MELBOURNE | Iconic Brunswick East restaurant Rumi has a new home, which launched last week, along with owner Joseph Abboud’s new cookbook, at East Brunswick Village. It’s the third incarnation of the 17 year old restaurant, and the first time that Joe’s been able to design a space from scratch.
You’ll immediately notice the extra space, brightness, and large kitchen, which is open to the main dining room. To the side, there’s a private dining room, function space, and backing onto the laneway across from the soon to open @fomocinemas, Rumi’s new bar, Rocket Society.
Peruse through the menu at the new Rumi, and you’ll notice that not much has changed, which is a good thing. As much as we all love to try new things, most people that dine at Rumi, myself included, have our favourite dishes that we come here for. Things like sigara boregi (haloumi, feta, and kasseri filled filo pastry cigars); Persian meatballs with tomato and saffron sauce, and labne; and the fried baby quail kebabs with saffron marinade, verjus, and grape molasses that Anthony Bourdain listed as one of his favourite Melbourne dishes when he visited Rumi mk1 in 2009.
New dishes include things like half BBQ chicken with rose harissa and Warragal greens; and a slow cooked brisket take on basturma, served with a bean salad. The wine list is also expanded, with around 80 ‘boomer-friendly’ local and Lebanese wines curated by sommelier Stelios Kimonides.
If you’re looking for something new, be sure to put Rocket Society on your radar. The bar opens this Friday and will see Rumi’s kitchen and bar team doing all sorts of new, fun, and interesting snacky things. Lebanese pet nat with HSP croquettes anyone?
Congratulations Joe and Nat on the beautiful space that’s Rumi mk3. I look forward to many a meal enjoyed here in the future.
Rumi
2 Village Avenue
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9388 8255
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Sun: 5:30pm to 9:30pm