Petaling Street (Clayton)

367 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC 3168

There is something to be said about crowdsourcing for opinions and times like this, one would go - "OK - Urbanspooners were being fair". One of the lowest scoring Petaling Street Outlets in Melbourne here, and I didn't believe it. In addition, I know I especially liked the dishes from the CBD branch. After all, this is in Clayton where the competition can be fierce, and Springvale is not too far away. How can this be?

The Place 
A simple set up with the kitchen in the back and rows of seats for diners and movable configurations. The decorations are relatively simple with pictures of the dishes on offer and a large mural towards the back of the restaurant. This is a well ventilated space with easy access. However, the first warning sign for me should have been the sticky wooden tables.

This is set within the busy Clayton Road shopping strip and parking is round the back where it can be a challenge on busy days.

Things to do Nearby: Clayton Road Shopping

The Food
The food ranges from ok to questionable. We had a number of dishes, none of which were spectacular and one was a total fail. I'll start with the ok dishes - the Wonton Noodle Soup (pictured right) was actually not bad with nice generous wontons thought the char siew (BBQ pork) that went with it wasn't anything to rave about. Nevertheless it is what you would expect from a basic wonton noodle soup.

The Salted Fish Vermicelli was alright as well but not as smokey as some of the best in town. The problem here is the addition of capsicum slices... WHY?

The other dish that was not too bad was the Prawn Hokkien Noodle Soup which had a really rich prawn broth. It was somewhat greasy which detracted a bit from the tastiness of the dish but the ingredients were generally fresh.

Salted Fish Vermicelli

Prawn Noodles

FAUX Lobak

Some other dishes were truly disappointing. The Lobak was a joke! They serve fishcake filled beancurd skin to pass if off as lobak. They acknowledged they had changed it but still insisted on calling it Lobak - 'bak' in Hokkien refers to meat, not fish. It was like eating inferior deep fried fish cake. Then there was the Roasted Chicken Rice. Now, I have had the authentic version in the CBD branch but the one here was served with a lightly fried chicken (pictured below) - nothing like the Nanyang style roast chicken that I had been hoping for. The best thing about the dish was the chicken broth that came with it!

The Service
The basic service was not all that attentive and nothing to rave about. One has to call out for attention here and don't be shy about doing so, expecially if you are sitting towards the front of the restaurant, or you might be forgotten.

Overall
I was disappointed but the worst thing was, I had my parents with me - I was trying to show off what good food we have in the area and I took a risk and it didn't pay off. Ah Well! I have taken them to some pretty good places before this. Ok, so it's not the worst restaurant

Cultural Moment
Why did I assume that because of the location of this restaurant, that it was going to be excellent and authentic? One word - stereotyping! Why would I think that just because it's in an area where there are a lot of "Asian" diners, that it would be authentic - that's like saying all Chinese restaurants in Chinatown must be good. Even in Malaysia, not all Malaysian restaurants serve good Malaysian fare. Haha! Ah Well!

It also showed me again that not all branches of the same franchise/restaurant are equal - especially amongst Asian franchises. This has shown to be the case for Killiney Kopitiam, Es Teler, PappaRich, YimYam, and now, Petaling Street. In the end, I suspect that it comes down to the more complex dishes on offer in Asian franchises compared to your run of the mill chicken or burger outlets where menu items are really standardised. Asian dishes depend very much of the chefs working in particular branches - which makes it harder to standardise. A lesson that I am reminded of again today.

Green Pepper Thai

343 High Street, Northcote, VIC 3070

This is the 6th Thai restaurant now along High Street between Northcote and Thornbury (all within 7 - 10 minutes drive of each other). In terms of all the Thai restaurants along this stretch, Green Pepper Thai is probably the most cafe style with a strong take-away vibe in terms of its set up. Of course, I encourage healthy competition but I think each of these Thai restaurants will find their own niche in the area.

The Place
It does have a strong take away vibe with the basic tile flooring and simple decorations. The open kitchen is situated within the dining space as well, which therefore, relies heavily on the industrial gas hoods to do their work effectively. If you are sitting facing the kitchen, you get to watch the chefs at work which might be interesting for some. When it does get busy, it will get pretty loud as there is no real sound insulation here.

What I really like about the set up is the fact that they do not cramp diners in really closely to each other. There's plenty of space and you don't feel like sardines!

Things to do Nearby: The shops of High Street, Northcote are blooming and upgrading with the continued gentrification of the area.

The Food
The food here is not bad but Melbournians are pretty spoilt for choice in terms of Thai food. It is not strictly authentic and is pretty watered down in terms of intensity. That doesn't mean it is not nice. In fact, I think it works quite well if you are looking at catering for diners who can't take really spicy or hot dishes. The dishes tend towards sugar and sweetness. I tend to prefer more tang in my Thai dishes but I have lots of friends who would love the sweetness to lighten the intensity of flavours.

So, what were the highlights for me? I liked the Tom Yum Soup above all the other dishes I ordered. Why? Because it was clearly not concocted from a commercial soup base and had been done from scratch with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and enough Assam (Tamarind) and they didn't hold back on the chillies either but it wasn't overly greasy like how they tend to serve it in Bangkok. Nice clear hot and sour soup.

Really nice tangy hot Tom Yum Soup

The other dishes were also all freshly made which I really appreciated and although the balance of flavours tended towards sweetness, I did enjoy most of them. The one dish I was disappointed with was the Larb which again was sweet rather than sour (perhaps I would have like more lime or fish sauce - but that's just me). They also love using long beans in all their dishes... most of the dishes we ordered had these :).

Green Papaya Salad with Yummy Crisps

Larb

Pad Met Marmuang - Beef with Cashews

The Service
It is rare to ever get bad service at a Thai restaurant. This is no exception. They were attentive, timely and friendly. It's what you would expect from a good suburban restaurant and I really like the down to earthiness of the service. The food came out in a timely manner and even when it got busier and when there was takeaway orders, they still paid us enough attention where needed.

Overall
This is a good place for a quick week night meal without being overly fancy. I would likely go again to try more dishes and try more of their curries.

Cultural Moment
I want to talk SOUPS. In many parts of Asia - soups are a whole table event. One soup is ordered and everyone shares it. It very much a collective experience. When I was growing up, we even all drank from the same bowl - dipping our spoons into the central bowl. It had been this way for hundreds of years (no I am not a hundred years old - I am talking about the practice - rude!).

With modern day health consciousness and sensibilities, this practice of double-triple dipping with personal spoons into a central bowl has changed for the most part in many countries (but not all). However, the practice of the whole family or table having the same soup hasn't changed. In many restaurants in Asia, they still bring out a central bowl and then smaller bowls for individuals and a large ladle - makes a lot of sense and lots of restaurants have done this for a long time. This practice is starting to spread to homes so that it's become the norm. There are some things you can't change - and the practice of sharing soup (the modern way) continues to thrive. This sort of sharing collective dining is a practice to be celebrated.

In Australia, our more individualistic dining habits have led to individual serves of soup so you can decide what you want and there is no need for collective negotiation. It's just the way it is. So, when one travels to Asia and Southeast Asia - when you order soup - be aware - it might be a BIG BOWL meant for sharing - not one of those tiny individual bowls. I know this because I sometimes forget this when I am travelling - like the time I had a BIG bowl of Tom Yum with my main in Bangkok and that other time when I had a BIG CLAYPOT filled with Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup in Hong Kong, with my fried noodles. DUH!

Hong Kong BBQ Restaurant Footscray

 118 Hopkins St., Footscray, VIC 3011

I want to start by apologising for not posting the last few weeks. I have been busy. However, this weekend, I took time out from being busy and went to an old favourite in Footscray, with my parents. I have not been here since I started this blog. So, I was looking forward to seeing if this joint stood the test of time. Being one of only 2 places in Footscray that serves this style of cuisine, it runs the risk of being complacent in terms of food quality and standard but this is not the case here.

The Place
It is not a huge space and so, like many Chinese places, it does cramp diners together a little bit during busier times. It has been around a long time and so the place feels very used and the once really nice paintings on the walls are now plastered with pieces of paper highlighting various items on the menu (in Chinese) - WHY? I love those paintings but you have to agree the colourful pieces of paper adds absolutely no charm to them!

When it starts to get busy, there's a natural hum and buzz and they keep people flowing in and out really quickly (more about this later). Despite the limitations, it maintains the place relatively cleanly and even has high chairs for toddlers and somehow manage to accommodate the supersized prams that some punters pushed into the space (when I was there).

Things to do nearby: This is in the heart of Footscray and across the road from Footscray Market

The Food
The food has indeed stood the test of time and continues to be very authentic and pleasing. I really think it has one of the best Siu Yok (Crispy Roasted Pork) and Char Siew (BBQ Pork) in Melbourne. The Siu Yok is really crispy and they even cut it up in relatively small pieces, as they do in most of Asia (unlike most similar places in Melbourne where they give you huge chunks of meat). The Char Siew is sweeter and salty and nicely caramalised.

Half eaten by the time I remembered to take a photo

We also ordered Seafood Combination Crispy Noodles, which was quite fishy but the noodles were excellent and the sauce was really tasty (thanks to some MSG). I have had many dishes here over the years and this place knows it's South Chinese (Cantonese) cuisine. They do it well and they seem to be consistent over the years.

The Service

Sorry - bad photo!!

Are you a Cantonese speaker? If you are, you will probably find the service very very passable. If not, you are more likely to receive somewhat brusque and 'rustic' service. I am trying to be positive mostly because I honestly believe that the service here is better than many many similar such places in Melbourne, where they don't even make an effort. Here, they even do the very correct thing of bringing out bowls of their free soup to ask if you would like one. Of course, the service level declines once they have a big crowd and English ability becomes more strained under pressure and if you speak too slowly, softly or uncertainly, you might be met with an impatient response (because they have to get to the next diner). I know that sounds awful, but I know they have the potential to actually engage when they are less stress. I have been to other places where you might be the only diner and still get ignored!

Overall
This visit reminded me that I should make an effort to come back more often (but only during less busy periods). I am already planning this because I dream of Siu Yok!

Cultural Moment
Footscray is a multicultural mixing pot with so many varied cultures coming together and interweaving in public spaces. For some, such diversity can be confronting but for most people here, there is at worst, tolerance and at best, celebration through cross-cultural interactions and a distinct lack of political correctness.

What do I mean by this? Well, from my interactions in this space and watching others go about their business, it seems that people don't feel they have to be anything other than themselves in Footscray and expect others to be the same and no less. The interactions seem genuinely authentic and raw; The brusque Cantonese waitperson is brusque to everyone, even Cantonese speakers (just that their conversation is longer and louder); The rough (really rough) guy looking to score, is generally truculent to everyone of every race and makes no differentiation and all avoid him; The proud Sudanese woman with her amazing extensions is pushing her pram while talking loudly to everyone in the same tone, whether it's her friend or the grocer; The old Vietnamese lady selling vegetables from her garden in the street corner, speaks animatedly in Vietnamese, about her produce to a punter. They all cross each other's path and I don't detect anyone making significant adjustments to their behaviour. Yet, it all works because I believe there is a general acceptance that you are what you are and your culture is part of you, and as much as I want to keep my culture intact, you have the right to do so too. This doesn't mean there's no judgement though, but I think they keep that quiet. Yet, it all works somehow because people don't seem to feel a need to tell others how they should all be the same... perhaps, that's why it works on a Saturday morning in Footscray.

Veggie Kitchen

159, St George's Rd, Northcote, VIC 3071

www.veggiekitchen.com.au
Blink and you'll miss it. This restaurant is not a part of a shopping or dining strip. It is located in a tiny row of shops on St George's Road. It is across the road from Batman Park. This tiny Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant is a lovely option for diners in the north.There is not a lot of space but diners here seem quite happy with the configuration. While it is tiny, it's not cramped.

It is quite a dim restaurant as even during the early evening as there is not a lot of natural sunlight. However, it has a simple warm feel to it. You almost feel you might be visiting a friend's home (in Taiwan) for an intimate meal.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am no vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination but I like this place enough to look forward to going for a visit regularly.

Things to do nearby: Nothing much around here other than Batman Park and it's a 10 minute walk to High Street, Northcote. The No.112 tram stops near the front.

The Food
I am going to write about the quality and tastiness of the dishes. However, in the later section, I am going to talk about Chinese Vegetarian food more generally because it is quite a different style of vegetarian cuisine to Western vegetarian in that it uses substantial gluten products.

Chai Po Omelette

My favourite dish here is the Chai Po Omelette (Omelette with preserved turnip bits), which is light and fluffy and flavoursome. Yes, there is a bit of grease on this but what good omelette doesn't. It is a great way to start the meal or even with rice. Dare I say it is even better than my Mum's? No! More that it is a different version, fluffier and very light compared to my Mum's which is packed with turnip and most solid.

The Lettuce Delight (Vegetarian Sang Choi Bao) is built on layers of texture and flavours, with crispy soy and tofu bits wrapped in fresh lettuce. I am not a huge fan of Sang Choi Bao to begin with but this is not a bad dish. I prefer their Tofu Rolls which are really flavoursome and just simply yummy (and not only because it's deep fried).  For me, the Tofu Rolls are preferable preferable to the Beancurd Rolls on offer - simply because it has different textures compared to the Beancurd Rolls.

Tofu Roll and Vegie Delight

Beancurd Rolls and Curry Puffs (homemade)

There are also the various dumplings on offer here and I think the surprise package for me are the Pearl Rice Balls - balls of glutinous rice goodness with mushroom, celery and tofu. Delicate little balls dipped in bean sauce which are really yummy, though I normally don't like celery. They also do vegetarian ShioMai (Shao Mei) which don't look great but are actually quite light and flavoursome. You can tell from the pics below that they are not factory made (given the varying sizes) and are clearly made on premises and the freshness shows.

Pearl Rice Balls

ShioMai

There are also larger dishes and mains on the menu (though I did prefer the smaller ones already described). The two larger dishes that I did like were the Panfried Oyster Mushrooms and the Stir-Fried Vermicelli (both pictured below). The Mushrooms were smokey and really flavoursome and I could have had a double serve. However, I would have like some sort of sauce to bring the brocolli and the mushrooms together (though that might have detracted from the flavour of the mushrooms). 

What was undoubtedly delicious was the vermicelli which had the right balance of flavours, texture and freshness. I loved it and it is just as good as the ones offered by many vegetarian places in SEAsia (if not better than most).

Panfried Oyster Mushrooms

Stir-Fried Vermicelli

We also tried the Sweet and Sour Tofu and the Hong Shao Tofu. To me, these dishes were more average, compared to all the ones I have already mentioned. For example, the Sweet and Sour dish needed perhaps a bit more vinegar and onions while the HongShao dish could do with a bit more smokiness. Don't get me wrong, these were not bad dishes at all but in comparison to the excellent small dishes, they just weren't as great.

Sweet and Sour Tofu and Fried Rice

Hong Shao Tofu

The Service
The understated friendly service is just charming here. They know their food and they take pride in it which is great to see. The dishes came in a very timely manner (even second orders) and the politeness and quiet pride makes this place a lovely down to earth place to dine in. What a comfortable dining space.

Overall
It is lovely to know that Chinese Vegetarian Cuisine is well represented here in Melbourne. Sure, they have made some nods to Australian sensibilities but in a positive manner. For example, there is a lot less grease in the dishes here compared to similar dishes in Asia. That is surely a good thing. The layers of flavours are still there and for a non-vegetarian, I still enjoy going there.

Cultural Moment
There are two main ways to indicate vegetarian dishes in Chinese cuisine; There's sùshí (素食) ("vegetarian cuisine") and  zhāicài (斋菜) ("Buddhist cuisine"). Instead of me writing about it extensively, there's a pretty good wikipedia entry on this topic - Buddhist cuisine.

While western vegetarian dishes rely primarily on fresh vegetables, Chinese vegetarian cuisine extensively employs the use of bean curd (tofu) of various types and wheat gluten (used in many of the 'mock' meats), in addition to fresh vegetables.

It is also crucial to remember that Chinese cuisine is not just about freshness and balance of flavours, textures are just as important. The inter-play between crunchiness, softness and chewiness in the one dish is sometimes seens as really crucial. For example, the Lettuce Delight served at Veggie Kitchen does this well in that it has the fresh crisp lettuce, the crunchiness of the soy and tofu flakes, and chewiness of little bits of beancurd. Another example is soy crisp, and Chinese doughnut, and boiled peanuts in congee.This is one of the things that many who have not grown up with Chinese cuisine struggle with. Enjoying differing textures is important in many dishes. The use of wheat gluten is a bit of an art in Chinese vegetarian cuisine because you get completely different textures ranging from really soft to really crunchy varieties. So, the long and short of it is - this is an acquired taste for those who are not familiar but it is all very Chinese.

No.1 Delicious

83 Franklin St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

 
This is a place recommended by my Chinese friends from Northeast China. So, when Catherine suggested we go there for lunch, I was in. Then, I went again the following week just to try out a different dish. First thing to note was - don't bring a vegetarian. There's not a lot of options for them here. In addition, and rather strangely, they don't have a lot of options for Chinese Tea other than basic Jasmine Tea.

The Place
This is quite a nice set up and even though it is located near student central that is RMIT University, it still has a clean contemporary rather nice feel to it. This is not to say that students can't eat at nice places, just that this place has set it up nicely, instead of going for the cheap basic cafeteria feel. They recently renovated the place to make it somewhat more upmarket, creating a more relax atmosphere, where it used to be more frantic (at least from the outside looking in).

Things to do Nearby: This is about a block away from Queen Vic Market, Melbourne Central, and the State Library. It's very close to the Baths and RMIT University, as well as Vertical Indoor Rock Climbing.

The Food

Braised Pork - no green because I asked for it without capsicum

The food is authentic northern Chinese offerings, if a bit less spicy and chilli ridden than most places. Almost every dish I have tried here has had a hint of Szechuan peppercorn, without it overriding the flavours in its usual tongue numbing quality. This is a good thing for those of us who like a bit of spice without it killing our tastebuds.

The other really good thing about the food here is that, it presents authentic northern Chinese flavours but without the too common accompanying grease, and layer of chilli oil.

The highlights for me here include their Braised Pork (Hong Shao Rou) on Rice. It's really yummy, without being overly salty, or laden with MSG. It might look rather plain, but their generosity with the shitake mushroom made me very happy.
I also ordered something here that most of my friends would not touch with a barge pole - all the more for me - which is Stir Fried Pork Liver (pictured below). This dish was a delightful balance of salt, vinegar, and spice, and without being too sweet. It's not for everyone and it's not common in Melbourne, but this is a great find for me.

Catherine had the Seafood Fried Noodles which really didn't interest me - but I took a photo. It looked a bit like basic stir fried noodles with some seafood thrown in. Catherine didn't look that impressed either.

The Service
The service here is what I would call unobtrusive and polite. They are good at greeting diners and showing them to their tables but then leave you alone most of the time. If you want something, you actually have to call out for it. It's not that bad but don't expect attentive, chatty service and you'll be fine. The dishes were not served at the same time - so, start eating before it gets cold.

Cultural Moment
Offals - it's not just an Asian thing - there are plenty of European cultures that eat offals too. I know I have written about this topic before when I was focused on Cantonese cuisine (City BBQ). However, in this piece, I am going to share a bit about my childhood.

My childhood memories are filled with the wonderful tastes and smells of home cooked stir fried pork liver with ginger, spring onion and oyster sauce, or Chinese sausage with pork liver, or even just BBQ roasted Pork Liver (from Kuching, Sarawak). It was always a highlight of special meals for me. Come to think of it, it is features unusually frequently for me. When I left Malaysia, to go to Singapore, I started learning Mandarin, and I remember, one of the first phrases I learned in Mandarin in the text book was "Wo xi huan chi chao zhu gan" - "I like to eat fried pork liver!" I kid you not - it was in the text and I remember thinking - "Wow - this text book knows me!" It was also one of the first dishes I learned to cook as a pre-teenager. So, me and pork liver - we go way back. It makes me happy and thanks to No. 1 Delicious, I have rediscovered it in Melbourne.

Good Luck Tea House

310 Chapel St, Prahran, VIC 3181

Yumcha in Prahran in quite a prominent location should do well but there would likely be high expectations here. The challenge is that such a restaurant would have to balance perceived sophistication and quality with affordability. For a place on Chapel Street that has been opened since 2010, it has an unusually low number of raters on Urbanspoon. Strategically, I think that while things are going ok in terms of the venue, location, food and service - these things are not necessarily coming together. I mean, I am not an expert in running restaurants but I am a diner. I think that the "All You Can Eat" big poster approach is a strategic error for this restaurant because it just makes people question the quality of the food here on Chapel Street. If they marketed it as a Yumcha banquet with a better looking menu, the perception might be a bit different and they might even attract more of a lunch crowd for meetings - to complement the dinner crowd. With HuTong in Commercial Road having a lower rating than the Market Lane branch - this is an opportunity for Good Luck Tea House which they don't seem to be taking advantage of.

The Place
This is a good generous space which doesn't squeeze diners together. It is also a clean restaurant, tastefully decorated and they have a relatively nice layout overall. It is is permanently on mood lighting, and is quite different from Chinese places with fluorescent lights.

It is relatively child friendly and parking should be ok across the road behind Coles.

Things to do Nearby: This is near the junction of Chapel and Commercial Roads and so, you have all the shops nearby.

The Food
The food is actually not bad at all. The yumcha offerings are pretty decent for an "All You Can Eat" place. I have only had the yumcha here and my verdict is that it's not bad. $19.90 for yumcha is really cheap these days and if you are there with a small bunch of friends, you can try nearly all the 35 dimsums on offer.

The highlight for me was the Chicken Feet (Fung Chao - pictured below), lightly spiced, and braised in black bean. It was really tasty... and I had all four to myself - so HAPPY.



 

Other highlights for me included:
Beancurd Roll (also pictured above, next to the teapot) which was braised and was really yummy when eaten hot and steamy.

Salted and Spicy Squid Tentacles (pictured below) which has a light batter, not overpowered by garlic, salt and pepper and very fresh... others in Urbanspoon have criticised this before, but I found mine most succulent, fresh and tasty.

The Service
They have what I call unobtrusive polite service. Not overly friendly and chatty but it gets the job done with basic efficient delivery of food.

Overall
It's not bad overall and presents a nice alternative to dining choices on Chapel Street. I just think that it's the "All You Can Eat" sign that's putting people off. But the quality is actually there.

Cultural Moment
Warning: Self Plagiarism Ahead.
Since this post is about the various dimsums ... I thought I'd re-introduce an extensive piece I wrote previously on the different dumplings on offer. If you are an avid yumcha enthusiast, it's worth knowing what you are having. So, here it is again;

Dimsum is a Cantonese word that indicates the variety of small dishes served at Yumcha (drinking tea) session. Therefore, the greatest Yumcha experiences are of Cantonese origins.Here's a limited range of dimsums you will commonly find in Melbourne (each will contain the Cantonese name / Mandarin Name / English Description);

Siu Mai / Shao Mai / Pork Dumpling - is the most common dim sum, which has evolved in Australia into your dimsim (dimmy) in your fish and chip shops. This is a common brekkie dimsum throughout southeast China, Singapore and Hong Kong. Both Robbie and I love this LOTS.

Har Gao / Shia Jiao / Prawn Dumpling - is just that, prawns wrapped in pleated translucent flour based skin, that should not stick to each other when you try to pick one up.

Yee Chee Gao / Yu Chi Jiao / Shark Fin Dumpling - is not Shark's Fin Dumpling. It does not contain shark's fin and is so named because it is shaped like a shark fin. That's all - and it is basically and pork and seafood dumpling.

Char Siew Bao / Cha Shao Bao / Steamed Pork Bun - Bao (refers to the particular style of bun) and is a staple in most places. Filled with steaming barbequed pork (Char Siew), the bun should be light and fluffy (watch out for the piece of paper at the bottom). My friend, Deb loves this.

Fung Chao / Feng Jiao / Phoenic Claws (Chicken Feet) - is what it is. Different places might serve it a bit differently from black bean based to spicy sauce. You either like it or you don't. I like it and I believe my friend Jeremy likes it too!

Chee Cheong Fun / Zhu Chang Fen / Rice Noodles - needs a bit of explanation. A literal translation of Chee Cheong Fun is Pig Intestine Noodles. Don't be alarmed, it's not made from any part of a pig. It just looks like a pig's small instestines, hence, the name. With these rice noodles, a coffee shop might sell it with just the noodles, some chives, sesame seeds and a sweet soy sauce. However, most yumcha places will serve a variety, with Char Siew (called Char Siew Cheong), Prawns (Har Cheong), Fried Dough (Cha Leong which translates to fried double, with the fried dough and the noodles making the double). Ev and Nathan do like these :)

Pei Tan (Shao Yuk) Chok / Pi Daan (Shao Rou) Zhou / Century Egg (Roast Pork) Congee - most yum cha places, one would just ask for congee and this would be the variety served (some places with, and others without the roast pork in the congee). What is century egg? It's preseved egg (that's black in colour and a yellowish gray yolk). I have to have this at every yum cha and the other person I know who loves this is Caroline.

Tan Taht / Dan Ta / Egg Custard Tart - When I was young, I used to think that Tan/Dan means Egg and Taht/Ta was just Tart. I recently found the chinese character for Taht/Ta and it actually means 'Flog' - presuming referring to the flogging to the egg into a custard. I have never been a fan though it is one of the most popular dishes. Deb LOVES this.

Chillipadi Mamak Kopitiam

295 Racecourse Rd, Kensington, VIC 3031

In a highly competitive area because there are four Malaysian restaurants of relatively good quality (including the icon that is Laksa King), this restaurant is usually the least full of the four, possibly because it is a larger restaurant. This doesn't mean that it is not a good restaurant... just that competition is pretty stiff in the area.

The Place
This is a pleasant enough space and large enough so that you don't have to share tables and be forced to listen to the conversations of strangers with their backs against yours. It's certainly the most spacious of the Malaysian restaurants within the 400m radius. There is some attempt to create an ambiance with various objects that might remind one of Malaysia. It's definitely a child friendly place, including having clean high chairs should you need them. When it gets busy, there's usually a buzz here without overwhelming noisiness.

Things to do Nearby: The shops of Racecourse Road in Kensington during the day but that's about it.

The Food
The food is not bad but nor is it a stand out. Admittedly, I have not tried its main differentiator from the other Malaysian offerings in the area - the Crab dishes. Partly, this is because I can't be bothered and I just haven't got round to it. I might be wrong but one of the things that clearly stands out here is their portion sizes. I think it's the biggest compared to the other Malaysian places in the area. I could barely finish my lunch. The Nasi Lemak (pictured right) itself was pretty good and I loved that they had generous portions of achar (pickled vegetables), and peanuts with fried anchovies. The let-down for me, was the Chicken Curry which was basically overpowered by the star anise they used too liberally in a very Chinese curry.

The Wat Dan Hor (below) on the other hand was really tasty though they definitely have a more Kuala Lumpur style with darker soya sauce in this dish, rather than the lighter style of Ipoh and even Penang. For some, this is not authentic - for me - I was very full and happy at the end.

The Service
They do have very friendly service and highly obliging. Probably the second best service amongst the 4 Malaysian places in the area. It is pretty good though the only thing that sets them back slightly is probably their food knowledge of Malaysian dishes is slightly below par, unlike the confidence of the wait staff at Grand Tofu.

Overall
I think I would go there occasionally when the other places are really full. The thing about the 4 Malaysian places here is this - you really just need to know your own taste and preferences. All 4 have some very similar dishes but cook them somewhat differently. For example, they all do Hainanese Chicken Rice... but who has the best one? The jury is still out on that one but I like Chef Lagenda because they have the Roast Chicken option. That's just one of the dishes - we could have a debate around it till the chickens are cooked... One day I might compare the various dishes across each of the 4 Malaysian restaurants.

Cultural Moment
Some people ask "How can one place sustain so many Malaysian restaurants?" Ummmm... "How can a tiny suburb sustain 3 pubs?". They might be alluding to the idea that such an exotic cuisine might not attract enough customers to sustain 4 'similar' restaurants but a pub? Everybody here drinks!

However, that's just the point, I think that Malaysian cuisine is no longer considered "exotic" especially when you are looking at a city like Melbourne. Dare I say, most people must have tried some Malaysian food in the past and might be able to name at least a couple of Malaysian dishes. Perhaps, Malaysian food hasn't quite reached the status of Italian food or Vietnamese food yet, here in Melbourne (where you can have a whole street of Italian or Vietnamese restaurants and have them all do quite well). However, I think it must be getting close in places like Flemington, Springvale, Glen Waverly and Clayton.

This is the joy of Melbourne - that you can have enough choice amongst the various cuisines, even the 'exotic ones', and have them all do well so they can all challenge each other to do better. How lucky are Melbournians!

Pho Toan Vietnamese Restaurant

471 High St, Preston, VIC 3072

With so much competition in the area, another Vietnamese restaurant that wants to do well has to really stand out or do something really niche. This restaurant is one of the newer entrants but hasn't really distinguished itself yet. It also has one of the lower rated places in the area.

The Place

This is a comfortable space and has a basic set up. It is not too gaudy and they don't seat people too closely together, which is good. It is well ventilated and because all the chairs and tables for moveable, it is easy to fit prams as well.

Things to do Nearby: The Preston Markets and High Street Shops of Preston are all close by.

The Food
The food is not bad overall but it doesn't actually stand out all that much. Most of the dishes I have had there have been ok but not outstanding. The Vietnamese Rice Noodle soups here are somewhat sweeter than I like. I believe they use quite a bit of star anise in the soup. It's not all bad and some people do like that sort of sweetness. They do have very generous portions too. They also do the usual range of Vietnamese and Chinese stir fries

The Service
The service is really friendly and polite. They bring things out in a very timely manner and seem to do brisk takeaway trade. It's really one of the frienlier places on High Street, Preston. Perhaps, this is one of the ways it has distinguished itself. I do like the service here.

