Aline Viravouth and Marcel Nantharath have been running Carlton's much-loved for the better part of a decade so when a new chance to show off Viravouth’s family sambal recipe popped up on Northcote's High Street, they jumped at it.
The sambal recipe, which has achieved cult status in Carlton, has been passed down four generations and refined according to Viravouth’s travels across Southeast Asia. It’s made using a traditional mortal and pestle and available in three distinct styles: Traditional, Kelantan (sweet and sour) and Kerabu (punchy and fragrant). It’s just as good as a marinade as it is tossed through scrambled eggs or as a corn chip dip, the duo assure.
Sambals aside, is Northcote’s new home of Malaysian-street food, fusing aspects of Chinese and Indian cuisine.
“Our menu draws on ingredients and cooking methods from all over Malaysia and its surrounding countries,” the pair explain. But there’s another part of Viravouth and Nantharath’s cultural background that plays out in the food.
Malaysian-street food fuses Chinese and Indian cuisine. Source: Merah
“Growing up in Melbourne, there’s certainly an Aussie twist where we’ve used homegrown, seasonal ingredients and been mindful to offer vegetarian and vegan alternatives.”
Merah’s pearl dumplings are a solid starting point; a tapioca sago shell holds a tasty mix of pork shoulder and peanuts, served on a fresh betel leaf. Vegetarians won’t go hungry with tofu nuggets, and a jackfruit curry cooked in a spiced coconut milk broth with purple potatoes and vegetables on offer. But there’s another dish that has quickly shot to notoriety: the Merah fried chicken is a crisp, golden heap of chook rubbing up against a generous dollop of housemade Kelantan mayo, strands of dried chilli and fresh lemon.
What gives Merah’s plates added wow is an imported Malaysian grill that uses white charcoal, imparting a smoky BBQ flavour while keeping meat and veg tender.
Marcel Nantharath (L) and Aline Viravouth (R) are the owners of Northcote's Merah. Source: Merah
Tapioca sago dumplings hold a tasty mix of pork shoulder and peanuts. Source: Merah
The space is intimate and homely, designed to make everyone feel like family, with a traditional rattan, plywood textures and minimalist bulb lighting. A long booth seat features muted tones of pink and grey against banana-leaf green. Food arrives on crockery by Made in Japan.
While a liquor license pends, mocktails made with fresh fruits, herbs and chilli are available, as are the ever present pressed juices, plus the Malaysian sweet milky tea favourite, Teh Tarik.
238 High Street Northcote
