Two words to describe Imbue — underrated and understated. Tucked between an empty Smokey Joes and a dentist in Maribyrnong, with an unmissable LED sign, is a little slice of foodie heaven: Imbue Food and Wine. Imbue feels like one of those places – if you know, you know. But if you don’t know your way around the West, you simply wouldn’t know, I didn’t!

Imbue is modern Australian, opened in 2016 and the chef focusses on fresh, colourful food. They adapted, adjusted and survived lockdown after lockdown providing for Melbourne’s west. It was quiet when we went midweek but it may be another story on the weekends!

Online they have romantic, sexy pictures of their dark bowls and gorgeous food. In person, it was a little more approachable with graphic walls and a cozy feel. As we walked in, I could smell the truffle coming from the kitchen which immediately had me salivating.

I chose the set menu because in a place where everything on the menu looks amazing, I like to have the chef choose for me. The set menu was super reasonable at $70 a head for five courses. If it wasn’t a school night, we would’ve chosen the option to have paired wines for another $60 and really treated ourselves. Our waitress recommended the Spinning Top Pinot Noir from New Zealand to go with all the different courses, and we went with that instead. They were kind enough to make everything gluten free for us without even a bat of an eyelid.

I’ll be quick because I have to get through five courses (some are specials they chose for the night with the fresh ingredients they pick up from the market but I’ll list all the prices of things on their permanent menu).

First course was beetroot and whipped feta with honeycomb and dukkah on top. The first impression? The colours made this dish photo-worthy! One of my favourite things about beautiful food is mixing textures; this had the crunch of the honeycomb and dukkah mixed with the creaminess of the whipped feta and earthiness of the beetroot.

Then we had torched kingfish with avocado mousse and pickled fennel in Japanese dipping sauce ($25). I love a smokey flavour, and the light torching they did on the otherwise essentially sashimi kingfish nailed the balance in flavours.

Next, we had beautifully fresh, creamy grilled king prawns with salmon roe on top ($28) followed by lamb cutlets on mushroom a bed of sautéed mushrooms and fried shallots on top.

The waitress then approached our table and asked if we were ready for our mains and I consciously made room in my stomach at that moment because I was not missing out on anything.

The main was a special – braised beef rib, roasted mushrooms, black truffle and sweet potato. The perfect amount of rich, tender beef.

To finish, we had the vanilla panna cotta with berry compote, strawberries and freeze-dried raspberries and the dark chocolate ganache tart with pistachio praline and lime chantilly cream. Both rounded off the meal perfectly.

If you told me the food came from an uber fancy restaurant in the city I would believe you. The food was thoughtful, bright, fresh and local. It was one of those restaurants that makes me so proud to live in Melbourne, the fact you can go anywhere in Melbourne and find an absolute gem like Imbue is on of the best things about our city. I’m already planning the dishes I want to try next time, the scallops, pork belly and burrata stand out but, honestly, I’ll have to make my way through the menu. Pop Imbue on your must-visit list, make it a priority but don’t forget to book because it is an intimate space.

Must try: the beetroot and whipped feta which normally comes with panipuri which is hollow deep-fried crisp flatbread, and the braised rib.

Imbue Food and Wine
2/419 Gordon St
Maribyrnong
instagram.com/imbuefoodandwine