Located in the heart of Brunswick's Lygon Street in the vicinity of some big names in the dining scene such as Rumi, The Moldy Fig brings us a side of American cuisine which is somewhat under-represented in Melbourne. Although there are some restaurants in Melbourne that incorporate flavours and techniques from New Orleans style cooking, The Moldy Fig has gone one step further and not only based their entire menu off of New Orleans style cooking, but also incorporated a jazz theme into the entire restaurant, including a reference in their name.
The Moldy Fig
Southern Fried Shrimp Po'boy
Beef Brisket Po'boy
We started off the night sampling some of the Po'boys that they offer at The Moldy Fig. We chose to try the Southern Fried Shrimp Po'boy and the Beef Brisket Po'boy so that we could try two different flavours. The Po'boys themselves were great, with perfectly cooked shrimp on mine as well as a great balance of the slaw and remoulade. If I had to be picky though, eating the Po'boy was quite difficult, as it was completely packed with the fillings, which made eating it really messy.
Homemade Cornbread
Ribs of the day
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Deep fried Southern Bites
After we sampled the Po'boys we had the chance to try many of their main dishes, such as the Prawn and Chicken Jambalaya, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Turkey Meatballs, Deep-fried Southern Bites and Ribs of the day.
These dishes were a great showcase of the New Orleans style of food, many of which I had not tried before. Many of their dishes were great and full of flavour, such as the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and the Ribs of the day. The ribs basically fell right off the bone from the slow cooking process, and their homemade BBQ glaze and dry rub gave them a slightly caramelized sweetness. While we did enjoy most of the dishes we tried, I did find some small faults with some of their food, especially the turkey meatballs which where dry and under-seasoned.
Passionfruit and Pomegranate Hurricane
Surprisingly, while we did enjoy our meal, it was actually the drinks they had on offer that impressed me the most. Before visiting The Moldy Fig, I was expecting most of the emphasis to be on their unique offering of New Orleans cuisine. However, after trying their signature cocktail, the Passionfruit and Pomegranate Hurricane, as well as a unique twist on the classic whiskey sour I realised that their bar was also first class.
The Moldy Fig is like nothing that I have tried before. With their unique menu and amazing drinks as well as a snazzy jazz theme, live music and accommodating staff and venue, why wouldn't you want to visit them and give them a go?
Food Rating 8/10
Overall Rating 8.5/10