Pacific BBQ Cafe Part 2

213 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 9288

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!

Pacific BBQ Cafe

213 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Phone 03 9663 9288

Looky looky at what I found.

Is this the sister of the famous Pacific Seafood BBQ House? If so, I can't wait for some kickarse lunchtime BBQ duck and pork action.

The place is still under construction, but I'll be sure to post my observations soon.

Dainty Sichuan...now it was my turn

26 Corrs Lane, Melbourne
(03) 9663 8861

Matt Preston's review of Dainty Sichuan in Epicure yesterday prompted me to post my views on this popular little eatery, which EG first experienced back in August. Since then we've been back a number of times, dragging parents, friends and just ourselves along for some chilli madness. To be perfectly honest the food is oily, salty and MSG-laden. But those damn chillies/sichuan peppercorns are bloody addictive, and their siren song keep you coming back for more.

The Mapo Tofu (above) is a lava-like braise of minced pork and diced tofu, spruiked up by a healthy spoon (or two) of spicy bean paste and sichuan pepper. You will not only feel the heat from the chilli, but also the mouth numbing quality of the peppercorns. The name of the dish literally translates as "pocked-face lady's tofu", so named for a pock-faced lady who, living on the outskirts of town due to her leprous appearance, enticed a farmer and his son with a dish made from the few items in her cupboard - mince beef, tofu and sichaun peppercorns. Apparently this tasty dish soon became known far and wide, and was named after her rather unfortunate condition. Or so the story goes anyway.

To cool things down, you may opt for a gentle plate of stir-fried Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. A nice way to break up the chilli onslaught.

The delightfully named Ants Climbing A Tree is a typical Sichuan dish which surprisingly isn't too hot. Minced pork clings to threads of mung bean noodles ( looking like ants clinging to a twig, hence the name), stir fried with ginger, garlic, green onions and a modest amount of chilli. I really like this one. Tasty.

I can't remember the name of this dish (probably because my eyes instantly started watering from the three chilli rating), but these spicy pork ribs will have you reaching for the fire extinguisher. Alternatively a cold bottle of sweetened soy bean drink or milky green tea may douse the raging inferno. Spicy and salty to the extreme, four people probably wouldn't make a huge dent in this plate of meat. Heed my warning though - don't order it if you're not prepared, as it kicks like a mule.

The beer duck was wonderfully tasty, and unfortunately by this stage I was too full to have more than a piece. The duck just about fell off the bone, having been braised for a very long time in an ale flavoured chilli infused gravy. What surprised me most was the use of sprouted bean shoots, which were wonderfully crunchy and nutty - something I hadn't seen before. And as you can see, yes, there was a fair amount of oil/fat floating on the surface.

Green beans with pork mince were also good in a deep fried, oily, excessively salty kind of way. It's a popular dish in the restaurant - you'll notice it gracing most tables. And I'd be quite happy to eat just that with a bowl of steamed rice and a bottle of Tsingtao.

Listen, the Dainty Sichuan doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't, which is why I like it. It's chaotic, it's rough around the edges and the food bites you back (not only when you eat it, but 12 hours later ;-)). It is certainly an experience.

York Cafe

336-368 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9642 2882

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.

Dainty Sichuan

26 Corrs Lane, Melbourne
(03) 9663 8861

I have a love-hate relationship with spicy foods. I absolutely love the flavour and taste of chilli, curry, peppercorns, wasabi etc but my weak stomach so hates the after effects. There have been several occasions where I was really floored by such fiery treats, but three stand out from memory. The first one was eating a whole glob of wasabi after mistaking it for a salad (I was young and naive). The second time was in Bangkok, where I was incapacitated by a tom yum soup laced with deadly birds' eye chillies. The third time was in Singapore, where I had peyote-like hallucinations after eating an incendiary lamb biryani. However, like a gimp, I always went back for more punishment. Dainty Sichuan Restaurant (surely an oxymoron) has just given me yet another chapter in my inglorious encounters with spice.

Located down the narrowest and possibly skankiest laneway in Chinatown (Corrs Lane), Dainty Sichuan is a haven for uni students, who come for the cheap and authentic fare, but it also means the restaurant is as utilitarian as they come, with help yourself cutlery and drinks from the glass cabinet. Fat goldfish stare out from a fish tank, seemingly mocking those foolish enough to brave this food.

Lunch specials are around $8. There is a more extensive a la carte menu that has pictures of the restaurants' specialities, including the infamous Chongqing Chicken, which we ordered. Spice factor are rated by stars, with four being the maximum. I was assured by my dining companion that the four star dishes are quite inedible, although the ones with three stars are sufficiently able to burn the roof of your mouth off. There are several non-spicy dishes available.

