Modern Australian Dining in Melbourne CBD

1. Henry and The Fox:

Chicken liver parfait, celery, apple and chive salad, croutons -- $16

Fried calamari, five spice, coriander puree -- $14

Roasted moreton bay bug tails, cauliflower puree, spiced cauliflower -- $24.90

Char-grilled rump cap, spinach puree, onion rings, boderlaise sauce -- $31.50

Pan-fried rock flathead, smoked eel, quail egg, potato, parsley -- $29.90

Poached chicken breast, chicken & veal sausage, broccoli, celeriac, sorrel -- $29.90

Spaghetti, blue swimmer crab, cherry tomato, chilli basil -- $26.50

Came here one night when my dear, dear friend Sally was over in Melbourne for a short trip. The dishes I had that night were the roasted moreton bay bug entree and the blue swimmer crab pasta.

The bay bugs were crunchy, yet delicate and sweet. Great. However, the spiced cauliflower were quite strong and overpowering the fresh bugs. Still, not a bad dish to eat. The pasta were just okay, nothing exciting. The sauce was quite bland, tasteless and rather watery for my liking. Maybe that was intentional to let the crabs shine through in the dish? I don't know. What I enjoyed was that there was crab in every bite that I had, so I found myself happily tucking away even though I wasn't particularly a fan of the taste overall.

All in all, not the most exciting dishes we've tasted. Still, good place to catchup. We've really missed our friend Sally so it was really good to be able to hangout like old times =)

2. Hare & Grace:

I like the island/beach interior...

1/2 shelled scallops, garlic mayonnaise, herbed breadcrumbs -- $24

Roasted king mushroom, parmesan jam, coffee leaves -- $18

Yabbies, lemon, burnt cinnamon artichoke -- $18

Seared kingfish, roast cucumber, green almonds, almond curd, grapes -- $39

Grass fed premium black angus sirloin, 300grm, Clare Valley Gold, SA -- $39

French fries -- $9

Baby cos, anchovy curd, fried onions -- $10

Milk fed lamb rump, rhubarb, raspberries, sheep's curd, broken potato -- $38

Milawa roast duck, eggplant "faux gras", blood plum -- $38

Another meal that we came to earlier this year, when my other friend Carmen was visiting all the way from Perth just so we could go to the Big Day Out Festival together (which was EPIC).

Since she was here for only one weekend, it was my duty to pick a place to have dinner with her and 2 other friends of ours. And, as we all know, it is QUITE difficult to make a reservation for dinner on a Friday night at last minute. Choices being quite limited as it was Thursday night at the time, decided to try my luck at Hare & Grace. A place that I've been meaning to try but never got to until then.

First, I was really happy that they could take bookings for a Friday night in such short notice. Second, the interior was quite cool. Very island/resort-ey, felt very down to earth. Also, I noticed that it was actually really empty there that night. Although, I know that despite this, it is actually quite packed at lunch times due to the work crowd.

We gazed through the menu and there were a number of dishes that jumped out from the page. I must say that I was very, very happy with the Food that was served that night. The dishes here were WAY more interesting than the ones we had at Henry & The Fox. There were a much more creative play of flavours and ingredients, which we all found to be downright delicious. If we were paying for something more than we normally would for a meal, a little creativity wouldn't hurt. Plus, the portions were very generous IMO. For example, I've never seen that many scallops in an entree than that plate there and it was DELICIOUS.

My favourite has got to be the king mushroom entree (DIVINE) and I really enjoyed my roast duck main with the "faux gras" made of eggplant. Plus, the anchovy curd in the fried onion salad was AMAZING. I had a taste of all of my friends' dishes too and was thoroughly impressed. Even though it was slightly more expensive, I enjoyed my meal here WAY more than Henry & The Fox. 

Overall, we felt like even though the food was on the pricier end, it was still very value for money. It's not a meal I will bring myself to eat every day but I'm glad that if I had to pick a place for Modern Australian in the CBD, it would be Hare & Grace any day. No questions asked. Good food, good wine and great ambience to have a nice, quiet dinner with friends. Plus, it's easy to make bookings too. 

Eating Malaysian in Melbourne: Masak Masak & PappaRich

1) Masak Masak, Collingwood:

Mixed Satay with Condiments -- $14

Otak Otak -- $9

(fish mousse, kaffir lime leaves, wrapped in banana leaf)

Charcoal grilled beef ribs, sambal oelek -- $19

Lemongrass lamb belly, green papaya salad -- $19

Kon low mee, prawn wontons (dried egg noodle) -- $8

My meal here at Masak Masak took place a month back with Bryan and Leaf. 

