[image]
[title]Despite his cool-as-a-cucumber demeanour, Mischa Tropp is a busy man about town right now. At least, his increasingly ubiquitous reputation in Melbourne’s food scene seems to suggest so.
Tropp – along with fellow chef headliners Helly Raichura and Harry Mangat – fed 1,800 diners at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s World’s Longest Brunch earlier this year. And in December 2023, he opened Toddy Shop, a 20-seat Keralan eatery and bar in Fitzroy.
We even spotted him ladling out fragrant South Indian-inspired noodle soup at Molly Rose Brewery's Laksa Festival a few weeks ago. Yes, we tried it. Yes, it was mind-blowingly good. But that's no surprise, and Tropp's not the type to wax lyrical about his formula to hospo success. In his Instagram bio, it simply states: “I cook Indian food. Well.”
The young chef first gained widespread interest with his We Are Kerala pop-ups, inspired by his South Indian heritage. They were Tropp’s way of exposing everyday Melburnians to dishes they’d perhaps never encountered before – and the taste only made us hungrier for more.
He was in the spotlight again in 2018 when he temporarily transformed Fitzroy’s Rochester Hotel into a Keralan restaurant. And then when we were in the brunt of our most bitter lockdowns, his butter chicken deliveries healed the soul.
But as a permanent project, it’s Toddy Shop that's perhaps the most personal to Tropp. The restaurant is inspired by his many trips to Kerala and the traditional toddy shops and coffee shops found all over the tropical South Indian region.
“The idea was to transport guests back to Kerala as soon as they walk through the door,” says Tropp. “All of my inspiration for the interior and branding is directly inspired by some of my favourite hand-painted signage and colourful interiors in Kerala.”
It's a riot listening to old Indian disco music and tucking into prawn moilee, mountains of flaky parota bread and okra pachadi (an addictive yoghurt and veg curry dish) – all in what feels like a tiny, colourful cocktail bar on hip Smith Street. And it's exactly what makes Tropp such an interesting chef right now: his panache for blending the old with the new in a way that feels funky and exciting.
Though Tropp admits his idea of shaping Melbourne's future means “changing our industry”, he's also a chef who doesn’t shy away from tradition. To the contrary, he believes it’s where some of the best inspiration lies.
“I believe we need to move away from the idea that 'modern' food is better or worth more,” Tropp shares. “Often the reason we, as chefs, don’t cook traditional food is that it takes way longer to master and learn, and modern food is an easy workaround. I look forward to our migrant communities continuing to develop and share their food culture with us, bringing diversity to our food scene.”
It’s a theme in Melbourne that's been intensifying in recent years, and there’s no doubt our food scene is all the more thrilling for it. And as for what we can do to help keep the engine running?
“Support small businesses,” says Tropp.“Go out and try new cuisines you haven’t tried before. There are some fantastic restaurants in Melbourne that don’t get the recognition they deserve.”