Restaurant Review: Shark Fin

Location: 52 and 131 Little Bourke St Melbourne
Phone: 03 9662 2681 (Shark Fin Inn), 03 9663 1555 (Shark Fin House)
Link: sharkfin.com.au
Cuisine: Chinese, Yum Cha
Overall Impression: 7/10

In terms of Yum Cha, the Shark Fin group certainly has it all down pat.

There is a brilliant variety of dishes and we were delighted to see that they were, in general, well executed. We ordered as much as we could physically eat and the bill came up to a very reasonable $30 per person. Shark Fin is certainly one of the better Yum Cha places in China Town.

Restaurant Review: Touché Hombre

Location: Cnr Tattersalls Lane & Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 0811
Link: touchehombre.com.au
Cuisine: Mexican, Latin American
Overall Impression: 8/10

We were privileged to dine at Touché Hombre 9 days ahead of the official launch (on the 26th of April 2012) featuring Australian street artist Beastman (who let loose on the walls of Tattersalls Lane) and seňor Casper (an actual Donkey to add to the Mexican flair).

The place was bustling with patrons. The crowd consists predominantly of young urban professionals of the trendy sort. We are told by Owner and Designer himself, Davis Acacia Sky (born Davis Yu) that all this came into fruition in a month. Apart from his talent in running restaurants (he is also the proud owner of The Millswyn in South Yarra); his eye for interior design is commendable.

The scene is clearly set – Touché Hombre is trendily and impeccably restrained “grungy“. The tables, shelving and the bar top are adorned with wood salvaged from Princess Pier. Naked bulbs hang from the ceilings and the splashes of neon at the entrance create a distinctive chaotic night time feel that compliments the Mexican street inspired menu. 

La Margarita de octubre 1941

Tostaditos - Spiced Chicken, mango jam, toasted sesame & chipotle mayo

The food itself is of a high standard. It is Mexican soul food – simple, to the point and executed well. The flavours on every dish are well balanced and full of flavour. It was clear that quality ingredients had been sourced. The menu boasts a selection of tostaditos, grilled corn, fresh ceviche and a wonderful list of delectable tacos. My favourite savoury dishes of the night were the soft shell crab taco and the fatty lamb ribs.

Ceviche· Diced fish, mussels, cilantro, chilli, red onion, tomato & guacamole with tortilla chips

Blood orange madagascar

Fatty lamb ribs - merquen, cilantro, lemon, honey

La Paloma

De Jaiba - Soft shell crab, corn cream, pea shoots, lime and mint

Breakfast Taco - omelette, salchicas, Egmont cheese, beans, avocado, salsa, fried onions with habenero cream

Michelada Bitchin’ Mexican Beer Cocktail

Del Coronel - Chargrilled Chicken, chimchurri & toasted pepitas

The drinks menu, compiled by Bar Manager, Johnnie Kai certainly shows the capabilities of Touché Hombre on the beverage front. His signature cocktail, La Margarita de Octubre 1941 is a classic margarita made with the original Damiana Mexicana. It is rough around the edges, a little left of centre and seductively strong. 

Ice Cream Sangas: Rice Pudding & Cinnamon

We indulged in the lovely ice cream sangas. The chocolate and chilli peanut cookie was divine. The spiciness of the chilli (not for the fainthearted) complemented the luxurious chocolate and indulgent cookie and ice cream. It was a match made in heaven. 

Ice Cream Sangas:  Chocolate & Chilli peanut cookie

Ice Cream Sangas: Dulce De Leche

Davis Sky’s passion and enthusiasm translates into a memorable dining experience as Touché Hombre delivers on all fronts - great food, brilliant drinks, excellent service coupled with an ambience that has a hell of a vibe.

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Touché Hombre.

