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Flying Jetstar Economy Class From Sydney To Seoul

Paul
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Flying Jetstar Economy Class From Sydney To Seoul

TRAVEL | Jetstar operates one flight a day between Sydney and Seoul, with an average flight time of 10 hours and 35 minutes. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (“Dreamliner”) is currently used on the route, and travellers can choose between Economy and Business Class.

Check In

A recent update to Jetstar’s check-in systems now means that online check-in is finally available for international Jetstar flights to or from Australia. You can check in using the Jetstar app or on their website. You can save/print a pdf boarding pass, or add a digital boarding pass to your phone’s wallet app.

There’s still the option to check-in at a staffed counter. The process at the counter itself is straight forward, but with a lot of people checking in bags, the line moves slowly.

Luggage

When flying international with Jetstar Economy, your checked luggage allowance will depend on your fare. On the basic Economy Starter fare you can purchase between 15-40kg of checked luggage allowance in 5kg increments. A Plus bundle gets you 20kg with the option to purchase up to 20kg more, and the Max bundle gets you 30kg with an option to purchase up to 10kg more.

For carry-on it’s one main plus one small bag up to 7kg total, with an option to purchase and additional 7kg.

Service

I had no major complaints about the service of the staff at all stages of my flight experience. Staff were friendly and helpful, but not overbearing. The only thing that I’d suggest could be improved would be for passengers to be offered water during a delay.

My flight was delayed for an hour after boarding due to a external light that needed to be repaired. While communication from the captain’s cabin keeping us updated was great, it would have been nice to have been offered some water.

Cabin

The Jetstar Economy cabin on the Dreamliner that flies from Sydney to Seoul features 314 seats, in a 3-3-3 layout. There are enough flight attendants around so getting the attention of someone should you need assistance isn’t an issue.

Colour wise it’s orange, and varying tones of grey, in line with Jetstar’s branding. When it comes to cleanliness, everything nice and clean. These Dreamliners are starting to show their age, with some of the seats and finishings showing noticeable signs of wear and tear. Note that Jetstar is scheduled to start a refresh of their Dreamliners from March 2026.

Seat

The leather seat has dimensions of about 76cm x 43cm, on the smaller end of the scale but in line with what you find on most low cost airlines flying this sort of distance. Like any economy seat, it doesn’t recline that far back. There’s an adjustable cushioned headrest which is handy when you want to get some sleep, and not often found on low cost carriers.

There are small armrests, and a leather pocket sleeve at the back of the seat in front to place a few things. There’s not much space to get work done with the tray down if you’ve got a laptop, but for a tablet sized device it’s possible to get some productive stuff done.

There’s a USB port for charging devices, and a power outlet (two for each bank of three seats) but do be aware that the power provided is at USA power standards of 110V AC 60 cycles (Hz), not Australian power standards of 220V AC 50 cycles (Hz).

You can upgrade to a front section seat, which gets you a considerable increase in legroom, plus room to stand and stretch without bothering anyone, for AUD$38. I usually do this, but on this flight those seats had already sold out.

Entertainment

Unlike a lot of low cost carriers, Jetstar’s Economy seats do have seat back screens (22.9cm), however to make use of the entertainment you’ll have to pay AUD$10 to access it. Entertainment is also included with some of the fare bundles that you can pre-purchase before your flight.

There’s a general selection of the latest movies and TV shows from the USA, Japan and elsewhere, plus music and a few radio stations and podcasts. The radio stations are free and don’t require the entertainment bundle. I opted to load my iPad with a few games and movies rather than pay for entertainment so can’t speak to the quality of the headphones that come with the entertainment bundle.

Note that if you fly on one of the refreshed Dreamliners post March 2026, there won’t be seatback entertainment. Instead, there will be a $7 add on available, which will allow you to stream Jetstar’s entertainment to your personal device.