The chicken came as a massive plate of dry-fried diced chicken (bone on), completely enveloped by a ton of whole dried chillies and topped with spring onions. You of course don't eat the chillies; they apparently help to infuse the chicken with flavour. Yeah... like magma flavouring molten lava. The chicken pieces were tiny and you kinda have to sift through the forest of chillies to find them, but damn they're tasty! They were salty, spicy, flavoursome and with so much chilli heat that my lips were quivering and anaesthetised within moments. I was desparately reaching for a bottle of sweetened soya milk - a recommended accompaniment. But like all spicy foods and crack cocaine, the chicken is addictive and you just keep going for that next piece! A word of advice: eat other dishes before this one because once you start on the ol' Chongqing, you will find that you can longer taste anything else.

We also ordered Ants Climbing A Tree (geez the Chinese have buttery descriptions for their dishes) which turned out to be stir-fried mung bean shoots with ground beef. This was also a very tasty dish - salty, spicy and thankfully not as hot as the chicken. It was good. Oh so good.

I thought I had previously tried Sichuan food but these two dishes totally debunked my previous perception of what Sichuan food really ought to be. I knew it was hot, but not this hot! Dainty Sichuan is about as authentic as it gets and is highly recommended, but not for the faint hearted! Also, after experiencing the 12 hour test, may I recommend that you find yourself a bathroom with a nice cooling bidet.

New Royal Garden

562-570 High Street, Syndal
Phone 03 9886 1388

One of my absolute favourite seafoods is lobster, and one of the best ways to have this delectable crustacean is the method used by the Cantonese - lobster stir fried with copious amounts of ginger, spring onion and wispy strands of thin egg noodles. Known as Long Har Meen Tai, the dish is a signature of any self-respecting Chinese restaurant that keeps live lobsters on the premises. However, just because it is the signature doesn't mean that the restaurant gets it right every time. I have had versions that were too sweet, too salty, too soggy or too gluggy due to an over-enthusiastic use of corn flour to thicken the sauce.

One of the more consistent versions of Long Har Meen Tai is at New Royal Garden, which is the local Chinese haunt I have been going to for years. But don't just take my word for it - every time I visit I see diners happily tucking in to this dish, or the alternative mud crab version.

The lobster arrived on a very large plate, delectable pieces of stir fried crustacean resting on a bed of wispy thin egg noodles and swimming in a sauce of ginger and spring onion. Skilfully dished by the waiters, the dish was, as usual, very good. The flesh of the lobster was sweet and tender, and we all just tucked in with our fingers - no need for ceremony here!

We also tried the mongolian lamb, a sizzling plate of meltingly tender fillet slices sauted in sweet and savoury hoisin sauce. Crisp shards of raw cucumber and cooked sliced carrot, celery and onion added the vegetable component. The dish, though far from being authentically Chinese (or Mongolian for that matter) is one that sends a hush throughout the restaurant - the spectacle of the waiter hurridly carrying the sizzling platter of hot saucy meat makes most patrons hope they don't bump into anyone on the way from kitchen to table.

We also had a serve of water convolvulus, a type of water spinach that is also sometimes referred to as morning glory. It was stir fried with garlic and preserved beancurd, a kind of "chinese cheese" which adds both a zesty flavour and a creamy consistency.

Situated on an enviable corner in Syndal in Melbourne's east, New Royal Garden offers consistently good Cantonese fare in warm and friendly surroundings. It also does an excellent daily yum cha. Particularly good are the seafood dishes, especially the aforementioned lobster. There is a perception that the live seafood is better value here than elsewhere, and it certainly is the case, especially when the seafood is in season.

A small car park is conveniently located next to the restaurant, offering free parking to diners. The large interior is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass but otherwise it is a little dowdy, with pink walls, some faded Chinese prints and screens, and an AM radio crackling in the background. Tableware is standard Chinese restaurant - tablecloths, lazy susan, starched napkins, chopstick, bowls, tea cups, small plates, saucers, and more. Some bowls, plates and tea cups are chipped but really, I don't think that many of the patrons, who are predominantly large Asian family groups, are particularly mindful of quality tableware. Clearly, food is more the focus than the decor.

At the front waiting area are several fish tanks where the live seafood is kept - lobster, mud crab, snow crab, king crab, barramundi, coral trout, parrot fish, and more. There is also a small glass enclosed space where roast duck, suckling pig, roast pork and other barbequed and roast meats are prepared and sold as takeaway.

The large menu is available in English and Chinese. Prawn crackers will be brought out while you peruse the range of beef, chicken, seafood, hotpot and noodle options. If you are unsure of what to choose, the best thing is to consult one of the senior waiters or the friendly manager, who will be able to recommend dishes for you. I have found that the senior waiters are particularly helpful and they really try their best to ensure that you order foods that you would like. They will also stop you from over ordering, as can easily happen in Chinese restaurants. Other than providing recommendations, the service is friendly, warm but can become slow when the restaurant is very busy, which is often. The food is consistently good, the service is efficient and the surroundings are warm and friendly.

