AUSSIE DERA
Special Home Edition
Things were slowly closing around Coburg and the beloved restaurants of the area transitioned to delivery or take-away only options.
We had cancelled our plans to visit Aussie Dera, the Pakistani restaurant on the corner of Sydney Rd and Moore St. The purple shop front glows out at the passing traffic, offering passers-by a glimpse into a large bay marie stocked with an assortment of traditional pakistani meals.
Alas, we elected to pre-empt the mandatory closing of shops and chose instead to try Aussie Dera’s takeaway option.
Aussie Dera’s online menu offers karahi (curry cooked in a steep-sided wok-like pot), Pakistani stews suchs haleem and nihari; all converging around the $14-$15 price range. For the vegetarian there is a dedicated vegetarian menu (for vegans it will take some guess-work) offering popular items like the daal chana ($14) and aloo gobi ($14). Which is what we ordered!
We spooned equal parts of the daal chana and aloo gobi into bowls and grabbed some (very fluffy, very large) garlic naan ($3). The daal chana was the stand-out dish. The ginger announced itself and we received it greedily. The spice — which we were happily unable to alter — played confidently but was careful not to overwhelm. Overall, there was an unmistakable smokey, buttery quality that united us in appreciation of the dish. As for the aloo gobi, the onion sauce was tangy and fresh, and the potato and cauliflower were cooked perfectly.
In summary, we were sad to not attend Aussie Dera in person and to observe the restaurant that has been bringing high-quality Pakistani food to the area for over five years. Despite this, Aussie Dera delivered us excellent food with generous portions.
Aussie Dera
78 Sydney Rd, Coburg
9388 4377
The Coburg Meddler 