Weekend in Phillip Island and Restaurant Review: Rustic Water Brewery

I used to love going to Phillip Island as a child - waiting impatiently to see the little penguins emerge from the sea and waddle across the beach to their sand dune burrows was particularly exciting. Things look so different coming back here now. The last thing I wanted to do was be a part of a dense crowd waiting to see penguins. I wanted this to be a relaxing two days. We arrived on Saturday evening and decided to go down to the pier and take in the sea breeze before dinner.

The next day, we lazed around a lot and visited a few places.

Phillip Island Chocolate Factory

Churchill Island

We ended up doing most of the cooking at our rented holiday accomodation.

Location: 1821 Phillip Island Rd, Cowes [Phillip Island]
Phone: 03 5952 1666
Link: rustywaterbrewery.com.au
Cuisine: European, Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 5/10

We passed by the Rusty Water Brewery on our way to our accomodation so we decided to pop in for lunch.

J enjoyed several beers as I volunteered to take over driving duties for the day. He was quite pleased with the beers on offer.

Rusty risotto $27.90 - our famous rusty risotto served with smoked chicken, mushrooms (oyster, swiss and portobello), prepared in our own homemade vegetable stock

Warm Thai beef salad $21.00 - tender sliced eye fillet beef, rice noodle, coriander, vietnamese mint and onion topped with nam jim dressing 

We found the food extremely pedestrian and bland in terms of flavour. The risotto was slightly soggy and the Thai beef salad lacked seasoning and flavour. The portions were also smaller than we expected. To the restaurant's credit, however, the service was of a good standard and the pub had a nice and relaxed ambience. Perhaps, this is a venue we would have enjoyed much more for a Saturday night drink rather than a Sunday lunch.

Event Review: 3rd anniversary of Heide Museum and Yering Station's partnership

J and I were delighted to attend another event hosted by Yering Station and Heide Museum - this was the third anniversary of their partnership. It was a delectable afternoon of lovely Yarrabank sparkling and delicious Café Vue sweets.

Thank you, Yering Station, Heide Museum and Café Vue for a wonderful afternoon!

Restaurant Review: Whirrakee Restaurant and Wine Bar

Location: 17 View Point, Bendigo
Phone: 03 5441 5557
Link: whirrakeerestaurant.com.au
Cuisine: French
Overall Impression: 8/10

Whirrakee Restaurant and Wine bar is certainly the best dining experience that Bendigo has to offer.

The ambience is cosy and romantic and the service is warm and friendly without being intrusive in the slightest.

amuse bouche

Our bread arrives promptly and we browse through the delicious looking menu items.

Kitchen tasting plate Featuring pate, terrine, smoked breast and rillets w/ condiments

Pan seared sea scallops Served with fennel puree, garden peas, verjuice dressing and gaufrette potatoe

Erindale farm lamb loin Served with stuffed eggplant, tomato puree, sweet basil and jus gras

Roasted duck breast Served with savoy cabbage and confit leg braise, roasted sausage and tarragon jus

Minted pea and shaved fennel risotto Served with confit leeks and a shed goats cheese

pre-dessert sorbet

Fig and Hazelnut clafoutis Served with port glaze and leatherwood honey ice cream

Expression of Valrhona chocolate Featuring Ivoire and raspberry Brulee, Pur caraibe fondant with prune and Armagnac ice cream, Guanaja and hazelnut mille feuille and Manjari parfait with crystalised orange  

Passionfruit jelly served with banana sorbet, cheesecake, mousse and mango salad

petit fours

We were amazed as each course arrived impeccably executed. It was clear that the food was skilfully prepared and the ingredients used were from quality sources. Every dish had well-balanced flavours with elements that accorded to traditional notions of flavour combinations that clearly worked. We enjoyed every course from the entrees to the mains to the desserts (and even the lovely petit fours). Whirrakee Restaurant is certainly a Bendigo gem.

Restaurant Review: Mail Exchange Hotel

Location: 688 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9903 6880
Link: mailexchangehotel.com.au
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 5.5/10

Linguini - prawns with chilli, rocket and extra virgin olive oil

The pasta was simple and enjoyable.

