Discovery XXVII

Discovery 2013 will focus on 'taking it to the people' rather than investigating the narrow confines of our own local area (actually we rarely did that in 2012, but it was the original intention). Another change is the shift from Tuesdays, necessitated by the new timetable of the Monash University fine arts class which uses the Ancora Press as an artists' book studio.

This opened up an opportunity to try Köy restaurant at South Melbourne market (Köy is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) and for a long-time Albert Park resident and friend to join the discoverers.

A hot Thursday evening saw me happily settled in a sunny corner of the George Hotel diagonally opposite the market with a $7.50 Heineken pint and The Age giant summer crossword. Little by little the others trickled in to the rendezvous point to fortify themselves for the trip across the road to Köy.

South Melbourne market

This is a picture of a South Melbourne market stall on Cecil Street, very close to Köy. The Cecil Street market frontage is now home to several restaurants which are open in the evenings when the market is closed. It was pretty quiet in Cecil Street this Thursday evening, probably because it was such a hot night. We were pleased to be seated indoors at Köy - in fact it was so cool we had to ask for the air conditioning to be turned off.

We shared a range of meze dishes including Imam bayildi (eggplant with onion, capsicum and tomato served with yogurt), baked mushrooms, pan-fried lamb liver, marinated chargrilled octopus and an excellent Kizartma (selection of fried vegetables). These all went very nicely with some Efes beer. The boys were served some special raki in little silver pots - and the Turkish delight also came in dear little silver pots with lids.

Turkish delight

We were very pleased to have have had the opportunity to try Köy.

As the evening was still balmy when we had finished our meal we walked over to the Railway Hotel for Vale Ale and Coopers nightcaps. The Railway has an excellent beer garden and a great range of beers and is a perfect spot on a warm evening - and probably any other time.

We drove home via the scenic route, encompassing the drop off at Albert Park, the slow drive past the tennis centre abuzz with the early finish of the men's semi-final, the 40k Swan Street zone and the detour to Bridge Road. Then it was over the river (again) and back to the quiet leafy city of Boroondara, still basking in the warm summer night.

 

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