Asian

Okra

Cassava crackers with sambal

You can’t go wrong with fresh complimentary crackers.

★★★☆☆

Eggplant with Homemade Sambal

★★☆☆☆

Ayam Merah Nonya

(red curry chicken with kaffir lime leaves)

Mildly spicy, tender chicken.

★★★☆☆

Pad Thai

(rice noodles with chicken, prawns, bean shoots and peanuts)

The tastiest Pad Thai I’ve had in a while. The noodles were cooked perfectly and unlike many other places, the dish wasn’t laden with sugar.

★★★★☆

Duo Seafood

(scallops and prawns with palm sugar and chilli)

From the menu description I thought this dish would predominantly comprise of scallops and prawns, not vegetables.

★★☆☆☆

Twice-cooked Black Pepper Duck with Champignon

Cooking the duck twice removed it from all its flavour, while the sauce had a disagreeable liver taste to it.

★☆☆☆☆

Overall:

Apart from the Pad Thai, the food was unremarkable. The staff however were very attentive as our dishes were taken away as soon as we were done with them and our water glasses were constantly being refilled (I don’t think my glass ever reached half empty). Note that this place is in the Entertainment Book.

Okra

159 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East, VIC

(03) 9813 1623

http://www.okrahawthorn.com.au/

Seoul Soul

Chargrilled Pork Belly

Dry and chewy.

★★☆☆☆

Stir Fried Beef Noodles

★★★☆☆

Kimchi Fries with Cheese

Spicy and delicious.

★★★☆☆

Seafood Pancake

★★★☆☆

Deep Fried School Prawns

Crispy and addictive, especially with the accompanying sweet chilli sauce.

★★★★☆

Bong Bong Grape Drink

I loved how this came with actual grapes in it!

★★★★☆

Overall:

Small place with quick service and tasty Korean fare. I’d visit again if I was in the area and was after a quick Korean meal.

Seoul Soul

323 Victoria St, Abbotsford, VIC

0478 768 760

http://www.seoulsoulgroup.com/#organic-korean-cuisine

Aka Siro

Maguroni – simmered tuna, egg, soy, ginger

★★☆☆☆

Teriyaki Hamburg Teishoku – simmered ground beef and pork mince patty with teriyaki sauce, vegetables and grated daikon

Juicy flavourful hamburgs that practically melt in your mouth.

★★★★☆

Higawari Teishoku – deep fried chicken katsu with BBQ sauce, potato salad with JP mayo, simmered turnip and fried tofu with soy and dashi broth

This menu item changes daily and comprises of 3 different dishes on the one plate. I really enjoyed the chicken katsu as it had amazing crunch and the meat was very tender. The simmered turnip was also a standout: simple and delicious.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

As soon as we sat down we were given some menus and a pot lid that had the daily specials written on it. We didn’t have to wait long for our food to arrive and when it did, every dish was comforting and homely. Each teishoku menu item is served with a bowl of warming miso soup and unlimited rice. There is an authentic Japanese vibe to this place and I wouldn’t mind returning if I’m ever in the area.

Aka Siro

106 Cambridge St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9417 0886

Cafe Lafayette

Matcha Hot Cakes with Berry Compote, Honeycomb, Vanilla Mascarpone, Red Bean Crème, Crushed Pistachio

These hot cakes were a bit on the soggy side however they had a lovely mild matcha flavour, and tasted terrific with the slightly tart berry compote and the sweet honeycomb, mascarpone and red bean crème.

★★★☆☆

Prawn Croquettes with Scallops, Crackers, Avo Puree, Tartar Dressing, Poached Eggs, Hollandaise and Black Sesame Seeds

These croquettes were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside but they lacked flavour and had to be eaten with the sauces. The crackers were a bit stale, the eggs were nicely poached, and the scallops were fantastic.

★★★☆☆

Tokyo Express Raindrop Cake (classic brown sugar with stone grounded soy bean)

★★★★☆

Match Lover Raindrop Cake (Japanese green tea with roasted pistachio)

★★★☆☆

These curious looking blobs are in fact water and agar, and when eaten on its own didn’t really taste like anything. But when it was eaten together with a sweet syrup and a nutty powder, it became a light and refreshing dessert.

