Domain Review Bayside & Port Phillip - May 08, 2024

All Things Nice

Gewurzhaus founders Eva and Maria Konecsny pick the spices they reckon everyone should have in the pantry, plus share favoursome tips on how to elevate home cooking

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Broadsheet  Founder and publisher: Nick Shelton   General manager: Sian Whitaker  Publications director: Nick Connellan   National editor: Michael Harry   Melbourne food & drink editor: Audrey Payne   Studio and strategy director: Roya Lines   Media partnerships manager: Jessica Kirsopp

Broadsheet  Editor: Jo Walker   Assistant editor: Gitika Garg   Design lead: Ben Siero   Designer: Ella Witchell   Sub editors: Miriam Kauppi, Barnaby Smith, Adeline Teoh, Annie Toller   Writers: Claire Adey, Ruby Harris, Alice Jeffery, Chynna Santos, James Williams   Photographers: Becca Crawford, Pablo Diaz, Amy Hemmings, Carys Huws, Phillip Huynh, Kaede James Takamoto, Lexi Laphor, Ashley Ludkin, Ben Moynihan, Jayden Ostwald, Jake Roden, Ed Sloane, Anna Varendorff, Hilary Walker, Jamie Zhou

Cover credits: Eva and Maria Konecsny shot by Hilary Walker

Broadsheet Media acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to lands, waters and communities. We pay respect to Elders past and present and honour more than 60,000 years of storytelling, art and culture.

We learnt a lot talking with Eva and Maria Konecsny for this week’s cover story – like the fact that we probably need to chuck out half of our current spice stash and invest in a really good microplane. The sisters behind Gewurzhaus are authorities when it comes to choosing, storing and using spices and they have a lot of wisdom to share. (They also have some shortcuts for making your dinners extra tasty without a heap of effort.)

Jo Walker Broadsheet Editor

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NOW OPEN Sachi

64

Reki Reinantha spent six years behind the sushi counter at Lucas Group’s Japanese restaurant Kisume. Since leaving late last year, Reinantha launched Sachi, a casual pop-up specialising in chirashi bowls (vinegar-seasoned rice with thick slabs of sashimi arranged flower-like around a cured egg-yolk heart) and nigiri sushi.

After a successful residency at Carlton sake bar Leonie Upstairs, Sachi is now in the former Shizuku Ramen space on Burwood Road. It’ll stay there until October, when the team moves to a more permanent restaurant space at 179 Queen Street in the CBD.

Chirashi don remains at the core of the menu. It’s served with seasonal tsukemono (pickles) and nori, and patrons sip a fish-bone soup with their meal.

The Hawthorn pop-up also offers marlin burgers with spring onion relish, ocean trout katsu, and grilled swordfish topped with Yarra Valley caviar. The expanded menu also includes a sushi and sashimi omakase option for $150 per person. — CA

ADD TO CART

If this handcrafted butter bell from Melbourne ceramicist Adele Macer isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, it might come pretty close. The pleasingly minimalist contraption keeps butter fresh and spreadable without the need for refrigeration – just fill the lid with butter and the base with water, and seal. The ceramic material insulates the butter, keeping it soft, while the water stops oxygen from making it go bad. Available in a range of colours and sizes – and it’s dishwasher-proof. — JW

$85 to $110 / adelemacerceramics.com

IN

THE DIARY

The Bridal Lament by Rainbow Chan

Singer, producer and multi-disciplinary artist Rainbow Chan is coming to Arts House. Inspired by her Weitou heritage (the Weitou people were among the first settlers of Hong Kong), Chan will present a 70-minute audiovisual performance and song cycle drawing on the bridal lament – a Weitou ritual where newlywed wives weep and sing in grief in front of friends and family. The Melbourne-based creative’s contemporary interpretation will feature 13 original art-pop songs. Plus, take in a free installation of Chan’s silk paintings. — GG

From May 8–19 / Arts House, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne / artshouse.com.au

Adele Macer butter bell

Photo: Pablo Diaz

Burwood Road, Hawthorn

SNACK BAR STREET STYLE

Thelatestin Melbourne foodnews

By Audrey Payne High Street, Kew

Bistra, a new bistro in Carlton, brings back white tablecloths and early-2000s style dining culture – but this time it’s more casual. The kitchen’s led by Alex Nishizawa, a former Attica sous chef. Expect everything from French onion soup to Southeast Asian desserts. 157 Elgin Street, Carlton / @bistra.carlton

