Mabrown (CBD), New Shanghai & Providence Cafe

Disclaimer: Winston dined as a guest of Mabrown, New Shanghai and Providence Cafe. All opinions are honest and based on my own experience at the time.

1) Mabrown (CBD)

Mabrown Signature Quails

Shan Dong Chicken Salad

Drunken Chicken

Owner's Granddad's Pork and Yam Dish

XO Prawns on Egg Noodles

Turmeric Fish

Peking Beef

Durian Ice Cream

A while ago, I got an email from the owner of Mabrown that really cracked me up. It was quite lovely and really caught my attention as it was a nice refreshing change from the usual, generic and less personal emails I tend to get (not that I have anything against those, they are what they are). He started off his email by saying, "Hello there Mr. Young Man Wince....." (LOL!!) before going on to say that he's read my review of his Balwyn store etc etc and would like to invite me and some friends over to try out the food at their CBD store in the most friendly and lovely tone. To end, he signed off his email by calling himself "Si Fu Peter" (which means "Master Peter"). Cute. We had a few email exchanges back and forth and of course I was more than happy to come in.

The location was just off Bourke Street, which was actually very easy to get to. We sat down and was met with Peter's son, Melvin, who was in his mid 20s and pretty much my age too. It was very nice speaking with him as he was telling me all about how he's grown up around the kitchen his whole life as both his Dad and Granddad were chefs too. It was because of this strong love of food that he's decided to leave Engineering and finally become a chef himself. Amazing. I'm sure Si Fu Peter (or any parent for that matter) would be chuffed to have their kids follow in their footsteps. I respected this very much. Not a lot of people would take on their family business like that, especially in the food industry because it's a lot of hard work. Good on you, Melvin.

Anyway, I sat down with my friends and we were ready to eat. I've been to the Balwyn store before numerous times in the past (which you can read about: here) and was excited to have my two favourite dishes: the signature Mabrown quail and also the XO prawns on egg noodles, which did not disappoint. Feels just like being back at the Balwyn store -- lip smackingly delicious. The chicken salad we had was sweet yet tangy and crunchy chicken on anything is always a good idea. The drunken chicken was actually my favourite dish of the night. The chicken was smooth and silky and the broth was absolutely divine. I really liked adding the broth to my rice topped with a small amount of chillies from the quails. Highly recommend this combination! 

The pork and taro dish was very interesting and wasn't actually on the menu but it was a family recipe from his granddad that Melvin really wanted to share with us. The sauce was so addictive I could have it for days. As for the beef, I did find it to be slightly overcooked. The fish had a great crunchy batter but sauce was a little too sour for my liking. I went back the other night and had the fish but with black bean sauce and it was great. I do like the fact that you've got quite a selection of sauces for your fish to choose from. To top it off, we got to have the Durian ice cream too -- so Malaysian!

Overall, we definitely enjoyed our meal here at Mabrown and I am personally very happy to hear that they've now got a branch in the city because it's more convenient for me to get to. The menu here was quite different to their Balwyn store, which gives you something to enjoy at both stores. This place really is a good option if you're looking for a place for some good Malaysian food in the city at night (I know I definitely have those days myself and this place definitely hits the spot). Plus, it's not too crowded, which makes it easy to get a table and at a convenient location too! In fact, I just came here again over the weekend with a group of 10 and we all enjoyed our food here very much. Just can't go wrong with those quails...

Anyway, thanks again for hosting us the other evening, Melvin. So nice to see an enthusiastic young chef like yourself cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Keep up the good work, mate!

2) New Shanghai, Emporium

Absolutely love the fit out

New Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (8pcs) - $7.80

Steamed Vegetarian Dumpling (8pcs) - $9.00

Pork Belly Braised Overnight in Sweet Soy Sauce - $17.50

Fried Garlic American Pork Ribs - $20.80

Shallot Pancake - $6.50

Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab - $29.80

New Shanghai Pan Fried Pork Bun - $10.50

Sahhhh juicy...

Steamed Pork Belly Buns (2 pcs) - $6.00

There's a lot of this happening when you're food blogging:

Table filled with food but no one's eating them until it gets cold, hah 

New Shanghai is a place that's been on everyone's radar since it's opened. To me, there are 2 main reasons for this: 1) It's at the new Emporium building. 2) Rumour has it that it sells good dumplings, specifically, Xiao Long Baos (XLB). Have heard a lot of good things about this place so did not mind it at all when I was asked if I wanted to come and enjoy a menu tasting that they were hosting. 

