Chang Go, Melbourne CBD

Yeeee-haaaaaaw!! The Famous 8 Flavoured Pork Belly BBQ Set!!

1. Wine

2. Original

3. Ginseng

4. Garlic

5. Herb

6. Curry

7. Miso Paste

8. Hot

Hidden dead smack centre of the CBD in an alley that nobody cared to look... When it actually is just right behind Melbourne Central -- go figure!

A deserted street at night, perfect location for one of Melbourne's best kept secret, no?

LOVE it when places serve this spring onion salad, such a perfect accompaniment to a Korean BBQ meal

Want... MOARRR!

Sexy, fatty, caramelised pork belly action...

AMAZING Kimchi Jjigae as part of the BBQ Set Meal

Sweet and Sour Chicken -- $25.50

Korokke (Japanese Croquettes) -- $10

8 Flavoured Pork Belly!!!!!!!!! E. Nuff. Said.

Chang Go, a place that I recently went to for dinner with I-Hua, Zeboy, Agnes and Thanh after we went on a day trip to Ballarat =)

One of the many things I love about my cousins is that they're actually the ones who's introduced me to so many great places to eat around Melbourne, including this place. I must be honest, I was being slightly selfish for not wanting to speak about this place at all for the longest time, even though I've been secretly coming here for about 1.5 years. It's just.. It's just... It's just that I love this place SO much and it's already so hard to get a table here as it is, despite not being particularly "famous" on Urbanspoon. That said, I know I've been being a bit silly about the whole thing so I've decided to blog it today =)

This place, as you might've imagined by now, is dead famous for its 8 Flavoured Pork Belly. To me, it really is Pork Belly Heaven for all you Pork lovers out there. Makes for such a unique Korean BBQ experience too. Piece after piece of thick, juicy and beautifully charred pork belly sensation. Very different to the usual paper thin pork belly you get in most places (yawn). I do admit that I do lose track of which flavour of pork I'm eating halfway through the meal, but I honestly don't care. It's all good nonetheless although if I did have to pick, I'd probably lean more towards the Ginseng and Miso Paste Flavour. Gewd stuff. 

The Pork Belly Set is $58.80, comes with 8 Flavoured Pork belly, soy bean stew, vegetables and rice. Can comfortably feed 5 - 6 ppl each time. 

The other dishes were really good too IMO. First of all, the kimchi here is top notch. Definitely balanced in all the right ways. Just as good (if not better?) than the one at Don Woori and Woo Ga. Also, the Koroke is an AWESOME dish to order. Utterly delish. A perfect side to order, very generous for only $10 too! Finally, what I like to do is switch the soy bean stew that comes with the set to Kimchi Stew instead. The one here was really, really good. It was generous with fresh seafood (like crab, prawns etc) that it added a natural sweetness to the soup. 

Although the service when we went that night was rather slow, but it was the first time I've experienced that out of my 5 meal experiences here. Plus, we noticed it was only our table that was slow as every other table around us had finished well on time. All good though, because we had a good laugh with the waiters about it. No biggie.

Anyway, this place is def up there for my favourite Korean BBQ in Melbourne. What I highly recommend you doing is:

- Organise a group of 5 to 6

- Come early

- Order the Pork Belly Set

- Switch the soy bean stew to kimchi stew

- Order an extra serve of Koroke

BEST part about this place is not just the delicious food and unique experience, but also how VALUE FOR MONEY it is. Our meal that night was only $17 per person when a typical Korean BBQ meal would almost always cost $25 - $35 per person. Preeeeetty good... 

Do hope you give this place a go. Peace!

To check out Agnes' blog post on Chang Go, click: here

Wince's Fave's: Big Mama, CBD

Kicking off with another "episode" of Wince's Faves... =)

Banchan aka Korean Appetisers

You'll notice that their banchans are more fried/savoury/tasty as opposed to the usual pickled selections

Korean Jap Chae 

aka potato noodles

Seafood and Spring Onion Pancake

LA Gal Bi

aka grilled beef ribs

The aftermath of one of my many, many catchup sessions at Big Mama

Korean Fried Chilli Chicken

Soon Du Bu Jigae

aka Soft Tofu and Seafood Stew

Korokke

aka Potato Croquettes

Agedashi Tofu

aka Fried Tofu...... BEST OF BEST!!!

