The Moldy Fig
120-122 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
03 9042 7613
American, New Orleans
$$$
Food
- Cornbread
- Pulled Pork Po Boy
- Gumbo
- Vegetarian Jambalaya
- Sticky Date Pudding
- Apple Pie
The Good
It proved to be an amazing start with the Cornbread. Fresh out of the oven, the exceptionally soft outer made way for a spongy and still-warm inner that had just the right moister and crumbly texture. With a hint of corn flavour permeating throughout, this was well complemented by a generous smother of butter on top and made for an enticing treat.
A highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Pulled Pork Po Boy. Generously topped with an abundance of juicy and succulent pulled pork, we found the marinade well balanced in sweetness while allowing the savoury, porky flavour to shine. Holding it all together was the house-made bread roll, which had the perfect combination of a soft, spongy inner that soaked up all the beautiful juices, as well as a crisp outer that offered up just the most satisfying crunch with each chomp down.
Recognised as the official dish of New Orleans, Gumbo is a controversial dish that can’t be missed at any Louisiana eatery. Opting for the ‘lighter’, Creole variant that exhibits a brighter colour and less thickness, Moldy Fig’s rendition certainly did not disappoint one bit. Made from scratch, the base was bold and full-bodied, with plenty of savoury flavour without being overly thick or gooey. This was well complemented by generous chunks of chicken and Andouille sausage, both offering up a flavoursome, meaty sensation that was well complemented by the stock.
The Vegetarian Jambalaya certainly didn’t disappoint either. Cooked in a rich and flavourful tomato base, this Spanish-inspired rice dish was not too dissimilar from the famous paella. Loaded with an abundance of fresh veggies including crunchy celery, sweet corn, as well as crisp broccoli, this dish was certainly not light on taste and offered plenty of texture. The rice was cooked just right, soft without being glucky and inheriting much flavour from the rich tomato base.
We rounded off the evening with the Sticky Date Pudding. The pudding was simply stunningly, incredibly moist with a beautiful date flavour permeating throughout. This was well matched with a rum caramel sauce that was aptly sweet and offered up an incredibly bold rum flavour which is bound to satisfy anyone looking for a slight alcoholic hit.
The Mediocre
Unfortunately the Apple Pie didn’t quite tickle our fancy on this occasion. The huge slice of pie was served with a beautiful scoop of house made vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, the pie was served cold and the pastry lacked the flakey buttery qualities we were looking for.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
New Orleans and Louisiana cuisine is a relative rarity in Melbourne despite our cultural diversity and love for all things food-related.
While we certainly can’t attest to the authenticity of the dishes at Moldy Fig as it is indeed our first taste of New Orleans cooking, we were definitely impressed with the depth of flavours and skillful execution that was present in these Southern dishes. And with owner and chef Dorelle carefully crafting every single component in-house, from their appetising chilli sauce to the bread rolls perfect for the Po Boys, it’s no wonder everything tasted as good as it did!
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Definitely. Fantastic food, live music, great cocktails, what’s not to love
Penguineats would like to thank The Moldy Fig for inviting us.