Firstly, I thought that it was quite cool that even though New Shanghai is a full-fledged restaurant on its own yet located at the food court of Emporium. As soon as I walked in, I was quite taken aback and impressed by the decor they had going on. A harmonious balance between new and old; simple and sophisticated. I like it very much. Goes to show that a good dumpling restaurant doesn't have to be at a dingy alleyway next to a dumpster at Chinatown. Sure, people say that is part of the charm but to me, it gets old pretty damn quick. I would choose a much cleaner and comfortable setting like this over the former any day. 

We were escorted to a private dining room at the back of the restaurant where the tasting was held. And boy, were there a lot of bloggers in one room. We were all given free reign to order whatever we wanted from the menu so we decided to order a variety of dumplings and also some main dishes to share.

Now, let's get straight to business: the Xiao Long Bao's. They were delish. Definitely one of the best ones in Melbourne (there are a couple of other places that do good ones too). To me, a place that does good XLB is what sets itself apart from all the bazillion dumpling restaurants around. Most places do decent steamed pork dumplings because it hits the spot and is quite standard. But, with XLBs, it takes a little bit more care and finesse. Skin must be delicate but still has a slight bite. And more importantly, filling must be soft, flavourful and incredibly soupy. Not juicy, SOUPY. And soupy, it was. In fact, last time my friends and I were here, she literally squirted soup all over herself when she bit into the XLB too quickly. So, yes. Bravo to New Shanghai for ticking all the boxes for what makes a good XLB.

The other dumplings were very consistent that night. In fact, they've been quite consistently good every other time that I've been here since too. Conclusion: dumplings at New Shanghao = good. Unfortunately, it can't really be said about the main dishes here. The soy sauce braised pork is a dish that I've had at so many other restaurants and also make it a lot at home that it is quite rare for me to find an exceptional one, including the one here. Too fatty. Nothing special. Still prefer the one I make at home. Besides that, ribs were quite tough and the soft shell crab had barely any crab and batter was chewy. I know a lot of people were raving about the steamed pork belly bun here too but, again, this to me was quite common and nothing too extraordinary to me. It was just okay. Normal.

Despite the above, I must say that I really like coming to New Shanghai and it has slowly become a regular favourite amongst my friends and I. Although, I recommend just sticking to the entrees, noodles and dumplings because they do them really well here. The mains, you can skip because to be honest, they're not as good and frankly, quite boring. Oh oh and I also highly recommend the Shepherd's Purse dumplings (not pictured) as it's my second favourite after the XLBs. The skin is slightly different. Extremely silky yet has a slight bite and resistance to it -- it's amazing. Sauce is a mix of peanut and chillies which is such a good combination too. Make sure you order it!

3) Providence Cafe, Carlton

I love this glazed curtain wall feature in the cafe... Stunning

Soy Magic Coffee

Smoked Trout, Bubble & Squeak Potatoes, Hot Smoked Trout & Herbs with Poached Eggs

Egg & Gamze Bacon Pie

Breakfast Salad

Pumpkin & Burrum Biodynamics Lentil Fritters with Cate's Chilli Tomato Pickle, Coconut Yoghurt & Lovely Leaves

Berry Clafoutis with Gundowring Rhubarb Ice Cream

I was quite keen to come for the tasting at Providence Cafe as I knew it was a new venture by the same people behind the super successful Grain Store in the CBD. Located towards towards the northern end of Rathdowne Street, Providence Cafe is actually set in the building of a pretty modern apartment. The concept of this cafe is actually quite unique with a focus on "farm to table" dining. To me, this is quite different (and frankly a little difficult) for a cafe in the CBD which tends to go for a more edgier approach. 

Even though almost every new cafe in Melbourne these days choose to use a lot of edible flowers and microherbs to enhance the "Instagrammibility" of their food, I appreciated the fact that Providence went against all of that and stuck to a more rustic approach. You see it everywhere from Kettle Black, Top Paddock, Hammer & Tong, etc etc etc. Again, quite unusual for a new cafe to against all of that, especially in the inner city. Oh, the owner also explained how every single plate was handcrafted, which again, contributed more towards the overall rustic feel of the cafe (but in an understated way).

