Address: 17 The Esplanade
Torquay, VIC 3228
03 5261 6142
Food: Middle Eastern, International
Average price: $4-$34
Complimentary: Zeally Bay Sourdough sticks, dukkah spice & “Camilo” extra virgin olive oil
We ordered:
Salt cod fritter and aioli - $4 each
Mr.M: These were not the best salt cold fritters I have had. They were OK.
Fried school prawns, chilli salt and lemon - $12
Mr.M: These were delicious and quite a generous serve.
Baked haloumi, spiced baby figs, walnuts and mint - $12
This had all the components to guarantee a delicious dish and as I expected the combination of salty, sweet and crunchy was a winner for me.
Roasted cauliflower, currants, almonds and tahini - $16
We were told this was one of their most popular dishes. Unfortunately this suffered from excessive salting. Before the salt burned my tastebuds to oblivion I could detect a possibly lovely flavour profile, but I cannot be sure. Even after copious amounts of water whenever I went back for another mouthful I was hit with another wave of salt. Shame.
Fresh fig, cracked wheat, pomegranate and Persian feta - $16
This should have been grand with the classic flavour pairing but despite the heavy flavour hitters I felt it was slightly dull, nothing really 'popped'. Maybe some seasoning or some more acid was needed?
Fattoush salad with crisp pita, tomato, cucumber and mint - $16
Another dish lost to the overzealous salting. This was even saltier than the seawater in front of us. Couldn't eat it.
Lamb kofta, hummus, tabbouleh - $18
Mr.M: Kind of boring and oversalted.
Dessert platter: (from memory) Persian fairy floss, rosewater turkish delight, strawberry ice cream, berry trifle, baklava
I cannot remember exactly what everything was but I can remember the impression they made.
We will start with the bad - the baklava. Very dry and personally hsould have been left off the platter.
I'm not a fan of fairy floss (no substance) but Mr.M ate it all.
Neither of us had the turkish delight (I love it, but as a vegetarian I no longer eat gelatin).
The ice cream was AMAZING - and I say amazing because I really am not a fan of ice cream (the cold temperature makes it less appetising for me). This was creamy and full of flavour with a lovely softness. Mr.M enjoyed it as well.
Saved the best for last, the berry trifle. I can't quite remember the flavour combination but it was a great dish and Mr.M and I devoured it in seconds.
Service: Good. The food came out quickly and the waitress was very nice.
Atmosphere: Beach casual. The decor is accented with bright orange and the outdoor seating is a typical wooden picnic table and bench, communal style. The noise level can get quite loud at night. There is a lovely view to the beach during the day.
Website: http://www.scorched.com.au/index.php
Hours: Wed-Sun 11.30am-5pm
Wed-Sat 5.30pm-late
Would I return: Yes, I think it was just an off 'seasoning' night and the food has potential to be great.