InfoBooth Cafe & Tea

Floor 1 / 108 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 8008

I have developed a bit of an addiction to bubble tea of late. And this particular version at InfoBooth has my vote as one of my favourites. Not only is it smooth, creamy, full bodied and amazingly flavoursome (the black tea flavour anyway), the best selling point for me is that it isn't too sweet. And the chewy pearls - oh, how I love these. It gives the drink bite ;-)

This delicious and divinely named snack is the Crunchy Milk Toast, which is a Hong Kong style french toast. It is simply a thick slab of white bread that is buttered and smeared with condensed milk (uh huh). It is then thrown under the grill for colour, texture and taste. Apparently it is quite a popular treat overseas that comes in a staggering array of variations.

Info Booth itself is a rather unusual little place. It is a Chinese bookstore / newsagency / cafe staffed by a fairly young crew, and has a staggering assortment of magazines, newspapers (which are eagerly lined up for by half the Chinese population at Friday lunctime) and cutesy hello kitty-esque type nicknacks. The surprising thing about InfoBooth is the cafe. It just doesn't gel with the rest of the business and the atmosphere doesn't feel cafe-like at all. Yet in a bizarre way, I like it. One can grab a bubble tea or snack and sit back in a comfy vinyl lounge in your own little alcove for a chat/read. That fact that I don't read Chinese might be problematic here, unless I bring my own book/paper. So I just have to satisfy myself with the range of teas, french toasts, cheap sandwiches and dim summy type snacks.

Shark Fin House

131 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9663 1555

Yum cha is the Chinese version of brunch, consisting of smallish meals/snacks (dim sum) that are served with tea. There are many forms and variations, but essentially the food comes out in steamer baskets or plates that are designed for sharing. It is tradition to partake in this form of eating on weekends, where all the family can get together and chat, drink tea and eat dim sum to their hearts delight.

The weekend just gone was Mother's Day, which was the perfect opportunity, along with the twenty million other people with the same idea, to go for yum cha. EG and I, and EG's parents, headed over to Shark Fin House. It is one of the more popular joints in town (check out the queue), especially as it has been serving up 100 or so different types of dim sum since 1989.

Now, there is something disturbingly satisfying about a person wheeling food up to you on a trolley. No need to worry about order envy here - if there is something you like, you just reach out and grab it as it whizzes by. The skill one has to embrace is that of decisiveness. Trolley-people don't like it when you ask too many questions, or dally over your choice. So it is often a good idea to venture to yum cha with someone in the "know", who can quickly jump in and advocate before a promising dish gets whisked away. That's my tip for the day :-)

Okay - so now to the food (glorious food). You must forgive any blatant inaccuracies or misrepresentations. I'll do my best to describe the choices.

First up was a plump rehydrated shitake mushroom capped with a paste of seasoned minced prawn. A little spot of crab roe made this treat look like a sui mai.

Deep fried tofu was also stuffed with a seasoned prawny mince. The cube of firm tofu had been hollowed out to fit the filling, which was packed in nice and tight. Tofu juice actually spurted out when I bit into it - a hazard for those not in the know as it was hot!

Prawn gow gee is a dim sum stalwart - a steamed translucent rice flour wrapped dumpling that is filled with smallish whole prawns. Apparently the "skin" or pastry is quite difficult to make, and will show the skill of the chef. In this case, they were excellent.

Ooh ooh...this one was a particular favourite of mine. It was a deep fried taro dumpling stuffed with minced pork, shitake mushroom and bamboo shoot. It was both sweet and savoury, overtly porky, and yes, sublimely DFG (deep fried goodness).

Here is another stalwart, the sui mai, which is a particular favorite of EGs. A thin steamed wheat wrapper encased a superbly juicy fine pork mince, and is topped with crab roe. This one must be eaten with a dab or two of chilli sauce.

Another form of gow gee, though this time the filling was prawn, scallop and bamboo shoot. EG said it was a particularly hard dim sum to get right, as often the "skin" would stick, and all the filling would pop out when you picked it up. So I was happy to report that the gow gee stayed intact from the steamer basket to my mouth.

I was a little iffy about sampling this dish, though I did go in for a taste. Strips of braised tripe swam in a silky sauce that was both sweet and heady with five spice. There was other stuff in there - perhaps bamboo shoot, tofu skins and pig skin?! (...well that is what EG's Mum delighted in telling me ;-))

This was a tofu and seafood stick parcel wrapped in seaweed. It too had been braised, and sat on a shred of cooked cabbage. It tasted fishy, but was nice.

Now to a classic that practically everyone loves - the spring roll. These ones were so hot that I had to sit there and stupidly fan my mouth to cool it all down. But do you think that stopped me taking another bite? That's right...not on your life :-) They were stuffed with pork and mushrooms and ginger and god knows what else. There is much mystery about the filling of these deep fried rolls of crisp pastry. But they are tasty!

