Melbourne, VIC

restaurants

Dragon Hot Pot 一麻一辣

The good fat: There’s such a huge variety of things to put into your hot pot! Starting with a column of veggies that just disappear into the soup, to different sorts of noodles – the handmade pulled noodles are a must get!! Then you progress to various types of classic hotpot meats like lamb, beef and pork, different fish balls made from all sorts of seafood, interesting Chinese things like internal organs e.g. duck liver, duck blood, and even a huge variety of different sorts of seafood, like mussels, pipis, bay bug and even crab! There is guaranteed something for everyone at Dragon Hot Pot! My absolute must gets each time would definitely be a couple of the prawn balls, and the handmade noodles – for a mild soup base. For non-spicy lovers, the collagen bone soup is so hearty, and warming to the soul, encapsulating the Chinese idea of “xiang”. But of course, Dragon Hot Pot is supposed to be Sichuan malatang, so for spice lovers this really is heaven. There is spicy and extra spicy, as well as the option for ADDING EXTRA CHILLI OIL AND FLAKES – and I get sweats just looking at people with their bright red bowls. Regardless, the mild malatang soup base at Dragon Hot Pot is perfect for me and entails a unique scent of spiciness and chilli that would be perfect for Winter. The bad fat: Nothing – just don’t get anything you don’t like?! Do tell them your spice tolerance though because I’ve tried mild before and it was milder than other times which was too spicy for me to handle (I have low tolerance) Also a little upset that they didn’t have the wagyu on the day I went because I’d seen it before and it was so delicious! FAT-O-METER: 4/5

Hurstville, NSW

restaurants

Lilong by Taste of Shanghai

Lilong by Taste of Shanghai, a popular Chinese franchise originating from Sydney, is a nice getaway inside Melbourne Central for those seeking some traditional Chinese home-cooking, with simple dumpling dishes, ranging to a nicer splurge in the form of crab or barramundi dishes. Being the first day of the Chinese New Year 2019, the restaurant was quite busy so service was a bit rude at the beginning but otherwise, there were plenty of waitresses around keen to lend a hand. The good fat: The stir fry wagyu with mushrooms in the black pepper sauce was my top pick from the options we tried at Lilong. Tender and juicy pieces of steak were wok tossed in a gooey, peppery sauce – a classic problem is if the sauce is too thick and salty, making you reach for water over and over again but this wasn’t the problem with Lilong! Xiao Long Bao has been something of a staple that I order in Chinese restaurants now – and being a Shanghainese specialty, it seemed fitting to try it at Lilong. Whilst not the best Xiao Long in Melbourne I’ve had, what I enjoyed the most was the aromatic flavours of the soup within these small parcels of delight! The barramundi was steamed perfectly – not a second too much or too tender, with the small chunks of fresh fish falling away from the central bone and making it super easy to eat rather than a hassle. The sauce was also really light and not too salty. The bad fat: The Xiao Long Bao dumpling skin was a little on the gelatinous side, so gave it a bit of a stickier/thicker feeling compared to the best I’ve had at other Melbourne chinese restaurants. (Read: My Favourite Xiao Long!) The steamed barramundi was also quite simple and I would’ve liked a bit more complexity in the sauce underneath, rather than balancing it with a huge dollop of spring onion instead. FAT-O-METER: 4/5

Malvern East, VIC

restaurants

Shanghai Red

Shanghai Red is a huge Chinese food mecca just recently opened up in Chadstone Shopping Centre. With a large spacious interior that suits a traditional family gathering or a smaller, more intimate affair, Shanghai Red is yet another Shanghainese restaurant that engenders a delight and nostalgia in me like no other spot in Melbourne. The good fat: Xiao Long Bao is 110% Shanghai’s most celebrated, globalised dish so it really is a must get whenever I’m at a Shanghainese restaurant. Delighted by the multitude of various flavours offered at Shanghai Red, we contentedly tried the traditional, the truffle, along with the crab and pork styled dumplings. Unsurprisingly, the traditional one ended up being our favourite, with its classic, paper-thin skin, and a mouthful of juicy deliciousness inside. Aside from the Xiao Long Bao, the sweet and sour barramundi and salted egg prawn was another one of our favourites. Sweet and sour, a sticky, tomato-based sauce drenched over a one-pot-deep-fried barramundi, this isn’t a dish you want to think about the calories for! A tough, crispy skin with tender, fleshy fish inside. Whilst the salted egg prawn had a similar contrast in texture, the subtle saltiness outside from the egg yolk coating always ticks the boxes for me, especially if it’s fried to such perfection. The bad fat: Whilst I appreciate the creativity and luxury-chasing incorporation of truffle Xiao Long Bao in the menu, the inherent simplicity of flavours that Xiao Long Bao is meant to represent is lost with the eccentricities of truffle blended within the pork. It was definitely a weird taste and probably not something I’d try again, nor I’d recommend to those who love a normal Xiao Long Bao. FAT-O-METER: 4/5