Food

Food isn’t included with Jetstar’s base Starter fares, but you can pre-purchase a meal, or choose from the on-board menu. If you add one of the bundles to your fare you’ll generally get a meal or meal voucher included. Food options include things like salads and sandwiches, noodle bowls and a variety of snacks and drinks – alcoholic and non-alcoholic. If you choose to pre-purchase the options are similar to what you find in Qantas economy.

Amenities

No amenities are included with the base Starter fare but you can pre-purchase an ‘international chill kit’ for $25. It includes an eye mask, earplugs, inflatable pillow, socks, lip balm, hand cream, wet-wipe, pen, and blanket.

Verdict

Overall I was happy with my Jetstar flight from Sydney to Honolulu. When I purchase a seat on a low cost carrier the main things I’m looking for is a good flight price, reliability, friendly service and a comfortable seat. All of the other extras I can live without.

Nileos House, Thiseio

Paul
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0
Nileos House, Thiseio

ATHENS | Nileos House, is a modern, serviced apartment in Athens’ Thiseio neighbourhood. For those who want to be close to the action, but still value their peace and quiet, it’s a great option.

Location

Nileos House is housed in typical residential-style building in Thiseio. Unassuming and on a quiet street, it’s a great option for those who want easy access to the city’s main sites, but don’t want to be directly amongst the hecticness of it all.

There are multiple bars and restaurants nearby, with some of the city’s best food and drink options located just a short stroll away. The Acropolis is a 13 minute walk away, and the retail and entertainment hub of Ermou street, a 4 minute walk away. A 20 minute walk in the other direction gets you to the vibrant, trendy neighbourhood of Koukaki.

There’s great access to public transport, too. Thiseio metro station is a 2 minute walk from the hotel. From here, you access all of the main parts of Athens. The port of Piraeus, and the gateway to the Greek islands, is only a 20 min metro ride from the station.

Rooms

There are eight rooms at Nileos house – studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom. I stayed in the ground floor one bedroom apartment.

Having been recently renovated with, each room features a modern look with subtle nods to the 1970s, Greek artwork, and English-language local travel books and literature. An open plan living, dining, and kitchen area continues to the back to a separate bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom features a small outdoor space, perfect for drying clothes and towels.

The living space features a couch and coffee table, and a large TV with plenty of Greek and English language channels. There’s a small balcony that looks onto the street. The fully featured kitchen features all of the appliances and utensils that you need to cook and dine, along with a small dining table.

The bathroom is small, with a shower head that has nice pressure and temperature. There’s ventilation to the outside, so it doesn’t get stuff. The bathroom is stocked with good quality toiletries, and plenty of spare towels. An iron and ironing board, and safe, are also provided.

Rooms are fully air conditioned, and come with free WiFi. Note that the WiFi can be patchy depending on where in the room you are.

Amenities

Being a serviced apartment, there aren’t any amenities beyond what you find in the room. As outlined in the “Rooms” section above, it’s a fully featured apartment that has everything you’d expect.

If you have any issues or questions, the owners are contactable via Whatsapp or e-mail, and are friendly, attentive, and helpful.

Eat & Drink

You don’t get any on-site food and drink options at a serviced apartment, but this isn’t an issue at all. Visit one of the city’s fresh produce markets or supermarkets, and you can stock the fridge and pantry with all you need to cook up a snack or feast at home.

If you don’t want to cook, you’ve got a multitude of quality food and drink options located just a short walk from the hotel. Check out my Athens Food Guide: Where To Eat, for a list of my recommended restaurants, bars, cafes, and more.

The Verdict

This was my fist time visiting Athens, and I had places that I wanted to visit located all over the city. The location of Nileos House was perfect for exploring. I loved being close to the action, but just out enough to enjoy peace and quiet. The clean, fully featured rooms, along with the excellent attentive service whenever I had a question, were all appreciated.

The next time I visit Athens, it’s very likely that I’ll stay at Nileos House again.