Another one of my favourites - a vegetarian gow gee that was packed with rice noodles, roasted peanuts (which imparted a wonderful full flavour) and an assortment of vegetables. They had the same translucent rice flour wrapper as the gow gees.

The steamed rice noodle roll was lipsmackingly good and cooked to order (...it didn't come on a trolley). They had been stuffed with diced BBQ pork and vegetables, and then doused in a sweet soy sauce. Yum!

On a similar vein (in the flavour department anyway) was the BBQ pork bun. When the buns are made they are given a cross cut, which during the steaming process cracks open to reveal the deep red pork mixture within. They were BBQ sweet and immensly satisfying.

For dessert (because yes, I always love this part of a meal) was a silky tofu swimming in a light gingery sugar syrup. This particular version wasn't as sweet as I've had previously, but it was absolutely wonderful. And it is a good way to finish a yum cha meal - a palate cleanser if you will.
We arrived at 10.30 and were out the door at 11.50, which allowed the staff to whip off the tablecloths and re-set the tables for the next sitting at 12 noon. No messing around - this place means business, and you may feel that in the rush to get you seated, get you fed, and get you outta there. But you must embrace it, beacuse the food and the experience is damn good.

Maxim's Egg Tart

Maxim's Cakes
173 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9662 1980

After our yum cha at Shark Fin House, how can one not swing by Maxim's for an egg tart? Touted as Melbourne's best (...well it says so in the window so it must be true), well, I have to admit they do taste rather good. And they also couldn't be fresher - a 15 minute wait and we picked them up straight from the oven.

What differentiates it from their Portuguese cousins is that the pastry is more biscuity as opposed to puffy. That is not to say that the Chinese egg tart doesn't come in a puffy version, but the Maxim one is made with regular sweet shortcrust pastry. The custard too runs a little more sweet and eggy, and is cooked until the custard just sets. It maintains a lovely silky consistency and a delicate texture.

Sydney: Happy Chef

Sussex Centre, Shop F3, 401 Sussex Street, Chinatown (Sydney)
Phone: 02 9281 5832

People interested in food often have a sixth sense when it comes to finding good tucker. Wandering around Sydney Chinatown my eye was drawn to a second storey window and an inconspicuous sign denoting "food court". I pointed up, EG grinned and said "Let's go".

The Sussex Centre food court is a buzzy little place (at all hours) serving up a variety of cuisines such as Japanese katsu, Korean BBQ, Chinese BBQ, Chinese noodles, Vietnamese Noodles, Malay Noodles, Japanese ramen, Thai...well, you get the drift. We wandered around each stall, salivating at menus and spying what the locals were eating. After noticing that many were elbow deep in a bowl of laksa, and seeing a rabble of people milling around one particular store, we made our way over to Happy Chef.

One can not help but notice that this esteemed venue comes recommended by Luke Mangan and Martin Yan - or so the dirty big sign (pictured above) says. Despite the blatant attempt at marketing, it did appear to be a popular joint. Perhaps they were right?

Anyway, most restaurants who offer laksa do so with one house special. Happy Chef on the other hand is all about the laksa (and the noodle), and you can choose from a staggering range of additions and omissions - pretty much custom making your own noodles. Speaking of which, you'll also get to choose what type of noodle you want, though our choice of laksa noodle didn't eventuate - we got a thin vermicelli style.

I went with the fish ball/cake/slice with tofu and pork dumplings laksa. It was a sweet heady brew, chock full of spices and nicely coconutty/creamy (though somewhat thin). It was missing a vital element - that of some fiery chilli. I know it is safe practice to dumb down the heat for an untrained palate, but I think one should hold firm to the tradition of a dish, and at least ramp it up just a little bit.

The fish ball/cake/slice was all pre-packaged stuff, but decent. The deep fried tofu puffs, after having sucked up all the spicy broth, were divine. And the pork dumplings were just a little too gamey. Though it was not the best I've had, it was still a well satisfying bowl of laksa.

EG went with Luke Mangan's recommended dish - the number 56 - BBQ pork, chicken, beef laksa. The base was the same, though his was punctuated with slices of rare beef and shreds of chicken and BBQ pork. Garnished with spring onions and crispy shallots, he drained it to the last drop.

On coming back to Melbourne and doing a bit of internet research, we found that this little place already had a bit of a name for itself. Grab Your Fork rates the rice noodle soup, and delaksa, of course, went a combination laksa. noodleoodle also recently had the pleasure of experiencing the Sussex Centre food court too.

