Share plates is a type of dining that became popular in the United States after 2000 and has gone on to take the culinary world by the whisk.
When you are out with friends enjoying Friday night drinks, most of us just want to graze on several different plates that tantalise taste buds and harmonise with our cocktails.
Here are five venues where sharing is caring:
Socialise Over Sumptuous Food
A promise in a name, Locale Pizzeria Deakin on Hopetoun Circuit provides inspired Italian dining to Canberra locals. Drawing an after-five crowd, Locale encourages guests to take time dining with family and friends, relaxing, celebrating and socialising over sumptuous food.
A smart menu remains simple, serving favourites featuring ingredients prepared onsite with handmade pasta and pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven to release mouth-watering flavours. Embracing traditional style, share pizzas such as Miale – fior di latte, pancetta, fennel salami, smoked ham and housemade tomato sugo; while pasta lovers opt for pappardelle Bolognese with veal, pork and truffle pecorino.
Shared Turkish Dining Experience
Discover the culinary gem that is Ahmet’s Turkish Restaurant on Grey Street in South Bank. Indulge in rich flavours and warm hospitality at Brisbane’s authentic Turkish dining experience and be transported to the streets of Istanbul amid surrounds of beautiful wall art, leadlight pendents, patterned table cloths and stacked stone walls as you peruse a menu sure to tempt all palates.
Share meze plates such as charcoal lamb cutlets, with chermoula sauce and tomato bulgur rice, or zucchini fritters topped with tomato salsa, dill yoghurt and fresh parsley; perhaps devour freshly baked, made-to-order pide such as Turkish chorizo, chicken, mushroom, onion, mozzarella cheese and tomato.
Fusion of Cuisine, Music and Folklore
A fusion of South American cuisine, music and folklore awaits Adelaide diners at Cumbia Bar & Kitchen on Grote Street. Located next to the Central Market, this rustic eatery welcomes guests through a well-worn brick archway to a trendy fit-out of high stools, pendent globes, mosaic tiles and natural light streaming through the glass frontage.
On balmy days dine alfresco and people watch while sharing dishes like deluxe paella with saffron rice, chicken, chorizo, prawns and black mussels, cooked with South American herbs and spices, or a burrito bowl with Peruvian marinated grilled chicken, avocado, cherry tomatoes, rice, beans and corn chips. Finish sweetly with pecan pie or flourless lemon and white chocolate cake.
Seoul Vibes and Great Share Plates
Named after a neighbourhood in Seoul, HongDae Korean Restaurant and Bar on Little Lonsdale Street in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD delivers big servings, quality ingredients and great customer service. Step into an appealing vibe of recycled timber, vibrant wall murals and authentic accents to peruse a menu sure to tempt all palates.
Dive straight in with tempura prawns and chicken wings before sharing mains like a seafood plate with fresh salmon sashimi, grilled unagi, prawns, cheese Kransky, garlic bread, mandu and nuggets; or perhaps Korean pork noodle soup hits the mark with a thick, flavourful broth, noodles and melt-in-the-mouth pork slices, best washed down with a watermelon soju with a whole popsicle in it.
Signature Sharing Platters
For a taste to remember head to Ginger Olive on Manchester Lane in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. This sleek bar and bistro rocks a laneway vibe of potted palms and fairy lights, while indoors presents an oasis of greenery, timber walls and subtle lighting, ideal for lingering over Mod Oz and Asian fusion dishes.
Signature sharing platters await hungry foodies with the likes of slow-cooked beef short rib, artisan sausage, BBQ chicken and pork, crumbed prawns, seared barramundi and salad; or a melange of seafood with bugs, oysters, prawns, scallops, crumbed prawns, salmon, barramundi, calamari, mango, cucumber and coriander salad, citrus beurre blanc, dips and relish, best enjoyed with a bottle of Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay.