Baked Salmon - Atlantic salmon fillet topped with miso paste and served with Asian greens and bad boy chips

I asked for more vegetables instead of chips and the restaurant kindly obliged. My salmon was perfectly cooked and the vegetables were flavoursome.

It's a little rough around the edges but Mail Exchange Hotel certainly meets expectations. The ambience is enjoyably relaxed and the food arrives promptly. The food itself is pleasant and they are certainly accomodating and adaptable with patrons making slight changes to what is on the menu.



Restaurant Review: Chef Lagenda

Location: 16 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington
Phone: 03 9376 2668
Cuisine: Malaysian Hawker
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

When it comes to restaurants competing, it doesn't get any more aggressive. Abiding by the saying, 'keep you friends close and your enemies closer', Chef Lagenda has placed itself competitively next to its rival Laksa King. Rumour has it that the original chef from Laksa King is the owner of Chef Lagenda. Whilst I cannot verify this rumour (and am probably further perpetuating a rumour that may be completely false), I love a little cat fight between restauranteurs.

So, "whose cuisine reigns supreme?"

J, R and I venture down for an eating adventure at Chef Lagenda to see how it would compare to Laksa King. We decided to base the winner on their curry laksa. Afterall, that is what Laksa King is ultimately famous for.

After a couple of good and authentic tasting entrees, our 3 bowls of curry laksa arrived.

Upon initial inspection, it was clear how generous they were in terms sizing. There were a lot of noodles, meat, seafood, yongtofu and plenty of broth to go with it. To the restaurant's credit, every protein in that bowl was cooked well. The prawns tasted juicy and sweet and the chicken was beautifully tender. The broth itself, however, lacked heat. There was also a lot more coconut cream in this laksa which meant that the spicyness of the laksa broth was further masked. That said, the broth had a lovely flavour. It was a pity that it was not spicy enough.

In terms of how it compares to Laksa King, we all agreed that the Laksa King broth itself had more depth of flavour and its chilli content, was far more on the money. However, in terms of the toppings that went inside the curry laksa, Chef Lagenda's was far more generous and also cooked their toppings very well. 

Here is what Malaysian food expert, guest blogger, R had to say:

"In terms of authenticity, I  would give Chef Lagenda a 5/10 (with a score of 10/10 being eating in a good hawker stall in Malaysia). Firstly, there was mint and eggplant in the curry laksa. The mint, in particular should either have been omitted or been present in a far more subtle manner. The satay sauce we had was too smooth and it was not served with the traditional ketupat."

The desserts were lovely. I highly recommend their sago dessert (pictured below).

If you prefer a milder curry and want value for money, I would highly recommend Chef Lagenda. However, if you like your curry laksa with a bit more kick, the laksa broth at Laksa King will do the trick. As much as we enjoyed dining at Chef Lagenda, we all agreed that when it came down to the laksa broth itself, Laksa King is still, well, the Laksa King.

Read Gastrology's Laksa King review here!

Restaurant Review: Pho Bo Ga Mekong Vietnam

Location: 241 Swanston St, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 3288
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Overall Impression: 4.5/10

Popular among tourists and locals, Mekong is a Melbourne institution. The popularity is evident. We were here at 11.30am on a Sunday and the place was absolutely packed.

Whilst the food served is of a reasonable quality. It is difficult to ignore the poor levels of service. The restaurant is perpetually understaffed and for the staff on duty, there is no system of "first come, first serve". You can very easily end up sitting at your table, waiting for your order to be taken and watch as other patrons that arrive much later be served ahead of you. I used to love Mekong but that was 10 years ago. As this restaurant steadily increases in popularity, it appears its charm is quickly fading at the same rate.