Melbourne, VIC

restaurants

Nong Tang Noodle House

There is something magically nostalgic about eating Shanghainese food for me, especially when it’s cooked seamlessly to authenticity just like the way Nong Tang Noodle House does it. A place tucked in Melbourne Chinatown MidCity centre, it faces some of the toughest rivalry with the swarm of casual cheap dining options available, especially Melbourne restaurants that specialise in noodles. Nong Tang Noodle House not only left me with a perfectly satisfied Asian food craving, but also a warmth and happiness that only Chinese food can bring me! The good fat: Omg! It’s the middle of exam time and there’s nothing that can satisfy me like some traditional Chinese family-styled cooking that reminds me of home. Beginning with the hand-pulled, traditional Shanghai noodle with spring onion and soy sauce, the owner informed us that this was a SUPER SECRET recipe noodle found nowhere else in Melbourne. One of the most simple Shanghai dishes, the texture of the noodle was the equivalent of Italian al dente pasta, and the soy duck leg with braised meatball was similarly flawless. Similarly, I rejoiced in the chance to have some Xiao Long Bao whenever I’m around Melbourne restaurants in Chinatown and wasn’t disappointed – the flavours of the pork mince inside was on point! Another highlight of the lunch was undoubtedly the golden fried prawn with salted duck egg. Perhaps not a dish for those wanting to stick with some classic Western-Asian food, this prawn dish reminded me again why Chinese food is still my favourite. The light crumbs of salted egg yolk on the outside peppering your taste buds in preparation for the huge juicy prawns tucked within was heaven! The bad fat: Whilst the sweet and sour pork had a great balance of sauce such that it wasn’t overpowering, the batter around the outside was really thick, and a bit unexpected, quite different to the usual, thin coating that blends with the meat. I definitely appreciated how delicious the Xiao Long Bao was, but the skin was on the slightest thick side compared to other Melbourne dumpling houses and the soup could have been more generous. SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? YES – A convenient, cosy Melbourne chinese eatery featuring authentic Shanghai food headed by an authentic Shanghainese owner who loves and appreciates this cuisine. FAT-O-METER: 4.5/5

Glen Waverley, VIC

restaurants

Uni Boom Boom

I’m always up for trying new cuisines and dishes so when the opportunity came up to experience a café brought to us by the main Australian distributors of “uni” (sea urchin) and “bird’s nest” it was something I jumped at the thought of! Having only tried sea urchin once, after this experience with uni sashimi and uni don, one can really say that sea urchin embodies a flavour that compares to nothing else, but unfortunately, also comes at a steep price not many would afford. The good fat: We were taken on a lovely tour around the shop at the back – which stocks everything gourmet that the Asian community in Glen Waverley would be enticed by. From French-imported porcini olive oil, to the classics like sashimi-grade abalone, swallow’s nest gift packs worth up to the tens of thousands dollars, sea cucumber, and of course, sea urchin, it was interesting and eye opening to see the luxurious level of products stocked here. Keen to try their uni, we went all out and ordered 100 grams of their triple A grade sashimi, along with their specialty uni boom don, featuring uni sashimi, quail’s egg, seaweed salad and sides as such. Each slice of sea urchin melting in the mouth tasted like a gourmet canape from Poseidon’s new year’s eve feast that was an insanely rich and dense blend of everything embodying the ocean – from crab roe, to salmon sashimi, to prawns. Definitely an acquire taste that some may not be accustomed to! The uni boom don was complemented by a raw quail egg that we mixed in, and delicious sushi styled rice with hints of sweetness and vinegar to help cut through the richness of the uni. The bad fat: A very specialty styled café with a simplistic, Asian diner like décor (disposable chopsticks and plastic spoons, cheap flimsy wooden tables) that seems to vastly cheapen the quality of food they’re serving so it felt a bit paradoxical at times. SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? Yes – BUT ONLY if you have the cash to spend and the taste buds to appreciate the finer degustationary delights of Asian cuisine, including abalone, uni, and swallow’s nest. FAT-O-METER: 4/5

