Felafel at Mankoushe

325 Lygon Street, Brunswick East; (03) 9078 9223

Ah, Mankoushe. This Lebanese woodfire bakery opened a few months back in Lygon St, replacing an African grocer. The hole-in-the-wall setup had few discerning features; if anything, it looked more like a comic-book shop than a takeaway joint, with its red-on-black painted sign.

Not long after, the blogosphere rang with the sound of felafel and the whisper that came with it said Mankoushe (Mankoushe...Mankoushe...)

For darn good reason. Simply stated, this place makes awesome felafel. And it's fresh, every bit of it. When you order, one of the two eager lads who run the place disappears out the back to fry the chickpea balls. The other one puts a round of bread into the woodfire oven.

While you wait, you can check out other delights as they come out of the oven - pliant circles of zatar bread (crazy big for $1.50), all manner of filled pockets with cheese, sucuk and spices.

On the roll, you've got your felafel balls, wonderfully crisped on the outside, tomato, lettuce, garlic sauce and pickles. Oh yes, the pickle - just enough for a bit of crunch and sour, not enough to take over all the garlicky, spiced goodness.

It's $7.50. It takes ten minutes to prepare. It's fantastic.