As for the food, I really liked the smoked trout with potatoes and eggs as well as the egg and bacon pie the most. Besides being utterly delicious, these two dishes almost exemplifies what the entire cafe is about. Food that is not necessarily fancy but downright rustic, delicious and highlights the amazing locally sourced ingredients from passionate farmers around Victoria. It was incredible. Every mouthful of these two dishes really made me feel like I was at a country farm restaurant. Loved it.

Although, must say I wasn't too big of a fan of the breakfast salad and lentil fritters. It's not that it wasn't cooked well, it's just that I don't normally like to have salads or anything with too much spice for brunch dishes. It's just a preference thing. That said, coffee here really is fantastic. From the way the barista spoke so passionately and enthusiastically about the flavours and craft of making good coffee, I knew my coffee beverage was in good hands. 

Overall, I quite like Providence Cafe for the location, salmon with potatoes and eggs dish, egg and bacon pie and also the coffee. Plus, it is quite different to many other cafes around as this is the only cafe that I've been to that really made me feel like I was at some farm restaurant in the country. They've really executed the "farm to table" concept well because of all the connections they have with local farmers AND the fact that they're located next to a farmers market on weekends definitely helped too! It was nice of the owners to give us all a voucher to use at the farmers market next door after our brunch so that we could show support to the local farmers. I bought myself a beautiful slab of pork belly from McIvor Farms and some amazing vegetables, which made for a great roast pork with crackling dinner the following night.

Clearing Out My Backlog 9

Pho Hung Vuong 2, Richmond

You know how sometimes you just need a food fix of some sort? Like, if your body goes without having a certain food for, say, a few weeks, it'll automatically tell you that it's been that long without you even checking. Anyway, I need my pho fix. Has to happen in 5 week periods.

Even though there are so many pho joints in Footscray or Richmond, Pho Hung Vuong tends to be the more popular option for some reason with an instantly recognisable shopfront. Not necessarily the best pho IMO but generally quite standard and almost reliable. That said, our experience that day was not to its usual quality. Both my pho broth and also the grilled pork vermicilli was on the sweet side. Too sweet for our liking. But, I did think that the ingredients in my pho was exceptionally fresh. Very naturally fragrant and did not have any smell in the meat, cooked till just tender. If only the sweetness didn't turn me off that much... 

Pho Nom, CBD

There are so many places that quickly become quite famous around town, thanks to the likes of social media, which is how I first heard about Pho Nom. Seems like it's "the" place to head to for pho in the CBD now.

In short, I think people will enjoy this place if they don't compare it to the pho restaurants (in, say, Footscray, Richmond, St Albans, etc) because it's not the same! It's not meant to be the same so don't expect it to be the same. Here's why: the concept is slightly more modern. Even though you get your classic choices of pho and rice paper rolls, Pho Nom also offers you a slightly more unique alternative like Wagyu Beef Pho (which was what I ordered) or same menu options but with a slightly more refined touch. 

As for my Wagyu Beef Pho, I liked how they intentionally place it in a separate bowl so you can dip each slice of beef into your hot bowl of soup so you can cook it individually to your liking. Avoids the delicate meat from being overcooked if it were to be placed all in a bowl. Also, I really liked the flavour of the broth. It was fragrant and had a strong beef body. 

Sure, Pho Nom wouldn't be as big of portions or cheap as the ones you get in those suburbs mentioned above but you need to remember that this is in the Emporium building and catered for the CBD market as it offers a more refined experience. That said, I think I generally have a slight preference over the food and experience of Footscray/Richmond for pho but if I can't venture out to those suburbs, Pho Nom is a great alternative in the CBD.

Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe, CBD

Purple Peanuts was also another place that I've heard so many people rave about on social media. I must be honest that I didn't enjoy my first experience with them 3 years ago when I ordered the Chicken Curry Don. Mainly because I couldn't help but find it to be not as juicy, delicious, cheap, or big of a portion as Don Don's Chicken Curry Don. Just no comparison there. Don Don trumps the Chicken Curry Don market. It is for this reason why I haven't been back again until recently.

I realise now that Purple Peanuts' signature dishes are the salmon sashimi rice or the fried onigiris, both of which I got to try on this occasion and must say it was DELICIOUS. Now, I see what all the fuss is about. The salmon dish was great because it had a subtle but flavourful marinade and had a fresh, crunchy bite. The rice was seasoned well to balance. It was a great dish to eat. Besides that, the fried onigiri was great too because it was super crunchy and tasted even better when dipped in the sesame sauce. 

