Attendees: Steph, Beata, Imogene
(Disclaimer: Two-third of this week's contingent may have been intoxicated after spending the day at a winery festival, therefore take no responsibility for judgements made).
It has all the ingredients of an Australian Asian restaurant. Waving gold cat statue. Check. Bamboo plant. Check. A karaoke show featuring bad ballads playing on a plasma screen (their version Unchained Melody is particularly notable). Check.
The tables and chairs are solid wood, which is a nice change. At the back of the restaurant there is a wooden "bar". Well it says bar but I cannot see any bottles of alcohol. The table behind us slowly fills up with an Asian birthday party, while we drool over the idea of food.
There some confusion when we open the menus. Where are the rice paper rolls? No pho? Oh, we’ve stumbled upon our first Chinese restaurant in Chopstick Chowdown Challenge. Time to change the standards we order.
So we order a heap of food (is this becoming a theme?) The waitress returns after a couple of minutes and suggests that we have ordered too much food for three people and asks if we’d like to cancel something. Too much food? We’ll be the judge of that! Our stomachs feel bigger than ever and we stick with our order.
Complimentary seaweed peanuts are placed on the table. Interesting. Unusual. Steph happily comments “anything salty is good”.
All the dumplings are garnished with tangles of long, long strings of carrot. “How do they get the carrot so long?” Imogene questions in amazement. We are dumpling connoisseurs and these quite good.
The waiting staff is very attentive and polite. They stand at military-like attention as we take our first bites of food and fill up our tea as soon as our cups are empty.
We discover that Imogene is our barometer for MSG. Her allergy will tell us the next day whether there is any MSG in the food by displaying red welts. I question whether it is wise for her to be participating in the ChChCh but she is says it’s fine because she can fix herself with anti-histamines. Rice @ Richmond claims to be MSG-free on the menu and the sweet and sour pork is an unusual dark yellow sauce. Aha,Imogene says, because it is the MSG that gives it the radioactive bright red colour we are accustomed to. Meanwhile Steph is pulling out phantom statistics on the rate of circumcision in Australian men.
Number 27 is a “shredded pork and noddle soup”. This is no pho and tastes rather like chicken Maggi noodle soup with added broad bean essence. But we’re embracing the saltiness tonight, right? However the Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce takes saltiness to the extreme. Have they mistaken soy sauce with oyster sauce? It is too much for even my wine soaked palate. Plus it’s more stalky than leafy.
I had my doubts about Rice@Richmond. Perhaps it was its faux ‘hipness’ for the internet savvy generation, with a name that looks like an email address, but overall the restaurant is better than expected.
Ratings
Fried pork dumplings 7.3/10
Steamed vegetable dumplings 8.3/10
Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce 5/10
#27 (Sliced pork and noodle soup) 5.6/10
Special (Sweet and sour pork) 7.3/10
Next stop...Pacific House
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
#3 Thanh Thanh (246A Victoria Street)
Attendees: Steph, Beata, Emma
Bring a box of Wet Ones here, as Thanh Thanh is finger-licking good! See if you can resist getting hands on with the perfectly cooked BBQ duck and salty soft shell crab. In a nutshell Thanh Thanh is fresh, light and deli-cious! I thought we had another case of our eyes being bigger than our stomachs but no, the food was demolished and we came close to licking the plates.
The sign out the front boasts of fast ‘take way’. Inside the display of newspaper reviews is promising. Table décor is faux marble patterned and the black chairs even have some padding. Straight off the bat, Thanh Thanh gets points for the complimentary prawn crackers, delivered upon seating.
I fear we might have been a little abrupt with the well-meaning waiter in our ravenous frenzy, frantically calling to him for entrees and tea. In retaliation he swipes away the satay skewer plate before I had time to sample one of the pineapple pieces sitting on the side.
Thus far into the challenge we are yet to encounter any great rice paper rolls. Thanh Thanh’s are a little skinny for my liking and lose points for using shrimp instead of prawn. I am, however excited about tail of chives garnish coming out of the end. Emma gives them extra points for being tightly wrapped.
The chicken satay skewers we ordered on a whim are good but more like chilli than satay.
While we wait for Emma, we check out some of the patrons. I wonder if we should start rating the eye candy in addition to the food. Unfortunately for Steph, the ginger boy she has her eye on, has his eye (and arm) on a dolled-up Asian girl.
Calmed by having devoured the entrées and with this week’s contingent complete we politely order the mains. When it comes to ordering a daily special, we use the ‘Chef’s Pick of Menu’ board. We can’t decide between the duck and crab and after some debate conclude that our collective level of hunger warrants getting both. We are glad we did.
The soft shell crab is outstanding, accompanied by a salty, peppery, lemony dipping sauce. It is lightly fried – just crunchy enough for texture but nothing hard about it and melts in your mouth. The duck has a crispy maroon skin and a side of light plum sauce. Some bits are better than others but as we are all big fans of duck, it is very enjoyable.
Number 27 this week is quoted on the menu as “rare beef with lemond sauce”. This turns out to be a cold salad, prettily presented – a stack of julienne greens and thin piece of seared beef encircled by prawn crackers. It gets the thumbs up as it is both tasty and light.
The man who presents us with the pho says something incomprehensible. I stare at him then say “pho?” He replies and again I say “pho”. He says “ah you speak Vietnamese!” We banter as I laughingly admit “pho” is the extent of my Vietnamese conversational skills.
Speaking of pho, it is excellent. Emma comments that she doesn’t usually order pho but would order this. The only complaint is a slight lack of generosity with the meat. The broth is viscous and the noodles are perfectly cooked – slippery and melt in your mouth.
I am left with sticky hands, using my sticky spoon to scoop out the last bits of pho broth. Two entrees and four main sounds like a lot of food for three people but it has been demolished. It is a testament to the food that it is all gone and we are left feeling sated but without any bloated feeling. Plus we are given juicy wedges of orange to wrap up the meal. We wave goodbye to the three-different-sized-pigs at the back counter and leave to dream of crispy soft shell crab.
Ratings
Rice Paper Rolls (Pork and Prawn) 6.3/10
Beef Pho 7.8/10
#27 (Rare beef with lemond sauce) 8.2/10
Daily Special (Crispy soft shell crab with salted pepper) 8.3/10
Daily Special (BBQ duck with plum sauce) 7.3/10
Bring a box of Wet Ones here, as Thanh Thanh is finger-licking good! See if you can resist getting hands on with the perfectly cooked BBQ duck and salty soft shell crab. In a nutshell Thanh Thanh is fresh, light and deli-cious! I thought we had another case of our eyes being bigger than our stomachs but no, the food was demolished and we came close to licking the plates.
The sign out the front boasts of fast ‘take way’. Inside the display of newspaper reviews is promising. Table décor is faux marble patterned and the black chairs even have some padding. Straight off the bat, Thanh Thanh gets points for the complimentary prawn crackers, delivered upon seating.
I fear we might have been a little abrupt with the well-meaning waiter in our ravenous frenzy, frantically calling to him for entrees and tea. In retaliation he swipes away the satay skewer plate before I had time to sample one of the pineapple pieces sitting on the side.
Thus far into the challenge we are yet to encounter any great rice paper rolls. Thanh Thanh’s are a little skinny for my liking and lose points for using shrimp instead of prawn. I am, however excited about tail of chives garnish coming out of the end. Emma gives them extra points for being tightly wrapped.
The chicken satay skewers we ordered on a whim are good but more like chilli than satay.
While we wait for Emma, we check out some of the patrons. I wonder if we should start rating the eye candy in addition to the food. Unfortunately for Steph, the ginger boy she has her eye on, has his eye (and arm) on a dolled-up Asian girl.
Calmed by having devoured the entrées and with this week’s contingent complete we politely order the mains. When it comes to ordering a daily special, we use the ‘Chef’s Pick of Menu’ board. We can’t decide between the duck and crab and after some debate conclude that our collective level of hunger warrants getting both. We are glad we did.
The soft shell crab is outstanding, accompanied by a salty, peppery, lemony dipping sauce. It is lightly fried – just crunchy enough for texture but nothing hard about it and melts in your mouth. The duck has a crispy maroon skin and a side of light plum sauce. Some bits are better than others but as we are all big fans of duck, it is very enjoyable.
Number 27 this week is quoted on the menu as “rare beef with lemond sauce”. This turns out to be a cold salad, prettily presented – a stack of julienne greens and thin piece of seared beef encircled by prawn crackers. It gets the thumbs up as it is both tasty and light.
The man who presents us with the pho says something incomprehensible. I stare at him then say “pho?” He replies and again I say “pho”. He says “ah you speak Vietnamese!” We banter as I laughingly admit “pho” is the extent of my Vietnamese conversational skills.
Speaking of pho, it is excellent. Emma comments that she doesn’t usually order pho but would order this. The only complaint is a slight lack of generosity with the meat. The broth is viscous and the noodles are perfectly cooked – slippery and melt in your mouth.
I am left with sticky hands, using my sticky spoon to scoop out the last bits of pho broth. Two entrees and four main sounds like a lot of food for three people but it has been demolished. It is a testament to the food that it is all gone and we are left feeling sated but without any bloated feeling. Plus we are given juicy wedges of orange to wrap up the meal. We wave goodbye to the three-different-sized-pigs at the back counter and leave to dream of crispy soft shell crab.
Ratings
Rice Paper Rolls (Pork and Prawn) 6.3/10
Beef Pho 7.8/10
#27 (Rare beef with lemond sauce) 8.2/10
Daily Special (Crispy soft shell crab with salted pepper) 8.3/10
Daily Special (BBQ duck with plum sauce) 7.3/10
Monday, October 12, 2009
#2 Little Saigon Pho (258B Victoria St)
Attendees: Beata, Steph, Penny, Andrew, Luke
A glowing red sign welcomes us to Little Saigon. The cityscape outline on the sign looks vaguely European but never mind. Inside the restaurant has a glossy veneer, right down to the extensive menu with over 150 items. Soups, entrees, chicken, beef, seafood…any which way you want it, you can probably find it here. Mongolian beef? I am starting to doubt Little Saigon’s authenticity.
I am intrigued by the table setting. A spoon and green chopsticks form a cross on a red serviette. A meeting of East and West? Some sort of feng shui? Am I supposed to be thinking about Christmas? I don’t know if it is the feng shui or my hangover but my bowl keeps ending up on one side of me.
We are asked if we want ice with our soft drink. Steph and I both have a moment where our minds panic about ordering ice in an Asian country. Hang on we’re still in Melbourne.
The waiter (manager?) is at best suggestive, at worst pushy. He shows us the daily specials and recommends the san choi bao and dumplings, his logic being that they had been approved by a table of young white girls behind us. Does our appearance scream ‘give us bastardised Asian food’? At another point he tries to talk us into drinks. Yes a coke is just what I needed. Wine? Mmm wine, muses Luke, slowly bending to the power of suggestion but is quickly shut down by the rest of the table.
The sparkling plasma screen is distracting. An Asian version of ‘Celebrity Dancing’ is soon replaced by Michael Jackson music videos. I find myself mesmerised by the scale and theatricality of these mini films and start pondering the role MJ has played in the evolution of contemporary music culture. Hmmm but back to the food…
Number 27 this week is crab meat and asparagus soup. There is one word that screams to mind when tasting this soup: gelatinous. It is very crabby. So crabby in fact that Penny deducts half a point for the crab shell she finds. The asparagus is surprisingly white and suggests tinned product.
The rice paper rolls are dry and even with the satay dipping sauce, difficult to swallow. Andrew is unfazed, announcing he is “a sucker for prawns” and happy gives them a high rating for the juicy prawns inside.