Nileos House

Nileos 11
Thiseio
Athina 118 51
Greece

Telephone: 021 0722 4982
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Paris Street Art Guide

Paul
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0
Paris Street Art Guide

PARIS | Paris is one of the best European cities in which to find street art. Starting with stencil art in the 1950s, the city’s graffiti scene evolved, and then exploded in May 1968. In that year student protestors covered walls with political, poetic and graphic messages using collages, posters, and stencils.

The 1980s saw influences from New York City’s street art scene, adopted in Paris. American street artists visited Paris, formed crews with other local and international artists, and expanded street art’s reach throughout the city.

Today, you’ll find street art throughout Paris. There’s still plenty of political art to be found, along with whimsical pieces, murals that celebrate the city and its people, and artworks that reveal aspects of the artists’ personalities and lives. In this Paris street art guide, I’ll tell you about some of my favourite areas to visit for Paris’ best street art.

The 13th Arrondissement

This part of Paris is filled with numerous high-rise residential towers, which create a perfect canvas for large murals. The local council is a big supporter of the arts, and has commissioned several urban art projects in the neighbourhood. Passers by are encouraged to engage with the community, with many of the murals focused on the people who live in the area, their stories and dreams, and things that are important to the local community.

In particular, explore the streets around Nationale and Chevaleret metro stations, and the left bank, on the south side of the River Seine. It’s here you’ll find some of the largest and most impressive murals in the area.

Belleville

Belleville, and the wider 20th arrondissement is arguably the best place to find street art in Paris. It’s a former industrial area that attracts a youthful, creative, crowd, filled with trendy bars and eateries, and galleries. Walking through Bellville is like walking through an open-air gallery. Just when you think there couldn’t be any more art in the area, you take a turn and find another street filled with interesting murals.

There are large murals, small murals, and everything in between in Belleville. The murals draw you in, dealing with topics that relate to the neighbourhood, and encourage you to stop and reflect. While you’re in the area, be sure to also pay a visit to the beautiful Parc de Belleville. It’s the highest park in Paris, and offers great views of the city.

Le Marais

Historic Le Marais is one of my favourite parts of Paris. It’s narrow, cobblestone streets and historic architecture are lined with brilliant places to eat and drink, and plenty of interesting, independent boutiques. The street art game is strong in this neighbourhood, with plenty of murals from local and international artists like Shepard Fairey aka Obey, and Space Invader.

Be sure to pay particular attention when walking around Le Marais. There are a lot of small, unassuming murals that you can easily miss at first glance.

Ménilmontant

Located between Belleville and the Père Lachaise Cemetery, you’ll find the neighbourhood of Ménilmontant. It’s a working class neighbourhood, popular with students and artists due to its cheap rents. In the 1990s, the area was popular with punk musicians, and anti-establishment individuals. In many ways its a grungier, less-gentrified version of Belleville. Full of character, and with a lot of great street art that reflects the area’s past and present.

Oberkampf

Oberkampf is the place to visit for some of the freshest street art in Paris. The urban art project Le M.U.R., began in 2003 and offers legal and prominent spaces for street artists to create murals. The murals are refreshed monthly, meaning that it’s a great way to get a taste of what’s happening in Paris’ street art scene right now.

Buttes-Chaumont

Paris, 19th arrondissement is home to two of Paris’ largest parks – Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, and Parc de la Villette. The latter is the third largest park in Paris, and filled with plenty of things to see and do. Directly across from the park, you’ll find open-air street art museum, 27 Pantin. The buildings here features multiple artworks created by around 30 local and international artists. The murals are renewed every three years.

The neighbourhood is also home to a long wall filled with murals along Canal de l’Ourcq. Another long wall run parallel to Rue Aubervilliers. This wall is home to several murals, including the longest one in Paris, a 493 metre tribute to Rosa Parks, painted by multiple artists.

Identified artists featured in the image gallery include:

I hope you enjoy discovering Paris’ street art scene Remember, there is a lot of street art in Paris and while my Paris street art guide is a great place to start, be sure to keep your eyes peeled no matter where you are in the city, as you’re almost guaranteed to find street art.

