Ajisen Ramen CBD

130 Bourke Street Melbourne, VIC 3000
 http://www.ajisenramenmelbourne.com.au/
 

Chii-Chan - Ajisen's Logo and Mascot

This is a Japanese international chain that has ramen and bento boxes as a staple. It operates in many parts of Asia and is a go-to place for ramen for many in the region but not necessarily in Japan itself. It has been in Melbourne for a while, before most of the other more recent arrivals in the ramen market. Although it is Japanese, it actually has Taiwanese origins.

The Place
This is a fast food joint and it is the same like most Ajisen Ramen outlets around the world. It is set up to be comfortable but not for extended dining where you can sit there and catch up for more than 30 minutes. It's a quick eat and go place. Small wooden stools make sure of that.

The one in Melbourne is really dimly lit and the photos are going to show you just how dim, even during the light of day.

Things to do Nearby; This is near Bourke Street Mall and all the shopping around the area. Parliament House and the Gardens are up the street.

The Food
They serve food of really varying quality here. Sometimes, it is good and sometimes, it's most average. Don't expect the aldente style ramen that many Japanese like with stronger lye water. This is part of a chain that is really quite successful all over East and SEAsia and so, has to cater to a wider palette. Hence, some will argue that it is not as authentic or traditional and I would agree with that. It is not and was not meant to be. I mean, they have Tom Yum Ramen on the menu - not very Japanese is it?

Tori-Karaage Ramen

Once you get past the authenticity issue, you might find that there are some surprises in terms of flavouring. They have a wide range of choices of ramen ranging from basic Chasyu ramen (which is similar to Chinese char-siew) to Volcano ramen. Ok, so I have tried the Volcano ramen, and I was really really glad I asked for the meat to be put on the side rather than heaped on the ramen because it was really really chilli ridden. One of my favourites is the Tori-Karaage ramen (pictured above) but that might be because I just like fried chicken.

Tonkatsu Bento

They don't have the best bento boxes in terms of value for money. Don't get me wrong - they are still tasty but some people who are expecting some tempura or sashimi are more likely to be disappointed. They also do really yummy Geso Karaage (Fried Octopus Tentacles) although sometimes, it is quite 'fishy'.

The Service
I have had basic service here that is polite but inflexible in terms of item variation. This is not unusual for a franchise that has had a history of some franchisees changing things and stuffing it up. So, they have become somewhat inflexible. The busier they get, the more abrupt they become because I have never seen more than 3 staff members working the floor - even during really busy times. Just don't expect 5 star service.

Overall
I will continue to go occasionally even though there are newer ramen places, especially when I am after a no frills, quick meal. The food is not bad and can be really quite tasty. However, if you are really looking for a more intimate and authentic Japanese dining experience, this is not for you.

Cultural Moment
Ok! I am going to take an unusual step and refer readers to a Bloomberg Businessweek article that talks about Ajisen's expansion into China, where it s becoming really popular and even discusses China-Japan relations. Check the article out here; Businessweek Article.I am not being lazy! I promise - I just thought it's an interesting article to share.

And while I am at it, you can't imagine my despair, when The Smarter Travel Website published an article by Caroline Morese on unhealthy foods of the world and the ONLY East Asian entry into that list was the humble Ramen! How the? What? Check out the Smarter Travel site here; Unhealthy Ramen?
 

Twee's Hut

Shop 26, 343, Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

http://tweeshut.com.au/
This is a bit of a gem and in the same genre as Roll'd - a funkyed up Vietnamese eatery with a more contemporary feel, except it hasn't been given a franchise treatment yet. How does it measure up? I think it does better than Roll'd and is more authentic and the food feels like it has been prepared with more love and pride.

The Place
This is set up like a fast food joint and pretty basic and simple layout. A no fuss eatery that's great for a quick lunch, any busy day of the week. They manage to keep it relatively clean despite the high turnover of customers and constantly flow of diners.

