When Wayne Hancock and his wife Lily Lilik opened their little Reservoir restaurant on Plenty Road on May 12, 2021, they didn’t think there would be another lockdown. But within two weeks they turned from full service to takeaway from their 22 dish strong pan-Indonesian menu. Lily is from North Sulawesi, and used to have Lily’s Asian Kitchen in Pakenham. One of her biggest sellers is a dish she grew up with ayam woku stir fried chicken with lemongrass, homemade hot chili paste, pandan leaf, tamarind, kaffir lime leaves, basil and tomato. It is hot, vibrant, sour and alive. Her biggest mover is the slow cooked beef rendang with toasted coconut, the fragrance of kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and galangal, a kick for chili and a sharp finish from tamarind. Some of this mix she bakes in exquisite and decent sized pies made with butter short crust base and buttery puff tops with a dusting of breadcrumbs around the tin to stop sticking. A big man would need a decent appetite to get through one alone and they head out the door for $12.50.

My Asian Neighbour

760 Plenty Rd, Reservoir
Phone (03) 9470 5481

myasianneighbour.com.au

Also in Reservoir

Edwardes Lake Reserve

The Edwardes family settled in the area in the 1840s. In 1914 the family gave a large tract of land along the banks of Edgars Creek to the then City of Preston. Ornamental trees such as Bhutan Cypress and Desert Ash were planted around the perimeter of the new reserve and the creek dammed to make an ornamental lake. Edwardes Park Lake became the local swimming hole, fishing spot and rowing centre until it became too polluted by the mid 20th century. Today the park is home to bird and wildlife, including three species of heron. It is also a popular weekend picnic spot the park filled with the aroma of lamb and spicy sausages barbequing over charcoal. The old steam locomotive at the Edwardes Street entrance is as popular with children as it is with their fathers climbing all over it.

Eat Street

Broadway, Reservoir is one of Melbourne’s great \little strips where a melting pot of cultures sells very good food at very good prices. You can pick up a shanklish (fresh cheese) pie for $5 at Akkar Pastry (274 Broadway) or for just $3 a cheese and spinach triangle. A few doors down at Broadway Quality Meats you’ll find fresh, hand-made merguez (spiced lamb) sausages for just $10 p/kg or trimmed racks of lamb for $18 p/kg. At Paradise Sri Lankan Grocery (222 Broadway) you can get a serve of village rice for around $8 which includes a choice of fish or chicken curry, three veg curries plus condiments served on a banana leaf. It’s simple and basic but very tasty.

Darebin Creek Trail

Just north of the city, where the houses give way to paddocks, the Darebin Creek Trail starts its 25km course south towards the Yarra River. The trail passes through remnant river gum forest where Powerful Owls still patrol the skies at night. The concrete path goes past vacant building blocks where cows and goats graze amongst the car bodies. In Reservoir the gardens of Italian and Greek gardeners spill over their fences presenting a bounty of figs, grapes, prickly pear, gourds and brambles. South of Reservoir the trail passes through parkland, the edge of industrial estates and through a rugged bluestone gorge. It can be accessed by train at Epping Metro Station in the north and Darebin Metro Station in the south.  

Brewery

Hawkers Beer is Reservoir’s own brew. Here there is a cellar door where you try and buy the very delicious craft beers plus book in for a behind the scenes tour. 

167 Henty Street, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, (03) 9462 0650 hawkers.beer