Our daily special choice (yes ironically the dumplings) are flavoursome. They are oddly triangular, reminiscent of wontons. Apparently fried, means deep fried, unlike the plump Chinese pot-stickers we are used to but the steamed ones have a delicate pastry and succulent filling.
The pho is good but the other mains we order are rather unmemorable, unlike the spelling mistake. ‘Sizzling chicken with honny and black pepper’, anyone?
We are stuffed, piles of dirty plates lay in front of us, the feng shui is all out. Why are we still talking about food? Buffalo wings, double fried chicken, prawns, curries. Luke is trying to unload a George Foreman grill and breadmaker. Penny starts clearing the space in front of her, unable to take the mocking scraps of food any longer. It’s a sign that it’s time to bust a move but not before playing with the mystical, smoking fountain at the door.
Ratings
Beef Pho 7/10
Pork and prawn rice paper rolls 5.8/10
#27 (Crab meat and asparagus soup) 6.2/10
Daily special (Pork and prawn dumplings) 7.1/10
Average per person: $18
A glowing red sign welcomes us to Little Saigon. The cityscape outline on the sign looks vaguely European but never mind. Inside the restaurant has a glossy veneer, right down to the extensive menu with over 150 items. Soups, entrees, chicken, beef, seafood…any which way you want it, you can probably find it here. Mongolian beef? I am starting to doubt Little Saigon’s authenticity.
I am intrigued by the table setting. A spoon and green chopsticks form a cross on a red serviette. A meeting of East and West? Some sort of feng shui? Am I supposed to be thinking about Christmas? I don’t know if it is the feng shui or my hangover but my bowl keeps ending up on one side of me.
We are asked if we want ice with our soft drink. Steph and I both have a moment where our minds panic about ordering ice in an Asian country. Hang on we’re still in Melbourne.
The waiter (manager?) is at best suggestive, at worst pushy. He shows us the daily specials and recommends the san choi bao and dumplings, his logic being that they had been approved by a table of young white girls behind us. Does our appearance scream ‘give us bastardised Asian food’? At another point he tries to talk us into drinks. Yes a coke is just what I needed. Wine? Mmm wine, muses Luke, slowly bending to the power of suggestion but is quickly shut down by the rest of the table.
The sparkling plasma screen is distracting. An Asian version of ‘Celebrity Dancing’ is soon replaced by Michael Jackson music videos. I find myself mesmerised by the scale and theatricality of these mini films and start pondering the role MJ has played in the evolution of contemporary music culture. Hmmm but back to the food…
Number 27 this week is crab meat and asparagus soup. There is one word that screams to mind when tasting this soup: gelatinous. It is very crabby. So crabby in fact that Penny deducts half a point for the crab shell she finds. The asparagus is surprisingly white and suggests tinned product.
The rice paper rolls are dry and even with the satay dipping sauce, difficult to swallow. Andrew is unfazed, announcing he is “a sucker for prawns” and happy gives them a high rating for the juicy prawns inside.
Our daily special choice (yes ironically the dumplings) are flavoursome. They are oddly triangular, reminiscent of wontons. Apparently fried, means deep fried, unlike the plump Chinese pot-stickers we are used to but the steamed ones have a delicate pastry and succulent filling.
The pho is good but the other mains we order are rather unmemorable, unlike the spelling mistake. ‘Sizzling chicken with honny and black pepper’, anyone?
We are stuffed, piles of dirty plates lay in front of us, the feng shui is all out. Why are we still talking about food? Buffalo wings, double fried chicken, prawns, curries. Luke is trying to unload a George Foreman grill and breadmaker. Penny starts clearing the space in front of her, unable to take the mocking scraps of food any longer. It’s a sign that it’s time to bust a move but not before playing with the mystical, smoking fountain at the door.