Kimchi Fried Rice with Creamy Garlic Seafood

Deeeeeelicious...

It's no secret that I love Korean food. I think it's one of the best food to have when you're eating in the CBD. I really do. Even though there's a large selection of Korean restaurants, there's a number of reasons why Big Mama remains as my favourite for over 5 years.  

I know a lot of people who are really apprehensive or unfamiliar with Korean food, which is why I'm always keen to bring people to Big Mama. Why? It's all because of the TASTE of the dishes here that are simply outstanding and UNDENIABLE. Thus, making it perfect for an introductory/gateway meal to this wonderful cuisine. And I've tested this hypothesis on the most stubborn non-believers of Korean cuisines numerous times in the past who have all come around after a meal here. 

Great thing about suggesting this place is that I always get either one of the following reactions:

a) "What? Is it nice? I've walked past this place a thousand times but never thought of going in."

b) "Ohhh Big Mama!! I haven't been here for ages!"

But believe you, me, the food here is so delicious and you will NOT regret ordering the Kimchi Fried Rice with Creamy Garlic Seafood, Korean Fried Chilli Chicken, Seafood and Spring Onion Pancake and best of all... The Agedashi Tofu!! Everything here is pretty good but you have to order these top picks.

And yes, that Agedashi Tofu trumps all others and also makes it to my list of Top 10 Dishes of 2012...... Ta!

Red Spice Road, CBD

Red Spice Road's interior cannot be beat...

Ahhh... Red Spice Road... Why are you so good to me?

Your food, your setting... Oh, how it gets me so...

I came here with some friends a while back after wanting to eat here for the longest time. The whole vibe of the place was just amazing from the moment we stepped in.

I absolutely love the design of this part of the restaurant. 

How the massive, red lantern was majestically situated in the centre of the room with ultra high ceilings, surrounded by the semi-circle tables, and acted as the backdrop to everyone's evening... Simply beautiful...

What I also love about the whole restaurant's layout is how generous they are with space and that it's split to several very distinct sections, almost with an entirely different theme and decor of their own. It's great.

These were the biggest communal table I've ever seen at a restaurant, which was actually quite nice to sit at...

No matter which part of the restaurant you find yourself sitting in, you're sure to be surrounded by people happily chatting away and having a good time.

Now, I completely apologise for not getting the full name and price of every dish. I, err... Thought I could just refer to the menu on their website anytime, but had no idea the menu had changed since. Sorry! 

School prawns

DELISH! Light, crisp and could taste the natural sweetness of the prawns. Very addictive!

Quails

Nicely fried and pink with great flavours. I really enjoyed that they served it on a BED of coriander and not just use it as a garnish, very refreshing... The dressing also cut out a lot of the sharpness of the fresh herb so it was actually really enjoyable to eat with the fried quails.

Twice Cooked Lamb Ribs with Chilli jam -- $17.00

ZOOOOMG these were the best!! Braised till soft then flash fried, moist yet super crunchy on the outside... Awesome! Best part was the chilli jam, which tasted more like sambal than sweet, sticky, spicy jam. Never knew sambal could go so well with lamb ribs. 

Damn good with a big bowl of white rice. Totally went nuts over these...

Pork Belly with Apple Slaw, Chilli Caramel and Black Vinegar -- $35.00

YUM! Again, crispy on the outside while being moist and tender on the inside. Just like the lamb ribs. What I loved most was the sauce. Almost nectary sweet but carried the pork as well as the bountifully fresh vegetables very well. Kept spooning it onto my rice, so gewd... Another favourite for sure.

Soft Shell Crab Stir-Fried with Snake Beans, Wild Ginger, Basil and Black Pepper Sauce -- $34.00

Was definitely taken aback by this at the start... Soft-shelled crabs... STIR FRIED...?? Don't think I've ever had soft shelled crabs that wasn't deep fried.

But since the waitress recommended it, we decided to give it a go. In fact, I was totally wrong. Def a very tasty dish and loved how generous they were with the soft shell crabs.