Bar Review: Red Spice Road

Location: 27 McKillop Street, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9603 1601
Link: http://www.redspiceroad.com/
Cuisine: South East Asian influenced, Fusion
Overall Impression: 7/10

So, we know Red Spice Road serves delicious food (read my review of the restaurant here), but how does the bar compare?

Of late, Red Spice Road has been gaining quite a reputation for its cocktails. The cocktail section of the menu is impressive, with a range of cocktails to suit most.

R, J and I were delighted to have the opportunity to find out if they would live up to the hype surrounding them.

It was great being able to wind down with these cocktails after dinner. They were amply sweet and had beautiful subtle flavours. We ordered one of their latest post-dinner cocktails and were very impressed by how sophisticated it tasted. To our delight, they were also very generous with that volatile substance we love. A good cocktail should always have a decent Alcohol By Volume (ABV) reading and these did not disappoint.

The bar is certainly an intoxicating experience.

Restaurant Review: Dainty Sichuan

Location: 176 Toorak Rd, South Yarra
Phone: 03 9078 1686

Cuisine: Chinese
Overall Impression: 7/10

Dainty Sichuan is not for the faint-hearted. Serving up authentic chilli, pepper and garlic laden Chinese cuisine from the Sichuan province, the food is delightfully complex and flavoursome. To celebrate the start of the long weekend, R, J and I after a lot of drinking at Campari House on Hardware Lane decided to head down for a "heated" affair at Dainty Sichuan. We were thankful that we had made a booking as the queues were frightening. 

We feared our levels of intoxication might slum to dangerously low levels, so we immediately ordered our beers before looking through the menu.

Fish flavoured Eggplant $19.80

The fish flavoured eggplant was certainly the dish of the night. Pristinely deep-fried and covered in a gooey caramelised chilli sauce, it was brilliant! The spice was perfect. There were hints of sourness, sweetness and ample amount of saltiness. The flavours had depth and complexity and were all well-balanced. It was delicious.

Fried Pork Slices $27.80

Our second course was also deliciously deep fried. (One thing you should expect from Sichuan cuisine is plenty of oil and chilli). This dish is probably good for those that cannot take too much spice. It was very tame compared to the other dishes we had. Again, there were a copious amount of flavours.

Spicy Ribbon Fish $18.80

The Spicy Ribbon Fish was our least favourite dish of the night. Although the flavours were pleasant and interesting, every bite of the preserved and salty fish fillets was filled with mini, utterly annoying fish bones. As such, the dish was left mostly untouched.

Chongqing Chilli Chicken $27.80

The infamous Congqing Chilli Chicken caught me by surprise. It was by far the spiciest dish of anything that I have ever encountered. And trust me, I eat and can take a lot of spice. It was delicious although something about it tasted potent. I could feel my lips and tongue swell with every mouthful but there was something addictive about this dish as well. The main flaw of the dish is the fact that the chicken pieces weren't exactly slices of chicken. They were all little bits of chicken ribs. Every little morsel was filled with bones. There was hardly any meat. We had to work very hard for the delicious spicy chicken bits.

I'm not sure if it was the beer or the ridiculous amount of chilli we had just devoured, but our dinner at Dainty Sichuan ended with R challenging J to two spoonfuls of pure chilli from the Chongqing chicken dish for a $100. It was a challenge J could not resist and suffered greatly for over the next 24 hours. R on the other hand, thought it was the best $100 he had ever spent and kept replaying his footage of J eating the chilli and his facial expression as he quickly came to the realisation that he had made a big mistake.

All in all, Dainty Sichuan is a fiery experience that I would highly recommend.

Restaurant Review: Melbourne Vietnam Noodle House

Location: 251 Swanston St, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9639 4911
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Overall Impression: 5.5/10

When you just aren’t in the mood to travel to Vietnamese food hot spots like Richmond and Springvale, a great CBD alternative is Melbourne Vietnam Noodle House.
There is a brilliant array of dishes that are sure to please.

