After working for three years at Vue de Monde, French chef Thibault Boggio was looking for his next project. Enter , a pop-up specialising in sustainable seafood.
Launched last year in Melbourne with a residency at HWKR, Pinchy’s has had its menu revamped when Boggio joined in before the second pop-up at Emporium. Those who already knew Pinchy’s need not worry, the lobster roll is still the king of the short menu.
“We wanted people from Melbourne to discover the lobster roll with lobster coming straight from Maine, which is renowned to be one of the best lobsters in the world,” Boggio tells SBS.
The lobster is simply served in a toasted roll with mayo, butter, chives and lemon. The Alaskan king crab is served the same way, to let the seafood shine.
Thibault Boggio Source: SBS
“We have more fun with the prawn rolls. We can play with flavours more. One has a wasabi mayo and miso butter, and the other one has a tomato mayo and basil butter,” says Boggio.
Priced between $13 and $19.50, the rolls are a small luxury you can accompany with fries, a green salad, a potato salad or a crab croquette to make a full meal.
Pinchy's Source: Pinchy's
“We chose quality over quantity. Contrary to some other lobster rolls in the world that are full of lobster, we chose to have a good balance between the meat of the lobster and the bread. It’s quite light,” says Boggio.
If you want to go all in, Veuve Cliquot Champagne and French wines are available by the glass or the bottle.
While the concept seems luxurious, there’s also an ethical motivation behind Pinchy’s. Their seafood provider has been certified in the US for practising sustainable fishing.
Originally, the pop-up at Emporium was going to finish at the end of May, but Boggio tells us that after the success they have had there thus far, Pinchy’s might stay on longer.
Le prawn roll avec mayonnaise à la tomate, beurre au basilic, laitue Iceberg et basilic. Source: Pinchy's
Other Australian cities could also see Pinchy’s pop up in the future, and there have been talks of a restaurant with a longer menu opening in Melbourne.
“We’d like to go everywhere in Australia and open a restaurant to show what we can do in the kitchen because I’m surrounded by great chefs,” says Boggio.
Level 3, Emporium Melbourne, 287 Lonsdale Street
Sat – Wed 10 am – 7 pm
Thu – Fri 10 am – 9 pm
