Earth Angels is a small West Melbourne newcomer that’s seizing the chance to do things its own way. Co-owners Sasha Chifura and Emmanuel John have connected with Narit Kimsat (La Pinta) to lead a vibrant kitchen focusing on funky Southeast Asian small plates, minimal intervention wines and innovative cocktails. Have they manifested a bar? A restaurant? It’s a yes to both – but it’s also a live performance venue, an art gallery and even plays host to a farmers’ market on occasion. If Melbourne’s bar scene continues to embrace hybridity, then Earth Angels is the future.
In any case, none of this shape-shifting means diddly squat if it ain’t a fun place to spend time in, so the boyfriend and I go and check it out one Thursday night. Arriving at Earth Angels’ street corner, we see its small heritage front and think: “Where the heck do they fit it all?” Alas, they haven’t magically bent gravity as actual angels could perhaps do; they’ve simply made do with the space by filling its nooks as characterfully and functionally as possible.
We’ve gotta hand it to them: the minimalist timber walls and framed art makes the space feel like a creative student’s dream café-cum-gallery conversion. After the lovely waiter shows us a chalkboard detailing tonight’s specials, we’re led to our table. It’s by a large bookshelf where warm accent lighting cascades over a range of literary classics, vintage travel guides and pre-loved cookbooks. The chef’s personal collection, perhaps? There’s only a few other seats left, the rest presumably taken up by local regulars or those curiously visiting for the first time like us.
We’re started off with the drinks list, a tight inventory of biodynamic wines, Thai beers and unorthodox cocktails. The latter selection evokes the most intrigue and so it’s a Shiso Sour for me and a Pickled Pop – named after one of the staff – for my partner. Speckled with green shiso, the Sour is wonderfully zesty if rather mutely decorated. The Pop is made from pickled ginger whisky and is pleasantly spicy and refreshing, a racy Highball. These cocktails may look plain but they’re all fireworks on the tongue, and they pair exquisitely with a duo of oysters we’ve ordered, which have arrived atop a bowl of pretty seashells.
Soft coconut cream and the green bite of makrut lime glide down the throat with each and we savour the sumptuous tropical flavour wave. For those who aren’t usually a fan of oysters but don’t mind flirting with them, these are for you. These are fresh, decidedly un-fishy and sexy as could be.
Our foodgasm is interrupted by a rustle of bags and cases over my partner’s shoulder – three musicians are setting up by the window. Tonight is jazz night, one of the regular rotations of curated artistic evenings housed by the venue, and a real effort from Sasha and Emmanuel to make Earth Angels a haven for creativity.
And so lazy chromatic keys and sax are the slinky soundtrack for the rest of our meal – which is utterly sensational, by the way. The quiet majesty of a humble sugarloaf cabbage comes alive with chilli oil and a purple velvet cloak of sweet yam cream. We’re told it’s been cooked over binchotan (a pure Japanese charcoal) and the char is a divine dance partner for the spice. A plush pinot noir and sharp riesling join the party and it’s a very memorable few minutes.
Earth Angels’ take on mapo tofu comes next, made with Melbourne local Duc Nga’s artisan tofu. There’s far too much bland, overly sweet mapo tofu around at the moment, but this one transcends our expectations. The dish lands in front of us, a glossy, ruby red hue topped with oyster mushrooms, which we spoon over hot jasmine rice. What a fragrance! This be flavour town fo’ sho. Duc Nga’s tofu really shines here – clean, supple and rich, enveloped in the fiery mapo gravy. It’s life-giving, like proper family cooking.
Finally, there’s the beef rendang. This one’s a deconstruction of sorts, with slices of grilled flank steak topped with a rendang gravy of small potato cubes. Far from traditional, it’s a marriage of Thai influence and Melbourne daring. The sauce carries some awesome fish sauce funk and the beef straddles the right balance between tenderness and chew. A pair of crunchy red wines are an idyllic accompaniment and they’re light enough that we won’t need to exit the venue roaring drunk.
The service tonight has been wonderfully casual. We’ve been served by at least three different staff, one of them the chef himself; conventional hospitality roles blurring together. It makes sense as nothing at Earth Angels is fixed and there’s plenty of room for evolution. Some of the menu items have seen multiple iterations over the bar’s initial few months and each dish is open to experimentation and refinement.
Meanwhile the bar’s other creative offerings will no doubt shapeshift over time, with collab pop-ups and art exhibitions on the horizon. So venture in and leave your coat and expectations at the door. Earth Angels might be indefinable for some but she welcomes mere mortals in with open wings.
Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique.