The restaurant has several levels and discrete dining areas. We were seated with a great view of the Dotombori canal, which didn’t smell so bad behind glass. Despite the somewhat formal look of the place, Kani Doraku had a pretty casual vibe.

We went one of the crab banquets. Funnily enough, the waitress didn’t advise us that you had to order two banquets for two people; we assumed that they would automatically provide enough for the both of us. Alas, we got to share the one banquet, which meant fighting Mellie for the crab legs!! First course was crab sashimi, served on the shell. The meat was very sweet indeed, a characteristic of the crab variety that they serve here (spider crab). These crabs are evil, alien looking things in real life, which we witnessed first hand at the aquarium. They kind of freaked me out then, which made me glad that I was having revenge on them by feasting on their sweet sweet flavour.

Second course was boiled crab legs, which went a treat with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of the salt/pepper mix you see on the green plate. I was very impressed by the sweetness of the meat, but there simply wasn’t enough of it for the both of us - doh. This course also came with some rather good chawan mushi (steamed egg custard).

Next course was tempura crab and vegetables. The batter was light, crunchy and not too oily.

The hot plate on our table was turned on for the next course of grill-yourself crab. As you can see from the picture, we were also offered the green goopy contents of the crab’s head, also known as kanimiso. We declined to touch it with extreme prejudice.

The grilled crab meat had a nice smokey taste, but again the legs were too scrawny to contain much meat. Spider crabs should get into the gym and do some leg curls or squats.

This course was accompanied by some crab rice - rice that had been cooked with the flavour of crab. This was very tasty, and went well with a bowl of miso soup.

Our meal finished with excellent green tea ice-cream, made with the matcha (powdered tea) that imparted a bitter-sweet flavour to the dessert. Very nice indeed.

If you’re a crab fan, Kani Doraku is highly recommended. Spider crab is certainly one of the sweetest crab meats I have ever tasted. Just make sure you order enough food for your dining party! We also noticed other tables tucking into various hotpots, which looked and smelled fantastic. Alas we didn’t have enough time to go back and try these. However, you can’t go wrong with the banquets and this place seems to be quite good for groups if you are in the mood for a bang-up crab feast!

Standing in line at the packed-to-the-rafters Pacific BBQ Cafe, we felt like Elaine in the 1992 Seinfeld episode “The Suicide“. After fasting for 3 days for a medical test, she deliriously exclaimed at the hospital, “But here it was: mountains of duck, and not Fatty duck either, but juicy tender breasts of duck, beautifully sliced, you can takes as much as you want.” We salivated for Pacific’s speciality of Cantonese roast duck too, especially since the line was cruelly next to where the glistening birds were masterfully chopped up, plated and sent out to eager patrons.

Thankfully, as with many Chinese restaurants, turnover of tables is quick and after 15 minutes or so, the three of us were seated. As you can see from the picture above, the space inside is pretty large and brightly lit and coloured. We really liked the student buzz and vibe of the place, a nice change from the Lonsdale Street Greek precinct crowd who frequent Pacific’s neighbours. Pacific also has siblings located in South Yarra and Richmond.

You will never lose sight of the menu either, as it laid under glass on top of the table - a great idea! Pacific serves Hong Kong cafe-style food, including various stuff on rice (like moreish pork chops), hot pots, fried rice, soup noodles, and things like spaghetti (baked or fried) and sandwiches. Even Spam was on the menu! Of course, they are also famous for their roast meats, which include duck, soy chicken, roast pork and BBQ pork. A range of drinks like ice milk tea and bubble tea round out the Canto-pop experience.

So what did we order? Well, after pining for it whilst waiting for a table, we couldn’t go past the roast duck, which was $19 for half a duck. It was certainly one of the best versions of this dish I’ve ever had! The duck arrived nicely plated, skin glistening with sauce. The meat was tender and smokey, not dried out as some ducks can be; the skin was crisp and beautifully marinated. The sauce was piquant and redolent with spices. One special mention has to go to the chilli oil (lar chiu yeow) that was on every table - one of the best chilli oils I’ve had which went beautifully with the duck. Two thumbs up! As only the roast duck was available on the night we visited (Pacific had only recently opened), we made a point to go back again in the future to try their other roast meats!