Lesson learnt: Leave the Chicken Curry for Don Don and stick with the salmon rice dishes and fried tuna onigiri.

Red Pepper, CBD

My friend Carmen visited from Perth a couple of months ago for a short trip (only 2 nights) and was really looking forward to squeeze in as many great restaurants as she could. I asked her what cuisine she wanted to eat and she said "Indian". Now, it's not that I'm not a fan of the cuisine, because trust me, I am. But, I was just a little taken aback because I've never had an overseas visitor specifically request for me to take them for Indian food. The usual requests normally include brunch places, Japanese restaurants or funky joints in the Fitzroy area. This was a new request for me.

I decided to take her and some friends to Red Pepper in the CBD because we happened to be in the area. I remember this place from 4 or 5 years ago so it was good to revisit a place that I haven't been to in a while. Overall, I thought the food was SMASHING. The butter chicken was definitely the best one I've ever had because you could not only taste the tandoori marinade but my goodness, you could taste the brilliant charred flavour in it too which lifted the dish to another level. The sauces for all the curries were spot on.

Although, the highlight of the day was definitely the samosa chaat. In fact, it was one of the most exciting things I had eaten in a long time and actually made me thank my friend for suggesting Indian because of it. It had the making of a standard samosa (fried Indian pastry), i.e. the crunch and filling. But, it was different because it was doused with a sweet but spicy chickpea sauce and balanced with fresh herbs and generous dollop of yoghurt. For me, it had INCREDIBLE flavours (spicy, sweet, refreshing) but lots of interesting textures from the soft chickpea to the crunchy samosa pastry too. The samosa chaat was too good and I highly recommend it to people too. Am definitely adding it to my faves.

Rita's Cafeteria, Collingwood

I first came to Rita's for my friend Sarah's birthday a while ago. I've been to Rita's cafeteria a couple of times now and must say that I leave feeling very happy and satisfied each time. It's a quaint little Italian restaurant with a warm and casual setting but bustling with people enjoying a nice meal. The food is great in quality and execution but what I enjoy most about Rita's is that it's very authentic but you get to see lots of interesting dishes that you may not see at your standard or traditional Italian restaurants. Keeps things interesting.

For instance, I go weak in the knees for the crab and prawn risotto. It's got such an immensely strong but not overpowering body that honestly makes your heart sing. Despite that, you can still taste the sweetness of the crab and prawn flesh shine through. The dollop of creme fraiche just helps bind it all together too. Overall, I really enjoy the pizzas here but my favourite has got to be the blue cheese, kale and grape one. Like I said, not traditional but my gosh made to perfection. Everything just worked and I really enjoyed that very much. Most of the dishes here are generally good and there is definitely something for everyone in the menu here. Although, the only thing I would say is that the desserts weren't the best (doughy calzone and doughnuts) so just stick to entrees and mains. It's absolutely delicious and has become my number one place to recommend people for Italian food because it's something different.

Skewer'd, Port Melbourne

I really love that my office has now moved to Port Melbourne. It's not only shortened my travel time immensely but it's great because it's close to Bay St where we have such a great selection of cafes and restaurants. Because I am now closer to where some of my friends live and work, I'm so happy I get to catch up with them over lunch from time to time. One of the places that we enjoy is Skewer'd.

I think that this place is right up there with Jimmy Grants. Except that this place is cheaper (under $10 for the gyros!) and really generous with filling. The meat is delicious and overall delicious to sink your teeth into, especially with the fries. I like Jimmy Grants but do find the portion to be too small and lacking in filling (you need at least 2 to fill you up, which means you end up paying almost double here) but do think that the pita bread is better at Jimmy's. The meat at Jimmy's has slightly better char and juiciness but the one here is pretty darn tasty too.

Overall, Skewer'd is definitely one place to look out for. We haven't been disappointed each time we're here and I think you'll feel the same about it if you try too. Yum.

Super Bowl Pho, Richmond

Ahhh Super Bowl. Another pho place along the Victoria St strip in Richmond. In short, I think the pho is alright. Nothing fantastic, quite ordinary. Soup wasn't especially tasty; ingredients weren't especially fragrant but it's decent. It's okay. Although, the Bon Bo Hue (spicy verimicilli soup) pales in comparison to the one at Dong Ba in Footscray. It was just okay. What I did enjoy when I was here was the Hanoi Spring Rolls, which was basically rice paper rolls that had been deep fried. What's not to like? Yum.