Carlton, VIC

restaurants • shopping

TuanTuan Chinese Brasserie Melbourne

Tuan Tuan is a South-East Asian with Cantonese styled fusion restaurant concept that grew from the Phillipines and has expanded its first location to Melbourne just north of the CBD. It’s a brightly lit, beautifully decorated restaurant that could stand for either a casual date night or a cosy catch up with friends. I was super impressed with their specialty – custard snow buns, that features a variety of different fillings, but the salted egg custard definitely being my standout. The good fat: Being their entree/dessert-styled specialty, it’s no surprise that the snow buns were beautifully done. A light pastry, with a delicately flaky exterior complemented with various fillings – the snow buns were an authentic, yet innovative start to our meal. The salted egg yolk instead is the definition of yolk porn – good bye to the Melbourne cafe eggs benedicts because this yolk custard drip trumps them all – a warm sauce hinted with sweet and savoury. The bad fat: The prawn curry became a little one-dimensional towards the end as there were only really prawns with curry – it would’ve been nice to have a bit more complexity to the dish or another interesting added element of flavour. SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? YES – If you love Cantonese styled yum cha pastries then the snow buns are a must try (Char Siu BBQ Pork or Salted Egg would be delicious), but whilst you’re there, be sure to grab a deliciously warm laksa or curry too. FAT-O-METER: 4/5 The prawn curry and laksa fish were pretty classic South East Asian dishes and the perfect soul warmer with the raging winds of Melbourne winter hounding outside. The laksa soup had powerful notes of coconut, and generous helpings of fish balls. Likewise, the thai prawn curry featured many fresh and juicy prawns supplemented by a lightly-spiced, yet earthy green curry.

Docklands, VIC

restaurants

View Docklands Restaurant

Previously known as the IGG International Buffet and Bar, View Docklands is situated in a quiet corner of Docklands, a glance away from the harbour if you look through their floor to ceiling windows. They feature a weekend seafood buffet, as well as a la carte options of classic Chinese dishes, including a special Peking Duck menu. Overall, the buffet was quiet standard for the price of $45 – with the made to order wagyu station a unique highlight for this relatively affordable, Melbourne buffet. The good fat: There was a fresh array of seafood, including oysters, salmon sashimi, prawns and crab – epitomising the standard features of a seafood buffet. Special highlights were the thin slices of wagyu available to order at the bar, along with the juicy Xiao Long Bao in their dim sum section. The dessert table is always a must for me at a buffet, and I was quiet surprised with how tasty some of them were – in particular, the matcha chocolate cake! They were the perfect portion size to try a fair few without feeling too guilty! The bad fat: I found the variety of the hot dishes quite scarce, with only a fair few Asian options, such as fried rice and BBQ beef. The ambiance was a little dry, and not at all vibrant. Being a cold Wintry Melbourne evening, the heater didn’t seem to be on so we were forced to eat dinner wearing huge down jackets which made the entire experience a little unappealing. The sushi bar, whilst presented nicely, consisted of rather dry sushi rolls. SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? Depends on your taste – Definitely on the cheaper side compared to other Melbourne buffets, and quite worthwhile if you enjoy your seafood and the classic Chinese dishes. FAT-O-METER: 3.5/5

Melbourne, VIC

restaurants

Secret Kitchen CBD

Secret Kitchen is a popular Melbourne Cantonese yum cha restaurant, also featuring a great range of traditional Chinese a la carte dining options and a delectable seafood menu. Boasting outlets across Melbourne CBD, Doncaster, Chadstone and Glen Waverley, we were very excited to be able to dine at their open-space venue at Glen Waverley. Overall, the service was speedy, their yum cha had several specialty dishes and the environment was so vibrant and bustling – it was so busy for a Thursday lunch time when the rest of the shopping centre was quiet. The good fat: Their yum cha menu was definitely the highlight – not only did they have the classic, adorable pink custard buns, they also had a multitude of flaky pastry options, with a range of fillings, from savoury BBQ pork, to sweet durian. The egg tart pastry was similarly divine, crumbling perfectly in my mouth whilst the sweetness of the egg filling inside coming through. The truffle and scallop stir fry we tried from their a la carte menu was definitely an interesting twist on a stock standard stir fry. The scallops were juicy and tender, whilst the addition of mushrooms and perfectly cooked green beans added an earthy, yet refreshing crunch. The gelatinous rice cakes with crispy fried prawn inside was one of my favourites! A unique twist of adding black rice to the pastry created the overall purple effect, whilst the crunch of the golden flour, with the tenderness of the prawns inside was a delicious collection of different tastes and textures. The sesame dipping sauce on the side was an aromatic complement. The bad fat: The soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) were quite disappointing – the skin was definitely too thick whilst the filling was very dense, lacking any evidence of soup inside. I appreciated their wide range of Chinese a la carte dining options, and the ingenuity of combining scallops with black truffle – however the stir fry itself, was quite oily and the aroma of the truffle did not create some amazing combination when coupled with the scallops – but my friend, an expert durian pastry eater, also found the durian filling quite watery and runny inside. SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? Yes – With a competitive Melbourne Chinese market, Secret Kitchen is a worthwhile yum cha restaurant to try! FAT-O-METER: 3.5/5