Located conveniently on Swanston Street, this place has a nice and relaxed space. The menu is well priced with all items around the $10 mark. The only downside is the service (or more accurately, lack thereof).

Restaurant Review: The Blue Room Restaurant Bar Cafe

Location: 279 Clarendon St, South Melbourne
Phone: 03 9699 4036
Link: blueroom.com.au
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 5.5/10

The last time I was at The Blue Room was for a work Christmas dinner and drinks at least 4 years ago. I recall having a good impression about the place so I was keen to re-visit it.

Decor-wise, it didn't look like much had changed.

Claypot Saffron Chicken, chicken fillets cooked in a saffron Napoli sauce, roasted peppers,olives and soft polenta

Blueroom premium leg ham, field mushrooms, mild salami, oven dried roma tomatoes,

wood fired red peppers & kalamata olives

Wood-fired pizza - clarendon hot calabrese salami, tiger prawns, artichoke hearts, oregano & chilli flakes

The restaurant appears to pride itself in the pizzas it serves. There is a clear mention on their website of having won "1st Place in the traditional pizza category of the “Best of the Best Pizza Challenge” at the
2010 Good Food & Wine Show" and the pizzas fall under a bold heading on the menu titled "our famous wood fired pizzas".

Whilst the pizzas were pleasant, they were quite ordinary and were the least impressive course we had.

linguini marinara market fresh black mussels, tiger prawns, roe on scallops, calamari, chilli & garlic tossed with herbs, white wine & virgin olive oil

The linguini marinara was lovely. The seafood was cooked well and the pasta was al dente. The beautifully strong garlic and herb flavours permeated the dish.

Eaton Mess

sticky date pudding with a rich butterscotch sauce & vanilla ice-cream

The highlight of our dinner was definitely the sticky date pudding. It was light, fluffy and absorbed the indulgent butterscotch sauce. Although the menu stipulated that the pudding would be served with cream, we asked for ice cream instead and the waiter kindly obliged. It was a great way to end our meal.

Although we were not impressed by the pizza we ordered, overall, it was a good dining experience. The service was friendly and prompt and we liked the casual and relaxed ambience Blue Room has.

Restaurant Review: The Waiting Room

Location: 8 Whiteman St, Crown Casino, Southbank, Melbourne
Phone: 03 8679 1800
Link: http://www.twrbar.com/
Cuisine: Morning Tea/ High Tea, Wine bar, Bar food
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

It all began with Rockpool and then came Spice Temple and now The Waiting Room (TWR). On the horizon, there is his new venture - an Italian Restaurant opening later this year. Not surprisingly, also in Crown. Suffice to say, the Neil Perry Empire’s expansion is on the move and certainly taking over the fine dining scene in the Crown Casino complex. Whilst I am certainly not his biggest fan given my mixed experiences, it is a fair observation that everything Perry touches seems to turn to gold. His latest Crown addition, TWR is more than a trendy bar. The menu also offers Perry’s take on the traditional ‘Afternoon Tea (served daily between 12pm – 5pm) and High Tea (served daily between 5pm – 9pm).

As part of P’s hens’ weekend, we decided to treat her to Afternoon Tea at TWR.

The savoury biscuits to start were lovely.

The sandwiches were pleasant to eat and were kept deliberately simple.

The bottom tier was filled with ‘sweets’ and scones.

A key component to a successful Afternoon tea is good scones. These scones were delightfully light and immersed in a fresh apricot scent and flavour. That vanilla bean cream was to die for and the strawberry jam was delicious.

The other ‘sweets’ looked beautiful and were moreish. We were all pleased with the quality and standard of the offerings.

In terms of service, the lady who waited on us kept our tea pots filled throughout our time there. She was attentive and friendly and certainly made our group of five feel very welcome.

The main downside to an Afternoon Tea with your girlfriends at TWR is the fact that it is situated in the lobby of Crown. As we were seated at the entrance, it was slightly awkward as we felt like we were “on display” while hotel guests entered and looked curiously at us.

