauce based.this blog is good discovery & unique,how many bloggers ate kaykay! 👏
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Based in west,don’t know suburb,some one told me surrounding suburbs of footscray, could be seddon or kensington region
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No,he is from comedian truck suburb yarraville,dave O’neil/adam hills hometown” humans of seddon did article on him
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Like kensington, this inner west suburb didn’t escape from hard-hit gentrification.,some old buildings still standing yarraville with some survived minorities,
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Truck Yarraville is a wonder suburb still
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Hardly any food trucks in Yarraville these days.
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The government is trying things,don’t know what difference it makes to yarraville. http://www.trailermag.com.au/news/article/vta-and-mtag-join-forces-to-improve-safety-in-the-inner-west
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People of yarraville need support: we need truck for our economy but the residents should be listened their concerns this important truck suburb yarraville territory . Hope they find solutions its been years issue this inner west suburb http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-11/residents-block-busy-intersection-over-truck-concerns/7719142
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Oh No.no food trucks in trucky yarraville!!! That corner Hyde st & Summerville rd one is good,if its still there who knows
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That one is in footscray ,yarraville can’t claim it😊
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Haha its in yarravile technically but footscray can have it noisy Summerville rd☺
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You learn something new every day “trucky yarraville “☺☺for food truck,we have tons of food trucks in yarravile, raw and livestock carriers ☺
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Don’t they have something like highest truck pollution related deaths in Melbourne west,but yarraville is more than ,its actually pleasant place to dine in,great community. Its great yo know him and his son is healthy breathing well.
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Kenny when would ubereats up running back in somali star cafe?
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What? 🙂 We’ve never seen Somali Star on Uber Eats. Kulan, yes.
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Yes kenny they are not doing deliveries untill monday. From Monday they are doing deliveries uber and other deliveries like deliveroo and menulog etc. But why can’t we order from flemington cafes,though places like new somali kitchen have sambusa doesn’t it
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We cannot get deliveries from Flemington because we live too far away.
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Oh i see.ok we have to wait till Monday then
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Are you confusing Somali Star in Footscray with one of the Flemington places?
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No I’m talking about somali star cafe in the footscray hub! If you live in flemington itsl shouldn’t be too far to order from footscray i would thought . They said its available but its not really available until Monday https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1839774459392361&id=1314003111969501
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No ubereats this week, they said Monday should be ready .kulan has sambusas but not as big,you would to wait till Monday or order from flemington.
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We can’t order from Flemington. Somali Star has just posted an updated menu on Facebook, but not for delivery as far as I can tell.
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That little cafe believe it or not is most famous soul eatery in Melbourne.business owners in the mall & african shoppers love it too. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1864883950260683&id=139760772773018
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But the place is small.too busy to sit,you will love it.but why would you sit in crazy cray much more to see☺
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Oh OK! That should be fine for us in Yarraville!
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Yarraville should be fine. I think as far as Spotswood is ok deliveries from footscray region, and the other side as far as ascot vale also should be fine from footscray region. .
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All good, but … Somali Star lists its closing time as 6.30pm.
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Including kingsville in your area.
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Yes too early ,wasn’t aware of it,is that when they close the mall!
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Footscray is great for delivery access kenny. As far Spotswood , Moonee bonds ,braybook maribrynong and CBD and docklands
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yarraville should be ok, uber delivers atleast 3 suburbs outside from delivering point suburb. from footscray to yarravile is like 5 min drive on geelong rd or may be less
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i am in braybrook ,get delivery from fooscray often and my place is near sunshine!,kulan chapati curry is good
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no uber eats from karibu cafe every one, there is new cafe now,how good their sambusa this one no clue
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Somali cafes in footscray are mostly ethiopian nationals,their rice is somewhat different to mainland ones in flemington but equally as good. Karibu and somali star probably some of the best somali sambusa in Melbourne.way to go footscray.
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Hey sahras kitchen rice looks more fried Somali ethiopian and less mainland stock cooked rice but they are mainland somali cafe i understand!
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Its mainland somalian sahras kitchen, 100% sure.
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Naadiri you are right, ,footscray is ethiopian mostly and for karibu cafe is no longer there,there is new cafe there can’t remember the name. There is also yemeni restaurant in that area that looks somalian eatery too
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Kulan is not somali ethiopian but others you are right.
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Kulan is not somali ethiopian but others you are right.
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Did this blogger reviewed any somalian restaurant in footscray hassani?
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There is another laksa king in flemington, are they related to the other popular
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Manzi he did somali star cafe few years ago.
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And also Al Jazeera more recently.
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Aw ok.i though jazeera was non mainstream!!
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Its good how you review some non mainstream somalian places,you are brave for doing it.but jazeera was some sort semi mainstream at one,had my birthday there once far back and few different faces was there and staff was non african, lady behind the desk who did our booking was indian background,but its few years ago
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Hassani he reviewed sahras which can be described as semi mainstream,he is not bothered by if the eatery is not fully mainstream.his son also is same.
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i love jazeera, blieve it or not this blogger reviewed almost all somalian footscray,and remember most somalian footscray are in the heart of little africa,hard to spot. i go to jazeera 3-4 times a week
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He also reviewed that tarneit malaysian,but not sure izz cafe geelong https://www.instagram.com/p/BcOivEGgbeJ/
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Considerthe sauce checkout izz cafe, for very authentic malaysian experience
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too far for me,any malaysian you recomend in footscray!