Veal Shank Curry

Lots of fresh, flavour profiles (from the pineapples, tomatoes, etc) in this monochromatic curry. Veal was delicious and falling off the bone.

Lychee Filled Jam Doughnuts with Cinnamon Ice-Cream -- $14.00

Doughnut was quite dense, felt like it needed more sauce to help it go down. Still, interesting concept.

Lemongrass Panna Cotta with Mango Marshmallow -- $14.00

Ermm.... This was way too weird for me. Couldn't get past the strong lemongrass flavour in the dessert and it almost tasted like curry leaves! Pass...

Passionfruit Brulee with Puffed Wild Rice and Coconut Ice-Cream -- $14.00

Really liked the ultra thin crust at the top. Custard was delicious but only wish that it had set a bit more because it was a tad runny. In their defence, passionfruit was an AMAZING flavour to use for a creme brulee and now I want to make this at home too. That aside, BEST COCONUT ICE CREAM EVERRR!

Will just stick to this dessert from now on...

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this place is AWESOMEEE... First, the whole ambience of the place was fantastic. Lots of buzz but thankfully the high ceilings and wide open space drowned out the noise. Decor was simple, yet classy.  Again, that room with the massive red lantern in the middle... Stunning...

BEST part about this was that even though I expected to pay $35 per person for a meal at a place like this (which we did), I was surprised by how big the portions were (especially the mains). Hugeeee... Even if the portions were cut in half (which I sure as hell hope they won't), they would still be considered a fair quantity in many other similar Modern Asian restaurants. 

And, yes... The food was deliciously executed and we all enjoyed the entrees and mains very much. 

Another thing that we found to be a vital factor for the enjoyment of our meal was the unlimited supply of rice. I know, I know... Sound so Asian. No, really. The mains were really tasty and pairing it with white, fluffy Jasmine rice made it so much better. 

Would SO gladly come back here over and over again. IMHO, my experience here was WAY better than the one I had in Chin Chin or Longrain. Easy to book, nice environment, prompt food/service, delicious food and value for money. Again, that's just me. I came back here a coupla weeks later with my mate Adrian for a simple catchup one night after work and it was just as awesome.

Red Spice Road... You have definitely won me over (twice in a row). Now, I look forward to coming in to your new branch at QV for more lamb ribs awesomeness in January!

Wince's Faves: Kaprica, Carlton

Is that not one of the most beautiful sights you've ever seen at an Italian restaurant?

It was during our exams, my friends and I were studying at uni but decided to head over to what has now become my FAVOURITE pizza place in Melbourne for lunch, just a skip and a hop away from Melbourne Uni.

We chose to sat down in front of the pizza making station, so we could catch all the action.

And before I knew it, I was confronted by a question that never fails to turn me sheepish to me very core...

"Are you a Food Blogger?"

... asks the man behind the pizza counter.

"Uhhh, yeah I kinda am... But a friendly one...?!"

A lot of people may not know this, but for some reason, I still find it very hard to settle into this "identity" of being a "Food Blogger" even after all this time. First, I found people to have lots of preconceived notions about food bloggers.

Another main reason I feel uneasy for having a "title" like that is it makes it sound so official, formal and professional. Almost like a job. Whereas, I see myself more as someone who simply enjoys food and loves to share my experience with others. Sure there are other stuff like site traffic, page rank, invites, freebies, sponsorship, etc etc... But those things really don't concern me much at this point... Maybe I'm just lazy. Meh

Plus, I just DON'T want people to feel different around me because I am a "Food Blogger", whether it's the chef/waiters at the restaurant, or even friends in real life. I'm just........ Winston, your everyday guy.

We continued talking with the owner throughout our meal, who was actually the man making the pizzas at the counter. All day, everyday. Nicest and most humble person I've ever met at a restaurant. Being only 6 weeks old at the time, Pietro shared about the inspirations he drew from the street foods of Italy; and how he wants this place to be the simple and homey space for people to enjoy really good pizza. 