A chicken with ginger and shallot hot pot ($18) arrived piping hot, with pieces of moist tender chicken and big ginger pieces swimming in a beautiful gravy that went a treat with plain rice.

A plate of stir fried seasonal vegetables ($15), which in this case turned out to be bok choy, rounded out the meal nicely. Bok choy is one of the best veg to accompany roast duck.

Service was efficient though brusque, understandably because the cafe relies on turnover of tables to accommodate its already immense popularity. They coped admirably on a busy Friday night, with dishes whipped out to our table in record time and a pay at the counter policy ensuring no long waits for the bill.

Pacific is highly recommended; the roast duck itself is worth the price of admission! We can’t wait to go back and try out their other roast meats. We definitely won’t be satiating our duck cravings as Elaine did, by eating Newman’s Drake’s coffee cake!

During our Japan trip in October 2007, we wanted to see both the old and the new, the traditional and the modern in Japanese architecture and culture. So, rather than check out just temples and traditional festivals, we also visited interesting skyscrapers and experienced contemporary festivals. The Umeda Sky Building, in Osaka, offered both. The ultra-modern and futuristic design of the building, resembling a big computer chip, has divided both locals and visitors. We loved it though! In real life, it was a very striking design, and a ride up the glass escalators to the Floating Garden Observatory at the top of the building offered great views of Osaka.

We were fortunate that, on the day when we visited the Sky Building, the Osaka International Beer Festival was also happening in the building’s forecourt. Tents and stalls were set up, offering tastings of beers and food from all over the world. You can even purchase tasting glasses, which allow you to sample a number of beers. A few stalls offered games of chance - Mellie even managed to score herself a free beer!

This stall was selling yakitori - skewered pieces of chicken and other meats grilled over charcoal. The waft of the grill from this stall was mouthwatering, although I am unsure what “sausages and Popeye” could be - see one of the signs. Spinach maybe??

As you can see from the flag, this stall had Italian fare, mostly pasta. The beers were also of an Italian flavour, featuring the very tasty Nastro Azzurro.

We sampled a few brews, including this Osakan label called Minoh Beer. I recalled that the pale ale was my favourite because it had floral tasting hops very reminscent of one of my fave beers, Little Creatures. Mellie preferred the weizen (wheat) beer.

We decided to try non-Japanese food at the festival and went with the above Pad Thai from one of the more popular stalls. It was nicely smokey, though I found it to be a bit too sweet. We also made the mistake of putting too much chilli in the Pad Thai, which literally singed our tastebuds and had us clamouring for a beer to put out the fire!

There was also an Indian stall there, selling naan, curries and meats from the Tandoor oven. The smells coming from the stall were irresistable, as were the Indian guys spruiking in accented Japanese but also switching from Hindi to English, depending on the customer - quite a scene to behold! The above dish of tandoori chicken was very tasty, with white fluffy naan that totally satisfied our cravings after a few breadless days.

A band playing easy listening music added to the laid back vibe of the festival, as people relaxed and eased into the afternoon - merry laughter indicating the enjoyment of many beers and good street food. It was a fantastic, cruisey afternoon, and a respite from an otherwise modern and fast-paced city.

I wish to dispel the myth that Japan is a very expensive country. Don’t get me wrong - there are certainly things there that will cost you an arm and a leg. However, as with most countries, if you do as the locals do, things like eating out can become very affordable.

Yayoiken is one such example. Recommended to us by our friendly ryokan owner in Kyoto, and previously visited by other food bloggers like Helen from grabyourfork, Yayoiken is a chain of teishoku-ya, located in numerous places in Japan, and all serving simple, homely and cheap lunch and dinner sets. How cheap? Try around 700 yen (AUD$7) for a set that will contain a meat/fish dish, miso soup, side dish, pickles, and bottomless bowls of rice from a huge help-yourself rice cooker. The chain is also opened 24 hours!