Ratings
Beef Pho 7/10
Pork and prawn rice paper rolls 5.8/10
#27 (Crab meat and asparagus soup) 6.2/10
Daily special (Pork and prawn dumplings) 7.1/10
Average per person: $18
Monday, October 5, 2009
#1 Pho Thu The (270 Victoria St)
The first stop is just what you’d expect from a Victoria Street restaurant. Inconspicuous from street level, small in size, your standard easy -to-wipe-down tables and hard chairs. But the condiments…wow condiments galore! Brown sauce, red sauce, fish sauce, chopped up chillies, a mysterious jar of chilli jam and what is in here…sugar? It smells good too.
Up the back there is a bright sign across the back that looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 80s when fluoro was all the rage. There’s a red laughing cow (just like the one from the laughing cow cheese). I’m not sure that cow would be laughing if it knew its innards were going to end up in our soup. There’s an empty fish tank. Luckily there is no seafood on the menu.
The menu is on the wall. We encounter our first crisis. There is no number 27 on the menu. I question the waiter, “is that your whole menu?” “Yes we specialise in pho”, he replies and also points me to three specials on a laminated A4 sheet next to our heads. With some quick thinking we make a new rule: “If there is no number 27 we will order unlucky 13 (unlucky not to have 27)”. A brief sigh of relief as the challenge is back on track.
By the time Imogene arrives when have hit the stage of hunger where it feels like your body is eating itself. The jolly waiter had tried to take our order twice and now we can’t get his attention. Steph admits she had Asian soup for lunch (“I panicked in the Chinese shop…I didn’t know what to get!”).
When the meal comes out there is some confusion about the extra bowl of soup. Is it number 13? We question the non-English speaking server “13? Chicken giblets and livers?” We cannot compromise the integrity of the challenge. Our waiter comes over to help sort it out.
The pho goes down well, the broth is tangy and the meat is tender. As Steph says “they should do pho well as that’s what they do!” It’s not the best I’ve had but it’s pretty good. We ruminate that we may need some more experience in pho to truly judge. Never fear, there is plenty of that to come!
Next the giblets and livers. I am slightly overwhelmed by the richness of the liver and have to wash it down with tea. Steph takes two chews of a giblet and reaches for a serviette. “I felt like I was chewing on a ear,” she comments. Imogene happily chews and swallows her giblet saying “it’s ok, a bit like shithouse calamari.” Offal makes good broth though.
The Hanoi chicken soup (from the specials) is also tasty. The spring rolls are of the average variety but come with plentiful lettuce and a decent dipping sauce.
So as we sit there full of soup discussing hissing possums, testosterone and how everyone has gone a little crazy in this modern mixed up world, we conclude stage one of the Chopstick Chowdown Challenge has been a success.
Ratings
Special beef pho 7.2/10
Pork spring rolls 5/10
Special (Mien Ga Hanoi - Traditional Vietnamese chicken soup with vermicelli noodles, Hanoi style) 6.6/10
Number 13 (Chicken giblet and liver pho) 5.7/10
Cost per person: $13
Up the back there is a bright sign across the back that looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 80s when fluoro was all the rage. There’s a red laughing cow (just like the one from the laughing cow cheese). I’m not sure that cow would be laughing if it knew its innards were going to end up in our soup. There’s an empty fish tank. Luckily there is no seafood on the menu.
The menu is on the wall. We encounter our first crisis. There is no number 27 on the menu. I question the waiter, “is that your whole menu?” “Yes we specialise in pho”, he replies and also points me to three specials on a laminated A4 sheet next to our heads. With some quick thinking we make a new rule: “If there is no number 27 we will order unlucky 13 (unlucky not to have 27)”. A brief sigh of relief as the challenge is back on track.
By the time Imogene arrives when have hit the stage of hunger where it feels like your body is eating itself. The jolly waiter had tried to take our order twice and now we can’t get his attention. Steph admits she had Asian soup for lunch (“I panicked in the Chinese shop…I didn’t know what to get!”).
When the meal comes out there is some confusion about the extra bowl of soup. Is it number 13? We question the non-English speaking server “13? Chicken giblets and livers?” We cannot compromise the integrity of the challenge. Our waiter comes over to help sort it out.