Overall:

Tasty food, friendly service, laid back ambience with an awesome view of the beach. The raindrop cakes are on their specials menu at the moment, so try them soon before they disappear.

Cafe Lafayette

55 Beach St, Port Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9078 9808

http://cafelafayette.com.au/

Carnegie Korean BBQ

What’s better than Korean BBQ? The answer is all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ!

Pork Belly, Mushroom, Onion, Sweet Potato

Pasta Salad, Bean Sprouts, Kimchi, Fish Cake

Mandu

Beef Bibimbap

Soy Bean Soup

Green Tea and Black Sesame Ice Cream

Overall:

There are 2 all-you-can-eat options: the Standard Buffet ($31.90) and the Gourmet Buffet ($35.50). For a few dollars more the Gourmet Buffet offered a greater selection of meats, soups and dessert, so we ended up opting for this. We initially wanted to try all the different meats however this turned out to be impossible as there was simply too much food! The meats that we did manage to try included the LA Beef Ribs, Beef Brisket, Marinated Beef, Diced Beef, Non Spicy Chicken, Pork Belly, and Spicy Pork. The only meat that did not take our fancy was the Diced Beef as it was super tough and extremely difficult to chew. The staff were friendly however unlike some other Korean BBQ places, they don’t help out with any of the barbequing (which was fine with us). In any case, the all-you-can-eat options here are perfect for all you carnivores out there.

Carnegie Korean BBQ

Shop 2, 23 Koornang Rd, Carnegie, VIC

(03) 9563 6608

Kuku Mama

Cheeseburger Dumplings – beef, pickle, cheese, Bobby John sauce

Although these are not your typical dumplings, this is certainly fusion done right. Within each dumpling was perfectly cooked beef and plenty of melted cheese, which was delicious when eaten with the pickle and the sauce. The dumpling skin was a bit chewy though and needed to be steamed a tiny bit longer.

★★★★☆

Vegetarian Dumplings – sweet potato, shiitake, enoki

Unsurprisingly sweet and mushroomy.

★★★☆☆

Bao – Peking roasted duck, pickled cucumber, hoisin

Soft pillowy steamed buns with a decent amount of tasty duck.

★★★★☆

Tacos – blackened salmon, herb crema, chicharron

★★☆☆☆

Mac & Cheese squared with Bobby John sauce

★★★☆☆

Crinkle cut chips, honey, soy, sesame, chilli, spring onion

A great mix of sweet and savoury.

★★★☆☆

Bao – soft shell crab, kewpie mayo, Kuku kimchi

The soft shell crab had good crunch but lacked any actual crab taste.

★★☆☆☆

Balinese coconut seafood curry with herb rice

The curry was a little on the bland side, while the herb rice (ie. the coriander rice) was a little salt heavy. So I suppose the flavours balanced out when you ate them together.

★★☆☆☆

Bao – southern fried chicken, slaw, BBQ sauce

The crispy tender chicken combined with the slaw and BBQ sauce made for terrific baos!

★★★★☆

Overall:

This was such a cool place. From the vibrant decor to the comfortable booths and couches, Kuku Mama is a fantastic place to eat, drink and simply hang out at. Service was quick while the food was creative and reasonably priced. Make sure you come with a few people because there will be lots of things on the menu that you’ll want to try.

Kuku Mama

105 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC

(03) 9529 6900

http://kukumama.com.au/

Tim Ho Wan

Whenever a new restaurant opens, I often wait a little while so that I can read other people’s reviews and get a feel of the place before I head there myself. Thus I was fully aware of how long the queues here can become and decided to go on a weeknight. We arrived at 5:40pm and were immediately handed green clipboards with order forms to fill out.