Things to do nearby: This is just across the lane from Galleria and less than 5 minutes walk to either Collins Street or Bourke Street Mall.

The Food

Hue Noodles

I have had both Hue Noodles and Classic Saigon style Vietnamese noodles here, and they are pretty good and certainly better than Roll'd in my opinion. There is a very strong hint of lemongrass in the soups here and while it doesn't have the grunginess of the eateries in Richmond or Footscray, you can expect tasty soup here. Don't expect intestines, blood jelly, tendon here - they stick to the basic chicken and beef slices.

I do like the Hue Noodles they have here because it's not overly greasy, and still packs a punch in the soup. This is quite different to the usual beef noodles most Melbournians are used to. I like it because I like the beef slices, the sausage, the thicker rice noodles (see below) and the spicy soup. If there's one criticism of that might be leveled - it's that they are not as generous as some of the more traditional places with their beanshoots and lemon.

The Service
This place has a fast food outlet sensibility, so you have to order at the counter and while they were a bit organised at the start, they seem very much more on top of things now that they have had some experience with the crazy lunch time crowd. Always friendly, if harried, they are more likely to make conversation with punters if they are not crazy busy. They will also take time to explain the dishes and clear take pride in their food. I like this place for a quick lunch because I like people who serve their food with a smile.

Overall
It's a good place to go to if you are after basic Viet fare. Other reviewers have also raved about the crispy pork and I can't wait to try this. I have tried to order it before but was too late in the day and they had run out. I will definitely be visiting again.

Cultural Moment
Some people get so used to "old school" approaches to ethnic cuisines that anything that moves a bit away from what they used to might be seen as authentic. Twee's Hut and Roll'd would fall into this new more contemporary way of doing things. Gone are the bright lights, wall to wall mirror, free cheap tea and greasy chilli paste. In with funky names, less grease, less choice, and less "special combinations". I don't have a problem with any of these - there is a time and place for both "old school" and contemporary approaches. You just have to know what you are in the mood for.

To be honest, my main challenge with the contemporary approach is the demise of "special combinations" - which basically refers to the various other parts of the cow (including tendon, innards, blood jelly, pizzle, marrow) or chicken (giblets, liver, skin). Yes! They can contribute to high cholesterol but I am not having them every day and I'd like the option. I hope this art form doesn't disappear and I wish for contemporary approaches to include this in their repertoire, but that's just me. As they say in Vietnam, I LOVE phở.

Grain Asia Cafe

Shop 46 Box Hill Centro, Box Hill, VIC 3128

Competition in Box Hill is tough with so many Asian options. How does one do well in light of that? It would either have to be really cheap, or tasty, or offer dishes that others do not. Where does Grain Asia sit? By the way the translation from their Chinese name could have been Grand Asia, but it seems they have gone with Grain for some reason.

The Place
Treat this like a food court and you won't be disappointed. It has a similar set up for quick easy meals with no fuss. Sometimes it is clean and other times, slightly greasy when it is really busy. It's a bright place with not a lot of decoration to speak off. The most interesting thing is perhaps watching them cook behind the glassed off section. It is relatively child friendly. This is easy to get to in that it sits on top of the train station and there's multi-storied parking.

Things to do nearby: Explore Boxhill Centro and its range of multicultural mix of shops.

The Food
This place serves a large variety of hawker and yumcha style dishes that originate from China to SEAsia. They are primarily Chinese dishes. Firstly, the dishes here are generally ok, they are not bad though 'nothing to write home about'. As I have said before in other entries, when a cafe offers such a wide range of dishes, it's inevitable that some dishes are going to be done well while others are mediocre at best.

If I was to use one word to describe the food here, I'd use the word 'rustic' but not in a romantic manner, but to denote plain and a bit rough round the ages, including the use of MSG. It certainly doesn't serve up any sophistication or pretensions. They use huge chunks of ingredients, big pieces of meat and vegetables, thicker noodles and greasier soups. That's not to say they are not tasty - don't get me wrong. Some of the dishes are very tasty. Some of the servings are also relatively generous.