Whilst TWR offers a commendable Afternoon Tea option for Melbournians, it is certainly not an experience that is unique or that goes above and beyond existing establishments.
That said, it is an experience I would recommend and have thoroughly enjoyed.

Restaurant Review: Hako

Location: 310 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9620 1881
Link: hako.com.au
Cuisine: Japanese
Overall Impression: 7/10

Hako's style is minimalistic and elegantly Japanese. The food is authentically simple, to the point and delicious. It is obvious that great care and discipline has been taken in it's preparation. The service is prompt and the waitstaff are polite and accomodating.

Hako is perfect for a weekday lunch for CBD workers that have a mere hour to spare and want to spend it wisely.

Restaurant Revew: Vegie Bar

Location: 380 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Phone: (03) 9417 6935 

Link: www.vegiebar.com.au

Overall Impression: 6/10

During my first visit to Vegie Bar, BB and I were meeting A's new found love (in the form of a Russian investment banker from Sydney) for the first time. We thought lunch would be a good option as it would be a lot more casual. A has been slowly but surely turning vegetarian and her favourite restaurant of late has been Vegie bar. Vegie Bar has been gaining quite a following, especially with the skinny jeans and retro sun glasses crowd. So, in an attempt to be part of the "in crowd" the four of us decided to have lunch there.

Threading the delicate balance of my omnivorous existence, I would say I am more carnivorous than I am herbivorous. As such, I wasn't particularly excited about the thought of eating at Vegie Bar.

The food was surprisingly much better than I had expected. I quickly forgot that I was having a vegetarian meal. Although simple, the food was hearty and smacked with flavour. Nothing revolutionary but it was honest and good food. My positive experience has brought me back time and time again. Last weekend, J and I decided to go back and it is as good as the first time I was there.  

Cuppucino

Sangria

Sha He Fen Noodles

The noodles were delicious! I am always slightly weary about ordering “Asian” style dishes from non-Asian eateries but this has certainly changed my mind. Although the faux chicken tasted like tofu and was fooling no one, it was still very enjoyable. The only criticism I have of this dish is – where are the mushrooms I was promised per the descriptions on the menu?

Cajun Stew

I love that it was served with brown rice. There’s something about the texture of brown rice that gives a rustic edge to a dish. That said, I could not help but think that the stew was simply glorified baked beans. OK, maybe that is a bit harsh. Baked beans with a twist? However, I must say that although it resembled baked beans, the stew was in fact enjoyable to eat. It was hearty and had very good flavour.

Berry Cheesecake with soy ice cream

The desserts here are particularly good. I tasted their soy ice cream the first time I visited. Nobody else was a fan of the soy ice cream but I certainly was. A and BB even joked about how everything in life is relative and only someone who had never had ice cream before would find the soy ice cream good. So, be warned! It is certainly an acquired taste.

 All in all, the food was enjoyable. It is honest, wholesome food. Nothing fancy but it certainly does the trick. Everything is well-priced and the place has a great atmosphere. Unfortunately, this is let down by the fact that service is poor. Every time that I have visited Vegie Bar, I have had to wait very long for my food to arrive.

Restaurant Review: Laksa King

Location: 6 - 12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington
Phone: 03 9372 6383
Cuisine: Malaysian
Overall Impression: 7/10

When it comes to Malaysian hawker-style laksa (of both the curry and assam variety), Laksa King knows best. The broth certainly packs a punch, satiating the strongest of cravings.

Penang style Assam Laksa

Combination Curry Laksa

I will certainly be recommending this eatery to other Malaysian hawker food enthusiasts!

Curious about how Chef Lagenda (right next door) compares? Read Gastrology's review here!

Restaurant Review: Shanghai Street Dumpling

Location: 342 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9600 2250
Cuisine: Chinese
Overall Impression: 8/10

Check out our review of the La Trobe Street restaurant here!