The team behind much-loved 14 -year-old Italian spot Scopri in Carlton has opened a sibling spot – Bar Olo – less than a minute’s walk from the original restaurant. Bar Olo (named for the Barolo wine region in Italy) is open for walk-ins and serves snacks alongside a wine list focused on drops from Piedmont. 165 Nicholson Street, Carlton / barolocarlton.com.au

Chef Harry Mangat of Biji Dining and Rohit Singh of Avani Wines will join chef Mischa Tropp at his restaurant Toddy Shop to cook a three-course modern Indian meal on Sunday May 19. It’s $65 per person and bookings are essential. Rear/191A Smith Street, Fitzroy / @toddyshop.local

After a series of delays and cancelling its scheduled April 17 launch with only 10 minutes warning, Moon Dog’s 800-person Wild Westthemed bar in Footscray’s iconic Franco Cozzo building has finally opened to the public. There’s a mechanical bull, a “kid’s ranch” with a playground and old-school arcade games, and a desert-themed rooftop. 54 Hopkins Street, Footscray/ moondog.com.au

Twelve-year-old Italian restaurant Rosetta, owned by Hunter St Hospitality and previously run by top chef Neil Perry, will close on Sunday May 19 . It’s making way for The Henley at Crown Melbourne, a bar inspired by the Australian Henley Regatta. 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank / rosettarestaurant.com.au

Name: Sue Thompson Age: 75 Occupation: Clairvoyant Tell us about your outfit today. I got the pants from Vietnam and my top is from Thailand. The shoes are Puma. How does your style fit in with your lifestyle? I’ve got quite an eccentric lifestyle and I’ve got eccentric clothing. I like things that are a little bit out there. And I love glamour. What do you gravitate towards when shopping? Definitely silk – the rarest fabric in the world and my favourite. I love the feel of things and good quality textures. Also people –if you loved me, I’d buy anything you were selling.

Kew exemplifies a real estate landscape defined by luxurious homes, lush landscapes and a socially varied population. With its wealth and cultural charm, it’s a highly desirable place to call home.

Source:

Photo: Kaede James Takamoto

LEAFY GREEN ’BURB

Photo: Ashley Ludkin

Photo: Becca Crawford

Photo: Pablo Diaz

Photo: Ashley Ludkin

THE INTERVIEW From Fashion to Ceramics, Henry Holland Makes Waves

Words by Alice Jeffery

Photo by Carys Huws

Henry Holland “made himself redundant” in the early days of 2020. The British designer sold his fashion label House of Holland right as the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered stores and threw the industry into disarray. “I was burned out and a bit disillusioned,” Holland tells Broadsheet. “But I was still so passionate and proud of everything I had done. I wanted to walk away before I really tipped over the edge.” He didn’t really have a plan.

During the initial wave of lockdowns in the UK, Holland Instagrammed a picture of his lunch. It was sitting on a plate he and his partner had been gifted for their wedding. Recognising her work, the ceramicist responsible replied. A serendipitous friendship bloomed – and it changed Holland’s course.

He started taking ceramics classes when social distancing rules permitted, but when his teacher had to move back to Turkey, Holland took things into his own hands. “I ordered a bunch of clay and was really just playing around with hand-building,” he says. “I got the bug and started making everything at my kitchen table.”

Anyone familiar with House of Holland will know the brand as a frenzy of colour and prints. That audacious spirit is innate for Holland. “I was so used to creating patterns in fabrics through weaving or digital prints. But when I tried to add checks or stripes with a glaze, it [didn’t come] out how I was expecting.”

Determined to produce rich patterns and hues, Holland went down a Youtube rabbit hole and discovered the nerikomi technique from Japan, where the colour is in the clay itself, not the glaze. Coloured clay is stacked and sliced to create mesmeric patterns –a method that inspired Henry Holland Studio’s now-signature swirling designs.

There’s a water-like quality to the motifs adorning Holland’s newly released tableware

collection, made in collaboration with Australian homewares label Jardan. The green and blue “oceanic” colourway is specifically inspired by time spent around Bondi and Bronte in Sydney’s east. “I’ve been obsessed with Australia since I first visited in about 2010,” he says. This time, Holland was only in Sydney for 48 hours, for the launch of the Jardan collection. After his interview with Broadsheet wrapped, he was heading to do a coast walk.

