By Suzan Ryan, editor bars&clubs
Mr Big Stuff, at Meyers Place, Melbourne, is the place to go to tuck into African-American stomach-rumblers such as chicken and waffles, corn bread and even alcoholic cold-pressed Kool-Aid.
Owners Mike Chen and Adam Ong (from Golden Monkey, Lonsdale St, Melbourne), along with partners Lazaros Papasavas, Andrew Montell and Hasan Sharif have taken a nose-to-tail approach in creating their (primarily) soul food-based menu.
To bring the Mr Big Stuff drinks menu to life, Chen and Ong employed UK-based bar consultant, Lee Linford to guide them – Linford worked with the duo previously on divining the Golden Monkey drinks menu.
Mr Big Stuff’s drinks menu focuses on two intriguing categories: Cold Pressed Kool-Aid and Cold Brew Iced Teas – with both options available in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.
The Cold Brew Iced Tea drinks menus features concoctions with entertaining titles such as: Vanilla Ice Ice Baby (Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Cold Brew Vanilla Black Tea, Fresh Cold Pressed Apple & Lemon Juice; or, sans booze: Cold Brew Vanilla Black Tea, Fresh Cold Pressed Apple & Lemon Juice); Law & Order Ice Tea (Ketel One Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Cold Brew Earl Grey Tea, Fresh Lemon Juice; or, sans booze: Cold Brew Earl Grey Tea & Fresh Lemonade). While the Cold Pressed Kool-Aid menu invokes a grin with drink titles such as Triple Awesome Grape.
Ong describes the atmosphere at Mr Big Stuff as: “Coming to America, blaxploitation, hip-hop and R&B.”
Mr Big Stuff, 16 Meyers Place, Melbourne. Ph: (03) 9639 7411