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The post is about ripper pasta place,the blogger may not be ok with different topic.too many comments on different topic not good!!
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All good! The blogger loves all comments no matter where they land!
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tawakal jj you are right the somali star cafe very popular but location helps,suited heart of african mall with no competition around it. most somalians in that area are unmarked and marked somalian fast good kebab /burger joints.even that kulan no one knew it was somalian that is untill they introduced somali food.its recently that wider public accepted kulan as african place.
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any one can open a restaurant and paint african animals to reflect the africaness of the street.if the painting was black people in kulan,that would give a hint the owner or the place might be african.
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kulan was no different to unmarked sonmalians in its area earlier days.that is fact
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they kept the vietnames guy who played as owner if kulan early days ,i think he is supervisor or something like that now! i recon kebabs should folow😁
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this blogger is folowed by many non somali,better not confuse the public,avoid words “marked”
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i’ve been to kulan eatery many times ,i didn’t see this somali star y’all talkin about
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John, it’s in the middle of the arcade.
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kulan is african institution in its right,with outstanding service.never went back 8bit since
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OK, as noted above, I really, really love the comments readers make. And I love how stories – even if they’re not specifically about Somalian eating places or the Somalian community – become venues for gossip, opinions, info and more about the inner west and its various strands of ethnic communities and food. But help me here, Somalian friends – what does “marked” mean??? 🙂
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Considerthe sauce marked just means ” the restaurant is presented as african /somalian by the somali owner.
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OK, thanks!
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Unmarked can mean the restaurant could be presented ‘different ethnic groups ” while the owner is somali, for example you see turkish kebab and public thinks its turkish owned while the owner is somali. Usually it happens when owner tries to diverse the options for somali community or particularly targeting that non african community. But its very common areas with small size of somali population
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Unmarked also could be used in areas or suburbs that are ” not so african friendly ” ie they don’t like refugees or newcomers, and it gives that small community apportunity to open businesses without the worry of backlash from wider non african community in that area.usually the seller(non african) and the buyer (somali ) its best interest of wider society in that suburb.
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You explained well ali👍
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Hope i didn’t confuse you.☺
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Not at all. Thanks for that.
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Unmarked is not that common in melb west ,most of them are city centre,toorak and that side
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Its win win for seller (non african ) and somali(buyer) in these situations,it also helps the non african seller not be seen as refugee supporter ir trying yo change the image of suburb by diversifying the area if the locals not particularly interested so the seller also is safe from backlash.
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What was your first impression when you saw kulan first time? You didn’t use words “somalian eatery or african eatery ” in this Goss😊 😊😊 https://considerthesauce.net/2016/09/30/westie-eats-goss-30916/
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I thought of it as just another burger joint. I didn’t much like the burger I had. I’ve had the African meat dish delivered. It was very good.
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I think what hassan meant was did you notice who the owner was! In regards unmarked topic.I’m guessing that was his question
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OK. No, I didn’t notice one way or the other. The staff who served me were not, I think, management.
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Ok that is what unmarked means .kulan was unmarked at that time you did the goss.
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Correct! Still is in terms of signage. Staff and customers show African influence.
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Yep they have african food and african staff also staff can mention to any one the identity of the owner which is more important than the rest.
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You can have african staff, there are many non african own cafes and fast food franchise in Melbourne that have african people, but in unmarked somali, they don’t have african staff or african food.no space for hints
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Ali explained very good too
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What was the point of making unmarked in kulan in african neighborhood is mystery to me!
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Interesting chat☺
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Part of me says its sad they had to do this,but its smart tactics in imperfect world!!
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Blind me! That could be reverse cultural appropriation if they play up European restaurant
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How is it reverse cultural appropriation if they say the owner is European.
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We are young ugyhur family and we want open a restaurant but we are scared it may not last,i would love to do unmarked somalian type ,what is success rate
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Jani you don’t need to unmarked if you have good size of ugyhur population in the the area you want open a restaurant. We have new new ugyhur restaurant in Ballarat rd.
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Hi jani if you don’t have the numbers of ugyhur population,may be include some han Chinese plates on your menu.in order to do unmarked you need to drop all ugyhur elements from your restaurant.but first try mixed han & ugyhur dishes.
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There is bigger han Chinese community in the west,look around the area first it changes one to another suburb
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jani do some mixing.it works alright. We do ethiopian/somalian some times to attract the two communities also use mixed staff from han/ugyhur so han customers can feel home place
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Hamid idea is superb jani
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Jani you will alright do try it all ugyhur meals ,if required number not walking in it means the population ugyhur is limited. But if you want do unmarked particular Caucasian eatery, be prepared to be in kitchen at 5am,they eat early this community, biscuits, muffin, sandwiches and coffee must be on tables at 6am,don’t do larger quantity ,keep it light, the interior must be hip,use one or two long tables of 8 persons could share from all corners,they are sharing tables with strangers also newspapers on side of tables,if you want target younger white community get coffee artist.
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Coffee artist i mean coffee roaster laboratory style counters
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The number of long tables you need depends on the size of your cafe. But you need at least one long table in the middle of the cafe,they like sharing tables with strangers when eating their breakfast,lunch
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You forget the cheap word,food must be more expensive than immigrant eateries. If jani want to do unmarked ethnic its fine cheap food or large portions of plates
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Jan don’t be scared, do research on community you doing on unmarked what they like and dislike,its like mouse-trap,if you have right onions and cheese you can attract and keep the regulars
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