Although it’s been a success, Holland didn’t intend to start a ceramics brand. But when the meditative hobby became a business opportunity, he ran with it. “My plan was to consult for brands. But I quickly realised that I really missed the process of physically making products.”

Holland and his team (he works with about nine ceramicists) build all the pieces by hand in a studio in Hackney, London. Working in ceramics has taught Holland to live at a new pace, he says. And to have lots of patience. “Fashion teaches you to work like a donkey. But with ceramics, it’s much slower and there’s so many parts of the process that can fail.”

Another element that Holland has borrowed from his previous career is a focus on function. “I want the pieces to be used. They’re beautiful and decorative but they’re also functional.”

If you look closely at the pieces, you’ll realise they’re all formed from a few core shapes. For example, the Profumo vase is essentially two bowls stacked with two mugs. “I’m not a big planner,” he laughs. “I like to create in the moment, building things and trying things out. Sometimes I’m halfway through a piece before I really know what the outcome is going to be”.

Jardan is the exclusive retailer of Henry Holland in Australia.

Top Melbourne Pilates Studios To Break a Sweat In

By Chynna Santos

MANDARIN While this inclusive studio offers two levels of reformer Pilates (and even a class in Mandarin), what sets it apart is the aerial yoga classes that use a hammock hanging from the ceiling. Or join the ropes class, which has you strapped to the walls to strengthen your form. Blackburn, Burwood East, Camberwell and CBD locations / littlemandarin.melbourne

LOVE ATHLETICA The California-inspired studio combines Pilates (on the reformer or on a mat in a heated room) with an upbeat soundtrack of Frank Ocean and Beyonce to move along to. The studios are also calming, with crisp whites and pastel accents complemented by plants. Hawthorn East, Malvern East, Richmond and Prahran locations / loveathletica.com.au

LITTLE

Photo: Jamie Zhou

Photo: Jayden Ostwald

JOYFUL PILATES Seasoned Pilates princesses (or princes) and reformer rookies alike will find the right class at this studio offering classes designed to pump you up with HIIT and jump boards or slow things down. The zen classes also combine Pilates with yoga and meditation for a blissful reset. 2A Kingsway, Armadale / joyfulpilates.com.au

PEACHES PILATES You’ll be feeling peachy after a class here, which proves you don’t need a reformer to feel the burn, get stronger and build up your endurance. Mat classes sometimes make use of dumbbells, ankle weights, bands and other tools, and there’s barre on offer, too. Fitzroy and Windsor locations / peachespilates.com

UPSTATE STUDIOS Rapidly (and mindfully) expanding across Victoria, this sister-owned chain of studios has energising reformer and hot mat Pilates, as well as yoga and intense boxing. Member perk: you can attend classes at every location, not just where you sign up. Ascot Vale, Balaclava, Fitzroy and Torquay locations / upstatestudios.com.au

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Photo: Ed Sloane

HOME OF THE WEEK

Luxurious and so luminous

Words by Maria Harris

Natural light has been touted as essential for a happy and healthy home, said to boost moods and regulate our internal clocks.

For the buyers of this imposing contemporary house in Brighton East, natural light – and plenty of it – will be key.

A wall of windows on the north side of the home allows light to filter into the living, dining and kitchen areas, and morning light comes through the six-metre-tall windows alongside the spectacular circular staircase.

Happy and energised, families should be ready to enjoy this luxurious, grand-scale entertainer with all the bells and whistles.

Beyond the travertine-clad facade, the journey begins with an entry hall finished with chevron-patterned oak floorboards leading to a double bedroom with a stonefinished en-suite and garden views.

Past the home theatre and temperaturecontrolled wine room is the opulent living and dining domain. Along the way, details such as shadow lines at the bottom of walls and around doors evoke modern minimalism, while brushed gold fixtures and fittings throughout continue the luxe look.

Strategically placed windows infuse the living zone with natural light and a travertine-framed fireplace sits on one wall. The room looks outward to a swimming pool, spa and garden with a majestic oak tree.

Sliding doors open to a covered indooroutdoor “room” complete with a kitchenette and integrated barbecue for seamless outdoor entertaining.

Back inside, the gourmet kitchen, with stone benchtops and Gaggenau appliances, includes an induction cooktop, oven, plate warmer, integrated fridge-freezer and Zip tap for hot, cold and sparkling water. A wall of storage has fluted glass doors. The butler’s pantry provides more storage and workspace.

