KOBA

119 Hardware St, Melbourne 9973 8425

Korean Sliders

Sweet brioche bun served with short rib patties, Korean slaw, ssamjang mayo and crispy onion rings

= Excellent

Beef Taco

Marinated beef, tomato salsa, kimchi and Korean slaw

= Not bad

Kimchi Fries

Crispy fries topped with cheese, kimchi sauce, onion relish and sour cream

These fries were so addictive. Who knew Kimchi and fries went so well together?

= Good

Koba Fried Chicken Wings (Soy Garlic)

Not so crispy but well flavoured juicy chicken wings, with a sprinkling of quinoa for added texture

= Good

Spicy Pork Korrito

Sweet marinated pork, kimchi rice, melted cheese, tomato salsa and kimchi

= Good

Overall:

Incredibly tasty Korean-Mexican fusion! Service was quick and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Note that there is limited seating here (as this place is tiny) so grabbing takeaway is a good idea.

Cafe Carpenter

742 Waverley Rd, Malvern East 9939 4061

Okonomiyaki

Japanese savoury pancake with special BBQ sauce, Japanese mayo and shaved bonito

= Not bad

Spicy Korean Chicken

Pan grilled chicken in a spicy marinade with cabbage

= Not bad

Bibimbap

A not so typical combination of rice, fried egg, chilli paste, sesame oil, minced beef, garlic sprouts, bean sprouts, alfalfa and lotus root

= Not bad

Overall:

Cute little place with friendly staff but extremely slow service. We were one of three tables and had to wait 45 minutes for our food, and even then one of our dishes was missing as they had forgotten to put the order through. The dishes we tried were quite ordinary and I doubt I would return here in the future.

Red Mango Thai Restaurant

3a Station St, Oakleigh 9569 6879

Pad gra prow with prawns

Stir fried prawns, chilli, onion, mixed vegetables and basil in a medium spicy sauce

More sweet than spicy

= Not bad

Red Duck Curry

Sliced Peking duck braised in a red curry with vegetables and Thai herbs

Minimal duck, minimal spiciness

= Not bad

Larb gai

A traditional Thai salad with minced chicken cooked in lemon juice, herbs, chilli and red onion

There was an overpowering taste of fish sauce and there was a lot more salad than chicken (which shouldn’t be the case when it comes to larb gai)

= Not bad

Pad Thai

Stir fried rice noodles with egg, ground peanuts, vegies and bean sprouts

= Not bad

Overall:

I am very particular when it comes to Thai cuisine as I always find myself comparing it to what I’ve eaten in Thailand or to my mum’s home cooking. Like many other Thai restaurants in Melbourne, the dishes at Red Mango Thai Restaurant have been tweaked to suit Western taste buds. So for me the food here was very average as was the service and the ambiance.

Note that this place only opens for dinner.

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Recipe from: Joy of Baking.com

1 cup plain flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar (I used brown sugar so that the muffins would be more moist)
3 tsp baking powder
zest of one lemon
1 cup blueberries
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn, vegetable or canola oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Gently stir in the blueberries

3. In another bowl whisk together the egg, milk and oil

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir just until the ingredients are combined (over mixing will result in tough muffins)

5. Spoon mixture into a greased muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes (or until cooked through when tested with a skewer)

Overall:

These muffins were like nothing I had ever tasted before. The crunchy texture and subtle corn flavour combined with the blueberries and fresh lemon zest resulted in lovely muffins that are great to snack on.

Kong BBQ

Smoked Brisket with Ssamjang and Kimchi Bun

★★★★☆

Spicy Pork Belly with Pickled Cucumber and Kong Crazy Horse Chilli Bun

★★★☆☆

Korean Fried Wings with Honey, Garlic and Sesame

Super sticky, super sweet

★★☆☆☆

BBQ Corn with Chilli Salt and Miso Butter

★★☆☆☆

Kong Bossam BBQ Tray – Pulled Chicken and Pork, Pork Belly and Beef Brisket, Pickled Kimchi, Walnut Ssamjang and Lettuce

★★☆☆☆

Teriyaki Roast Ora King Salmon, Wok Fried Broccoli and Tomato Roti Roll

★★★☆☆

Pulled Pork with Slaw, Kimchi and Burnt Chilli Mayo Roti Roll

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

We came on a late Sunday afternoon (to avoid the queues) and were immediately seated. The place was bright and open with the kitchen being in plain view from the dining area, and the service was very efficient. The ‘Chin Chin’ cookbooks that were neatly lined up along one of the shelves remind you that Chris Lucas (the brains behind this place) is also the brains behind other restaurants such as Chin Chin on Flinders Lane and Baby pizzeria in Richmond.