Cheapness in the prices certainly doesn’t mean cheap and drab surrounds: Yayoiken is a clean and very pleasant space to dine. Key in your food choices from the vending machine, insert money, then hand your ticket to the waitress, who will show you to a table. Menu choices are vast - everything from tonkatsu and yakitori to healthy grilled whole fish, stir-frys and desserts. They even have breakfast sets!

Over the course of two dinners, we enjoyed some very tasty food:

A simple and healthy stir-fry of pork and veggies was full of flavour, nicely accompanied by a tofu side dish. I had three bowls of rice with this dish!!

The tonkatsu here was obviously not as good as some of Japan’s speciality tonkatsu restaurants but it was nevertheless crunchy and yummy. Can you believe that the set above costs less than AUD$10?!

The classic Oyako Don was a no nonsense rendition of this moreish chicken and egg dish. Look how lovely that miso soup is!

What I really love about Japanese eateries is that you can always get fish at very cheap prices. Here, a beautifully grilled and butterflied piece of fresh white fish (we couldn’t identify what type) went wonderfully with a wedge of lemon.

For me, Yayoiken debunks the myth that eating out is expensive in Japan. It is a simple chain that serves delicious, straightforward food that is a cut above your normal fast food places, and is certainly cheaper than similar Japanese cafes here in Melbourne.

Kamakura is a popular tourist destination, less than an hour south of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. The town is historically important, as it was briefly the capital of Japan when Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo established his new government in the area in 1192. Today, it is dubbed the Kyoto of East Japan, with Zen temples and shrines aplenty to explore; the town is popular as a day excursion from the nation’s capital. Kamakura’s greatest attraction is the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), a 14-metre tall bronze statue of the Amida Buddha that is much photographed and featured in tourist brochures and promo’s.

Almost as famous as the Daibutsu is Kamakura’s best known souvenir, Hato Sabure, a dove-shaped biscuit that is sold in a little shop/bakery called Toshimaya. Mel and I were intrigued by the dozens of Japanese tourists carrying the distinctive yellow bags from Toshimaya. We figured that it was probably the done thing to buy some of these biscuits whilst in Kamakura.

Although the packaging was certainly gorgeous, the Hato Sabure itself was OK, resembling in taste to a buttery and eggy crispy biscuit. It was nothing to shout about, but people seemed to be really into it. Oh well, when in Kamakura, do as the Kamakurans do. That’s the beauty of Japan. Each region is famous for something, and to the rule-loving Japanese, it is the done thing to get whatever it is that a region is famous for, because that’s what you’re supposed to do

The Japanese sure have a thing for food-themed amusement parks. Whether it be ramen, ice-cream, okonomiyaki, or period style eateries, there will be an artificially created homage somewhere that pays tribute to a particular food.

Ikebukuro’s Gyoza Stadium was no exception. Located in Namco Namja Town in the immense sprawling shopping mall known as Sunshine City, the Gyoza Stadium gathers a dozen or so famous purveyors of Japan’s moreish dumplings, and plonk them into a mock “stadium” to compete against each other (sound familiar?)

First, a word about Namco Namja Town. Namco is a company better known for making computer games. Namja Town is a huge indoor amusement park featuring carnival-style games and various themed sections, like a Haunted House and “Hell Town”. It is usually very crowded but on the weeknight we went, it was virtually deserted, which made the experience extremely creepy and freaky! Imagine blaring loud carnival -style music and the occasional maniacal clown laughter with hardly anyone around, and you start to get the picture.

We persisted because Namja Town also has several themed food sections, like Ice Cream City, Dessert World, and the Gyoza Stadium. The Stadium was actually done up like an old-style food alleyway, dotted with stalls selling different styles of the Japanese take on Chinese pot-stickers. Touts from each stall beckoned us to sample their wares. We were completely in a spin, not knowing quite what to order but more bewilded by the bizarre scene: a mock food park with blaring noise, and stalls spruiking to hardly any customers.

