Middle South East
670 Chapel Street, South Yarra
03 9824 0093
Breakfast, Cafe, Coffee, Coffee and Tea, Contemporary, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
$$
Food
- Golden Gaytime Shake
- Middleparma
- Fish for One
- Waffles
The Good
It was a tasty start with the enormous Golden Gaytime Shake. Served in a tall, sizable cocktail fishbowl glass, we found the rim coated with an indulgent smear of nutella and dusted with a variety of seeds and nuts. Within, the milkshake was aptly thick, with a pleasant honeycomb and vanilla flavour throughout.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Middle Parma. Topped with halloumi and a lightly seasoned napoli sauce, underneath we found an excellent chicken schnitzel that definitely made the dish shine. The panko crumbing was coarse and crunchy without being overly thick, which made way for a thick and plump fillet made with fresh and unprocessed chicken protein. This was well complemented by a light smokey eggplant flavour permeating throughout, and made even more flavoursome by the chunks of grilled halloumi scattered on top. Coupled with crunchy, battered chips fried to perfection as well as exceptionally fresh, crispy greens, this was one hard parma to beat!
The Fish for One didn’t disappoint either. Stunningly presented, the beautiful smear of wasabi avocado mousse was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh, pan-seared rockling. Served alongside was a fragrant serve of kaffir lime rice, as well as the delightfully juicy silverbeet that offered up plenty of flavour and texture. Our only gripe would be the fish itself, which was a tad tougher than expected.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the Waffles failed to impress on this occasion. Despite its stunning presentation, the waffles themselves were rock hard, dense, and rather stale. The liberally applied syrup and blueberry marble mousse did help the cause, adding much needed moisture to soften up the waffles. However, we were definitely disappointed by how this dish turned out.
The Verdict
Having recently rebranded, Middle South East is a welcome change and addition to the residential top-end of Chapel Street. The menu is extensive and affordable, and with subtle Mediterranean twists thrown in here and there, we found the flavours excitable and the meals satisfying.
Coupled with plenty of space and natural light, Middle South East is destined to become the default eatery for the locals of South Yarra.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Definitely. Count us in for more parmas and shakes please!
Penguineats would like to thank Middle South East for inviting us.