Monday, March 15, 2010

Ebi Fine Food

We used to be luckily enough to have the greatest fish & chip shop around the corner.  It was a melée on Friday night in particular, the bench seat where you waited strewn with yellowing local papers, the workers behind the counter plunging baskets of chips into hot oil and flipping burgers in a complex dance.  Recently it shut down and reopened as Ebi Fine Food, "Japanese fusion fish & chips".  We have been meaning to try it for ages and this was the night.


The greasy vinyl curtains and humming fridge have been replaced with a neat, dark-wood counter overlooking shining steel surfaces.  Traditional Japanese shop banners flutter in the doorway.  They have interesting fish, such as rockling and mirror dory.  I think the owner has some interesting tales to tell, as the walls are decorated with backstage passes from big 90s rock bands, labelled "Driver", as well as lovingly framed photographs of Japan.

Crab Croquette, $2

The croquette was OK, panko-crispy with a drizzle of Japanese BBQ sauce.

Bento of the day, $12

The bento ("Today's taste of everything good") had juicy, fruity meatballs, a vegetarian takoyaki or octopus ball, decent-enough tonkatsu and panko-crumbed prawn, on rice sprinkled with a delicious seaweed & bonito topping.  The standout was the pickled vegetable salad - ultra-crispy chunks of daikon radish, celery, cucumber and carrot, sweet with a vinegar tang.  I would have been happy with a big bowl of the seasoned rice and an accompanying plate of pickles.  There was also a luscious morsel of meltingly-soft fried eggplant topped with creamy miso.  Yum!

 
Togarashi Calamari, $10

The calamari was lightly cooked with a light yet deceptively spicy coating, and although it suffered a loss of crispiness on the walk home, it was delicious.  The chips were, well, just chips.

Footscray and West Footscray are turning on their rusty, industrial hinges, squinting as they turn towards the light of a new dawn.  Gentrification is happening, albeit slowly.  Every time I see a shopfront in my residential pocket undergoing a refit, I pray for a La Paloma-style café, but it normally becomes another hairdresser.  Ebi was empty at 7.30pm on a Saturday night, while the Chip & Fish Shack used to be jumping with people from all strata of society.  Ebi's food is delicately detailed and painstakingly authentic, and even though their prices are very low for what they are offering, I fear they are "before their time".

Next time, I hope to sit at the counter and enjoy the food as it should be enjoyed, not steamed for 5 minutes in a paper bag.  Let's hope they are still there by the time I get around to it.

See updated review HERE

Update: I had a few pieces of sushi from a friend's lunch pack yesterday and they were really good, with big points for a smear of wasabi between super-fresh fish and rice.  A bit cold, but that is the Health Department's fault.  My friend said that Ebi apparently has the contract to supply the nearby school with sushi for lunch orders - so maybe they will be around long-term after all.  I know I'd love my kids to have sushi from the tuck shop rather than a pie!

Ebi Fine Food
18A Essex St, Footscray (map)
Phone: 9689 3300
Hours: Tues - Thurs 11.30am - 8.00pm (Fri til 9.00pm), Saturday 5.00pm - 9.00pm

22 comments:

  1. Cool! I hope they don't close down before I get to try them. :p

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  2. Oh oh here's an instance where I hope you're wrong - I'd much rather have a bento specialist than another fish and chippery - as good as it was! $10 for calamari isn't bad at all - but maybe that's because I live in the CBD...

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  3. Hi Agnes - I'm sure they will be around, maybe I'm just being pessimistic. Or maybe I am going insane from lack of good coffee in these here parts, and just pining for a good local cafe to open up!

    Hi Vee - I agree, $10 for calamari is CHEAP, especially as this was really fresh and carefully prepared with the proper scoring. I did think after that I was a bit of a bogan for ordering chips, when I could have had Japanese-style salad with the calamari for the same price. Next time!

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  4. You must live about one street over from where I am.

    I'm a bit worried about the "before their time" factor in West Footscray as well as gentrification pushing out the Indian vendors in Barkly Street. As much as I'd love a café that did decent coffee, I'm more than willing to trade it off for food that is almost impossible to find elsewhere in Melbourne.

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  5. Hi Phil, it's a good point. Abbotsford/North Richmond seems to have managed the transition well. Victoria St is as interesting as ever, but studded with gems like the E Lounge (proper wood-fired pizzas) and, in the backstreets, great coffee at New York Tomato.

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  6. Best food going about in Footscray at the moment!

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  7. Anon, it's a big call, but I admire your passion!

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  8. Gosh I just found your blog when I was cruising Urban Spoon. My family and I have lived here for only a year and have found it so hard to know where to eat with so many places (also limited by having a young baby..).
    This blog is absolutely wonderful! Thank you for reviewing this place. We're going tonight!

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  9. Have you tried Jellybread for good coffee? Not
    as good as some places in yarraville/aeddon but
    good for west Footscray.
    Great Thai and Indian restaurants in Barkly st too!

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  10. Hi Emma - thank you so much!! I hope you enjoyed Ebi.

    Anon - I really don't like Jellybread's coffee! Such a pity, as I really want to like the local cafe, know what I mean?

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  11. I think Ebi is fantastic - I had a pork belly bento which was amazing! We must live closer than you do, because the battered fish is still nice and crisp by the time I get home.

    I have really enjoyed reading your blog but very sad to hear that Gordon St Fish n chips is closed at the moment - I was so happy to have finally found such a great fish and chip shop.

    I can also highly recommend Dosa hut in Barkly St - yum! Still keeping my fingers crossed for a good local cafe to open...

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  12. Hi Anon - I have been eyeing off that pork belly on the specials board for a few weeks now!! I would like to try Ebi again in the near future. I think your comment about Gordon St Fish & Chips was somewhat telling ("to have finally found such a great fish and chip shop"). In other words, if I stop thinking about Ebi as a fish & chip shop, I will probably appreciate it more.

    I am really looking forward to trying Dosa Hut. I stopped in there for a menu and the couple were so infectiously happy and friendly.

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  13. I have eaten at Ebi several times now and the food is incredible. I was there last Friday night at the place was pumping, even tonight (Wednesday) the place had several people there. I would recommend everyone in West Footscray to try it out, it is such a hidden gem.

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  14. Stay tuned for new review in the next week or so. Suffice to say - EBI LOVE!

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  15. Just ate there tonight. We are right around the corner. Love it!

    http://filluponbread.blogspot.com/2010/08/ebi-footscray.html

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  16. Hi to a fellow local, Mairead! Glad you enjoyed it!!

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  17. HI just stumbled on your blog - EBI is now pumping due to epicure review and quality food. AS for CAFES in W Footscray - still hard to find a cafe like 'Small Poppys' - except if we cross the railway line into Seddon.

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  18. Anon, I only know Small Poppies as what is now the Centro Cafe, opposite African Town at Nicholson & Irving. Is that where you mean?

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  19. Jellybread has the best coffee. Go back and try it again. Its just as good or better than Seddon.
    It's 2012 now. Ms Baklova, can you do a review of Jellybread?

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    Replies
    1. Hi there, I just might! Haven't been there for a long time, I hear their outdoor area is great.

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  20. Walked past this today and we will go their tonight!

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    Replies
    1. Great to hear Colsy! They are now finally licensed which is great fun.

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