We finally decided on a stall selling ‘normal’ looking gyoza. After a quick fry-up, the gyoza arrived with a small serving of bean sprouts. They were quite tasty - crunchy on the outside, with a yummy filling, though they were a little light on the meat. Gyoza Stadium also introduced us to true Japanese beer. Not the stuff in Australia that is brewed under licence in Australia and slapped with a Japanese label, but the bona fide and mighty Kirin Ichiban. Crisp, clean and pulled from mini kegs into cardboard cups, it was the perfect accompaniment for washing down the greasiness of the gyoza.

We tried two different types of gyoza at the next place. The first one resembled an okonomiyaki , with a generous slathering of mayo and sprinkling of what looked like seaweed powder or aonori, like the stuff you sprinkle on instant yaki soba. It was very yummy indeed.

The second type of gyoza was a straight pan-fried version but accented by a squeeze of lime, then dipped in white pepper. I did not heed the advice from the cook to go easy on the pepper, and was rewarded by a fit of sneezing.

By the time we arrived at the last place, we were getting quite tanked. The stall owner turned out to be Chinese, and recommended two types of gyoza - a very nice straight pork dumpling, and their store speciality of “cheesy” gyoza. Sounded gross, but it actually tasted quite good!!

We staggered out of Gyoza Stadium and wandered around the rest of Namja Town, including the other food parks, although we didn’t try any more food. Dessert World served all kinds of cakes, pastry, and ichipan, with seating provided on wrought-iron outdoor style furniture. Ice Cream City, as the name suggested, sold all kinds of ice-cream, some with extremely bizarre flavours, such as squid, octopus, and Indian curry flavour ice-cream, as this guy discovered (be sure to watch part 2 for more ice cream horror).

Definitely an experience, Namja Town is well worth checking out, but perhaps at a time when there are more people around. It’s the stuff of nightmares when deserted, though the Gyoza Stadium served up some mighty fine beer and tasty dumplings.

Ah, the lengths that ramen addicts go to in order to find a cult noodle joint. That’s what we were asking ourselves (or at least Mel was asking me) as we wondered around the concrete neon jungle of Shinjuku for what seemed like hours. Foot-sore, hungry, and delirious from the incongruity of Japan’s address “system” and the crapness of Lonely Planet maps, we had asked at least four people for directions. Whilst each appeared very willing to help, the directions they provided were vague in the least, plain incorrect at the most.

“Ramen Jiro wa doko desu ka?” we asked a shoe salesman in heavily accented Japanese.

“Ahh, Ramen Jiro, hehehe,” he knowingly laughed, as if mocking the slavishness with which we were trying to find this infamous ramen chain. With pointed finger, he sent us onwards into the concrete sprawl.

Whilst researching ramen places on the Internet, I stumbled upon Ramen Jiro, which had developed somewhat of a cult following in Tokyo. It is not an official franchise but rather a series of branches dotted in various locations in Tokyo, all of which serve this particular style of noodles. The infamy of Jiro stem from the soup, a tonkotsu-based broth with added shoyu and garlic that is so rich, porky and garlicky that it can’t be stomached even by some native ramen eaters. The Japanese blogs that pay homage to Jiro far outnumber the English-language ones, although I had a craving for this ramen after reading about it on the Ramen Tokyo website (which reviewed individual branches) and I was literally drooling on my keyboard after watching this YouTube video about Jiro.

Prior to Shinjuku, the first Ramen Jiro branch we tried was in Ikebukuro. Nowhere near as difficult to find as the Shinjuku branch, we easily located the signature glaring yellow sign of Jiro, which drew us in like moths to a naked flame. As with most popular ramen joints, a line snaked out the front. We eagerly queued with the hungry throng.

It must be said that we were pretty nervous at this stage. Far from the relatively safe confines of the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, this was our first, true bona fide ramen shop experience! We were perturbed by our lack of language skills and Jiro’s quirky ordering procedure (more later). We were also wondering what to do should we be split up, as seats are taken up as soon as they are vacated; they do not necessarily cater to couples.

