Hop & Spice, 230 Union Road, Ascot Vale. Phone: 9454 1806

Well, my-oh-my, what a really, really fine time we have at Hop & Spice.

At the new restaurant on Union Road, Ascot Vale, that is – a sister for the long-standing and much-loved bastion of Sri Lankan food on Ballarat Road, Braybrook.

Certainly, today’s Team CTS – Nat, Juz, Bennie, Veronica and me (Kenny) have all eaten at – and enjoyed – the latter multiple times, so are very happy to be taking the former for a first spin.

There are several things worthy noting about the new Ascot Vale Hop & Spice.

For starters, it’s significantly more swish than the otherwise perfectly fine utilitarian cafe vibes at Braybrook.

Yet despite that, and in defiance of the undoubted rent differential between the two locations, the prices at Ascot Vale appear to match those of the original (and still running) Braybrook eatery.

And that, we reckon, is amazing.

Especially for food this good – and Hop & Spice food is very, very good.

The food we enjoy is not only superb, but ranks among the most affordable in the western suburbs.

Or in Melbourne more broadly, no doubt!

My companions all opt for variations of the lunch special rice plates displayed photographically hereabouts and all costing in the $10 to $14 range, depending on choice of protein.

Only myself differs from the rice plate routine – ordering the lamb biryani ($16).

It’s wonderful and every bit as good as I’ve come to expect.

Onion-slivered rice, tender (and bone-free) lamb curry, egg, two kinds of yoghurt dip, curry leaves, crunchy cashews.

It’s testament to the kind of cool lunching we do that when I mock whine about not getting a papadum, as do all my table pals, an entire bowl of them is brought to our table!

Hop & Spice, Ascot Vale, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Visit the Hop & Spice website here.