Beef Fried Hor Fun (with thick flat rice noodles - quite greasy but tasty and a favourite of mine)

Beef Brisket and Wonton Noodle Soup (lashings of tradition including the requisite grease)

Salt and Chilli Chicken Ribs on Rice

There also do a number of stir fries with rice (Hong Kong style) of varying quality and sizes. For example, some of the dishes come with huge servings while others like the Salt and Chilli Chicken Ribs are relatively small (compared to some other places). One of the dishes I really like here is the Glutinuous Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf. They serve this up in a generous portion that's not too salty and has a good balance of textures and basic flavours.

Glutinuous Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf

The Service
This is food hall service - fast, efficient, not a whole lot of interest in any other communication but not particularly rude (from my point of view). The issue is in the demeanor of the wait staff who make you feel as if they are doing you a favour. So, they come across as brusque at best. Even though the various dishes are prepared in separate sections of the kitchen, the food generally comes out quickly around the same time. However, one doesn't go to a food hall for service.

Overall
I would go there perhaps when I am looking for a really quick no fuss cheap meal. This is only if I am aware of the few dishes I particularly like from here.

Cultural Moment
Despite the brusque service, there are still many punters here, mostly Chinese. That prompts a question about Chinese expectations of service. Is it that the Chinese don't expect much in terms of service? I don't think so personally. The issue is around context and Chinese communication does tend to be highly contextual from my very personal experience.

In a food hall, there is usually no expectation of service and people will put up with brusque service. On the other hand, in many Chinese restaurants all over Asia, there is an expectation of good service and extreme politeness. I don't think it's any different in Australia but certainly we do hold cafe wait staff to a much higher standard than they do in most of Asia - this is just my observation.

Hello Gelo

15 Anderson Street, Yarraville, VIC 3013

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! I haven't been eating out much because there is so much good food at home right now and I am still going through leftovers... I wish it was like this all year round. Anyway, back to to the blog and it gives me great joy to be able to finally write this blog. The topic - gelato! It's been a while since I wrote about Asian-influenced desserts but here it is in the new Horse year. Firstly, I have to declare that I know the owners of Hello Gelo, so I might be biased but my tastebuds are pretty honest (I hope). This place has also been reviewed by considerthesauce, so if you don't trust me, trust Kenny who writes one of the best blogs around town.

I have been to Hello Gelo many many times but have never taken a single photo!! Too busy choosing flavours, chatting and eating it all before it melts! So, I am sorry this blog post has not pics. I promise to get some the next time I am there.

The Place
Set within the trendy Yarraville Village, this is an ice-cream joint. The dominant colour scheme is bright happy orange and it's always clean. The poster board with all the performances around town and all the thank you notes from local schools and children indicates the community mindedness and contribution of this place. It's not one of those imported trendy "too cool for school hipster" gelati places, which makes me love it even more. No dark wood and leather furniture in sight and it reminds me of the good old days when ice-cream shops were bright happy places. There are limited seats upstairs and on the pavement but most people seem quite content to wander the along Anderson Street with their gelati and sorbet in hand.

Things to do Nearby: The Village has many shops to explore and The Sun Theatre.

The Food
The gelato and sorbet are made on premises and real ingredients are used. You only have to check out considerthesauce to see evidence of the yummy ingredients. Having been here many times, I have tried many of the flavours. Highlights for me include the vanilla (which I don't usually have but is so good here), chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate orange (jaffa which is one of my favourites), and lemon sorbet. However, I am not here to talk about those traditional flavours. I am here to discuss the Asian-inspired flavours.

Coconut - Coconut gelato is tricky, it is perhaps the one flavour where you might not want to be overpowered by the coconut so that it tastes like cold coagulated coconut milk. It is a skill to get the balance of flavour, intensity and delicate smoothness. At Hello Gelo, the coconut gelato is quite delicate and light rather than intense.