The circular staircase with travertine treads arrives at the first-level lounge with a study nook. Once again, light streams inside.

A hall leads from the lounge past three bedrooms, each with mirrored built-in wardrobes and a sophisticated central bathroom with a free-standing grey stone oval bath and stone vanity.

At the end of the hall, the main bedroom, with large windows overlooking the garden

and street below, includes a walk-in wardrobe with fluted glass cabinets. The indulgent en suite, lit by a large window, includes a grand mirror and white marble vanity.

This opulent home has zoned heating and cooling, laundry, intercom, 2000-litre water tank, security and a remote-controlled double garage with internal entry.

It is moments from St Leonard’s College, Haileybury and other schools, Brighton Golf Course and Dendy Park. Brighton Beach and Hampton station are within easy reach.

Brighton East

36 Baird Street

$4.6 million-$4.8 million

5 3 2

Auction: 2.30pm, May 18

Agent: Kay & Burton, Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

Hover your camera over the code to see Domain listings in Brighton East

WHAT THE AGENT SAYS

“This is a high-end family home that will make a lot of buyers happy. It has accommodation for large families, style and finesse with a large garage, multiple living areas and a pool.”

SALES $3.365 million

Lubrano Street, April $3.2 million 6 Heathfield Road, March $2.955 million 2a Marriage Road, February

Matthew Pillios

Kay & Burton

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF INSPIRING LONG-LASTING LEGACIES.

JOIN US AS WE HONOR OUR HERITAGE, CELEBRATE OUR PRESENT AND CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW.

DISCOVER MORE AT TOORAKCOLLEGE.VIC.EDU.AU/150

SPICE WORLD

Gewurzhaus founders Eva and Maria Konecsny are seasoned professionals. Here they share how to best select, store and use spices –and elevate your kitchen game. Plus, the 12non-negotiable favours they’ll always have in their pantries.

Words by Jo Walker · Photos by Hilary Walker

Before launching Gewurzhaus Spice House, sisters Eva and Maria Konecsny spent the best part of a year in the kitchen perfecting flavour profiles for everything from guacamole to apple cakes to Bavarian roast chicken. “We were just cooking, cooking, cooking, cooking,” Maria recalls. “Coming up with the recipes for all of our different spice blends.”

The culinary marathon led to the pair’s first shop in Carlton in 2010 . In the years since they’ve opened 12 more stores across Australia, including five in Melbourne and one each in Healesville and Daylesford. All sell spice blends the sisters mill and mix themselves, and feature self-scoop tubs alongside prepackaged jars and sachets.

“It’s really about home cooking and inspiring people,” Maria says. “Especially when people come in to lift the lids and smell and get hungry and excited about what they can do in the kitchen.”

Last year the sisters released a cookbook – Kindred: Recipes, Spices & Rituals to Nourish Your Kin – which draws on their German heritage. “So many recipes have been handed down through family, and a lot of those have Eastern European influences,” Eva explains. “That’s a beautiful element – melding rituals and nurturing and connecting that back into the book.”

You could say their lives are infused with spice. It’s their business and their heritage and their everyday. Eva and Maria use spices in cooking and baking, preserving fruit and veg, and flavouring stocks. They steep them in hot water for teas and use them in mulled wines and hot toddies. Spices are used for infusing homemade alcohol and added to cocktails for an extra kick. And when that gets too much, there are medicinal uses too: clove for toothache, fennel seed for upset stomachs, chamomile for restless nights.

(Fresh and dried herbs are also used enthusiastically. If you’re wondering what the difference is, “A herb is the leafy part of a plant – so think parsley, thyme, rosemary – whereas the spices are generally the seed or the bark,” Eva says.)

These days Eva lives in Melbourne. Maria’s made her home in Healesville where she has a large, well-tended kitchen garden and plenty of space for cooking – and enormous spice racks.

Spices have treated the sisters well, and they’ve learnt to treat them well in return – something not all of us do. Storage, for

instance, requires some thought. Protect your spices from sunlight and humidity by stashing them in the pantry, or keeping them in ambercoloured glass jars. (Paper will suffice for whole spices.) And please don’t empty them straight into the pan when cooking.

“A really common [mistake] is to get your spice jar and tip it into your pot over the stove, then the steam from the pot comes up and stays in your jar. It’s really important to use a spoon to get the spice out of your jar, or tip it onto your hand and then put it into the pot,” Maria advises.

