Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

There was a point I dropped off buying the Fairfax food bibles. “The Good Food Guide” segued to cover-to-cover advertising and “Cheap Eats” seemed to reinvent the definition of “cheap”. Sure things have changed since I moved to Melbourne 20 years ago. But for many years I really did have no spare cash and all…

Personally, I think any good pho restaurant warrants a mention in any cheap eats guide. And since we are in Melbourne, there are many.Pho is just one of those quick, cheap but memorable meals. In my experience, outstanding pho restaurant never has 300 items on the menu. It concentrates on its broth, its noodles and…

There is some mathematical rule which controls all transactions at Camy Shanghai, and it is this: no matter what you order, no matter how many people you dine with, your total bill will be between six and seven dollars a head.*Camy’s makes many dishes, but I can speak of almost none of them with authority.…

Asian food has always been a mainstay of cheap eating and about 80% of Kimchi Grandma BBQ’s menu meets our criteria of a “very cheap eat”. Sure there is a wagyu dish or two for more than twice that price but pampered beef meals aside, the vast majority of the dishes on offer provide a…

I instantly like it: Ichi Ni (03 9534 1212), the Izakaya, a Japanese style tavern/pub with food, which was opened last night next to The Espy by the owners of The Espy Vince Sofo and Paul Adamo. It rocks. Yes, there were some blips in service on the first night. But we weren’t even aware…

114 Smith St, Collingwood; 03 9416 0055 www.gracedarlinghotel.com.au Collingwood’s Grace Darling may use a bit of a daggy name for their discount food night – Tightarse Tuesdays – but their meals are all class. Diners hit the jackpot when an establishment offers dishes off their regular menu at a bargain price. At the Grace the…

The Rasoi281 Bridge Road Richmond (corner bridge road and church street)94280008. Ok, i have to admit, indian is one of my falling graces. up until 3 months ago, i refused to eat it. the flavours, the spices, the chilli, the smells, none of it appealed to me. to me, it was an aberration on an…

If you are hanging around Swan St but can’t be bothered to leg-it all the way to Victoria Street then Love Pho ( 181 Swan St, Richmond) is the one for you. Its Pho isn’t the cheapest in town but at $9 is pretty good value and you get the benefit of a brightly coloured…

114 Smith St, Collingwood; 03 9416 0055 www.gracedarlinghotel.com.au Collingwood’s Grace Darling may use a bit of a daggy name for their discount food night – Tightarse Tuesdays – but their meals are all class. Diners hit the jackpot when an establishment offers dishes off their regular menu at a bargain price. At the Grace the…

This is, as Joe Strummer said, a public service announcement and it may “Rock the Casbah” a bit.The idea of Very Cheap Eats (Email me as gastrotomATgmailDOTcom if you’d like to become a reviewer) is to provide a guide to the best cheap food in Australian in the sort of places you’d actually choose to…