Coconut with Mango Swirl - This is a very occasional flavour and perhaps one of my favourites as it evokes a classic Thai dessert flavour coupling. The delicate coconut gelato is coupled with flavourful mango swirls. I do wonder what it would be like if there was more solid bits of mango and if that might be too much. As it is, it is still a winner with me.

Pandan - Pandan is what some call Asian vanilla and its green tinged. It is used a lot in Asian deserts all over SEAsia and is delight to have.

Lychee Sorbet - Lychee is a luxurious fruit that many in Asia love for its intense sweetness and slight tanginess. The Lychee Sorbet at Hello Gelo makes me very happy because it's like having frozen lychees. This is probably my favourite Chinese New Year flavour here. Give me more!

Watermelon Sorbet - Ok, at the best of times, I am not a fan of watermelon juice or flavouring. I do like the fruit itself but everything else feels a bit strange to me. The sorbet here is light and refreshing but unsurprisingly, is not one of my personal favourites. I can imagine however, that if you like watermelon - this would be a total delight.

The Service
The service is helpful, friendly and generous. Always time to chat with the kids and always friendly. You can tell the pride in the flavours of made on premises gelati here and it is really something I look forward to each time. I also enjoy showing this place off to friends and family.

Overall
The down-to-earth nature of this locally owned gelati shop is what makes the local small operator food scene in Melbourne something to be very proud of. This is a gem and I hope more people will discover it - peel away pretensions and enjoy fresh real flavours without the hype.

Cultural Moment
Asian frozen delights exist from Pakistan all the way to Japan. Ice creameries exist even before the days of modern refrigeration. Some really popular traditional flavours include pistachio (India and Pakistan), mango and coconut (most of SEAsia), Sweetcorn, Yam, Atap Chee (nypa fruticans)(Malaysian and Singapore), green tea (Japan), red bean (Japan and China), black sesame (China including Hong Kong), pandan and durian (SEAsia). There are also crazy Japanese flavours like crab and jellyfish but I am not going there.

Petaling Street Chinatown

1F/188 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

This is a Malaysian chain that is in both Melbourne and Sydney and by many accounts, of varying quality across branches. It truly is a Malaysian hawker food hall experience rather than a restaurant. Therefore, like the food halls in Malaysia, you get varying quality for different dishes at this place and across branches. While some dishes are really quite good, others are sub-par. This is no different to places in Malaysia where they might do some dishes really well while others are well - non-edible. Above all, it is a huge improvement from its days on Swanston Street when I had nothing good to say.

The Place
The Chinatown branch is located on Little Bourke Street, pretty much the heart of Chinatown. Access is up a set of stairs and I have not found any wheel chair access. It does get very crowded much lunch times, which means that it has garnered a positive reputation generally. They certainly do not cramp you all in like sardines and there's plenty of space to move, which is good.

It is also well ventilated and even at it's busiest, you can hear each other without having to shout over the din, which is always a plus. The deco is nothing to rave about but really, this is a comfortable functioning space.

Things to do Nearby: This is in Chinatown and a few minutes walk from Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street.

The Food
The food is of varying quality. While some on Urbanspoon might be critical, I believe that it is mostly dependent on what one orders. Some of the highlights here for me include the Wat Dan Hor (Egg Gravy Fried Flat Noodles with seafood), and they are one of the few places that do the Nanyang (Southeast) style Roast Chicken with their chicken rice.

Chicken Rice with Roast Chicken

The other dish that I have had here is the Char Kway Teow - again, compared to many other Malaysian places in Melbourne, nothing to rave about, especially since they seemed to include copious amount of canned clams. Also, they called it Penang Char Kway Teow on the menu, which is not right. They use big flat noodles instead of the more delicate thinner ones. There is no taste of 'hay kor' (prawn paste). So, while it passes for generic Malaysian Char Kway Teow, the diehards are unlikely to be happy with this.