I just wish I had a food court like this close to work ;-)

South Melbourne Market Dim Sims

Corner Cecil and Coventry Streets, South Melbourne
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday: 8.00am - 4.00pm
Friday: 8.00am - 6.00pm

The South Melbourne Market is one of Australia's oldest, commencing operation in 1867. It is a very popular destination for Melbournians, offering a great range of fresh seafood, meat, fruits and vegetables. Stalls abound, selling everything from clothing and homewares, to foodstuffs and mobile phone accessories. One of the most famous stalls in this foodie hotspot is the one simply known as South Melbourne Market Dim Sims & Spring Rolls. Like the American Donut van in Victoria Market, the dimmie stall is a Melbourne institution, being in existence since 1949. As shown in the above picture, people travel from everywhere to queue for the stall's bill of fare.

For those who are not familiar with the dim sim, it is a Chinese-inspired meat dumpling style snack that is sold in fish and chip and takeaway shops everywhere in Australia. It was made popular by William Wing Young, the father of Melbourne celebrity chef, Elizabeth Chong. Mr Young used to peddle the meaty treats at football games to compete with the meat pie. These days they are usually made by Marathon foods, or otherwise they are home-made, like the ones in South Melbourne.

Dimmies can be steamed or fried, and both varieties are proudly offered at this venerable institution. Ordering is a little Soup Nazi-ish - be sure to know which type you want, how many, and in separate bags or all in the same bag. Pay your cash; dimmies are $1.20 each. You must keep the line moving! After getting your little brown bag of treasures, help yourself to soy sauce or fiery chilli sauce, but keep the line clear!

It ain't pretty and you'll be guaranteed to make a tremendous mess whilst eating, particularly if they're steamed and doused in soy and chilli sauce, like ours. Long time fans know to bring your own fork and napkins; otherwise you can avail yourself to washrooms that are just around the corner from the stall.

But my God, the taste! I hold in my hand a cricket-ball sized parcel of flavour, a combination of pork, mystery meat, cabbage and spices, all deliciously encased in perfectly steamed dumpling skin. The chilli sauce was a great accompaniment but go easy as it is so spicy it will make your lips tingle! If you are game, the stall sells bottles of this fiery condiment, as well as soy sauce. Also for sale are take-home frozen dim sims and spring rolls.

The original owner, Mr Ken Cheng, sadly passed away late 2006, but his legacy (and secret receipe) lives on through the Cheng family, who are keeping this institution well and truly alive.

You're putting what in your hotpot?!?

This is what goes into the hotpots over in Dixon Street, Chinatown (Sydney). Eeewww.. ;-)

Sydney: Chinese Garden of Friendship

Southern end of Darling Harbour
(near the Sydney Entertainment Centre and adjacent to Chinatown)
Phone 02 9240 8888

We found a lovely little haven of tranquility right in the heart of downtown Sydney in the Chinese Garden of Friendship. Finished in 1988 as part of Australia's Bicenterary, it was initiated by the local Chinese community to share in their cultural heritage. Using traditional forms of landscaping, architecture and garden design it does a wonderful job of recreating the natural form of nature - lakes, mountains, waterfalls and forests. One can sit on a rocky outcrop and watch fat happy carp sliding through the waters, dragonflys buzzing happily suspended in mid-air, or all manner of birdlife snoozing or catching some rays.

A gorgeous little teahouse waits at the end of your meandering walk, though I wished it were perhaps a little more "traditional" serving exotic ranges of teas etc. As it was, your usual cafe fare (and cafe tea) is available, although surprisingly there were three dim sum on offer. EG and I couldn't resist kicking back with a steamer basket of siu mai and a chilled bottle of commercial iced tea (well, it was hot outside!). A nice escape from the bustling city.

Sydney: Emperor's Puff

Emperor's Garden Cakes & Bakery
Dixon Street (near corner of Hay Street), Haymarket, Sydney
Phone: 02 9211 2135

A recent trip to Sydney led to all manner of culinary delights for EG and I (...this is the first post of many to come). One place we were smitten with was a hole-in-the-wall outfit that produced a naffy little product called Emperor's Puffs. The long line of people snaking fifteen deep down Dixon Street in Chinatown first tipped us off to this delicacy.

And this is what everyone was waiting for. $1.00 gets you five puffs. Pretty cheap, eh? The contraption that makes these puffs was quite a feat of engineering ingenuity. It clanked and it shook as it spurted batter into the cast iron moulds, which then passed through a heating element on a conveyor system. One poor lass was responsible for removing the balls from the machine and pumping them full of sweet custard. If these balls are anyones puffs, they are this poor hardworking girls'!

This is a close up of the puff - a walnut sized doughball that is heat marked and crunchy like a waffle.

And this is what you find when you don't heed the "warning - freshly baked and served hot" sign next to the hole-in-the-wall window. Scorching hot custard. Mmm...

You can read more appreciation of this yummy product here.

Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery & Vegetarian Restaurant

141 Queen Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9642 2388
Open for lunch only, Monday to Friday, 12 to 2:30pm

It is not often you find a place that so completely delights and relaxes you. And I felt this way the minute I walked through the doors at Fo Guang Yuan - a Buddhist teahouse, temple and art gallery located smack bang in the Melbourne CBD.