Even stored carefully, ground spices won’t last forever. That’s why Maria and Eva opt for the self-scoop format at their shops – so customers can buy small amounts and replenish frequently.

“It’s like coffee,” Eva says. “A whole coffee bean lasts a lot longer than ground coffee … Once the spices are ground, that’s when they’re at their most potent. They don’t go off, but they lose their top notes and potency. So, similar to coffee, you want to get as little as you need and use it up as quickly as possible. Unless you’re grinding it at home.”

Spice blends are the Gewurzhaus stock-intrade, a way for home cooks to elevate their dishes and bakes without too much extra effort. And the range gets bigger all the time, currently running to everything from Quick Butter Chicken and Laksa Lemak to Egyptian Dukkah and Mayan Chilli Chocolate. “It’s as simple as a protein, some oil and a spice blend, and you’ve got an awesome meal,” Eva says.

Plus, there’s always room to experiment.

“Having blends is a really great entry. But if you have a blend that you really love, have a look at what’s in there, and then buy one of those spices in a single and just start playing around with it,”

Maria says. “Most of the time spices are pretty forgiving … Just add – maybe in quarter teaspoon amounts – and taste. Don’t be afraid. I think people are way too afraid of spices, and they really don’t need to be.”

Maria and Eva’s book Kindred: Recipes, Spices & Rituals to Nourish Your Kin is out now through Pan Macmillan Australia. Shop their spice blends at Gewurzhaus stores – including outlets at Chadstone, South Melbourne Market and the Block Arcade – or online at gewurzhaus.com.au

EVA AND MARIA’S 12 PANTRY MUST-HAVES:

CHILLI: According to the sisters, the best use for chilli is “everything” – just choose your heat levels. Aleppo peppers are great for a fruity kick that won’t knock your socks off, gochugaru gives medium heat with flavour, while habanero is probably for chilli lovers only. “Because we’ve got kids, I tend to have to cook mild,” Eva says. “I can never be bothered making multiple meals, so I just spoon on chilli oil or sprinkle on chilli salt to get the heat in my serve.”

CORIANDER SEEDS: “Coriander is kind of a base for almost every spice blend,” Eva says. “It’s one of those spices that helps to bring the other spices together. You can also use them individually – they have a beautiful nutty, almost lemony flavour.”

CUMIN: A strong defining flavour. Use a little to bring balance to “big bold flavoured things”, like fat-rich roasts, or use a lot for “very punchy strong cumin-flavoured dishes”, Maria says. Great for breads and baked goods, honey carrots and curries. Buy pre-ground or crush the seeds at home to release the oils.

TURMERIC: For Maria, “turmeric is a nonnegotiable in a spice pantry”. A sturdy, predictable spice, “it doesn’t change that much flavour-wise and aroma-wise when you cook it”, and it’s almost impossible to overuse. Use in curries partnered with coconut cream or coconut milk.

NUTMEG: Buy whole and use a fine microplane to grate fresh for each meal. “Anything with cream is a beautiful match with nutmeg,” Eva says. “Like bechamel on lasagne. Or a mushroom dish with thyme and cream. It just gives a depth of flavour.”

PAPRIKA: Choose from hot paprika, sweet paprika (for Euro flavours like goulash or roast chicken with lemon) and smoked paprika (best for Spanish dishes like paella and great with slow-roast lamb and barbeque). Use generously, and make sure you’ve got the good stuff, Maria says. “The source is important. If you’re making something like a goulash and you’re using crappy paprika, you might as well not bother. It can really make or break.” Freshly ground is best – this is one to purchase frequently.

CLOVE: “Clove is probably one of my favourite spices. I reach for it a lot,” Maria says. Potent and sweet with an “almost medicinal flavour”, it’s used

a lot in preserving and goes great with tomatoes in ketchups and pickles. Can also be used medicinally. Steep six to 12 cloves in a mug of hot water overnight for a throat gargle that helps combat coughs and colds.

VANILLA: Scrape the seeds from vanilla beans for desserts and baking, then place leftover pods in your sugar jar for vanilla sugar, or pop in the saucepan when making mulled wine. (They’re also great for flavouring spirits.) Vanilla extract can be added to drinks and desserts, though steer clear of vanilla essence, Maria says. “Extract is actually vanilla; essence is artificially fabricated.”