Not bad but not a standout either - and definitely not of the Penang variety.

I suspect that most of the people who do not like the food here are more critical Malaysians and those who might think there's too much MSG in their dishes. However, I continue to maintain that this is not unlike many Malaysian food halls where some dishes are great, and others are far from it.

The Service
This is the main improvement from the Swanston Street days. Firstly, they are no longer rude and actuallly make an effort to engage with diners when they are ordering. That is a positive thing indeed though the bar was not set very high in the first place.

They are still struggling to get the food ordered by each group of diners out at the same time. This is likely because they have different stations in the kitchen working at different speeds. However, I believe it is a lot better again than what it was on Swanston Street when some diners would finish their meal before others have been served. Whilere there is still room for improvement, it's certainly not the disaster it used to be. Hence, that might explain the good number of diners at lunch here.

Overall
I would go there over a period of time to try out its extensive menu and I will add more dishes to this blog entry as I try them. However, it's certainly not my first go to place for Malaysian because like many other Urbanspooners, there's just not enough here that stands out, making it a middle of the road place for Malaysian dishes.

Cultural Moment
The food halls of Malaysia are seldom renowned for their high quality dishes. You do get some stand outs in each food hall sometimes, and they become famous very quickly. However, for every hawker that is good, there're probably 7 - 8 others that are average at best. Even on the famed Petaling Street of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia - there are some well known individual stalls that sell specialised dishes while others are hit and miss. I think that's worth remembering when going to Malaysian restaurants and cafes in Melbourne - it's highly unlikely that one kitchen with a few chefs are going to be amazing at every single dish on offer. Unfortunately, many Malaysian restaurants seem to fill the need to include every hawker dish on its menu. Personally, I think they should cut the number of offerings and only focus on the ones their chefs are good at. On the other hand, if you cut down the number of offerings, some might complain about the lack of variety. This is perhaps why the food halls of Malaysia seem to work well because when you have specialist stalls, they try to perfect their art over time, and if they don't - then, they don't survive.

Pho La Que Basil Leaf

369 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, VIC 3065

This is quite a new addition to Brunswick Street and could be missed if you are not paying attention. On a street saturated with choices of restaurants, this is one of two Vietnamese restaurants and it seems to be surviving well enough against intense competition.

The Place
Tastefully decorated with contemporary sensibilities, this small restaurant feels warm and welcoming. I love the huge picture of the water lilies against the green wall.

Due to the newness of the restaurant, it is still spotlessly clean and all the furniture does not look worn out like some other places along Brunswick Street. It is a rather dark restaurant because of the awning up the front and the chosen colours and dim lighting, quite unusual compared to some of the glaring Vietnamese restaurants with huge mirrors and florescent lighting in Richmond or Footscray. If you sit by the window, there's always people watching to do.

Things to do Nearby: It's in the heart of Brunswick Street and on Saturdays, there's Rose Street Market.

The Food
The food here is pretty authentic and comes with generous serving sizes and I didn't feel overly thirsty after the experience which usually means for me, less MSG. The challenge they were always going to have was being compared to the Vietnamese outlets of Footscray and Richmond. How can a Brunswick Road restaurant possibly compare? Well, I think they hold their own - they might not be the best I have had but it's a really decent and generous fare here. The small pho was adequate for me and I saw other diners hoe into a large - it was huge!

What about the taste? The soup was fresh and rich though a bit on the sweet side (but not overly so). I was not surprised that they did steer away from the more traditional 'exotic' components such as beef sausage, and minimised on the tendon and other guts. I think they are catering to the Brunswick Street punters here. Some would say it's not as good as Richmond or Footscray but that's a matter of taste, I am arguing.

