It’s like something out of New York City. The old metal stairwells sprawl up the Cordwainers Lane side of the Bistro Dom building. Trucks passing through the narrow alley regularly disperse the standing crowd, while the car park opposite offers little respite. The sun only pokes through small gaps between the high rise buildings, but the energy is almost electric on a busy day.
We came upon the newest addition to Bistro Dom, the take away lunch window that overlooks their kitchen, .dom cbd on a busy day, right in the peak of the Pokemon Go craze. Workers and drivers attempting to navigate the street looked bemused as budding diners toddled off to one side while they enjoyed the smells wafting along the street, mixed with a bit of diesel for good measure. This is something utterly unique in Adelaide. Sure, there are plenty of venues to eat lunch. Even plenty of established restaurants who are making a strong play in the market. But not like this. .dom cbd seems a happy marriage of circumstance, capability and opportunity. Complimenting the new internal fit out of the main building, as well building upon the Spanish inspired menu curated by new head chef, the indefatigable and immensely talented Luke Southwood, this take out (let’s not beat around the bush) are plating up the very best quality food that’s quick and easy to eat.
Their menu is modest, yet diverse. Simple offerings such as SA Prawns with confit garlic, SA Quid Sepia and mayonnaise, Corn Fritters with parmesan and cream all sounded utterly delicious, we decided on the Open Steak Sandwich named for the new venue, and the Warm Quinoa and Trout Salad. Despite the sizeable crowd, these were dished up within 10 minutes, as we peered through the window watching the kitchen work at a frenetic pace.
Now if something is labelled ‘Sandwich’ you’d better believe that we’ll try to eat it like a sandwich. The bread for the outside is lightly toasted so the mustard won’t leak into the dough and the juicing flavour of the meat doesn’t spoil the first bite. Tender and perfectly medium, the meat tears apart on bite as the sharp Parmesan shavings offer an offset to the fresh lettuce and tomatoes. As far as a Sandwich goes, this is definitely gourmet but we wouldn’t eat it any other way. Just hold it with two hands and let the flavours melt in your mouth at once. As all good sandwiches should.
Sandwich test passed with flying colours, though things did get enjoyably messy towards the end.
The Warm Quinoa and Trout Salad is perhaps more familiar for those used to cbd lunch fare, but it goes beyond your usual lunchtime offering. Recommended to us as their ‘healthiest’ option, the salad is saturated with flavour, making every mouthful a delicious one. The trout has been cooked as an chef would, treated with care and respect so that it remains the perfect balance of juicy and flaky. The goats curd on top adds a nice punch to offset the dressing that coats the enticing mix of ingredients.
As you scrape every last morsel from the cardboard serving container, you can’t help but feel that Bistro Dom’s incredible fine dining offering has slipped casually into the .dom cbd dishes, giving diners more than bang for their buck.
Most dishes are priced from $6-$15, with tea, coffee and soft drinks also available. Open from Tuesday to Friday. Monday seems a bit sadder for the team taking the day off.
.dom cbd is located on Cordwainers Lane, just down Anster St off Waymouth. Follow the main restaurant on Facebook to follow what’s coming up.
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