The pho goes down well, the broth is tangy and the meat is tender. As Steph says “they should do pho well as that’s what they do!” It’s not the best I’ve had but it’s pretty good. We ruminate that we may need some more experience in pho to truly judge. Never fear, there is plenty of that to come!
Next the giblets and livers. I am slightly overwhelmed by the richness of the liver and have to wash it down with tea. Steph takes two chews of a giblet and reaches for a serviette. “I felt like I was chewing on a ear,” she comments. Imogene happily chews and swallows her giblet saying “it’s ok, a bit like shithouse calamari.” Offal makes good broth though.
The Hanoi chicken soup (from the specials) is also tasty. The spring rolls are of the average variety but come with plentiful lettuce and a decent dipping sauce.
So as we sit there full of soup discussing hissing possums, testosterone and how everyone has gone a little crazy in this modern mixed up world, we conclude stage one of the Chopstick Chowdown Challenge has been a success.
Ratings
Special beef pho 7.2/10
Pork spring rolls 5/10
Special (Mien Ga Hanoi - Traditional Vietnamese chicken soup with vermicelli noodles, Hanoi style) 6.6/10
Number 13 (Chicken giblet and liver pho) 5.7/10
Cost per person: $13
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Introducing the Challenge
Victoria Street is Melbourne’s Little Vietnam. It is an ever changing landscape of eclectic restaurants, grocery stores and various other services all with lots of Vietnamese characters. At its busiest it is a bustling, lively community. At its quietest it is mishmash of darkened, dusty shop fronts and roller doors.
The challenge is to eat at every Asian restaurant along the strip. Along the way we hope to discover the best (and worst) eateries, as well as broadening our culinary tastes. And it’s something to do on often idle Sunday nights.
Like any good experiment we have set down the parameters:
1. We will eat at every Asian restaurant on Victoria Street between Church Street and Hoddle Road (once a week for however long it takes)
2. We will begin from east to west on the south side and return west to east on the north side, bringing our culinary journey full circle.
3. At each restaurant we will order the following:
i) The designated standards (depending on the cuisine)
ii) One of the daily specials
iii) Number 27 on the menu
4. The standards are:
Vietnamese: rice paper rolls (or spring rolls) and beef pho
Thai: satay skewers and prawn green curry
Chinese: xiao long bao, fried pork dumplings, vegetable dumplings and greens with oyster sauce
5. Everyone must sample each of the dishes ordered
6. Each attendee will rate each of the dishes and an average rating out of 10 will be determined
We can’t take full credit for this. Our inspiration comes from an article in The Age’s Epicure.
Now you might think we are some sort of aficionados of Vietnamese food. Why else do this? Because it’s there. Because we like a challenge and doing things in excess! Let the culinary journey begin...
The challenge is to eat at every Asian restaurant along the strip. Along the way we hope to discover the best (and worst) eateries, as well as broadening our culinary tastes. And it’s something to do on often idle Sunday nights.
Like any good experiment we have set down the parameters:
1. We will eat at every Asian restaurant on Victoria Street between Church Street and Hoddle Road (once a week for however long it takes)
2. We will begin from east to west on the south side and return west to east on the north side, bringing our culinary journey full circle.
3. At each restaurant we will order the following:
i) The designated standards (depending on the cuisine)
ii) One of the daily specials
iii) Number 27 on the menu
4. The standards are:
Vietnamese: rice paper rolls (or spring rolls) and beef pho
Thai: satay skewers and prawn green curry
Chinese: xiao long bao, fried pork dumplings, vegetable dumplings and greens with oyster sauce
5. Everyone must sample each of the dishes ordered
6. Each attendee will rate each of the dishes and an average rating out of 10 will be determined
We can’t take full credit for this. Our inspiration comes from an article in The Age’s Epicure.
Now you might think we are some sort of aficionados of Vietnamese food. Why else do this? Because it’s there. Because we like a challenge and doing things in excess! Let the culinary journey begin...
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