Housed in a rather divine old building, Fo Guang Yuan does a short lunchtime trade on weekdays only. As is tradition with the Buddhist faith, only vegetarian cuisine is served. But meat eaters should not feel discouraged - soy textured protein based beef, chicken, pork, duck and seafood make for an interesting culinary adventure should you have not ventured this way before. They also serve the most wonderful range of vegetarian dumplings and steamed buns. I didn't get to have any on this visit, but suffered order envy care of the table next to me. I will certainly order them next time.

EG and I ordered a revitalising tea blend which was served in a clear tea pot with cute little poppyseed shortbread cookies. The pot is bottomless as far as hot water is concerned, so it is probably a better option than single cups.

I decided on the chef's lunch set, which rotates on a daily basis. Today was the Thai Panang curry with vegetarian beef and mixed vegetables ($8.50). This was my first soy beef experience, and I was intrigued. It looked somewhat like beef. It had the texture of beef. But it didn't taste like beef. But then the curry sauce did such a great job of tantalising my tastebuds in other ways, that it really didn't matter. Also in the bento was a lovely saute of cabbage and beansprouts (salty and smoky), and a fresh salad dressed with orange juice and a generous grind of ground black pepper. A bowl of steamed rice served to sop up all the lovely juices. Mmm...I was well satisfied with this feed.

EG went the stirfried flat rice noodle with shredded cabbage, carrot, tofu, vegetarian pork and bean sprouts ($9.50). It had a really good smoky wok flavour and was not too oily. Very tasty.

I only lament that this is on the far side of town from where I work. I want to go back, and soon!

Sambal Kampung

234 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9663 2666

More cheap lunchtime fun in the Melbourne CBD.

It is funny how one's perception changes. I always used to pity city workers, thinking them droll and automaton as they poured from the loop and straight into their office buildings. But I am now one of them, but damn if I ain't half enjoying it! It is great to be so close to such a range of cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs. Am I hankering for Japanese? Well then I may head over to ITO or Don Don or Kenzan. Or do I want some Italian, Greek or Indian? The choices are endless.

On this day an old work colleague and I caught up and felt like something Asian flavoured, though the persuasion escaped us. But I had been to Sambal Kampung on a few occasions prior, and knew it would hit just the spot (it is Malaysian / Chinese). Basically, you can leave this place with a ridiculously full belly for under a tenner. And if you're there with a mate, then you can share an entree, just like the curry vegetable samosas above (mmm...they were excellent! The pastry, as you can see, was flaky and oh so yummy).

I couldn't resist the laksa - a lovely coconuty spicy broth filled with chicken, beancurd, fish balls, noodles and vegetables. It was tamed down in the chilli department, which sometimes isn't a bad angle to take, as you can always add, but can never take away. Not the best laksa in Melbourne, but a damn good effort.

My companion went the beef rendang - which is just that. Beef. Nary a vegetable to be seen, these tender chunks of beef practically swam in their oily spicy coconuty sauce, which is best left behind if one suffers cholesterol problems. The side of steamed rice makes the meal feel somewhat healthy (well...we all try to kid ourselves now and then!).

Service is kind of quirky. The wait staff will leave the menu and your order slip on the table. You write the dish order number, name, and any variations (eg. spicy +++), on the bit of paper. The waiter then whisks it away to the kitchen for on the fly cooking.

Hmm...I wonder if that means I can order a low fat beef rendang next time? ;-)

Grilled Beef with Blackbean

Check out the artful chi-chi-poo-poo food styling done by EG. Note the upturned bowl of rice, the batons of broccolini and carrot fanned out ever so nicely. And then the best bit, slices of medium-rare rump, drizzled with made-from-scratch black bean sauce. My attempt at food styling was a friggin' disgrace, so I'll leave that photo in the archives as a reminder of how not to plate up food.

Anyway, this is another recipe inspired by Bill Granger. I won't write out the recipe (cause that would be bad), but you can find it in his Sydney Food book. What I like about this recipe is that it is somewhat unsual in it's preparation. This is not a stirfry dish.

Firstly, one marinades a nice bit of rump (his recipe calls for eye fillet though) in some shao hsing wine, oyster sauce, caster sugar, kecap manis, sesame oil and fish sauce overnight. You drain the liquid and sear the steaks on super high heat for two minutes each side (or until your desired state of rare/medium - no more!)

You then make a little blackbean sauce with vegetable oil, garlic, salted blackbeans that have been rinsed, drained and lightly mashed with a fork, dark soy sauce, sugar, shao hsing wine and sesame oil. You let it bubble down until a nice saucy consistency is reached.

Then you slice the meat, arrange ever so nicely with some greenery, and spoon on the sauce. Served with rice, some extra chilli if desired, this is one damn fine tasty dish!

