Nshry
129a Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park
She says
Last weekend we went to Middle Park to visit my best friend for lunch and decided to check out Nshry (pronounced Noshery I’m told) on Beaconsfield Parade, right down on the beach. Nshry is in a cute little building wedged between a running track and the beach which has been home to a number of cafes over the years. The fit out is definitely the best I’ve seen here though, from the ice cream window on the side of the building to the warm interior room and the big outdoor seating area practically sitting on sand, it gets it all right.
There’s more seating outside than in so we took a seat out the back. It was a really nice sunny day, but me being paler than snow we took a seat in the shade at the long communal table to try and delay my inevitable skin cancer. Being a chronic sunburn-ee I always appreciate when outdoor seating areas offer both full sun and shade options, Nshry had me covered (metaphorically and literally). Speaking of snow, did you know that up to 10,000 people use to apply to go on Antartic expeditions in the early 1900′s? Why were so many people desperate to go on a trip where there was a good chance they would die, and if they didn’t they were almost certainly going to get nasty frostbite, eat a lot of seal blubber/sled dog and be stuck in a tiny wooden shack with dozens of other men for months at a time? I just don’t get it. Gerard thinks that I don’t understand because I have no sense of adventure. If not particularly wanting to have my fingers freeze off means I have no sense of adventure, I think I’m cool with that. [Gerard: Love the pun]
As you’ll see below I thought the food at Nshry was great times. Worlds better than your average shack-on-beach offering of lukewarm chips and ice cream with flecks of sand stuck in it. I assume that once the weather stops mucking us around and it starts consistently feeling like summer on weekends, it’ll be packed.
He says
“So Gerard, how many burgers have you eaten this week?” exclaimed Marg’s BFF as we walked to the Nshry. Not wanting to lie, I sheepishly mentioned that I had accidentally consumed one the night before, but I felt the Wednesday night Burrito from Guzman y Gomez was different enough to not warrant a mention. My badly hidden weakness for a good burger may have been the reason for Marg suggesting Sunday lunch at the Nshry, and after a gushing review from The Burger Adventure, I was very excited.
The Nshry is located beachside of Beaconsfield Parade, which couldn’t be a more picturesque location for a cafe. The first thing that you notice when you approach is the amazing job they’ve done with the fit out. The traditional umbrellas and circular tables outside are nicely complemented by a large communal table looking out onto the water, and inside they’ve thrown reclaimed minimalism to the bay-wind and installed a roof that looks like a wooden porcupine. I’m sure that’s not the architecturally approved term, but I have the architectural talent of a half-eaten-sun-melted Mcflurry, so just look at the picture, it’s worth 1000 words… and it looks like a porcupine.
So we took a seat at the communal table, where we quickly ordered (I obviously knew what I wanted). And then we waited, and waited, and waited. Mind you, this was around 2:00pm, so it certainly wasn’t the peak of the afternoon. However, when the burger did actually arrive, I felt that they’d been holding it back to build up the anticipation…
We ate
Gerard had the umami burger – 200g of Wagyu and Angus beef with an umami rub, mushroom sauce, gruyere, caramelised onions, tomato and parmesan on a brioche bun with a side of onion rings, slaw and dipping sauces ($22). The burger, which has also been written up by the team at the Burger Adventure here, was a hot mess of meaty deliciousness. With onion and sauces falling everywhere it wasn’t a neat eat, but it certainly hit the spot. It wasn’t huge though, as we left Gerard commented that he could have gone another. Also, the burger was mysteriously served with fries instead of the advertised onion rings, maybe they were out of onions?
The best friend and I both went for off menu specials (as opposed to the on menu specials, there were a lot of specials). My BFF went for the pre-wedding-diet-friendly option of thai beef salad (I think this was $18). It was fine, I tried a little of the beef and I liked it, but the dressing didn’t blow my mind.
I decided to try the decidedly less diet concious lamb shank pie (possibly $24? I’m not quite sure, didn’t get a receipt). I am so glad I did. The pie looked amazing when it came out in a cast iron pot with the bone sticking out and a little man carved into the pastry on top, it was like something out of a fairy tale, a little piece of Hansel baked into my lunch (is that an off-putting comparison? probably). Forget about my inadvertant cannibalistic overtones, this pie was amazing. The pastry was flaky and buttery and hid a seriously addictive filling that basically comprised a lamb shank surrounded by some super creamy mashed potato and vegetables all in a bed of saucy goodness. Apparently this was a new special (I was the first person to order it!) and I can’t rave about it enough, it was just so good. Good enough that I completely forgot to offer any to Gerard or my best friend. As they say a good pie reveals peoples’ true natures, apparently I’m pretty selfish. And make up sayings.
We also shared a serve of baklava on our way out (2 pieces for $3.50). Imported to Albert Park from Sydney Rd, I can see why there were only 3 pieces left, this is the good stuff.
Final thoughts
Burgers by the beach. Delicious burgers by the beach. Do you need anything else? Well, maybe some some better weather.