Whilst in the line, we bought tickets from the vending machine. After reading the Ramen Tokyo website, we went the “Small” size which was ¥600 a bowl - a wise move as we discovered later. A spritely Japanese lass marshalled the “front of house” and allocated seats in a manner resembling the Soup Nazi. “Did you buy a ticket? Please do so at the machine! Please be seated. Here. No, HERE!” We meekly gave her our tickets and stood waiting for places to free up. Luckily, a couple left just as we hit the front of the queue, and we were given their seats. Phew - we breathed a sigh of relief and wished good karma on the departing couple.

The next step in the ordering procedure is that you will be asked what extra toppings you would like. These varied from branch to branch, but will usually include yasai (usually beansprout), ninniku (garlic), or even abura (extra fat from the pot). I asked for yasai mashi mashi (extra extra veggies) whilst Mellie stuck with no extra toppings.

Look at this bad boy!!! When my ramen arrived, we exhaled in awe at the pimped-up mountain of sprouts, and I was wondering how the hell I was going to finish it, and how on earth could people order anything other than a small?? Well, this was what I had waited for. Full of expectations, I sipped my first spoonful of soup. HOLY SHIT! HOLY FRIGGIN’ SHIT!! I swear to God that I had never before, in my 32 years on this planet, tasted anything like what I was sipping at that little noodle shop. It was like LSD for my tongue - my taste buds were taken on a trip. The thin-looking soup totally belied the richness, complexity and depth of flavour of the broth. It was salty, porky, and garlicky, and with each additional sip the aftertaste raised this triumvirate five-fold (and I’ve just drooled on my keyboard as I write this). Digging through the mass of sprouts, I found chashu (sliced pork) that was so meltingly tender and fatty that it rivalled the slow-cooked meats of top restaurants. The noodles were thick, curly, and of the most perfect consistency. There and then, I proclaimed to Mellie that this was the best noodle dish that I have ever tasted in my life. Seriously, it was THAT good.

Well, I managed to nearly finish mine; Mellie didn’t fare so well. We stumbled out of the shop into the night, overdosing on Jiro broth and MSG, but even then I swore to myself that I would have Jiro again before I left Japan.

My wish came true on our second last day when we went to the Shinjuku branch of Ramen Jiro. After searching for hours, we eventually managed to find the shop, which was far smaller and greasier than the Ikebukuro store. In other words - heaven.

Again we went the small, but this time I wisely didn’t get as much toppings as I did last time. The Shinjuku ramen was very good, the soup wasn’t as fatty as the Ikebukuro one and the chashu was leaner, but in my opinion, the Jiro here was eclipsed by the first one I had. Because this was my second time round, I had developed my Jiro stomach, demolishing my bowl, and polishing off the last of Mellie’s (paid for it later though!!!).

Sure, Jiro is a dieter’s ni
ghtmare - you would probably accumulate two day’s worth of calorie intake with just one bowl - but if you’re after a flavour punch that not only wounds you, it knocks your block off, Jiro is your thing. Artery-clogging goodness, and my favourite noodles in Japan. Now that I’m back in Melbourne, I get the shakes and need to find a Jiro Anonymous.

My ramen obsession began when I first saw Juzo Itami’s 1985 comedy, Tampopo (Dandelion). Tagged as the first Japanese “noodle western”, this quirky film provided great insight into the importance of food in Japanese society as well as thoroughly exploring the ways in which to make a perfect bowl of arguably Japan’s favourite noodle dish, ramen.

Before we left for Japan, Mellie and I nominated the Japanese food that we each craved the most and would most like to eat first. My instant reply was ramen. I’ve had so-called ramen in Melbourne, but I have never had the proper Japanese version and I was keen to establish a culinary baseline. I didn’t get to sample some on the first day, but my wish came true on the second day when we journeyed to Yokohama to the Shin Yokohama Raumen (sic) Museum.

People from outside Japan often think that ramen is only found in the instant variety. There are certainly instant ramen, but the fresh version is a very different proposition. Ramen is Japan’s answer to fast food, and is a version of Chinese hand-pulled noodles (lah mien). There are literally hundreds of shops everywhere in Japan, most of which are usually packed to the brim with people tucking into this hearty bowl of noodles in broth.

