Pulp Fiction is a unique new eatery on the Melville strip, the once-renowned student hotspot that’s undergoing a culinary transformation. There’s no easy way to define the type of food served here. Dishes are styled after blockbuster movies – and blockbusters they are! While the food certainly impresses, there’s room for improvement in terms of service and ambience.

Food

Chef Chad Caselli creates refined food in a wacky setting, pretty much like the movie it’s named after. His menu will take you on a journey of bold flavour combinations, from Asia to the Americas, with a little Italian for good measure. Expect action-packed options including tapas, burgers, salads, ribs, steaks and some interesting French-styled main meals.

Let’s start off with some epic tapas dishes. Try the Pig and Poseidon, with smoked chorizo arancini (fried risotto balls), a tiger prawn and homemade tomato sauce, or the Royale Meatballs in a marinara sauce with camembert, pickles and ciabatta.

Pigs & Poseidon. Photo by Rupesh Kassen.

Standout dishes include Swingin Wings, comprising crispy chicken wings tossed in spicy peri-peri or ranch sauce with a generous portion of sweet potato fries, and Pot Belly, which pairs slow-cooked pork belly with a fondant potato, sundried tomato jam and poached pears. Make sure you order a portion of the sublime What’s up Duck: duck-fat fries tossed in chilli, garlic and sesame seeds.

The burgers are real hunger busters and they offer a choice of the Royale with cheese, a 200g beef burger with chimichurri sauce and camembert, or the Bad Motherf***er, consisting of a 250g beef patty, homemade bacon jam, chilli relish, fresh avocado and blue cheese.

Pot belly. Photo by Rupesh Kassen.

There’s a separate dinner menu of classic dishes with a twist. Options include dry-aged rib-eye steaks, finished with a blowtorch and accompanied by pickled wild mushrooms and kohlrabi purée, and braised short-rib with a coffee-and-cumin rub served with garlic mash.

Sweet temptations are listed under the Curtain Call. I will definitely go back to try the forbidden pleasure of Prohibition Candy: Jack Daniel’s ice cream, Amaretto sponge, caramel vodka cappuccino and a brandy snap to top it all.

Drinks

The wine list lacks the usual suspects but boasts a variety of well-priced choices. Cocktail fans will not be disappointed, with options ranging from cucumber mojitos to velvet vanilla martinis, and classics like a Bourbon old-fashioned.

Royale meatballs. Photo by Rupesh Kassen.

Service

The service, while friendly, is a little on the slow side and seems too relaxed.

Ambience

The restaurant is filled with movie memorabilia. The large bar in the centre gets quiet vibey as the night wears on.

Swingin wings. Photo by Rupesh Kassen.

And…

Pulp Fiction boasts a list of grownup alcoholic milkshakes. I’ve got my eye on the OMG Oreo and Sultry Strawberry for my next visit.

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