Keong Hee Huat Chye

This year I was extremely honoured to be invited to EG's Reunion Dinner to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The dinner is traditionally held on New Year's Eve and is one of the most important Chinese holidays. Families get together to consume a number of dishes that promote prosperity and longevity for the forthcoming year. As you can see from the image above, EG's Mum totally excelled herself - her skill and knowledge of the ingredients is super impressive!

For starters we had fresh shucked oysters with lemon care of EG's Grandma. They were huge plump things - and a lovely way to start the feast.

This dish is called Leng Puah, which is a cold dish. It consisted of thin slivers of green lipped abalone, sliced orange cuttlefish, ribbons of jellyfish and sliced calamari cooked in black soy sauce. This was actually my first abalone experience, and I commented to EG (unoriginally) that I thought it tasted liked chicken. But I then found out it had been poached in chicken stock - so I wasn't half wrong!

Hai Som Arp was an earthy savoury stew of sea cucumber, duck and bamboo shoots. The duck was meltingly tender, and the sea cucumber an interesting lesson in gelatinous textures (another first for me). Unfortunately the mental picture of a certain Jackass stunt inhibited my enjoyment of the sea cucumber somewhat.

Kari Kueh was a chicken and potato curry swimming in the most divine coconut broth/gravy. It was so full flavoured and fragrant, and I was in absolute heaven just spooning it on to plain steamed rice. I could have eaten the whole bowl - but my faulty gall bladder probably wouldn't have stood the onslaught.

So instead of eating the whole bowl of curry, I turned my attention to the stirfried vegetables. A healthier alternative ;-)

The raw salmon was presented two ways - Japanese sashimi style (pictured above), and Lo Hei, which basically means "stirred up". Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of this, but it was presented as a bowl of sliced raw salmon mixed up with slivers of ginger and coriander leaves, and dressed in dark soy and sesame.

Just some julienne of ginger, cabbage and coriander, which was used to garnish and flavour various dishes.

This was another sea cucumber dish, this time sauteed with leeks and prawns. The braised leeks lent a lovely sweetness overall.

Finally, was the Hokien Mee, a signature dish of EG's Mum. Egg noodles, rice vermicelli (bee hoon) were stir fried with scallops, calamari, mussels, prawns, chye sim (green veg). The dish should be semi-wet (ie. not completely dry) , which is obtained through the use of a mild anchovy stock. Noodle dishes are usually eaten for longevity, and as I wanted some of that longevity (which is the excuse I'm using for my gluttony), I had two bowlfuls :-).

For dessert we had mango tart (which I made, but forgot to take photos of in my haste), mango cake and agar-agar jelly. We also snacked on love letters and small pineapple cakes.

The day was absolutely wonderful. I met with EG's grandparents, an aunt/nephew from Singapore, two of his cousins, and his parents (who I have met a number of times now). I felt so privileged to be invited to this special family event (and gifted with some red packets), and to experience something that is completely different from my usual realm of experience.

I hope the Year of the Pig is a happy, healthy and fortunate one for EG, his family, and to all of you as well. Keong Hee Huat Chye!

Shanghai Village

112 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Phone (03) 9663 1878

Shanghai Village is as cheap and cheerful as you're gonna get in this town. Located in Melbourne's Chinatown district behind a heritage facade, you will be quite taken with it's interior; hot pink walls, red leather/chrome seating, Chinese lantern lighting and a quirkiness that just absolutely delights (well...it delights me anyway!).

For around $6 you can get a plate of "whatever on rice" or "whatever on noodles" or a dozen Peking dumplings, steamed or fried. The choices for each of the above are innumerable - you could eat every meal here for a month and never have the same dish twice. And the dumplings - traditional, pork, chicken, prawn, vegetable and every other combination therein available. There is also the option of purchasing a dozen frozen ($4.50) for devouring at home later.

Above is a plate of steamed vegetable dumplings. What was surprising was the lack of cabbage (the great extender), which I was very happy about. Filled with earthy shitake mushrooms (reconstituted), carrot, tofu, spinach/water convolvulus, and spring onions - they are a fresh mouthful of vegetable goodness wrapped in a tender pastry casing. Serve with vinegary soy for optimum effect.

Whilst on the dumpling theme, check out Project Dumpling for some dumpling goodness. The link might be fairly old, but amazingly enough, most of the info is still current.

Congee at Supper Inn

15 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne
Phone (03) 9663 4759

Supper Inn is to Chinese food what the Waiters Restaurant is to Italian. Honest, hearty and super authentic in a very excellent kind of way. You don't go to either place for a delicate dining experience. For starters, you probably have to line up and wait for a table (the queue for both normally runs out the door and down the stairs). The service can be lackadaisical or snappy at times, and you'll feel the brunt of it when you've finished your meal and they want to move you out the door for the next table. Don't be offended - others are just waiting every so unpatiently to come on in and eat ;-) And the decor - well hmm, let's just say wood veneer is still very fashionable at both venues.

