QV&A With @banginsangas

You might know him for his love of sangas or a ‘sweetie-treatie’, but there’s more to Ross Howse than a perfectly stacked sandwich. What started as a deli research-project, turned into an accidental career in food reviewing, and Ross has been dishing out content that's as tasty as it is entertaining ever since.

We caught up with the man behind @banginsangas at QV Food Hall, one of his regular haunts, to discuss his journey, his love for diverse flavours, and the hidden gems that keep him coming back for more. From pasta sandwiches (yes, really) to Michelin-credited street eats, here’s what he had to say…

So, tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as a food reviewer. What inspired you to start your social media page, and how has it grown over time?
Okay, so I started in the food reviewing business as an accident, really. It started off as research for opening our own deli, and we decided to start filming each other – me and my business partner that is. He decided he didn't want to do it anymore, but I thought, this has legs and I think this will be really fun. And it's just become what it is now, just by complete accident. 

So your page is best known for epic sandwiches, but what cuisine or food do you gravitate towards?
I think Italian. I love Italian food and we used to go to Europe a lot when we were kids – that and Turkish food. I love Turkish food, but then, I also love a curry. I love everything. It depends on the mood, but because it's winter, I'm pasta and pizza boy at the moment.

Do you have a favourite? Pasta or pizza? 
I eat them both. At the same time. I’ll make a pasta sandwich with the pizza haha. Carbonara is my favourite, probably. Or a vodka sauce. Glass of wine. Bosh.

The QV Food Hall has such a diverse mix of flavours and cultures. What was your first impression when you visited?
Well, I'm actually here quite a lot because I work in the city and I come here pretty often – at least once a week. I’ll usually come to Spice Kitchen and I’d never been to Local Hero until today, and it's awesome. It’s quickly become a favourite.

If you had to curate your ultimate QV Food Hall feast, which stores and dishes would make your top picks – and why?
Okay, so for starters, I'd go to Mondo Di Pasta for the vodka sauce and gnocchi fritti – combined. That starters, so I'm setting myself up for a good feast there. Then, I'm having Local Hero’s Pork Belly Dry Noodles, and then for dessert, I'm having a donut from Joey's Doughies. 

What’s your go-to order for a quick bite between for dinner – and what would you recommend for a weekend foodie treat?
Okay, so for a quick bite, I'd probably go for one of the discs at Disc Taiwan Wheel Cake – the nutella one is delicious. Or one of the Chunky Town Corn Dog. And a weekend foodie treat, I'd probably say... you know what, the crispy duck at Phoenix Kitchen is delicious, that’d be my weekend foodie treat. 

Why do you love QV?
I think it's just because there's so much to do here, and it's multi level, right. I love it here for the fashion and I come to Incu at least once a week – spend all my money in there. And then I'll come into QV’s Food Hall and I'll have a little snacky snacky. It just has everything, really. They are all small boutique shops, but really good ones. And all the food stores here, you don't find these anywhere else, they're only at QV. 

And if you want to have something really, really good, I'd probably come back to Local Hero – the fact that we have Michelin-credited street-food here, in the middle of Melbourne, at QV, is really cool.

Are there any hidden gems or must-try dishes they should know about?
Well the Michelin-credited Local Hero store for sure, and the pork belly dish is an absolute must. Also, the lasagna bites at Mondo Di Pasta slap.

Finally, what do you love most about Melbourne’s food culture – and how would you describe it in three words?
Multicultural. Flavour. Innovative. 

I quite like how the different cuisines are almost segregated into their suburbs, for example, you’ll go to Oakleigh for Greek food, or North-Side for Italian. You just know which sections to go to for what, but at the same time, it's so welcoming and everyone is so happy to host you in their environment. Everyone is just really friendly – and that's what drew me to Australia. 

I lived in London for five or six years prior and everyone's miserable there. But when I moved here, I got off the plane, I didn't know where I was, and a lovely lady – a total stranger – just said to me, "Are you all right? Are you lost?”, and that would never happen in London. So the people here make the city, and that really makes up Melbourne’s culture more than anything else, which is obviously so apparent in the food scene too.