Overdosa – Pop-Up Food Restaurant Awesomeness!

Overdosa

Overdosa Menu

Inside Overdosa

Close up of the Food

Overdosa

Cooking at Overdosa

Making of the Dosa

Variety of Chutneys

Funky Chairs at Overdosa

Drinks at Overdosa

Lentil Poppers

THE DOSA’s

Overdosa is a mobile Dosa stand located in Rose Street in Fitzroy and the brain child of Kunal Khanna and Tyson Savanahl. These two best friends came up with the idea after travelling through Asia and Latin America and encountering amazing street food provided by street vendors, and realising that this type of food culture scene was missing in Melbourne.

Overdosa is currently located at Monttani Vintage Cycle Warehouse on Rose Street and is only available on weekends from 11am until sunset (until mid December). When N and I went on a Saturday evening there was people working on bicycles and it great to watch whilst we waited for our Dosa’s. There is also a table tennis table available which further adds to the chilled out and funky factor. There was quite a crowd which was seated in front of the marquee style pop-up restaurant – this is where you order the Dosa’s and can watch them cook them right in front of you. The seats are cute little rattan chairs with colourful sequin cushions that are typically Indian and were quite comfortable. There are also crates and colourful ottomans that can be used as tables.

Going with the simple and chilled out theme – the menu is based in the same fashion. On the menu there are three different types of Dosa’s to choose from – Classic Potato Masala, Smoky Eggplant with Peas, and Spicy Tamarind Pumpkin – all for a price of $9. You do not only get the dosa but a tangy and zesty salad together with your choice of chutney – there are four different types – Hot Chilli, Classic Coconut, Mint & Coriander and Curd & Dill. Additional there are little snacks which are called Poppers that are made of Lentil and come with your serving of Chutney. There are 8 pieces and is a bargain for $5. There is a different selection of drinks which you select from an esky (further adding to the vintage vibe) – flavours include Mango and Lime. The boys really do meet the bill of serving cheap, authentic, accessible and delicious street food.

A Dosa is an Indian savoury crepe which is made from fermented rice and lentil batter and made on a custom made hot place until they are golden and crispy. They are then stuffed with the selection that you choose, before being served on a Thali – a circular metal plate which has segments for the salad, chutney and Dosa.

I ordered the Spicy Tamarind Pumpkin and N got the Classic Potato Masala, and we both got the Hot Chilli Chutney. Let’s start with the Hot Chilli Chutney which was actually quite hot and tasted like a spicier Tabasco sauce and was really delicious. Now onto the Dosa’s – The Spicy Tamarind Pumpkin was really yummy! The combination of the tamarind and pumpkin mixture worked so well together and paired with the crispy and perfectly cooked Dosa really was great. N’s Potato Masala was also really delicious and the potato’s were soft and perfect flavoured. The Zesty Salad was Carrots and Coriander together with a tangy dressing and was refreshing.

We also ordered the Lentil Poppers and paired this up with the Mint & Coriander Chutney. The Mint & Coriander Chutney is really delicious and it’s a pity that I didn’t get to try out the other chutneys, but if the two that I tried is anything to go by, they will be just as tasty! The Poppers are little chunks of deliciousness and you find yourself being able to down them really quickly. They are served fresh and hot straight from the frying pan.

I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent at Overdosa and the guys who run the place are really cool and friendly to chat to. Definitely check this place out – it really does have the yummiest Dosa in Melbourne. They will be at this Fitzroy location till Mid December. You can find them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OVERDOSA), Instagram (dosaloving) and Twitter (dosaloving) as well.

Rating : 4.5 Pandas
Price: $
Menu – 3 different types of Dosa’s – Classic Potato Masala, Smoky Eggplant with Peas, Spicy Tamarind Pumpkin as well as Lentil Poppers
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Funky, Chilled Out, Relaxed and Fun!
Service: Friendly, Welcoming and Fun
Online Booking: No
Restaurant Details and Location:
https://www.facebook.com/OVERDOSA
50 Rose Street, Fitzroy
Tel No: 0413 102 914

Opening Hours:
Saturday & Sunday: 11am to Sunset
(until Mid December after which you can find them at Summer Festivals)

Mesa Verde – Bar with Great Mexican Food

Mesa Verde

Jalapeno, Damiana and Horny Goat Weed Lemonade at Mesa Verde

Inside Mesa Verde

Inside Mesa Verde

Bar at Mesa Verde

Funky Cutlery at Mesa Verde

Tacos at Mesa Verde

Housemade Hot Sauce

Pastry filled with Lamb and Yoghurt

Mushrooms, Spinach, Cheese, Crema, Espelette Pepper on a Blue Corn Tortilla

Pulled Pork, Pink Pickled Onions, Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Radish

Watermelon, Beets, Pomegranate, Mint, Seeds

Tostada, Smoked Trout, Granny Smith Apple, Avocado, Pickled Cucumber

Crinkle Cuts, Chipotle Mayo

Churros with Chocolate Sauce

It was time for another regular catch up dinner with A, and I decided we should try out Mesa Verde – a new Mexican restaurant that has opened up in the last vacancy in the city’s Curtin House, on Swanston Street. It is located one floor below the Rooftop.