The Service
The service is friendly, quick and unobtrusive. They are accurate and happy to accommodate variations in the items (I usually ask for more lemon and less raw onions with my pho - and they were quite ok with that). What I also really like is the fact that they are not in a hurry to chase you out of the restaurant when you are done, especially on Brunswick Street.

Overall
If I am feeling like a cheap Vietnamese meal on Brunswick Street, I'd probably go again. It's cheaper than the average Brunswick Street cafe (other than maybe Palookaville).

Cultural Moment
What's happening in Melbourne's main eating strips? 10 years ago, if someone says Lygon Street, you'd say Italian restaurants, Lonsdale Street brings up images of the Greek restaurants, Richmond and Footscray conjures up cheap Vietnamese, and Brunswick Street would suggest trendy cafes and bars.

In a moment of multicultural exuberance, we now have a Lonsdale street peppered with Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean restaurants; Footscray is host to a number of great African (mainly Ethiopian/Eritrean) restaurants, Lygon Street (even the Italian quarter) is now also known for Thai and Indian restaurants, Richmond is starting to sprout cafes that serve sandwiches and Korean outlets, and Brunswick Street cafes are starting to turn towards more multicultural offerings in their menu as well.

To me, this is exciting because I get a diversity of choice in any of these places and I feel totally spoilt. We are sooooo lucky in Melbourne (and many other parts of Australia) where we can get good international offerings right on our door steps. I don't think people realise this sometimes. In most other countries in the world, great cuisine from other cultures are not so readily and easily accessible. I heart Melbourne!

Roll'd Barkly Square

90-106 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, VIC 3056

Roll'd is suddenly everywhere! The Barkly Square branch opened up towards the end of last year and since then, seems to be doing well. I have visited a few times now ordering different dishes and going at different times of the day or different days. I have two main conclusions, 1) not all Roll'd are created equal, and 2) this place struggles with consistency. So, if it's great one day, might not be so the next but if it was bad, then it might be good the next. It's not a disaster but consistency is a pretty important thing for the discerning Brunswick punter. Let's face it, because it's a chain, no one is going to drive across different suburbs to eat there - they can probably find one closer to them.

The Place
This is a really small space and really nicely decorated. In fact, it's one of the more trendy looking Roll'd I have seen. It's also very open, with lots of air and sunlight. It's a space for quick and casual dining. It's a small step above a food court but I really do like the deco here. It opens out into a courtyard of sorts, so you can even eat outside and people watch. I don't think they do high chairs here other than the high bar stools for adults.

The Food
The basic funky menu has items that are all given quirky names - but doesn't hide the fact that they are basically rice paper rolls, noodle soups (pho), rice vermicelli and Vietnamese rolls (Banh Mi). The ingredients are usually pretty fresh. The quality of the noodle soup might vary between days, sometimes they are tastier, other times, a bit sweet and diluted. I wondered if it depended on the time of day.

 

The rice vermicelli dishes here are the highlight for me, especially the version with the pork crackles... CRACKLING with fresh salad (pictured above). So good and so fresh. However, there was one visit when the vermicelli was drowned in fish sauce. Other than that, it has usually been good. The other highlight as pointed by some other Urbanspoon reviewers are the spring rolls here. Robbie likes the vermicelli with the spring rolls but I just can't say no to crackling.

The Banh Mi  (Vietnamese Rolls) depends on who's making it and how harried they are. This is where they really seem to struggle with consistency. While the ingredients are still fresh, the quantity and balance of sauces varies quite a bit. Normally, at most Banh Mi places, consistency is not expected because each one is customised. However, with Roll'd, you have set menu items and so, people tend to expect the same thing each time.

Finally, the rice paper rolls - here's the thing. I have seen various Roll'd (not just this one) roll these rolls (sorry - couldn't resist) as early as 7.30am to get it ready for the punters. It is hard to maintain softness to the paper over more than 3 hours. So, I am guessing that depending on the day, it's good to check when they made the rolls. This is tricky and also where consistency might be a problem.