What are your favourites places for street art in Paris? Are there any street art neighbourhoods beyond these hotspots that you love?

Aegli, South Melbourne

Paul
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0
Aegli, South Melbourne

MELBOURNE | It’s a promising sign when the chef of Melbourne’s newest contemporary Greek restaurant, Aegli, stumbles across one your Instagram photos from your recent vacation in Greece, and recognises his fishmonger cousin serving a customer at the family fish shop in Athens’ Central Market, Varvakeios.

Ioannis Kasidokostas, who grew up in Athens and has cooked in some of that city’s top restaurants, took over the South Melbourne space that was former home to Lume, earlier this year. At Aegli, Ioannis and his wife, Maria, are on a mission to bring Athens’ style of exciting, more modern Greek dining, to Melbourne. I was recently invited in to check it out.

The new wave of Greek restaurants in Melbourne have been working to expand Melburnian ideas about what Greek food can be. They’ve been moving things forward in exciting and delicious ways, but apart from Tzaki in Yarraville, none have evoked meals enjoyed at Athenian restaurants like Akra, Annie Fine Cooking, and ΦΙΤΑ (Fita). None, that is, until Aegli.

Ioannis’ menu is driven by quality local, seasonal produce, and the finest quality imported Greek ingredients. Dishes are informed by traditional Greek recipes and flavours, and taken in exciting and unexpected directions. As much as possible, things are made on site, from scratch.

House-made anthotyro cheese is double-baked to order and served with sour cherry and caper relish, a relish of sour cherry and capers; while magiritsa, a traditional Easter offal soup, is reimagined as a Victorian mushroom and Greek Meteora truffle dish. Instead of a salad, pantzaria features citrus-topped beetroots stuffed with goats curd.

Wild-grain pie of the day, made with hand stretched filo pastry and strained yoghurt, riffs on traditional Greek filo pies like spanakopita, to great effect. For mains, try the pasta dish, hilopites, dotted with chunks of lobster. And if you really want it, yes, there’s slow-roasted lamb.

Desserts are just as impressive, with options like portokalopita – orange cake, with fresh Anthotiro curd and olive oil ice cream; and sweet butternut kataifi with Aegina island pistachio ice cream.

To drink, its Aussie and Greek beer, wine, and spirits, and house cocktails that experiment along the same lines as the food. The wine list, in particular, is notable for its showcasing of wines not often seen in Australia, from exciting Greek producers.

Aegli

226 Coventry Street
South Melbourne
Victoria 3205
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9279 4271
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Tue – Sun: 5:00pm to 10:30pm

Pendant Public Bar, Collingwood

Paul
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0
Pendant Public Bar, Collingwood

MELBOURNE | Despite a history that dates back to the tabernae of the Roman Empire, pubs that tick all of the right boxes aren’t an easy thing to create. Fitzroy’s newest pub, Pendant Public Bar, has found the right formula, and in the few short months that it’s been open, has firmly established itself as a local’s favourite.

Housed in the long, narrow space that was previously home to The Rum Diary Bar, the basic layout remains the same – exposed brick walls, a long bar with stools on one side, and booths on the other. It’s been given a “pubbish” makeover, with lots of dark timber, more retro-style pendant lighting and trinkets, and on-theme framed artwork. It feels like a pub that’s been here a while.

The duo behind Pendant, Belinda Linton and Luke Kelly, bring some serious pedigree to the table. Between the two, they’ve worked at spots like Mr. West, The Everleigh, Black Pearl, and Apollo Inn. The quality of the sharp cocktail list of two house cocktails, and four seasonal creations, reflects this experience. The house Old Fashioned, with Francois Voyer Cognac, Wild Turkey Rye, Cask-Strength Curacao, and bitters, is a winner.

