Bistro and bar Molli and cafe-deli Little Molli open in Abbotsford

“I want the food to be simple enough not to scare away my mum but complex enough that my chef friends, who know about technique, ask, ‘How the hell did you do that?’”

That’s how head chef Aleksis Kalnins concocted the menu for Molli, the suave new Abbotsford bistro and bar from The Mulberry Group (Lilac Wine, Hazel, et al), which has a triple-threat cafe, deli and grocer next door, called Little Molli. They open two days apart.

“Potato roesti, sour cream” reads simply. But former Hazel chef Kalnins guns for a next-level eating experience by transforming the sour cream into a gel so it doesn’t melt when it hits the crunchy roesti, fresh from the fryer.

Other drawcards include handmade pasta (like casarecce with a fermented tomato sugo) and a pork-neck skewer destined for signature status, the meat smoked over cherry wood in the Josper oven and the juices turned into a serving sauce like the Japanese tare, which accompanies grilled dishes.

Produce is top of mind for Kalnins, who uses as much as possible from Common Ground Project, the group’s regenerative farm, and Molli’s budding rooftop herb garden.

While the venue sits beneath a new seven-storey office building, “we wanted to make sure it had a homey, lived-in feel,” says Mulberry Group founder Nathan Toleman. Hence, the dark timber floorboards, brown and green marble, a sofa to make it feel loungey, and other vintage finds.

The bistro takes bookings, but there are dedicated areas for walk-ins, including the bar, presided over by Kayla Saito. Her cocktail (and non-alc) program relies heavily on preserving seasonal produce such as kumquats for kombucha and other drinks.

At neighbouring Little Molli – connected to the bistro by a 12-person private dining room – there are bacon-and-egg roti wraps for brekkie and focaccia and ciabatta sandwiches (on bread from Collingwood bakery To Be Frank) for lunch. You can also pick up fancy cheeses, charcuterie and tinned fish, as well as house-made pickles and ferments.

The Mollis are within a stone’s throw of dining destinations Victoria and Johnston streets, but Toleman hopes their backstreet location – and day-to-night offering – will fill a void in the neighbourhood and encourage locals to use them as a so-called “third place” for relaxing outside home and the workplace.

Abbotsford is a special site for Toleman, having opened (and since sold) adjacent cafe Three Bags Full more than a decade ago.

This is shaping up to be a fruitful year for The Mulberry Group, which plans to open two more new venues this winter in the CBD with chef (and hummus prince) Tom Sarafian.

Little Molli, at 66 Nicholson Street, Abbotsford, will open daily 8am–5pm, from Monday, June 24. littlemolli.com.au

Molli, at 20 Mollison Street, Abbotsford, will open Wed 5pm–11pm; Thu-Sat noon–11pm; Sun 11.30am–5pm, from Wednesday, June 26. molliabbotsford.com.au