Box Hill, VIC

restaurants

Dainty Sichuan Food

Dainty Sichuan is a popular Melbourne Chinese restaurant specialising in Sichuan cuisine that has been quite the rage for some time! Having heard so much about it from everyone, it was so lovely to be invited in to try their hotpot. I went in with average expectations that were definitely exceeded – there was such a vast choice of everything, the ingredients were not only fresh, but also beautifully presented, whilst the service was fast and efficient. Their prices at Dainty Sichuan are slightly higher than others but for such a vibrant environment and quality, I cannot wait to come back here and warm up from the Melbourne winter chills with some authentic Chinese hot pot (featuring Sichuan special ingredients that were unfortunately too spicy for me…) The good fat: I’ve always loved how personalised you feel when hot pot places gives everyone an individual pot each whilst all the ingredients are shared in the middle. The electric plate in front of each seat was also very simply to adjust yourself to control the heat. I ordered the Abalone and Black Chicken soup as my hot pot base, and it was so mellow but rich in flavour – taking my taste buds to their happiest place, cosy and rich Chinese home cooked soup. My top pick of ingredients would have to be the prawn mash, the squid balls with abalone, and the wagyu beef slices. The wagyu was marbled, tender and fresh – a perfect texture when we cooked it in our soup that you didn’t really even need the sauce. Both the prawn balls were so so delicious! Light in taste but worked so well subtly in the hot pot – one was a classic spherical ball, whilst the other prawn could be scooped out and placed into the pot so you could shape it your own size! The presentation of the seafood platter was stunning and we were provided with gloves, as well as utensils to help us eat the crab. The platter itself featured 3 sizely scallops, 2 abalones and multiple mussels along with a crab, all on a bed of ice. The bad fat: The prices here are a little on the higher side, especially for its vegetables which you could order anywhere. So I would recommend ordering their unique options, such as the handmade black tofu, and definitely the meatballs! SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? YES – OMG Dainty Sichuan is a fun, warm experience that epitomises Melbourne’s Asian cuisine – gorgeously presented hot pot ingredients, fresh to be placed in my steaming pot of flavours! FAT-O-METER: 4.5/5

Glen Waverley, VIC

restaurants

House of Delight 家宴渝悦

House of Delight is now the area that Shanghai Dynasty used to be, right in the heart of Melbourne’s China town on little Bourke Street. I’m a huge fan of Melbourne Asian food, particularly Chinese food – and in a highly competitive Melbourne restaurant district, House of Delight will certainly be a tough one to beat. With high quality and range of traditional a la carte Chinese cuisine, to a delicious range of Cantonese-styled yum cha options – which they also offer a lunchtime buffet for, I wouldn’t hesitate coming back here for an authentic Chinese meal with family or friends. The good fat: The a la carte Chinese traditional dishes were definitely stellar – having tried a range of such foods from China itself, as well as from home cooking – I was definitely impressed with House of Delight. The traditional Shanghai fried fish was bursting with flavour, cold as it should be, preserved with hints of sweetness from the classic sauce. Braised sea cucumber was a bold decision – but we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. The texture was silky smooth, and the braised XO sauce it was drizzled in was just a throwback to all the delicious memories of Asian food either in China, or at home. Delicately presented stir-fry is not something you normally hear of – but our cod was exactly that – fresh, silky smooth strips in a sweet, sticky Chinese BBQ sauce, on a bed of vibrantly coloured veggies. The yumcha standouts were the egg tarts and pastry buns. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Hong Kong-styled yum cha buffet, and House of Delight lived up to these expectations. The pastry was melt-in-your-mouth and the egg filling was sweet, with the light texture of jelly. MY GOD! I’ve missed these! The BBQ pastry puffs had the most delicious outer layer, golden on the outside and crumbly as you bit through. A famous Hong Kong yum cha delight is of course the salted egg custard bun: dashes of saltiness coating the bun, with warm, Chinese custard inside that just melts like the inside of a runny egg yolk – my first time trying this (strangely) and I cannot wait to try them again. The bad fat: We were so excited to try the durian pastry (as my friend loves them) but were told after about 30 minutes that they had sold out even though we had smelled its presence beforehand, which was a bit of a shame but maybe that just means I’ll have to go back! Their Shanghai Xiaolong Bao is definitely not one to order – the skin was really thick, and there was a lack of the classic “soup” inside, but then again it’s not supposed to be a traditional Cantonese yumcha food. SHOULD YOU GET FAT HERE? YES – It is rare that a Chinese restaurant is able to impress me to this extent with their a la carte dishes, and for such a classy, refined setting, House of Delight is undoubtedly one of my favourite Melbourne Asian restaurants! FAT-O-METER: 4.5/5