Joining the cocktails is a top notch selection of interesting but accessibly Aussie and Old World wines by the glass and bottle, and a four tap beer list of crowd pleasing brews from local, independent breweries, and Guinness. At $10 a pint during happy hour, the latter is one of the best value Guinness in town. A quality spirit selection, with a single malt whisky lean, round things off. If alcohol isn’t your thing, there’s also a tidy little non-alcoholic selection, including mocktails.

There’s no kitchen on site. Food options consist of either Nobby’s nuts or Samboy Atomic Tomato crisps.

If you have a dog, you’ll be happy to know that Pendant is dog friendly, both out the front and inside.

Pendant Public Bar

334 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Thu – Mon: 4:00pm to 12:00am

Bar Selecta, Hawthorn

Paul
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0
Bar Selecta, Hawthorn

MELBOURNE | Melbourne has a seen a few bars inspired by the listening bars of Japan open in recent years. Hawthorn’s Bar Selecta, recently opened by hospitality veterans Joey Tai, Adam Ong, Masa Hisaike, and Michael Tan, is arguably the one that comes closest to replicating that Tokyo vibe. The bar was on my radar before it opened, so when Michael invited me to come in and take a look, I didn’t hesitate to accept.

Hidden behind an unmarked gate on a laneway off Glenferrie Road, Bar Selecta replicates the sense of discovery of similar spots in Japan. There’s a small, dog-friendly courtyard behind the gate, and a wooden door that leads to the main bar. It’s a small mid-century themed bar, with 10 stools. To the side, sit a collection vinyl and a DJ booth. Facing the bar, is a glass brick wall, which bathes the space in warm hues as the sun sets.

Through the rear door, you’ll find a second space. A cosy 25-person lounge with couches and, like the front bar, an impressive vintage sound system and furnishings designed to work with the sound that comes from it. Each week, a rotating selection of DJs playing themed playlists feature. On Sundays, guests are encouraged to BYO vinyl.

The menu is focused on cocktails, whisky, and sake. Signature cocktails rotate seasonally, combining Japanese flavours, traditional, and modern techniques. I really enjoyed the Moon Shadow. It’s a twist on the Old Fashioned featuring Joey’s house Mooncake Gin, strawberry, azuki, and hojicha milk punch.

The sake list features an impressive number of premium sakes, categorised by flavour profile. Masa has experience managing sake bars in Japan, and really knows his stuff. I was impressed to see a sake from Fukushima on the menu, somethings you don’t often see in Australia. As far as the whiskey list goes, it’s a selection of interesting drops from around the world, with a Japanese lean.

At the moment, there’s only nuts and crisps to snack on, but this is likely to expand to a few more snacks once the bar find its groove. There’s also food and drink pop-ups. Kenny Chiu from Matsuyama has fired up the hibachi in the laneway a few times, and just this week, there were a couple of cocktails made in collaboration with Japanese whiskey distillers, Ichiro’s Malt.

Bar Selecta

Rear, 717 Glenferrie Road
Hawthorn
Victoria 3122
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed – Sat: 4:30pm to 1:00am
Sun: 4:30pm to 12:00am

Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford

Paul
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0
Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford

DAYLESFORD | The Daylesford Hotel is a stalwart of Daylesford’s food and drink scene. The pub opened in 1948, and has been a favourite with locals and visitors ever since. I last visited in 2021, but after a change in ownership, menu, and refurbishment in 2024, I was keen to return to see what had changed.

The essence of the pub remains the same. It’s been given a good scrub and clean-up, but at its heart it’s still a country pub, and immediately recognisable to anyone who has been here before. The biggest change has come in the more formal, bistro dining space. What was once and extension of the pub now feels like a dedicated and distinct space. It’s a warm, cosy space, with views of the pass through to the kitchen.

That kitchen is now led by chef Rob Kabboord, previously of hatted restaurants, Merricote and Quay, amongst others. I’ve enjoyed Rob’s food many times over the years, and was excited to see what he’s done with the menu here. There’s pub favourites and wood-fired pizzas to enjoy throughout the venue, but the bistro menu is where Rob’s food really shines.