I think my meal here was a mixture of both good and bad. The food, I must admit was very good. Flavours were true and bold, very much like what you would get back home. Delicious.

However, what I really had trouble coming to terms with that night was just the price and portion of the food I was getting. I thought that the friggin' Satay and Otak Otak was SOOOO expensive for such tiny portions, even in Melbourne. Also, I really didn't like how even with each main dish, it was honestly just a few bites of food and the whole dish was gone. Too small. I felt that even if we had ordered more mains, we would've ended up paying way more and still got nowhere near to being full. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely the type that's willing to spend on Food, only if I feel it's worth it. My biggest gripe is that I knew that I was paying for food that's more expensive than usual (for me and most people I know, at least) but still left feeling SO hungry!! This alone left a slightly sour taste in my mouth. I'm not a cheap skate, but it really is all about the Value for Money for me. And I do think that I'm quite objective as I do share my thoughts to the everyday person, from an everyday person's point of view. So, I do think that this is probably what most people on an everyday budget like me would feel.

Sad to say that despite the good food, it did come down to the overall feeling of the place. Paid above average price but still left feeling hungry? We ended up spending $18 here (but I was nowhere near to being full). Take this in comparison to my $17 meal at Chang Go where I had an amazing array of food and was full to the brim. No prizes for guessing which one I'll pick any day.

P.s. I must say that I preferred the Otak Otak I made (as seen on this Instagram photo I posted). The one here had flavour but if you make it from scratch like I did, you'll definitely have more. Also, the texture was quite funny as it was almost like fish cake and pounded too much probably. Not the soft, moist texture you'd expect in most Otak Otaks. Will share a recipe soon.

I did like the food, don't get me wrong. But I don't know if I'll be back. 

If you like, you can also check out my buddy Bryan's post on Masak Masak: here

2) PappaRich, Chadstone:

Nasi Lemak

Deep Fried Chicken Skin -- $5.90

The chicken skin was not crispy and in fact was quite chewy and had LOTS of hair that day. Erm.......

Ipoh Hor Fun -- $11.50

(Ipoh koay teow soup with chicken and prawns)

One of my favourite and most comforting Malaysian dishes to eat, by far. However, I didn't really enjoy the one here. First, my noodles were lukewarm and had a thick layer of fats that had cooled down to form a disgusting film as you can see. Erm... Also, I found the broth lacked flavour and the amount of ingredients incredibly little and almost pathetic.

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There you go, my first visit to PappaRich.

Although the weird thing about PappaRich is that despite the very average food, you can bet that there's a perpetual line of people waiting to get a table every day that they're open. And you will probably see me joining in the queue sometime in the future too.

Why? PappaRich thrives in Australia by offering a wide selection of food at an average price at the most strategic of locations. They tug on the heartstrings of people (or suckers) like me who misses the taste of home and get so excited by flipping through endless selections of their flashy and perfectly picture menu items that remind us of Malaysia. 

And I have a feeling that they know that they're not pumping out the best quality and authentic Malaysian food, but who cares? It really is reminiscent to the shopping mall food chains in KL that serves very average food, but still have incredible business nonetheless (being in Chadstone and all). Just the 64% Urbanspoon rating shows that most of Melbourne would agree.

Most people like me don't get disappointed because we go with a very medium-low expectation of the place anyway. To sum up: It's not the best, but it's good enough.

Also, do check out the ever lovely I-Hua's blog post of PappaRich too in the link: here

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

XO Fried Noodles

Work...

This whole experience so far has just been nothing short of a roller coaster. There are days when I feel like I can conquer anything that I lay my hands on. So liberating and empowering. Then, there are days like today... Especially today... When the obstacles are so insurmountable and the deadlines are so demanding that it seemed like no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I just couldn't get a win.... Not one. It's kinda sad, really. It's times like these when I really do have no choice but to surrender. But is that even a bad thing? At this point, I draw hope and strength by focusing on the grander scheme of things. Today wasn't my day at all but tomorrow is a New Day and I am even more determined to strive till the end.

Hence, the decision to write a blog post today... Blogging and talking about Food just lifts my spirits more than people know, to be honest.

Anyway, apologies for the melancholy of this post. Back to the recipe. This XO Fried Noodle dish uses one of my favourite ingredients to have in my kitchen: The Lin Lin XO Sauce. This is one of those items that you can be sure to find in my fridge 365 days a year. My family loves it so much that Mum even buys it home to Malaysia to use it to cook for the rest of the family back home.

I enjoy that the flavour is deep and rich whilst balancing the sweetness and saltiness perfectly well. Downright delicious to eat. Plus, it's always cheaper than any other XO sauces in the aisle too. 

