Porters at Home – The Overview…
Porters: Williamstown/in your home
One of the best things to come out of 2020 has definitely got to be the number of great restaurants launching “at home” ranges. I mean who doesn’t want to eat restaurant quality food on their sofa after a long week at work?Porters is no exception, bringing their delicious At Home pack with 2 mains, 2 desserts and either a bottle of wine or two cocktails for $75. You can also order item by item if you’d prefer instead of the pack, with a $40 minimum for free delivery.
Exclusive dishes
You get to select your own dishes from their At Home Menu, with many dedicated dishes not seen on Porters dine in or takeaway menus. We opted for the Moroccan spiced chicken and chickpea tagine, green olives, red peppers with almond and raisin cous cous, and the Ricotta and spinach tortellini with merlot braised lamb and mushroom ragout for our mains. Adding the lemon and cheese tart and chocolate mousse as our desserts, and drinking a mojito and negroni from their cocktail list.
Easy to make
While I have adored getting to try dishes from more restaurants at home, I’ve definitely found the notion of “heat and serve” means very different things depending on where you buy from. I found the excitement can quickly wear off when you’re trying to combine 16 different ingredients on a plate while reheating 7 things in the oven and 3 on the stove.
Thankfully, Porters meals just need a quick pop in the microwave for a few minutes and then serve. The timings worked well too and I didn’t have to adjust at all. I popped a little fresh parsley from our garden on top and we were eating less than 10 minutes after opening the first packet.
Main dishes
We opted to share our two mains, and while I was a little apprehensive as they were so different, they did complement each other well.
The chicken tagine was rich with a lovely strong flavour. The chicken fell apart easily and the fresh couscous added a good balance. I enjoyed the olives as a key part of the dish, and while it was tasty, I felt it held back from being a fully traditional version of the dish. This was a good choice, as I think if it had hit too hard with the traditional middle eastern spices it could have alienated this dish from the rest of the menu. Instead, it focused on being well-rounded with just a subtle spicy undertone. For us this made it a much more suitable pairing with our pasta.
The tortellini was our favourite of the two. I was apprehensive as neither lamb nor filled pasta typically reheat well, but both were yummy and there was enough sauce in the ragout to ensure nothing started to dry out. The lamb melted in your mouth, and matched perfectly with the creamy tortellini. While it sounds a lot when you read the description, I could eat this every day. The dish was robust, but not overly rich and it had enough of a uniqueness to stick in your mindwhilst still feeling very true to a traditional pasta style dish.
Drinks and desserts
The cocktails came in the most adorable little bottles and are such a great idea! Each one is a single serve (with a good hit of alcohol). The mojito needed a good shake but it tasted delicious, and the adorable little decorations help you feel like you’re still on a night out.
The lemon and cheese tart was the lighter of the two desserts, and a better choice if you’re opting for a heavier main course. The airy filling and crumbly pastry were in just the right ratio and the cheese/lemon mix ensured it wasn’t an overly sweet dessert.
The chocolate mousse was much richer, and is definitely the decadent dessert. It was a nice size to share if you just wanted a little sweetness to round off your meal. Otherwise it’s a nice indulgent treat to finish off a yummy meal!
Everything else…
Porters have really hit the nail on the head with this new range. There’s a good variety of tasty tailored dishes, which work well for at home dining. They’re easy to reheat and are at a great price point (individual mains are a generous serve and cost $16-18).
Website: https://www.porterswilliamstown.com/portersathome
Address: Cecil Street, South Melbourne Market
Ordering Times and delivery details: Orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance. Free delivery is available with orders over $40 and the delivery zone is roughly 5km from Porters, Williamstown. Orders can also be collected in store.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Porters, Williamstown. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a venue won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.