Pietro was later even more interested in our background when we told him we were from Malaysia because he says he's always wanted to take his wife and 2 young kids to Pulau Langkawi for a holiday. And maybe, just maybe, he might be so lucky as to open his own little Italian restaurant in Malaysia one day. I told him that when he does, he's got nothing but my FULL support. And told him to let me know if there's any way I could help.

A true gentleman, he is... And one can't deny his real passion for sharing true, authentic and delicious Italian pizzas with the everyday person. Love it.

This is what it looks like from the outside...

Pretty easy to walk past, am I right....?! Who would've thunk it...?!

Being non-existent on the interwebz prior to this (since it's so so new), I only found out about this from word of mouth from my friends that walked past this one day!

Walking in you are greeted by the sight of people, happily enjoying their lunch in a room with high ceilings, abundance of natural light and rustic interior. 

Nice buzz and chatter filled the room but wasn't loud due to the good acoustics and high ceilings

They even had books for kids to draw too...

Liked that.

 Salami Calypso -- $13

Tomato, mozz, pesto, hot salami

(taken with iPhone)

This was from my first visit to Kaprica and I loved it so much I thought I'd share it too. The hot salami, set against the gooey cheese and tomato with little hints of pesto was utterly DELICIOUS. Great combo, I would order this again.

Puttanesca - $13

Tomato, mozz, olives, anchovies, capers, chilli, cherry tomatoes

The anchovies were my favourite part about this. It was fresh and not salty and just moorish to eat. But, I also liked how my other friends liked this pizza for the other ingredients more, such as the chilli, cherry tomatoes, etc. 

Prosciutto - $13

Tomato, prosciutto, rocket, parmesan

Oh man these were great too. The prosciutto had a slightly chewier bite after being baked. Contrasted against the sharpness of the rocket and parmesan, was so delicious. What's not to like?

Salmone - $13

Tomato, mascaporne, onion, smoked salmon, fish roe

All the pizzas were really good... But this Salmone pizza has got to be my fave!!!

I mean, wouldja just look at that?

What I LOVE about this is how every single ingredient found its place, if that makes any sense. The salmon and fish roe were a natural fit. The mascaporne with its soft creaminess were a better substitue for cheese to go with the salmon. And the slices of red onions and parsley, again, just complemented the salmon so damn well.

I don't know if this may work for other people, but I seriously loved every bite!! This combo is an absolute WINNER to me.

Lemon Tart - $5

The curd was great. It was so light that it disappears in your mouth almost in an instant, leaving only its fresh, tangy flavour. Different from most jam or custard like curds...

Chocolate Tart - $5

Most people know that I'm not really a fan of chocolate (*GASP*!!) but I really enjoyed this. It was dark chocolate but not bitter and leaves you wanting more. Less rich from being well balanced with the right amount of cream. Good.


Final Thoughts:

What I like most about the pizzas here is that the tomato base is fantastic and the pizzas are really crisp. Not just crisp around the crust, but also the BASE (which is very rare for most woodfire pizzas these days, IMO!). I mean, you can tell from the photos of me holding up the pizza that the base had a crunch and held the ingredients really well. This was a huge plus for me. Only exception was prolly the Puttanesca, slightly soggier compared to the other 3 but I'm guessing it was from the weight of the ingredients. And of course, the ingredients and flavours of the pizza toppings. Like+++. Favourite is prolly the Salmone and Hot Salami.

Pizzas at Kaprica have easily become my FAVOURITE in Melbourne now for a number of reasons:
- crisp pizza base
- great flavour combos
- PRICE (only $13 compared to DOC's $25+ pizzas)
- location (right next to Swanston St and near Melb Uni)
- ambience
- downright good, honest pizzas

I hate to say this, but this place really made me rethink why I've paid so much more for pizzas that were not as good at places like DOC or the other pizzerias around Melbourne. I just love how affordable this place is, especially for students, without compromising on flavour. 

For future reference, Kaprica is open everyday, 8am-10pm; except for Mondays when it's 8am-4pm. 

Been here twice already and definitely look forward to coming back to bring new people to try. And also for the Strawberry and Ricotta Tart that Pietro keeps talking about. GOTS TA TRY DAAAAAT!