I've been making this XO Fried Noodle dish in massive batches for a number of years, whether it's for a potluck I'm attending or during exams in university when I wouldn't leave the house for days. Besides using the Lin Lin sauce for this dish, I also use it similarly for fried rice, or Chinese eggplant dishes or even as a dipping sauce when I have hot pots or steamboats.

I hope you give this recipe a go. It's definitely an old favourite of mine. Take care.

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XO Fried Noodles
(serves 5)

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
5 tbsp of Lin Lin XO sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chilli oil (optional)
3 tbsp water (to help combine)

Other ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
3 eggs
dash of salt
1/2 large onion (diced)
500g minced beef/pork
200g rice vermicilli (soaked for 1hr, then drained)
1 large carrot (shredded)
1 1/2 cup chopped spring onions

Optional: Garnish with fried shallots

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat up a wok with the oil on high heat. Once hot, add the eggs and salt and scramble the eggs with your spatula until cooked. Dish and set aside.

3. In the same wok, fry the onions until fragrant. Stir in the minced meat and fry until almost cooked while breaking up the meat with your spatula continuously (so that it doesn't lump together).

4. Add in the drained noodles/rice vermicilli and carrots. Stir in half of the sauce mixture. Stir everything until evenly coated. Sometimes, doing this with chopsticks might be easier. Stir in remaining sauce until completely even.

5. Add the scrambled eggs and chopped spring onions before giving it a final stir. Serve while hot and garnish with fried shallots, if using. 

Peko Peko, South Melbourne

Peko Sausage -- $8.00

Unique house made Taiwanese sausage

Beef About -- $12.00

Tenderly stewed beef slices, authentic herb & spice stock with broad Taiwanese noodle

Pork Chop Addiction -- $13.00

Traditional Taiwanese deep fried pork cutlet, served with pickled cabbage

Requested Sriracha Mayo (best combo ever) to dip it in... Perfect!!

Custard Pancake

Wasabi Mayo Prawn -- $9.00

Battered prawn tossed in light wasabi mayo

Taiwanese sausage again

Chilli Chicken Peko Box -- $13.00

Tender chicken pieces wok tossed with dried chilli, carrot, broccoli, flaming hot tangy sauce

Crispy Honey Beef -- $13.00

Crispy fried beef strips wok-tossed with onion, capsicum, special honey sauce

Sweet and Sour Chicken Crunch -- $13.00 (my favourite!!!)

Traditional battered chicken cooked with onion, capsicum, sweet and sour sauce

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"Peko Peko?"

"OMG YESSS!!!"

A conversation that I have with various groups of friends. It's just a place that everyone seems to know and love... Including me.

I knew that this was a place that I would love from the moment I walked in the first time I ate there a while ago. The smell of colourful flavours wafting through the air, amidst the buzz and chatter of a full house in a well lit, relaxed and downright fuss free setting. Party of 10 celebrating a birthday... Family dinner of 5... Date night for 2... Groups of friends catching up... You could tell that every one there was having a good time and enjoying their food. It was the instant vibe of the place that struck me the most.

Then, of course... The food. It was one of those places that I had trouble picking what I wanted because they all sounded too good... And then of course my friends and I would agree to each order something different so we could all share dishes to try (so Asian, I know...)

It was all simple, but DAMN tasty. We each had our own favourites here. For some, it was the classic "Taiwanese pork chop", or the "kong bao" chicken, or the "honey beef".... But my absolute favourite HAS got to be those darn-friggidy-good Wasabi Prawns and Sweet & Sour Chicken Box.

Even though I've had more than my fair share of traumatic experiences with Sweet and Sour dishes in Australia, this one really caught me by surprise. It tasted JUST like the one my Mum makes at home. First, it wasn't bright neon pinkish-purplish-red. The chicken was still crispy and juicy, which means it was deep fried TWICE then only tossed at the end ever so quickly (as you should). Sauce had strong wok flavour from the onions and capsicum too... Again, just like home. I could go on and on eating this dish. Sweet and Sour dishes were my absolute favourite growing up, just ask my Mum. It's great. Thankfully, I've got my Mum's handwritten recipe for this too, which I can't wait to share. 

That aside, it's those wasabi prawns, which got me singing for days. Super crunchy, juicy and with just the right amount of wasabi in the mayo. So damn good!! And I've never liked wasabi flavoured dishes until now.

Overall, Peko Peko is fun, relaxed, really affordably priced and IMHO... Value for Money. For me, I can't think of anywhere in Melbourne that is anywhere like Peko Peko. It's one of a kind. And I can't begin to express how badly I want to go back to this place again soon... YUM