It’s a seasonal menu driven by local produce. Refined pub classics, and dishes laced with influences from Rob’s Dutch heritage. Think jewelled rabbit bitterballen; smoked rainbow trout salad with baby gem lettuce, kipfler potatoes, and pickles; and chicken and leek pie with button mushrooms, turnip, peas, and dill.

The drinks list leans local, and is excellent. There’s wines from some of the regions top established and up-and-coming winemakers, a diverse selection of approachable craft beers, and spirits. There’s also a nice non-alcoholic selection for those that don’t want booze.

Daylesford Hotel

2 Burke Square
Daylesford
Victoria 3460
Australia

Telephone: (03) 5348 2335
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Tue: 4:00pm to 10:00pm
Wed – Sun: 12:00pm to 10:00pm

The Pontian Club, Collingwood

Paul
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0
The Pontian Club, Collingwood

MELBOURNE | Down the relatively quiet city end of Smith Street, you’ll find one of Melbourne’s newest Greek restaurants, The Pontian Club. It’s an evolution of a pop-up run by two mates who never planned on opening their own restaurant. Despite only being open for a couple of months, it feels like it’s been around for much longer.

Landscaper Alessandro Brunetti, and butcher Bertie Pavlidis were inspired to start the Pontian Club after enjoying fun and delicious times with good food and drink in Athens. They started cooking for friends at Brunswick’s Pontian Club, and refined the pop-ups with the help of friend and Gimlet chef, Oscar Tan. One thing led to another, and now they have their own restaurant.

The menu is a short and simple one, centred around top quality fresh produce, and dishes enjoyed by Greece’s Pontian community. That is, the food of Anatolian Greeks, who either fled their homeland during the Greek genocide of the early 1900s, or were forced from it during the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Türkiye. Many of their descendants ended up settling in Australia.

One of two words are used to describe each of the 12 or so dishes. To start, there’s dips like roasted eggplant, fava bean, and taramasalata, best enjoyed with a serve of the crusty house bread. Larger dishes include things like tender grilled octopus, spanakopita, and moreish bites of grilled lamb. Fire, olive oil, and lemon feature heavily.

Youvetsi is another winner, with different protein additions depending on when you visit. The menu listed prawn when I visited, but instead it was a generous, and well suited serve of pipis that were mixed through the pasta. For sides, its classics like Greek salad, roast potatoes, and green beans.

Dessert is a choice between olive-oil pound cake or bay leaf and ricotta cake, made by Bertie and Al’s mum’s respectively. Most of the herbs used in the kitchen also come from the mums’ gardens. To drink, its a small list of Greek and Victorian wines, beers, and spirits. And of course, there’s ouzo.

With decent serving sizes, keen pricing, and a lively, honest atmosphere that doesn’t take itself to seriously, but nails all of the important things, The Pontian Club does all that it needs to do to make it a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

The Pontian Club

8 Smith Street
Collingwood
Victoria 3066
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Thu – Fri: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Sat – Sun: 12:30pm to 10:00pm

Beit Siti, Coburg

Paul
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0
Beit Siti, Coburg

MELBOURNE | Rahaf Al Khatib started Beit Siti (“grandmother’s home”) in 2022 as a way to honour and share the food and stories of her grandmother, Jamal, and mother, Jamileh, with the wider Melbourne community. What started as occasional pop-ups, soon evolved into the Falastini food truck and, as of May this year, a bricks and mortar cafe in Coburg.

The cafe is a deeply personal affair. It’s a small space, fit-out DIY with help from family, friends, and the local community. It’s decorated with plants from Rahaf’s house, family photos, Palestinian literature and music, and tapestries from the West Bank. A display features Palestinian-made clothing, embroidery (and soon, pantry items) to purchase.

