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Ebi

Nina Rousseau

THE evolution of the old-school fish and chipper just got a new incarnation: Japanese fusion fish and chips on a backblock in Footscray.

Ebi is run by Nipponophile John Byrne, who has visited Japan six times, completed cooking classes in Tokyo and  spent his honeymoon there. On one visit, Byrne snapped up a takoyaki grill from Kappabashi Street, the famous shopping district for the restaurant trade known as Kitchen Town. His idea was to create a vegetarian version of the street snack takoyaki (octopus balls) to sell at festivals.

For months, he trialled his recipe, perfecting his vegie balls to replicate the texture of takoyaki without the ‘‘tako’’. But his wife, the chief taster, overdid it and could not eat them for months. However, it seems Byrne had  the recipe right — hot and spongy batter balls with soy and mirin, served with a liberal dollop of sweet Japanese mayo.

At ConFest 2008, he sold 8000 of them in four days and says this humble snack funded the way for Ebi.
Ebi is much grander than a mobile market stall, yet a far cry from a Japanese restaurant. From the outside, it looks like any other takeaway joint, with its glaring fluorescent lights, galley kitchen and bank of deep-fryers. Closer inspection shows subtle differences: the arty ‘‘Ebi’’ sign, the choice of beer batter or tempura for the fish, gingery gyoza and a special of panko-crumbed prawns.

A dark-wood bench hugs the tall counter, creating a spot at which to eat and read the paper or soak up the laid-back diner feel while Byrne chats to his customers.

The shop has mostly been a fish and chipper since the 1950s, which is partly what inspired Byrne to run with the fusion theme. He also thought fish and chips were  more likely to pull in the locals than bento boxes, although he says the bentos are starting to gain the edge.

The pork belly ‘‘bento of the day’’ is a magnificent compartmentalised treasure hunt of succulent eggplant with sweet miso; pickled lotus root; gingery puffs of fried tofu; tart pickles; a sprightly green salad; rice sprinkled with a zesty, delicious mix of bonito flakes, grated egg yolk and flaked nori; and — the money shot — a huge hunk of pork belly braised for five hours in ginger soy, with boiled egg and daikon radish soaking up the juices.
 There are also tofu, seafood and teriyaki chicken bentos.

The fish and chips are a cut above the average, with a light batter, house-made lemon mayo and golden chips with a satisfying crunch.

Dessert is a lardy excess of OK bombolone-style doughnuts filled with red-bean, black-sesame or ginger custard — a true ‘‘fusion’’ dish that does not quite come off. Stick to the savouries, though, and you are on to a dead-set winner.

But back to those vegie balls. They are the perfect winter snack: cosy, if food can be described as such, like a beanie for your hunger.

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