CINNAMON AND CASSIA: Often lumped together simply as “cinnamon”, these flavoursome dried barks are similar, though not identical. Cassia has a stronger taste and comes whole in a stick; cinnamon is more delicately flavoured and comes in a quill, with smaller bits of bark rolled together like a cigar. “Curries use true cinnamon to not overpower the other spices,” Eva says, “but a lot of baking uses cassia. What we call a ‘cinnamon scroll’ is a cassia scroll, essentially.”

THYME: “You need to have at least one dried herb in your spice kit,” Maria says. “Dried thyme gives quite a distinct flavour over the fresh herb – it’s so much more intense.” It’s versatile in its uses, teaming equally well with baked apple and custard as it does with chicken and lamb. Also goes “almost universally well with vegetables” – try it with everything from soup stocks to fried potatoes.

STAR ANISE: Bought whole or ground, star anise is “sort of life-affirming”, Maria says. Use whole for infusing hot toddies or preserving stone fruit (it’s a “really great match” for plums). Use ground in Chinese cooking and baking – especially Christmas treats. “It has a beautiful vibrancy and freshness … and gives a really nice kick to things.”

SAFFRON: While Maria is not a fan, Eva rates saffron as one of her most-used spices, adding it to risotto, seafood pasta and “anything with chicken stock or butter – all of those French flavours do well with saffron”. This spice can get “a bit soapy” if overused, so Eva advises steeping the threads in boiling water for 30 minutes before use, then adding the liquid to taste.

LIKE A LOCAL

Caulfield

By Ruby Harris

If you’re going to find just one reason to visit Caulfield, make it a stop at Sebby’s Scrolls. Technically just over the border in Caulfield South, the tiny North Road bakery pumps out upwards of 5000 gooey cinnamon and cheesymite scrolls a week. You’ll likely know you’ve arrived by the smell.

The bakery goodness doesn’t stop there. Over in Caulfield North, cult operation Baker Bleu sits on Hawthorn Road, just around the corner from the very lush Caulfield Park. Our recommendation? Grab a Baker Bleu sourdough country roll, a coffee from Goodies on Balaclava Road and head into the park for a morning of leisure. There’s also a Green Cup outpost on the same strip, so in terms of filling up a lazy morning with things to do (and eat), you’re spoilt for choice.

For lunch, head back down Hawthorn Road to The Pita Man for fresh pockets filled with house-made falafel, tahini and its signature hummus. Better yet, it offers catering, if you’re planning to have guests over. It’s also open till 8pm most nights if you’re craving a quick, hearty dinner.

Of course, Caulfield locals know that the best place to spend the first Sunday of each month is at the Caulfield Racecourse Community Market. Open from 9am to 2pm, swing by for one-off products from makers, bakeries and fresh produce alongside plenty of food trucks. And, like all good markets, dogs are very welcome.

When it comes time for dinner, there are a few go-to options. On Glen Huntly Road, Matsuzaka offers up a choice of teppanyaki or à la carte dining – as well as a private room for up to 25 people. Or head to Farro on Kooyong Road in Caulfield North for sourdough pizza and pasta made with organic spelt flour. You might go for a lamb ragu tagliatelle, lemon pesto gnocchi or the patate e tartufo pizza with black truffle cream, mozzarella, potato and garlic. Close out the night with desserts like Nutella calzone and crème brûlée.

Once abundant in springs and cattlemen’s routes, Caulfield is now a quiet, affluent suburb. With diverse architecture, a strong Jewish community, and proximity to Melbourne attractions, it offers a rich lifestyle.

Average Age 42

Median Weekly income $2,143

Clockwise from top: Sebby’s Scrolls and Uchu Cafe, photos Amy Hemmings. Baker Bleu, photo Jake Roden.

“Most

Clockwise from top: Matsuzaka Japanese Restaurant and Caulfield Cellars, photos Amy Hemmings. Baker Bleu, photo Jake Roden. Tram passing, photo Amy Hemmings.

Caulfield North

Darren Lewenberg Kay & Burton

Hike, Quaff and Get Cosy in the Grampians

By James Williams

It’s a three-and-a-half hour road trip from Melbourne to Halls Gap in the heart of the Grampians, where emus trek the pastures and people trek the Wonderland Loop to Lake Wartook. Outdoorsy visitors come to sweat it up the ranges, but if your idea of a holiday looks more like afternoons ambling between wineries and paddock-toplate restaurants, that’s fine too. The craggy bluffs are an impressive backdrop to all forms of unwinding. It all looks best from above on The Pinnacle walk, the friendlier (and more travelled) path which ends with a terrific panorama of Grampians National Park.