The Atlantic, Crown Casino

"Let's catch up for lunch sometime at Crown. Just pick a place. Ask your sister along too, my shout."
"What? No need lah, why are you shouting?"
"That's okay, we haven't caught up in a while. I insist."

There are some friendships that you really appreciate, and this was one of them for me. I've known my mate Chris for the longest time and just one of the most genuine dudes I know. He's always being really nice to his friends just because he wants to and expects nothing back from people.

Anyway, we ended up going to The Atlantic for some seafood. It's the first time any of us has ever been and I must say that our meal that day was really good. The starters were light and clean on the palate. Although, the highlight for me was definitely my confit salmon. It was anything and everything that a confit salmon should taste like. Soft like butter and almost melts in your mouth, it was great.  Even though I can't fully remember what else was on the place but remember them being really tasty (sorry). The desserts were really good. I enjoyed the warm tart and the chilli chocolate dessert had a nice sugar and spice hit.

Overall, I actually really enjoyed my meal here. Even though most people said that it is quite a hit and miss but based on my experience at the time, I found the food to be good and so was the setting.

Trotters, Carlton

A lot of my friends and I have lots of good memories here at Trotter's over the years. It's a place where my dear friends got engaged and also where my friends and I have had numerous catchup sessions over their sticky date pudding. Even though it's not my favourite place to have dinner as the food is a bit ordinary (pizza was a bit too spicy, calamari was too hard but wagyu burger was juicy and delicious), but I think it's more important to cherish restaurants for the good memories rather than the food. After all, food is just food and the company is always more important. I'd rather build a list of places I have fond memories with friends/family than a list of restaurant recommendations. Anyway, excuse me for being a bit sentimental. Go try their sticky date pudding.

Truman Cafe, Albert Park

Ashley, Adrian and I (aka my #ttvn homies!!) caught up at Truman not too long ago for a lovely Sunday brunch. The weather was sunny and in the mid 20's (so perfect) so we decided to get a table outside. Ashley and I ordered the pea and quinoa fritters but I added a side of smoked salmon. I thought the dish was tasty, hearty and filling. The relish and chutney especially was perfect with the fritters. That said, we had total food envy over Adrian's sweet potato hash -- ugh!! It was crunchy and downright delicious. We ordered some green juices to go with our lunch too which was refreshing in the weather. Overall, Truman is a quaint little cafe near Albert Park which has a good standard of food and coffee. Do recommend it if you're looking for a place to brunch in the area without having to be stuck in the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of South Melbourne in the weekends.

Vincent The Dog, Carlton

I came here with a couple of friends for an afternoon wind down earlier this year (right after my birthday lunch at Koko, actually). We were looking for a place to grab a quick cuppa before catching a movie at Nova Cinemas nearby. First of all, I think my workplace has slowly turned me Italian in so many ways. For instance, my fondness and appreciation towards the cuisine has grown 10 folds and I now almost always have short blacks only. A number of Italians have told me that short blacks are normally served with a small glass of sparkling water in Italy. 

Out of all the cafes I've been to, only Twenty & Six Espresso (my favourite cafe in Melbourne!) and this place serves their short blacks with sparkling water! In fact, this place even goes one step further by having a board specially to serve their short black and sparkling water. I'm impressed! Any cafe that I see doing this immediately gets a big tick in my books. Anyway, coffee here was great. Hope to come back to try their food.

Yami Yami, CBD

I'm sure most people have heard me say this but I do think the Melbourne CBD has got a repertoire for good Korean restaurants. In fact, the number of good Korean restaurants in the city surpasses Japanese restaurants, there's just so many to choose from and the standard is generally good. I tried out Yami Yami not too long ago and thought the food was nice too. Ginseng chicken soup was flavourful and not too strong in ginseng (bitter flavour). The fried chicken was GREAT. Nice, crunchy batter and moist chicken meat. I liked that they separated the sauce too. Finally, the spicy potato noodles with pork is a winner too. You can't tell from the photo but the portions were actually insanely massive, it was a friggin' big plate. So big that we had to takeaway whatever we couldn't finish. The sauce had a good balance of sweet, salty and spicy and the pork was flavourful and tender. Lots of nice fresh vegetables to give it a crunch too. Would definitely come back here, especially for those fried chicky wings. Yum.