Overall
I like this relatively friendly joint and would probably come again once in a while because they have food that's actually rather decent.

Cultural Moment
Friendliness is important in any culture when it comes to restaurants. I am a bit afraid this 'cultural moment' is going to turn into a bit of a rant. I think people need to say "Please" and "Thank You" a whole lot more wherever they go. What is wrong with a bit of courtesy? Is it because people take it for granted and no longer think it's necessary?

What's with the ordering of food by shouting out "We want more spring rolls!" at a waiter walking past your table? This actually happened when I was dining at Pho Toan. I kid you not! I have seen people walk into restaurants, sit down without looking at the wait staff and just indicate "Give me X or Y" - no eye contact, no engagement.

Am I being too much for a "prim and proper Church lady?" or is my expectation of basic courtesy setting too high a bar. These sort of behaviour from diners is so common these days, it's no wonder some restaurants just 'return the favour' by being downright unengaged too. Hmm, maybe I should just mind my own business :).

Wang Fu Jing

191 Lygon St, Carlton, VIC 3053

Named after one of the most famous streets in Beijing, known for its food stalls as well as being a bit of a tourist trap. This fully licensed restaurant on Lygon has a great location and set up but doesn't seem to attract the crowd like its namesake. It's also not very well known and given the prime location, this does not bode well for a restaurant. So, what is going on here?

The Place

This is a well set up place with tasteful and unashamedly Chinese deco. It has the trappings of a mid range restaurant and is quite beautifully lit at night. The tables are big, though they are placed quite close to each other. However, it is not well maintained in parts and seems slightly rundown.Over some of the weekends, they have a chef doing demonstrations in the window in a tiny space. It is not necessarily well set up for kids and parking is the usual Lygon Street struggle.

Things to do nearby:: Lygon Street shops, the Museum and IMAX is very close by

The Food
The food is rather average Northern Chinese style which is probably why it doesn't have a huge crowd. In the menu, it also has a range of Southeast Asian dishes like Char Kway Teow, Singapore Noodles, Char Hor Fun! It totally baffled me but the dishes I saw being served had a distinctly Northern Chinese look, and combination of ingredients. I wonder why they have felt the need to offer the range instead of focusing on the dishes they do well.

Their dumplings are not bad at all but they are competing with Dumpling Den which is no more than 5 minutes away, and serves them up just as well. I also have had the Fish Flavoured Shredded Pork Stir Fry with Rice (pictured right). This is a quintessential Beijing and Shanghai dish, which has a balance of sourness, spiciness and sweetness. The one I got was pretty much just sweet and greasy.

I think it's important to get the balance right. The reality is, this area could do with a good mid range Asian restaurant that serves good food and provide great service. However, currently, it doesn't seem to have found its range yet.

The Service

The service is polite and very Chinese. It hasn't really adapted to Western standards. Why do I say this? Well - primarily because although they are really polite, they do not hesitate to seat strangers together at lunch time without asking their customers if they mind sharing. It's just a matter of fact, there's space - just seat the newcomers where existing diners are half way through their meal, without asking. In addition, the dishes come out when they are ready and are not timed together. These are somewhat typical of places I have been to in China. It's not necessarily a bad thing, because they are really polite - but some might be a bit surprised.

Overall
I might go again ocassionally for lunch because it does have a nice set up but I will avoid the Southeast Asian dishes. It's a great place for a lunch meeting because of the bigger tables and the fact that it's not one of those really busy noisy student joints.

Sorry about the blurry pic :(

Cultural Moment
Wang Fu Jing is a place that's almost a must to visit when in Beijing. It's now a huge pedestrian mall with shops on either side, from the big brands to quirky local products. The street side stalls that serve up a huge range of local delicacies (some of which might be a bit challenging, such as starfish, scorpions and grasshoppers) is worth trying. Quite affordable mostly and you can eat as you walk along the streets or in the small bars. It is a buzzing street market and my recommendation is to go at night.

The one thing worth noting is to be very careful about 'friendly con-artists' who pose as students wanting to practice their English and taking you to a bar for tea and then - you will be surprised how much a pot of tea could get up to. Just hang on to your enthusiasm about meeting local strangers and you should be fine.