Joining the leafy Greville Street strip in Prahran, Hopper Joint is a brand new Sri Lankan diner spotlighting – you guessed it – hoppers. For the uninitiated, a hopper is a thin, bowl-like pancake, named after the pan that lends the brekky staple its unique shape. It’s one of Sri Lanka’s best loved street foods and a tasty vehicle for curries, sambols and other traditional condiments celebrated in the cuisine.
Here, you'll be spoilt for choice at this self-proclaimed "hopper party every night", as each set comes with an array of flavourful accompaniments like okra curry, spicy prawn curry and coconut sambol, for example. You'll also spot string hoppers on the menu – soft discs of thin strands of batter that are just as delicious as their bowl-shaped relatives.
The vibrant 80-seat eatery is from restaurateur Jason Jones and interior designer Brahman Perera (known for collaborating on Entrecote across the road), so while the food might leave your hands a little messy, you can expect an exciting and elevated dining experience. The head chef is none other than Ronith Victor Arlikatti (Lakehouse, Marion, Sunda) who contributes his own family’s recipes to the mix, delivering genuine Sri Lankan heritage with a local Victorian twist.
Start with small snacks like curried beef brisket pan rolls, barbecued jackfruit cutlets and bonda (potato and green chilli fritters) before moving onto your hopper set. It's $45.90 a head and you'll want to wash down all that saucy goodness down with one of Hopper Joint's fruity cocktails.
In the centre of the room, there’s even a communal tap where you wash up after the feast, while an open kitchen allows you to watch all the hopper theatrics up close. The rest of the space is modern and tropical-inspired with lush greenery, imported marigold napkins from Sri Lanka and several personal items passed down to Perera from his grandparents.
At each table, there's also a bell you can ring for hopper talk with the staff, another round of cocktails or whatever you'd like! Don’t be cheeky, though: misuse of the bell playfully incurs a small 'fine' of $2 which will be donated to this season's chosen charity, Beyond Blue.
Hopper Joint accepts walk-ins only. For more details, visit the website.