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MELBOURNE | Something that I do often, but moreseo in 2020 when travel has not been a possibility, is to seek out food that reminds me of past travels.
Several years ago, I noticed that a lot of the chefs and cooks that I was hearing about and meeting in Peruvian restaurants across town, when the Peruvian “trend” was at its peak, were actually Colombian.
One of these chefs was Juanito Berbeo, at my old local favourite Piqueos. It was a Peruvian/Argentinian restaurant where Henry Sugar now stands. Once a month, on a Sunday, the usual manu would make way for Juanito’s Colombian feasts. Slow cooked meats using recipes and techniques passed down from Juanito’s pitmaster father, and street food classics. This was my first foray into Colombian food, and I loved it.
When I visited Colombia two years ago, my food horizons expanded greatly. Given the depth of flavour and variety of ingredients and cultural influences, it’s a cuisine that should be much more widely known than it is.
Whether by coincidence or simple because I was paying more attention, more Colombian restaurants and cafes did start popping up in Melbourne. One of these is Berbeo Bros, chef Juanito’s restaurant.
You’ll find an assortment of Colombian Street food classics here, influenced by Juanito’s own upbringing and things he’s learnt cooking in restaurants across Melbourne. During lockdown, you can order pick up and delivery. There’s the fresh cooked items that you’d normally find on the dine in menu, and a house made frozen range, the latter of which can be delivered nation wide.
Grab the Ceviche de Cameron, a prawn cocktail that reminds me of my last meal on the beach at El Muelle in Cartagena, the Berbeo Lechona, which takes me back to lunch at Delicias Del Tolima in Medellin with my friend @tettay, the empanadas, which remind me of the street carts selling them in the cities I visited, and the Morcilla La Mona, which reminds me of a lunch I had at Tabula in Bogota. Also try the Bocadillo con queso, a guava and queso cake I first enjoyed at Amor Perfecto in Bogota. Who says you need to leave home to travel.
Berbeo Bros
602 City Road
South Melbourne
Victoria 3205
Australia
Telephone: 0413 595 851
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Sun – Thu: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm