verified email -
08 Nov 2011
I've been going to Shakahari for more than 25 years, since the days when it was around the corner in Lygon St (where Brown's is now). I've seen some changes over that time, not all for the better, and, conversely, perhaps not quite enough changes.
The current site in Faraday St is certainly more spacious than Lygon St, but also noisier. Too many hard surfaces for the sound to bounce off. If you're after a quiet dinner, go early, and avoid Fridays and Saturdays.
The menu is a little larger than it used to be, but it also seems to change less often. The satay (a good choice for committed carnivores dragged here reluctantly) is firmly ensconced on the menu, as it deserves to be, and it has been joined by the Avocado Magic entree. That's my favourite dish at Shakahari, and one of my favourite dishes anywhere; the conception and execution are just spot on. It has a beautiful texture and just sings with flavour. Their Salad Shakahari is another long-time favourite; the apple and peanut dressing is delicious.
Their other dishes just don't excite me as much as they used to, although to be fair, I've never eaten a bad meal here. They just seem to suffer from a "sameness" across visits. For instance, there's always a croquette dish on the menu. The description may be different from what it was last time, but the dish always seems to taste pretty much the same as it did last time. There's always a curry on the menu. Again, the listed ingredients may be different from last time, but when it's put in front of me, and I taste it, I find myself thinking: didn't I have this last time?
Shakahari used to be the place I'd go when I wanted something really different, and I'd like to see them break out of their structure of "one croquette dish, one curry dish, one noodle dish, one tagine..." The avocado entree is an example of what they're capable of when they really try.
The portion sizes are smaller than you'd expect for the price. While I never leave hungry (in fact, I find the portion sizes in other restaurants usually too large), I do find myself wondering whether Shakahari is charging a fair price for the portion size, especially given that vegetables and grains are usually cheaper ingredients than meat and seafood.
I've found service to be generally good; waiting time has never been unreasonably long. But there's a waiter who has been there for years who is never impolite, but really doesn't look like she enjoys her job much. She has the same expression I have when I've got a bad headache. It makes me feel unwelcome, and I find myself hoping I don't have to ask her for anything other than ordering my meal. I wish she'd smile occasionally.
This is coming across as an overly negative review, and I don't mean it to be. I do like Shakahari - really I do. I'm always pleased when my friends suggest we go there. I guess I'm nitpicking a bit because I can see (in dishes such as the Avocado Magic) the talent that is in the kitchen here, and it frustrates me that they seem to be becoming a bit complacent. I'd like to see them raise the bar a little higher. They could easily become not just Melbourne's but Australia's very best vegetarian restaurant, if they'd just try a little harder.
Despite my criticisms, Shakahari is definitely a place I'd recommend to anyone who is a vegetarian, or anyone who doesn't think that a meal must contain meat in order to be complete, or even someone who does think that, but is willing to have their assumptions challenged. I think anyone discovering Shakahari for the first time may well be surprised and delighted by it.