Mesa Verde translates to Green Table, and is a new South American bar – that serves Mexican inspired food. Established by Tim Peach (who owns Curtin House and Rooftop) and headed up by Andy Griffiths (Cookie) with Josh Crawford and Sarah Miller.

After travelling all the way up, you are greeted by a dimly lit room where the bar is the first and main focus. The bar is the masterpiece of the room – and is super long – long enough to house the 240 different tequilas! There is a projector near where we sit, that projects a old school movie and we are surrounded by timber tables which are lit up by bottles of alcohol that have a candle atop of them. There is also a DJ set area which pumps out interesting flavours of music. Even though the place is dark; it has a sense of warmth and belonging, partly due to the friendly wait staff and bartenders.

We were seated at our table with clear view of the bar and were handed our menus – which as you opened it are quotes relating to Tequila – after all there are over 240 different tequilas that you can try out here! The Food menu is split into 6 different sections – starting off with Snacks, followed by Smaller dishes, then Tacos (there are 5 different tacos to choose from including an Ox Tongue, Pulled Pork or Prawn Taco), then Larger dishes, Salads & Sides (there are two salads and one side of chips) and finishing with Desserts of course. The menu is short and concise but covers what you would expect at a Mexican Restaurant and then some. There are also specials available that the friendly wait staff will inform you about.

The drinks menu as you can tell is quite extensive but what caught my eye were the Non-Alcoholic Sodas – I decided to order the Jalapeno, Damiana and Horny Goat Weed Lemonade. The combination not only sounded intriguing but the ingredients were something that I hadn’t heard of before and had me google what exactly this Horny Goat Weed was – FYI it is indeed an aphrodisiac but also has some medicinal uses, and has other names such as Rowdy Lamb Herd, Fairy Wings and Bishops Hat. The drink is great! It has a sweet flavouring with chilli hit combined with the fizziness of the lemonade. The chilli from the jalapeno leaves a slight after taste – the first time you take a sip it just tastes funny but the drink grows on you and is quite nice. I enjoyed it!

We decided to get a taco each, and A got one of the specials which was a lamb filled pastry and I got the Smoked Trout Tostada. To share we decided to get the Watermelon Salad as well as chips. We were quite hungry so asked for all the food to be brought out at the same time and the food did come without a lot of waiting. First up was the Tacos – I had the Mushrooms, Spinach, Cheese, Crema, Espelette Pepper on a Blue Corn Tortilla. The Tacos are of a generous size and the mushroom mixed with all the other ingredients mentioned was moist, juicy and tasty. The espelette pepper added a hint of hotness to already flavoursome dish. A enjoyed her taco as well which was the Pulled Pork, Pink Onion Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Radish.

Next up for me was the Tostada with Smoked Trout, Granny Smith Apple, Avocado, Pickled Cucumber. This was a fantastic dish that I thoroughly enjoyed – from the crispness of the tostada to the tanginess of the apple paired together with the fresh smoked trout finished with the smooth creaminess of the avocado – simply delicious!

The Watermelon salad came with Beets, Pomegranate, Mint, Seeds was a colourful and bright looking dish with a flavour to match. The flavours were fresh and really did work well together. Following all our main dishes we were quite full despite it not looking like we had ordered that much but decided to share a dessert – I mean how could you look past the churros? The Churros (there are 5 per serving) comes with a Chocolate Sauce and is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and is super tasty. The Churros were crunchy on the outside and soft and delightful on the inside.

Overall, Mesa Verde is another restaurant in Melbourne that serves great Mexican food with the added incentive of a huge variety of drinks (especially drinks – did I mention over 240 types of tequila?). The place has a funky and vibe to it from the great music playing down to the cutlery which has been repurposed courtesy of local jeweller Marcos Davidson – and is shaped and marked with the MV trademark – funky! Get yourself along and check out Mesa Verde – trust me the 6 levels you need to pass to get there is definitely worth it!

Rating : 4 Pandas
Price: $$
Menu –
The different menus can be found at http://mesaverde.net.au/mesa-verde-menus/
This includes the drinks menus, food menus as well as dessert menu
Fullness: 100%
Atmosphere / Ambience: Funky, Super Cool, Vibrant and Fun! Great to meet up with some friends and just hang out and catch up.
Standout Dish: Tostada, smoked trout, granny smith apple, avocado, pickled cucumber
Service: Friendly, Helpful and Fun
Online Booking: No
Note: Refer to http://mesaverde.net.au/bookings/Bookings
Bookings are encouraged to reserve a table in our main dining area. This area can accommodate groups of up to 10. We have a private dining space that can accommodate groups of 10-20. We offer set menu options for groups of 8 or more. A credit card deposit is required to confirm all larger group bookings.
For Events: Mesa Verde is available to accommodate bookings for daytime events for up to 175 guests. Please contact us to tailor an event to your needs.
Restaurant Details and Location:
mesaverde.net.au
Level 6 (Curtin House)
252 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Tel No: 9654 4417

Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday
Bar:
5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Kitchen:
Tuesday to Thursday: 6pm to Late
Friday: 5pm to Late
Saturday: 6pm to Late