The queues started. We immediately heaved a sigh of relief. It appeared we had just beaten the infamous dinner rush in a matter of seconds. As we waited impatiently for our dumplings to arrive, J and I wondered whether they would live up to the hype. Such enormous hype for such tiny little dumplings.

The one thing that I have struggled to find in Melbourne that I really enjoyed during my time in Shanghai has been the fried pork buns. They are basically the rougher, tougher, more hawker style cousin to the delicate ‘Xiao Long Bao’. They still have that beautiful pork broth inside but the casing is very different and far from delicate. The dumpling’s base is crisp and caramelised from the frying.

Steamed vegetarian dumplings

Our dumplings arrived promptly and they were brilliant. Everything tasted incredibly fresh. It was clear that the ingredients being used were of a good standard. Dumpling eateries are notorious for dubious fillings but these were certainly a few notches up the norm. Our vegetarian and Beijing pork dumplings had a beautiful encasing that had quite a lovely ‘bite’ and a good chewiness that is synonymous with freshly made dumplings – not surprising given how ludicrously busy this place it. The dumplings are probably sold the moment they are made!

Steamed Beijing pork dumplings

Fried pork buns

And the star plate of fried pork buns finally arrived. The broth was beautiful and flavoursome, the base was perfectly crisp and delicious.

Looks like Melbourne has a welcomed new best dumpling eatery contender!

Restaurant Review: HuTong Dumpling Bar

Location: 14-16 Market Ln, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9650 8128

Cuisine: Chinese

Overall Impression: 8/10

Eating Xiao Long Bao at Hu Tong takes me back to the time I spent working in Shanghai. I will never forget all the invaluable life lessons I learned and the good friends I made. There is a tight knit ex-pat community and for some reason everyone foreign seems to know everyone else. And it was within that tight knit group that I felt completely welcomed and was introduced to various Shanghainese delicacies.

Dumplings are the heart of Shanghainese cuisine. In my opinion, the humble Xiao Long Bao is the most delicious and delicate of dumplings. I still remember the first time I had these in Shanghai.

Hu Tong’s Xiao Long Bao is amazing. It is by far the best that Melbourne has to offer.

A good Xiao Long Bao is characterised by a delicious filling and broth, and very importantly, a delicate casing. Ideally, you should be able to hold the Xiao Long Bao towards the light and be able to see through the skin into the filling inside.

Hu Tong's Xiao Long Bao (pictured above) - with its beautiful, fragrant broth and luscious filling, enveloped by a dainty dough, was such a pleasure to indulge in.

The same, however, cannot be said about their other offerings. All the other food was pleasant but ordinary. It was clear that the Xiao Long Bao was the stand-out dish.

In terms of value for money, Hu Tong is excellent. They have BYO without any corkage and a very affordable menu with a nice ambience in terms of décor (especially level 3 of the restaurant). However, it does get extremely noisy.

All in all, it is great for a casual get together. Remember to book well in advance because it is very difficult to get a table (even for two) without a booking.

Restaurant Review: MoVida Bar de Tapas VS MoVida Aqui and Terraza

MoVida Bar de Tapas
Location: 1 Hosier Ln, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 3038
Link: movida.com.au
Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas
Overall Impression: 8/10

MoVida Aqui
Location: Level 1, 500 Bourke St, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 3038
Link: movida.com.au/aqui.html
Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas
Overall Impression: 8/10

When I think of Spanish cuisine, I always think of tapas – little bowls of appetisers or snacks that come in many varieties, both hot and cold.

I enjoy the concept of having tapas for dinner. You get to taste a whole bunch of little dishes so your taste buds will be spoilt with the variation in flavours and there is something just so casual and fun about it. Being familiar with the 2 hat Movida bar de Tapas, we decided to have dinner at their 1 hat sister restaurant, Movida Aqui.  The main difference between the two is that Movida Aqui has a much more relaxed and casual setting. Having said that, the quality of the food served at both venues is remarkably of a similar standard. So, don’t expect a duller version of the menu from Movida bar de Tapas at Movida Aqui! In fact, the menus are very much alike, to say the least. But then again, so is the price tag.

