Ah street fare. Is there a more simpler or honest way to sample the local flavours of a place? In countries like Singapore, I often prefer the street and hawker foods to cafes and restaurants, for the price but also for the fantastic flavours and lively atmosphere that such food is cooked and eaten in.

When we visited Osaka, we stayed in Dotonbori, a busy and touristy shopping/eating street next to a rather stinky canal. Movies like Blade Runner were inspired by the sci-fi-esque neon signs of Dotonbori, where spruikers loudly attempt to lure passerbys into blaring pachinko parlours, amusement centres and any one of the seemingly endless number of eating establishments. Despite the gaudiness of it all, there was a certain charm to this mad and chaotic scene.

Street fare also caught our eye, particularly the stall in the picture above (if someone can translate the name, that would be ace!) selling Osaka’s famed street snack of takoyaki, or octopus balls. No, these aren’t octopus testicles but rather a dumpling-like snack consisting of batter with a filling of diced octopus, which are fried in a special cast iron takoyaki pan that has hemispherical molds which produces the takoyaki’s ball shape. After frying, the takoyaki are topped with a moreish combination of okonomiyaki sauce, green laver (aonori), mayonnaise and katsuobushi (fish shavings). The fish shavings have an interesting, if somewhat freaky effect, as they “wilt” from the heat of the balls and look as if they’ve come alive!

We bought ten or so of the tasty treats and enjoyed them on the Nipponbashi Bridge, as many of the locals did. They were heaven - hot, chewy and doughy on the outside before one reaches the smokey octopus within. The toppings provided a melding of sweet, salty and creamy flavours that went perfectly with the takoyaki. It was so wonderful tucking into these snacks with toothpicks whilst looking out at the neon glare over the bridge. Man I love street food!

Written by Elegant Gourmand

Let me set the record straight right from the start, I am a Pho Dzung man. It’s important to state this, as people are very loyal to their favourite CBD pho noodle shop, and this loyalty can be as divided as Ford or Holden. My preference for the Dzung is not necessarily because it is the best in town, but because it is the closet one to my work. However, being a fan of the noodly and beefy soup goodness that is the mighty pho, I am not averse to trying other places.

Mekong is located smack bang in Swanston Street. It proclaims to serve “original Vietnamese rice noodle soups” and is certainly one of the first, if not the first, Vietnamese noodle soup places in the city. The interior is typical pho-shop chic: bright lights, laminex tables complete with an array of condiments and ever present flask of tea, Viet-pop blaring on TVs, and a drinks fridge stocked full of coconut and tri-colour refreshment. Drawn by the cheap prices, this is a favourite student haunt, so be prepared for sharing tables or waiting.

Mellie tried the fish ball soup that came with egg noodles.

I tried the rare sliced beef and beef ball pho. And the verdict? Well, a sign outside Meking proclaimed that Bill Clinton once had two bowls of Mekong’s pho. If that’s the case, he must have as great a liking for MSG as he did for interns, for I found the MSG levels of Mekong’s soup to be too high for my liking. Of course, this made the soup very tasty indeed, but the effect of MSG is that it gives you an almighty thirst afterwards!

I realise that most, if not all pho shops put MSG in their broth, and that the amount can vary even from day to day. But on the day that I tried the above soup, I found that the MSG level was too much.

That said, it was a decent bowl of pho, with nice beef slices and beef balls. They were a little stingy on the sprouts and basil though, and I thought the fish balls in Mellie’s dish were a little sub-par (then again, fish balls are not Mekong’s speciality).

Mekong is still a good, cheap and fun place if you’re in the area. There are better pho places in the suburbs, particularly in Springvale, Richmond and other Vietnamese areas, and I still prefer Pho Dzung to Mekong. However, for a quick pho hit, Mekong can more than amply provide. Just drink plenty of water aftewards!

Written by Elegant Gourmand