With the risk of cholesterol-induced injury, this reviewer took the opportunity to survey the baked goods of the Coburg area, with focus (if partly for my health) on spinach and cheese pies. First, the ultimate: Tabet’s Bakery, with its two locations on Sydney road, offers a perfect pide ($4-$4.50) in spartan surrounds, and remains a perennial favourite. Its menu is effortlessly consistent, serving Lebanese freshly baked goods every day for years whilst remaining always welcoming and radically affordable. From its pides, to zaatar, pizza and kaak, Tabet’s offerings are always of a high standard and have been so for decades. Ask for extra lemon juice and, if you are so inclined, also accompany your purchase with a bottle of ayran ($2.50), a yoghurt drink that is mysteriously unlabelled yet always recognisable by its milky colour and tart refreshing flavour. The kaak with haloumi ($5) – in a way the quintessential Lebanese toastie – is also a delight. As a minor quibble, the Coburg location unfortunately has an EFTPOS minimum which is an obstacle to the quick bite on the run, and should be amended given the current restrictions, especially as the Brunswick site has no such issue.
A1 bakery, the famous rival to Tabet’s, heralds its location on Sydney road, just south of Albion Street. When the coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted, A1 offers a big dining area and street-eating that does not have a rival. The A1 bakery spinach and cheese pie is missing the haloumi-hit of its neighbour, but does have many fans, plus the opportunity for a strong coffee, and a later browse of their shelves which host many middle eastern favourites. Unlike the other places mentioned, A1 often has a ‘buzz’ which is definitely felt on weekends.
Highly commended is the spinach and cheese pie of the austere Telstar Bakery, just south of Moreland Rd, in Brunswick East. Its large tiled eating area is coupled with the door that clangs shut – we wonder if the staff at Telstar are bothered by it, or in some ways hearing impaired – but that does not stop them from providing delightful baked goods. The pizzas are also very popular with locals, especially for the price ($6) and this reviewer guesses from the regular clientele that these pizzas might be the staple food for many who live nearby.
Also of note is Al Alamy, a veritable minimarket of middle-eastern delights. Its spinach and cheese pide is shaded by the exhaustive range of options available, from Turkish fairy floss, specially imported soft drinks, a range of halva and more. Al Alamy’s saaj ($2.50 – $6) is thoroughly recommended. Although best for its café feel and not its spinach and cheese pide, Zaatar, located on the corner of Munro St and Sydney Road, is well-presented, comfortable and offers a large range of dishes at a consistent quality. Zaatar also donates a significant sum to The Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal, so gets extra marks for its community engagement and effort.
Tabet’s Bakery
395 Sydney Rd, Coburg and 607 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Testar Bakery
84-90 Holmes St, Brunswick
Al Alamy
51 Waterfield St, Coburg
Zaatar
365 Sydney Rd, Coburg
By Henry Gardner
The Coburg Meddler 