The Museum is the place to know all about the difference between instant and fresh ramen, the history and the different styles of this great noodle dish. It combines the two great loves of the Japanese: ramen AND quirky food-related theme parks.

The museum is divided into several floors. The top floor contains a shop where you can purchase souvenir items related to ramen, from keychains and T-shirts to ramen bowls and take-home noodle packs. There is also a purikura machine (sticker photo club) with various ramen themes.

The bottom levels are where the action and fun begins! Styled like a typical Yokohama neighbourhood, circa the 1950s, the space is dotted with period-style restaurants, shops and houses. It was like travelling back in time, or being on the set of a 1950s period movie!

The main attraction here is of course the eight ramen shops, each serving its own unique style of ramen. There is also a bakery and old-style bars. The tagline is that ramen restaurants highly regarded in areas famous for local ramen have come together in the Raumen Museum to contend with each other. It’s all very Iron Chef, but means you get to choose from noodles that have come from all over Japan: Sapporo, Asahikawa, Tokyo, Yokohama, Wakaya, Hakata and Kumamoto. Whether your preference is for a soy sauce, miso or tonkotsu-based broth, or whether you like your noodles thick or thin, curly or straight, you can find it in one of these shops!

Mel and I decided to start at Ryushanhai, a shop serving Yamagata-style ramen, known as Akayu Karamiso Ramen. As with a lot of eateries in Japan, each noodle shop has a ticket machine in front, where you can buy a food ticket. The procedure is: Choose the size you want, toppings and side dishes; hand your ticket to the attendent; then queue in line with other patrons outside until a seat frees up.

Akayu Karamiso Ramen is a shoyu (soy sauce) based broth. The Karamiso is a red dollop of spicy miso paste (see above) that you can dissolve into the soup to adjust the spiciness. Toppings include the chasu (fatty pork), spring onions, and fish cake. And the taste?? Well, what can I say. The very first sip of that heavenly broth completely blew me away; it was so damn tasty I almost exclaimed out loud (Mellie had to hold me down)!! It was almost like experiencing sex for the first time, I kid you not! The soup was rich, flavoursome, SPICY, and had a depth of flavour that blew away every so-called ramen that I’ve previously tried in Melbourne. There was NO comparison. I was like a born-again ramen eater! And the chasu, oh my God, the chasu! It was meltingly tender and fatty and just made you crave for more than the two pieces that they gave you. I should have supersized it!! The noodles were thick and firm and had fantastic texture and bite.

Suffice to say, I finished every bit of it It may not be the best ramen in Japan but for me, experiencing “real ramen” for the first time, I felt at the time that there was nothing better.

Hungry for more ramen, we decided to try Komurasaki, from Kumamoto City, on the island of Kyushu. Luckily you can get ramen in a tasting size, otherwise we would not have been able to fit this one in! This ramen is a mild tonkotsu (pork bone blended with chicken bone) broth that is mixed with garlic chips. As you can see above, it is a very rich and creamy broth, very garlicky, with thin noodles. Toppings include char shu, cloud ear mushrooms and sungan (Japanese veggies). This ramen was very good as well, although we found the soup to be a tad too creamy, and was thankful that there was a tasting size (perhaps owing to the fact that we were still full from the other place). Nevertheless, it was good to try this other style.

Completely full from noodle overdose, we spent the rest of the time wondering around the museum to work off the calorie hit, and spent a fair bit of time in the gift shop Although quirky, the museum is highly recommended, especially if you like ramen, but also to experience a small nostalgic slice of Japanese pop-culture. It might be touristy, but I did see plenty of locals there, probably because the noodles were excellent, especially the Yamagata version! I was to experience better ramen later on in our trip, but I will always remember this Museum as when I tasted true ramen for the very first time!

Avast me hearties! Mel and I have been hooked by Prahran’s Hooked. As far as fish and chippers go, it doesn’t get any better than this. Located near the corner of High Street and Chapel, the first thing that draws your attention is the nautical decor of this neat little shopfront. Buoys, roped bollards, interesting wall stencils, and a shark-shaped fish aquarium provide a fun atmosphere without being over the top kitschy. Take-away is, of course, popular but you can also eat in at a long communal table with such weathered patina that it appears constructed from the hull of an old clipper. Interestingly, Hooked also allows BYO.