The fusion of American, Korean and Japanese flavours create a very unique menu here at Kong BBQ. So if you are a fan of Asian fusion cuisine, this place is definitely for you.

Kong BBQ

599 Church St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 94271307

https://www.kongbbq.com.au/

Chiba Japanese

41 Hall St, Moonee Ponds 9326 0248

Asparagus and prawn tempura

= Not bad

Chiba Special for 2

Combination of sushi, sashimi and seaweed rice rolls

= Good

Overall:

Fresh and tasty sushi and sashimi, friendly service and stylish decor.

Chick-In

G23/620 Collins St, Melbourne 9973 6244

Gang Jung Soy Chicken

Sweet crispy chicken pieces combined with potato wedges (which I found to be strange and unnecessary) and rice cake, served with a cabbage salad which was drenched in an incredibly sweet mayo dressing

= Not bad

Salmon Bibimbap

Essentially rice, avocado, salmon and salad drizzled with soy sauce

= Not bad

Overall:

An unremarkable dining experience.

Hakata Gensuke Ramen Professionals

Tick box menu

Chicken Karaage

Morsels of crispy Hakata Style chicken served with dipping spices

★★☆☆☆

Signature Tonkotsu

Pork bone broth served with thin noodles, pork cha-shu, black fungus, bamboo shoots, spring onions and an egg

★★★★★

Black Tonkotsu

Pork bone broth with homemade black sesame and roasted garlic paste, served with thin noodles, pork cha-shu, black fungus, spring onions, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and an egg

★★★★☆

Overall:

The pork broth here is EXTRAORDINARY! Made with an abundance of pork bones, the deliciously rich broth is quite creamy as it is so collagen-rich. The tick box menus made ordering very easy and I liked how there were taste options and noodle texture options (although the soft noodle and normal noodle textures ended up being pretty much the same). A variety of condiments are also available on each table (spicy pickled veg, red ginger, minced garlic, ramen sauce, gyoza sauce, sesame, pepper) to be added to your liking. Service was very polite (as soon as we entered, we were greeted by a very LOUD chorus of “Irasshaimase!”) and the atmosphere was casual but slightly cramped as this place is so popular. So be prepared to wait (we got there at 5:40pm on a Saturday and had to wait 40 minutes) but it will all be worth it for the amazing ramen!

Note that this place is cash only.

Hakata Gensuke Ramen Professionals

168 Russell St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9663 6342

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Mocha Green Cafe

361 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield 9532 9333

Funky water bottle

Chai latte

Thick foam layer, not particularly sweet

= Not bad

Vanilla milkshake

Made with two scoops of ice cream, great consistency

= Good

Eggs Benedict

Turkish toast topped with salmon, two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce

= Not bad

Corn Fritters

Corn fritters served with an avocado salsa, two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce

= Not bad

Overall:

I came here with a Groupon voucher and although the staff were friendly and the atmosphere cosy, the food was not so great. The portions were small, the hollandaise sauce tasted old and the poached eggs were tough and rubbery.

Grill Me

357a Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield 9533 0550

Spicy Melbourne burger

(grilled lean beef patty, havarti cheese, roasted peppers, dill pickles, lettuce, red onion, peri peri aioli)

served with chips, herb aioli and peri peri aioli

= Not bad

Chicken Delight burger

(grilled marinated chicken breast fillet, crispy bacon, havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, herb aioli)

served with chips, herb aioli and peri peri aioli

= Good

Overall:

Great value for money as the burgers here are enormous. The thick beef patty was well cooked however was lacking in flavor, while the chicken fillet was deliciously juicy and tender. The chips were crunchy and well seasoned, and you can’t really go wrong serving aioli with chips. A nice burger place but nothing outstanding.