Surprisingly, the broccoli dish we ordered out of a sense of guilt (trying to meet our 5 serves of vegies a day target) was the biggest crowd pleaser. If only broccoli tasted as amazing in “real” life.

The following are the lovely dishes we were privileged to indulge in:

Menestra De Broccoli $11.50

Organic broccoli braised with Iberico jamon, tomato and garlic

Fabada $23.50

Butifarra $19.50

House-made Catalan pork and pepper sausage with chickpeas and house made morcilla

Sardine special $16.50

Sardines on white bean puree with tomato and olive oil

Bomba $4.50 each

Catalan Potato bomb filled with chorizo

Bocadillo de calamares $7.00 each

Calamari sandwich with Basque guindilla and mayonnaise

Romesco con Conejo $23.50

Postre Para Compartir $30.00

Share plate of flan, churros, sopa inglesa, chocolate marque and olive oil sorbet

I highly recommend this dessert platter. It is a great way to eat through their dessert selections!

Each dish was beautifully flavoured, down-to-earth and uncomplicated, reflecting the heart of Spanish cuisine.

Move aside, Movida bar de Tapas, Movida Aqui is “aqui” (English: Here)!



Restaurant Review: Noir

Location: 175 Swan Street, Richmond
Phone: 03 9428 3585
Link: noirrestaurant.com.au
Cuisine: Modern Australian, French
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Relatively new to the Melbourne dining scene, Noir is sleek with a dash of old school chic. The dining room is as its name suggests - black. The room is romantically lit and the waitstaff are appropriately adorned in black to match the theme. The service is impeccable. The lady that waited on our table was both professional and attentive without being intrusive in the slightest. Our table of seven decided to opt for the “surprise tasting menu” for $80 per person.

freshly baked bread served with delicious garlic infused olive oil

premium pacific oysters served natural with champagne granita

eye fillet of tartare, waldorf salad and crisp bread

stingray and baby tomato salad with pink grapefruit, basil and garlic croutons

ocean trout cured in Hendricks gin with dill, cucumber, lime and rose

As Noir’s reputation preceded it, we had unashamedly high expectations. By the end of our first 3 courses, those high expectations were left unmet. However, after this juncture, we quickly understood why Noir had built the cult following it had.

crisp pork belly with apricot and sticky wine sauce, peas and prawns

The pork belly had a beautiful crusty crackling and the flesh was tasty and tender. The sticky wine sauce (though incredibly sticky) bound the dish together. The sweetness of the apricot added a beautiful hint of acidity and freshness to the dish. The prawns and peas were perfectly cooked. It was a very sophisticated and well balanced dish.

caramelised atlantic scallops with oxtail tortellini and cauliflower puree

The scallops were perfectly seared and well cooked. They were mouth-watering and fresh. The tortellini was al dente and the beautifully cooked oxtail within it melted in my mouth. The cauliflower puree was well balanced (often overly sweet, Noir’s rendition was perfect).

Roast rack and braised shoulder of lamb with fondant potatoes, caramalised onion, garlic and parsley

The roast rack was pink and tender. The flavours were surprisingly subtle but when eaten together with the caramalised onion and fondant potatoes, was delectable. The braised shoulder of lamb was incredibly tender. It tasted not dissimilar to the tortellini filling from the previous course but was enjoyable nonetheless.

side salad

cheese

Crème caramel

Chocolate fondant

The chocolate fondant was a heavenly end to the dinner. Incredibly indulgent dark chocolate oozed out of the centre.

Hot Chocolate

Albeit a slow start, our overall experience at Noir was certainly a pleasant one.