TODDY SHOP BY MARTHANDEN HOTEL

Mum’s the word for chef Mischa Tropp, whose latest venture is an irresistible tribute to her home cooking, writes MICHAEL HARDEN.

- MICHAEL HARDEN

Toddy Shop, the new Fitzroy side-street diner celebrating the bright flavours of Kerala, is an excellent addition to Melbourne’s current wave of restaurants ( joining the likes of Monbulk’s Enter Via Laundry and Fitzroy’s Ish) bringing the impressive variety and versatility of Indian cuisine to a broader audience. Exciting times for those looking to take a deeper dive into India’s regional variety and for those ready to see the generic term “Indian food” shelved for something less reductive.

Toddy Shop chef and co-owner Mischa Tropp’s mum is from Kerala, the coastal state in India’s south-west, and much of the food on the short, sharp menu here is based on the food he ate growing up. It riffs on simple, homestyle cooking, with a depth of flavour that makes you envy his upbringing.