By 6:00pm we were seated and once we pressed the buzzer at our table, a staff member appeared and confirmed our order by marking it on our menu/placemats. We didn’t have to wait very long before our food arrived…

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp

★★★☆☆

Steamed Egg Cake

★★★★☆

Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp

★★☆☆☆

Pan-Fried Turnip Cake

★★☆☆☆

Wasabi Salad Prawn Dumpling

★★★☆☆

Rice with Chicken, Sausage and Mushroom

★★★☆☆

Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver

★★☆☆☆

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork

★★★★☆

Beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp

★★★☆☆

Prawn Dumpling

★★★☆☆

Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp

★★★☆☆

Overall:

While I enjoyed my experience at Tim Ho Wan, there wasn’t anything in particular that makes me want to go rushing back. I found most of the food to be comparable to that found at good Yum Cha places around Melbourne, except the portions here are smaller and it’s a bit more pricier. What really stood out for me however was the steamed egg cake (which was incredibly light and fluffy), and of course the baked buns with BBQ pork (which had a sweet and crispy exterior that strangely worked well with the savoury BBQ pork interior). Service was prompt and efficient and I admire how well organised and smoothly this place runs. Avoid this place at peak lunch and dinner times if you hate long queues, otherwise there are plenty of seats that have been thoughtfully placed along the queue so that you rest your feet while you are waiting to get into this Michelin-starred restaurant.

Tim Ho Wan

206 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC

http://www.timhowan.com.au/

Lawyers, Guns and Money

Chicken Congee, Ginger and Spring Onion

★★★☆☆

Crispy Wonton Skins, Masterstock Egg and Century Egg

★★☆☆☆

Fish Fragrant Eggplant

Spicier than expected and had a distinct fish sauce flavour.

★★★☆☆

Trung Nguyen Black Coffee with Condensed Milk

★★★☆☆

Ceylon Tea with Condensed Milk

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Whenever I travel to South East Asia I often have Hawker style congee for breakfast, so I love the idea of having more places like this available in Melbourne. That being said, I couldn’t help but compare the quality and quantity of congee at this place to that from overseas. The chicken congee here was $12 for a relatively small bowl and while it was warm and comforting, it wasn’t anything spectacular. So although Lawyers, Guns and Money provides something that is out of the ordinary, I think I’ll stick to ordering congee while I’m overseas (or making it myself at home).

Lawyers, Guns and Money

505 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9614 5989

http://lgmmelbourne.com/

Ponshu Kiroro

Edamameholic

(stir fried edamame with garlic and red chilli)

Spicy, salty, garlicky deliciousness covered each and every edamame bean! I found these to be very addictive.

★★★★☆

Parfait Lunch Set

(marinated salmon sushi parfait, chunky miso soup, wasabi dressing)

Fresh, tasty, and well presented.

★★★★☆

Spicy Miso Ramen

(spicy Hokkaido miso ramen with kurobuta pork, boiled egg, cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, spring onion and sesame)

The thin broth reminded me of kimchi soup. The pork was quite tasty and the pieces of cabbage came in really big chunks.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

A bright charming place that offers delicious Hokkaido fusion cuisine, as well as a lovely range of Japanese beverages. This hidden gem is well worth visiting for their interesting dishes and their friendly service.

Ponshu Kiroro

9 Katherine Place, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 8657 8553

http://www.kiroro.com.au/

JD’s Burgers

King Kai

(signature Asian fusion beef patty, American cheese, bacon, Spanish onion, beer battered onion rings, lettuce and “afterlife” BBQ sauce on a brioche bun)

★★★★☆

Golden beer battered chips coated with JD’s seasoning

★★★★☆

Ultimate Black Pepper

(signature Asian fusion beef patty, HK black pepper sauce, American cheese, bacon, mushrooms, Spanish onion, lettuce, tomato and Japanese mayonnaise on a salad)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I am always on the look out for good burger places, and JD’s Burgers certainly know how to make good burgers. When we visited, their menu offered 19 different burgers that incorporated exotic flavours from around the world. The burgers are served on either a premium French brioche bun or a salad (but let’s be honest, at a burger place you don’t win friends with salad!) The service was quick and friendly, and the dining area small and simple. Note that they also offer some crazy burger challenges for those who dare: a 1.5kg burger and a 4kg burger!!

JD’s Burgers

17 Hamilton St, Mont Albert, VIC

(03) 8590 6448

http://jdsburgers.com.au/