Once again though - it's all about the food. And the other stuff just adds to the whole dining experience.

On this visit I decided to break my congee cherry at the recommendation of EG, especially as Supper Inn apparently does one of the better ones in Melbourne.

Congee is a type of rice porridge, traditionally eaten by many Asian cultures for breakfast or supper. The rice is cooked in water or broth until it breaks down to a gloopy porridge. A choice of protein can be added; meat, century egg, fish, chicken etc. And it is usually garnished with sliced green onions and sometimes fine slithers of ginger. You can season further to taste (as it can tend towards blandness) with a generous whack of white pepper, salt or soy.

On the side for your dipping pleasure, one can order "Chinese donuts", or youtiao. This is long strip of deep fried dough that is chopped into bite size pieces to act as croutons to your congee. Under no circumstance can you have congee without them - they are superbly divine, especially when they soak up all that soupy goodness.

David's Restaurant

4 Cecil Place, Prahan
+613 9529 5199

I had wanted to dine at David's for many years, my interest being piqued by the fact that some of David Zhou's dishes blend Shanghai cuisine with traditional chinese medicine. An interesting concept - one can have a great meal and perhaps cure a couple of ailments too!

The restaurant exudes an interesting funky vibe, helped by the high ceilinged warehouse conversion. This gives one room to throw some rather big features around - cherry blossom lamp shades the size of barrels, an interesting giant bamboo light wall feature and giant vases spiked with bamboo lengths. But it does retain some of the traditional - white tablecloths, timber floors and furniture, and the most magnificent old style shelving system that backs onto the bar (complete with sliding ladder to help one reach the top).

The service was a little hit and miss though. It was efficient, but had the manner of wanting us to "hurry up". I hate being rushed when it concerns food - so I found this a little disconcerting. Also, I would have liked a little guidance as to how much we had ordered. As it was, we probably had enough food for 3-4 people. It was bloody great food though, so it wasn't too much of a hardship to bear.

We decided our first course should be a dish that has been used as a traditional tonic for hundreds of years. Whilst it didn't look pretty, the Double Boiled Duck Soup had nourishing "Ying" or cool energising properties. This soup was especially good for alleviating dryness of skin and increasing my "Chi". It also enhances mental clarity and intelligence. I certainly need some of that..so bring it on! The soup was very gentle - it tasted healthy and temple-like.

An unctuously spiced lamb with a "good taste and strong bouquet" arrived cradled in a crisp lettuce leaf. Apparently lamb is meant to increase the warming energy or "yang" - which meant by this stage, I had been cooled and warmed in equal measure. So was I back to where I began? I digress.

Anyway, this was a winner of a dish - satisfyingly good in a sweet, salty and spicy way.

My tastebuds were surprised by a cold entree of Shanghai style fish, sliced in pieces and marinated/smoked with sweet soya sauce. It had an unusual texture and mouth feel, almost tasting candied in a way. This particular dish should enhance my digestion and provide beautifying properties. Bring that one on too!

X.O. Chilli Scallops also enhanced my digestion - that is because it tasted so bloody marvellous. Plump little scallops were sauteed with snow peas, zucchini, spring onions and chilli and a wonderful little X.O. sauce that punched you right in the tastebuds.

The next dish almost required a standing ovation. A very satisfying plate of stirfried chinese broccoli with assorted mushrooms was just wonderful. As I may have mentioned previously - I am always overjoyed when it comes to a good plate of greens. And this one was a superior example. Well done.

With the mains being dispatched and devoured, we made our way to the dessert menu. This is where a little help from the ol' wait staff would have been greatly appreciated. We ordered two dishes, and really - one would have been more than ample considering they were both DFGs (deep fried goodness), cooked for our artery clogging pleasure.

Golden Almond Pudding with black sesame powdered sugar was quite an interesting dessert - something I have not seen on a menu before. The only way I can think of describing the texture is chewy rubbery custard. It is not as unpleasant as it sounds - just somewhat bizarre in mouth feel. And I'd love to know what the setting agent was. Perhaps tapioca flour?

Red bean pancakes wiped every notion that what we had consumed to this point was a somewhat healthy (if you don't count the chewy custard - but then the first dessert never counts). But dare I say it (as if there weren't enough calories to start with), this would have been really great with ice cream and/or a syrup. Both desserts are designed for sharing - they are way too big to eat on your own.

By this stage both EG and I could hardly move we'd eaten so much. Luckily David's is in partnership with Ay Oriental Teahouse - so there was a delightful selection of teas to aid the digestion. Our choice was a lychee jasmine brew (top photo), which was a hand-made tea ball with antioxidant properties. It was lovely to watch as the ball slowly unfolded into a beautiful flower. Good for the visual, taste and olfactory senses.

With an extensive menu of over ten pages, this place has the potential for numerous repeat visits to sample the many dishes on offer. I very much look forward to my next adventure there.