The menu includes a choice of flake, barramundi, snapper and salmon, filleted fresh on site and available beer battered or grilled in a range of special boxes and combinations. You can also get fish burgers, calamari (grilled or salt & pepper), scallops, octopus and king prawns, and there are daily blackboard specials. Chips are hand-cut, and tartare sauce, pesto and other sauces are hand-made. Healthy sides include a fabulous salad of mixed leaf, tomato, cucumber, bbq corn, ginger, bean sprouds and kumera crisps - good enough to order on its own, and will definitely rid you of scurvy. Arrrgh. You can also get tempura vegetables if you want to appear semi-healthy

Packaging is very smart indeed - see above. I had the flake, whilst Mel had the barramundi in a light tempura batter with hand cut chips, home made tartare and lemon, and salad ($12.50).

What can I say - the flake was delicious. A fantastic beer batter ensured that the fish was oh so moist inside. The chips were hand hewn fritters of flavour that went a treat with good ol’ Heinz ketchup. Mel’s barra was also fantastic. What surprised us the most was the Hooked salad - not just the best salad that I’ve had in a gourmet fish and chipper but one of the best salads I’ve had ever! Crunchy, healthy and delicious, the Japanese-style pickled ginger and the BBQ’d corn added surprising yet tasty touches to the salad. I love the fact that Hooked tried to balance out the unhealthy with healthy options.

I know I’ve been waxing lyrical about what is essentially deep fried takeout, but Hooked is seriously good and highly recommended. It’s not as cheap as your usual suburban fish and greasies but quality and flavour are high, and I love the thought that has gone into the place. You Prahran people are so lucky!

Everyone needs a cheap and cheerful neighbourhood takeaway joint for when you can’t be bothered cooking or when the pantry is stone motherless bare. Takeaway is sometimes lacking for us CBD residents, who miss out on the great suburban staples of quality pizza joints and fish and chippers. Thank god for gems like York Cafe to satisfy our take out cravings!

A bustling lunch spot, York Cafe is a haven at night for students, who converge on the place for a cheap feed during a break in studying, and also nearby apartment dwellers, who keep the delivery boy very busy indeed (minimum delivery order is $20). Rita, the pocket dynamo owner, ensures that everyone is well looked after.

A clean, bright and neat little space, York offers the gamut of Hong Kong-style fast food, from a range of soup and fried noodles, to various combinations of toppings on steaming plain rice. Nostalgia abounds, with spam and fried eggs on rice available, and the drinks menu listing Ovaltine and Horlicks. A separate a la carte menu is available, which comes with complimentary soup and rice, but is currently only written in Chinese so you may have to get Rita to translate. What I love about York is that the food is tasty but not too oily, and most dishes are usually loaded with vegies. Also, the owners go the extra mile by catering for those who are gluten intolerant.

I have tried almost everything on the menu and loved them all. Those on a budget usually go for the $6.50 beef or chicken on rice, which you can choose to have with a range of sauces, including black bean, garlic chilli, satay, curry, oyster, XO, szechuan and more. Let’s see Subways match that! The York does a particularly good beef and bitter melon with black bean sauce (first pic), deliciously warming fish ball soup noodles (second pic), and one of the best examples of the Cantonese version of char kway teow ever - dry-fried beef with rice noodles that was smoky and ever so tastily licked by the breath of the wok. There’s also a nice range of fried rice dishes and vego’s are well catered for with seven vegetarian dishes. If you are game, request some fresh chopped chilli, which are sliced razor thin and come from Rita’s home garden. They will blow your socks off.

Drinks are quirky and fun, with Hong Kong-style ice milk tea (ice tea with condensed milk) and a very nice ice lemon tea. Espresso and cafe latte’s are also available. The York is not licensed but you can BYO.

I love this place! City life would have been unbearable without a great “neighbourhood” place like York Cafe.