Car parks can fill up quick, so get in early. On the descent back to Halls Gap, swing by the Grampians Wine Cellar for some local drops, or head straight to the source at Pomonal Estate and Fallen Giants wineries. On long weekends, the local primary school hosts a market that attracts a big crowd for its arts and crafts, and picnic-ready produce. On the Grampians southernmost edge, seasoned walkers climb Mount Sturgeon for its mighty view of Dunkeld. Back at the base, Stoneycroft Cottage – a converted 19th-century farmhouse – is a great spot to call home for a night. It’s a former shearers

quarters revamped into a boutique bluestone B&B. Or stay 20 minutes down the road at the Royal Mail Hotel for direct access to its renowned restaurant Wickens and the more relaxed offshoot Parker Street Project.

A road trip is never complete without bakery treats and a crumb-dusted lap. Dunkeld Old Bakery has been operating since 1887 and its bakers still use the original woodfired oven. Top up on gourmet pies, sourdough loaves and preserves to take home, or take some time and sit by the fire for locally blended coffee or brunch.

LUXURY

Words by Joanne Brookfield & Kay Keighery

Brighton 16 Norwood Avenue

$6.5 million-$7 million

6 3 4

Expressions of interest: Close 1pm, May 14

Agent: Marshall White, Simon Monnier-Penny 0404 283 551

This address has Brighton Beach at the end of the street, and adding to its prestige is one of the true hallmarks of the bayside elite – a tennis court in the backyard. Championshipsized and flood-lit, the Modgrass court at the back of this grand, sympathetically renovated and extended Californian bungalow is also fitted with a basketball ring. A swim-spa is nearby. Inside are several formal and informal rooms, with bedrooms on both levels and abundant storage.

Armadale

367 Dandenong Road

$8 million-$8.8 million

6 4 6

Expressions of interest: Close 2pm, May 14

Agent: Marshall White, Fraser Cahill 0400 592 572

Here’s a rare gem. Extended on 1930s origins to create roomy family accommodation, this captivating home pairs its original joys (think bay windows, window seat, ornate fireplace) with statement modernisation. The lounge is large and lovely, the dining room is regal and the kitchen stuns in super-white dolomite. Out of doors and accessible through the open-plan hub, an L-shaped deck addresses the pool and tennis court and encourages al fresco dining and post-match pool parties.

Toorak

37 Irving Road

$10 million-$11 million

4 2 2

Expressions of interest: Close 3pm, May 9

Agent: RT Edgar, Anthony Grimwade 0418 382 226

For its eight-figure price tag, you can live a very comfortable contemporary life within the walls of this large home with elegant interiors that wraps itself around an azure pool with a hedged-wall backdrop. There’s sufficient space for luxuries such as formal rooms, a mirrored gym zone, an independent butler’s pantry and finishes such as travertine and herringbone parquetry. The home is on 800 square metres on the corner with Grant Avenue, and has no heritage overlay.

Brighton 15 Rothesay Avenue

$5.5 million-$5.8 million

5 3 4

Auction: 1.30pm, May 11

Agent: Kay & Burton, Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

Minimalist vibes, awash with soft neutral tones, allow the sculptural ribbon staircase and circular sky window to take centre stage when you enter this luxuriously appointed family home. Attempting to upstage it is the glass-enclosed wine cellar, set for intimate wine tastings with a marble bench to complement the calacatta marble in the kitchen and bathrooms. There are also the high-end must-haves of a cinema room, a home office, a pool and an outdoor fireplace.

OPEN FOR INSPECTION

Words by Kay Keighery, Richard Cornish & Shae Wiedermann

Clearance Rate of 63%*

Source: Domain Group

Dr

Nicola Powell

Chief of research & economics

“Melbourne’s slow and steady pricing recovery went into reverse over the first quarter and is still struggling to cement a recovery. There will come a time when Melbourne will be perceived as undervalued.”

Source: Domain House Price Report, March quarter 2024

Hampton 24 Villeroy Street

$2.8 million-$2.9 million

4 3 2

Auction: 10am, May 11

Agent: Belle Property Sandringham, Jenny Dwyer 0418 528 988

This beautifully restored Californian bungalow sits on a large garden block in the old Castlefield Estate. Past the jacaranda and flowering gum, the broad verandah leads to a finely detailed home with herringbone oak floors, wainscoting, open fires and hydronic heating. At the rear is a large, bright, open living, dining and kitchen area flowing through to a lawn secluded by hedging.