The menu currently features cakes and pastries, and a regular and vegan breakfast “sofra” set menu. As time progresses, more items, including regional specialities, will appear. Herbs and spices are grown in Rahaf’s garden, and everything on the menu is made from scratch, on site.

It’s a meze-style affair, featuring things like qudsiyeh (hommus topped with ful (warm spiced fava beans), olive oil, and green chilli shat’a, labneh topped with olive oil and sumac, and the precursor to shakshuka, galayet bandora (sauteed tomato with garlic, onion, and green chilli). It’s all very tasty stuff, served with an unlimited supply of pita to mix and match each bite with.

It’s not just about traditional family recipes at Beit Siti. The pastry menu, in particular, riffs on Rahaf’s upbringing as a “third culture kid”, who was born in Jordan and moved to Australia when she was four. There’s things like cheese and chicken mortadella croissants, labneh-topped danishes filled with strawberry, pomegranate and molasses jam, and labneh cheesecake brownies.

To drink, you can enjoy coffee made with Constance coffee beans, tea, and juices. Be sure to try the sahlep. It’s a hot, milky drink made using orchid tuber flour, flavoured with rosewater, and topped with shredded coconut.

There’s also on-site workshops where you can learn to how to do things like make yoghurt and labneh, and pickle vegetables.

Beit Siti

150 Bell Street
Coburg
Victoria 3058
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Tue – Sun: 8:00am to 3:00pm

Loku, Northcote

Paul
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0
Loku, Northcote

MELBOURNE | Lanka Imiyaarachchige has always enjoyed cooking. Growing up in Sri Lanka, she would cook for her extended Tamil-Sinhalese family. When she moved to Australia in the 1990s, she imagined that one day she’d own her own restaurant, introducing Australians to the taste of home. Life did what it does and got in the way, including having to turn down an offer to appear as a contestant on MasterChef.

Lanka kept persevering, actually qualifying as a chef while working an unrelated day job and taking care of her young family. Last year, she achieved her dream of opening a restaurant. It’s called Loku, and I was recently invited in by Lanka to take a look.

Loku means “eldest” in Sinhalese. It’s the nickname that Lanka was given as the eldest child in her family. Family is at the heart of the restaurant – Lanka is the sole chef in the kitchen, and her children help out with front of house and other things. Dishes include all of the things that Lanka cooks for her family, with a refined touch, and experimental creations.

To start, its classics like roast paan (flat bread), crispy vegetable or fish pan rolls, and ulundu wade. The latter are crispy and spongy urad dal fritters served with a grated coconut sambal sauce. Be sure to try the betel leaf “taco”. Based on the Sinhalese curry goda hodda, it features fried oyster mushrooms, topped with shallots and red chillies, served on a betel leaf and dressed with sesame oil, lime and soy sauce.

An extensive list of curries make up around half of the menu. All of the curries are gluten-free, and there’s plenty of meat, vegetarian, and vegan options. I’m a big fan of the black pork curry. It contains generous chunks of rich, dark, pork, cooked with Lanka’s dark roasted curry powder, curry leaves, and pandan leaves. The lighter mutton curry is also a great choice.

A good option is the lamprais. It’s a flavourful fusion of Sri Lankan, Dutch, and Portuguese influences, featuring your choice of curry, served with eggplant, green banana, Seeni (caramelised onion) sambal (caramelised onion), blachan, a fish cutlet, and boiled egg.

Desserts are no slouch at Loku, either. Falooda (basil seeds, rose syrup, strawberry
jelly, soy milk, and ice-cream), is a must try. To drink, it’s a small selection of local wine and spirits, plus Sri Lankan sodas. There’s also beers from Melbourne craft brewery Two Rupees, another local Sri Lankan immigrant success story.

Loku

298 High Street
Northcote
Victoria 3070
Australia

Telephone: 0461 308 007
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Tue – Fri: 5:30pm to 10:30pm
Sat: 12:00pm to 3:00pm, 5:30pm to 10:30pm
Sun: 6:00pm to 9:00pm

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