Middle Park 18 Fraser Street

$3.5 million-$3.8 million

4 2 1

Auction: 11.30am, May 11

Agent: Marshall White, Oliver Bruce 0409 856 599

Close to Albert Park and Lake, this free-standing Edwardian house has a repointed brick facade and an extension to the rear. The front has period character, with a traditional hallway and two bedrooms with open fireplaces. Carry on to the modern, open-plan living-dining domain, which has a marble kitchen and a concealed bar. Upstairs is a courtyard that links a home office with the main bedroom, which has floorto-ceiling windows with automated exterior blinds.

Agent: Chisholm & Gamon, Torsten Kasper 0428 454 181

Behind a stone fence and manicured hedge lies this quaint 100-year-old house. The single-storey home has four bedrooms; the main at the rear has access to the verdant garden via a private porch. Feature fireplaces in the formal lounge and dining rooms, plus a builtin library shelf in the family area, give the interior a timeless feel. Elwood Beach and the Elster Canal Path are within easy access.

Auction: 11am, May 18

Agent: Kay & Burton, Scott Patterson 0417 581 074

This double-fronted Victorian house is conveniently close to St James Park and Hawthorn Station. A central hallway splits the front interior: one side has a main bedroom (with en suite and walk-in wardrobe), and the other has a bedroom with a fireplace and a study with a built-in desk. To the rear, the kitchen and dining area connect to the living room through the hall.

Hampton East

25 Carrington Street

$2.5

4 3 3

Auction: 11.30am, May 18

Agent: Buxton, Adam Gillon 0418 313 354

Highett

53b Tibrockney Street

$1.45 million-$1.55 million

3 3

Auction: 11.30 am, May 11

Agent: Jellis Craig, Spiro Vasiliadis 0404 534 566

3 3

Auction: 11am, May 18

Sitting pretty on a double block, this single-level house impresses with a five-metre, timber-lined ceiling over its substantial open-plan hub, where three sets of glass doors marry the interior with a side patio and a beaut outdoor room sporting a barbecue and a fireplace. Step on from here to terracing around the sun-loving pool. Kew 12 Yarra Street $3 million-$3.3 million

This modern home has space and places for a busy family, from the upstairs study to the large garage and expansive lawn and garden. It has a hidden powder room, integrated bookshelves, a Scandi-style staircase, and a spacious modern kitchen with Miele appliances. Set in one of Highett’s best locations.

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Agent: Jellis Craig, Lloyd Lawton 0403 229 433

Nestled in bushy riverside surroundings, flowing around a spiral staircase, and enveloping its occupants in timber, earthy tiles and exposed brick, this mid-century masterwork by Chancellor and Patrick offers serenity oh so close to the city. A retreat with clerestory windows sits on the top floor.

Flaunting a premier position nestled amongst the dunes, this stunning beachfront entertainer will impress with its glorious uninterrupted bay views across both levels, direct beach access and lift. Comprises multiple outdoor entertaining zones, downstairs kitchenette, two powder rooms, study nook and double remote garage. Situated steps to the Two Farm Girls café, 350m to the train station and village, plus moments to schools and reserves.

belleproperty.com

Absolute Beachfront Dream in Exclusive Long Island Enclave

Absolute beach frontage and spectacular panoramic views sweeping across the bay are just the beginning with this expansive four-bedroom, three-bathroom coastal retreat. Boasting an exclusive Long Island position and secluded amongst the dunes, this is a magnificent opportunity to secure a dream lifestyle overlooking the iconic beach boxes and crystal blue waters of Port Philip Bay, all while being a leisurely stroll from Frankston’s heart.

belleproperty.com

• Tranquil 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom Edwardian in sought-after cul-de-sac

Architectural waterfront masterpiece.

Expressions of interest

Viewing

Strictly by appointment

Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

Alex Schiavo 0419 239 549

Jamie Mi 0450 125 355

15 ROTHESAY AVENUE

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Evocative Charm, Elite Location

18 Fraser Street, M�ddle Park

4 2 1

5 2 2

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Auct�on Saturday 11 May 11.30am

Ol�ver Bruce 0409 856 599 N�cholas Hoo 0435 728 272

Open for Inspect�on Wednesday 12.45-1.15pm and Saturday from 11.00am

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