The Service
The service is the other thing that's not really consistent here. Firstly, some times they have lots of staff and everyone seems to get a bit confused and other times, they don't have enough staff and the poor things look so harried when they are trying to put the dishes together. Occasionally, the right combination of staff makes everything flow seamlessly. So, perhaps the consistency issue is more a logistics and rostering issue more than quality. The wait staff at the counter is always unfailingly polite and friendly.

Overall
This is a good place for a quick meal in between shopping at Barkly Square - a fresh lunch or early dinner. It's all very casual.

Cultural Moment
What would you like in your Banh Mi?
Essential ingredients are the baguette, butter, pâté, cilantro/coriander, pickled carrots/cabbage/turnip, cucumber slices. mayonnaise, chilli and hoisin or chilli sauce. Some places include crushed peanuts (which I love)

Then there's the fillings depending on what the punter likes. This includes choices from roast pork, grilled pork, barbequed pork,  pork meatballs (smashed), pork belly slices, pork floss, pork roles (cha lua), canned sardines, roast chicken slices, even tofu and fried egg in some places. Obviously, most of the versions have some sort of pork combination with a less than cursory nod to punters who might not like pork or can't have pork. In many places in Ho Chi Minh City, banh mi carts will have many of these choices and other than the essential ingredients, punters get to pick one or two fillings to go with their rolls.

Zhen Hong Restaurant

191 Russell St., Melbourne, VIC 3000

What a brutal start on Urbanspoon with reviewers panning everything from raw pork, to bland dishes to poor service? So, what is going on in this prime location? They have totally revamped the space from the previous A1 that was here. So, I decided to give it a few tries to see what the deal is.

The Place
This is actually a pleasant set up and good space where they don't squeeze 100 people into a space meant for 60. That's a great change for a restaurant in the area. This new and clean restaurant has tables in different configurations for small and largish groups. It is easy to find and could be relatively child friendly because of the generous space. It also doesn't get too noisy even on a packed night.

Let me just say that the piped music was terrible - it was almost a mix of outdated bad Richard Clayderman substitute with an overuse of tubular bells in one of those creepy Cirque Du Soleil tones. Parking in the area is also difficult unless if you pay for it at Mantra across the road.

Things to do Nearby: You are on the corner of Russell Street and Little Bourke - heaps of shops.

The Food
There is a mix of both northern and southern Chinese dishes. I actually think that they have managed to differentiate themselves from the many other similar restaurants within a stroll. While they are supposed to be Hong Kong styled, they are tinged with northern Chinese flavours.

I am not sure that they have achieved this. The Hot and Sour Soup (pictured below) needed more of everything in it because currently, though it's not a bad soup, it's really basic, mostly eggs, peas and szechuan peppercorn.

The other dishes follow similar formula of a medley of onion, carrots, capsicum, and celery. To me, this is just not right. You can't just put the same vegetables into different dishes that are supposed to taste different. Capsicum and celery are pretty overpowering vegetables. The noodle soups came with canned baby corn. So, in the end nothing really stood out for me despite a number of visits because it all tasted a bit 'same same'.

Beef Brisket on Rice

Braised Beef Noodles

Pork Ribs Noodles (with hidden capsicum and celery)

The Service
They are pretty friendly here and take time to explain dishes. This is probably where they are doing much better than many other Chinese restaurants. They are actually smiling and talking to the diners and with each other. This is not the usual harrassed surly wait staff that you might see at some other places. However, like many similar places, they struggle to get all the dishes out at the same time - it's possible for one diner to have his/her meal some 5 minutes before the others. Don't wait - just start eating.

Overall
I am not sure that this would be my go to place in the area. I like the setting and the service but I have yet to find dishes that really stand out for me, and the thought of having to deal with all that capsicum means it will probably be a while before I go back. It's not a disaster - it's just not a stand out. Maybe, that explains the lukewarm response on Urbanspoon too.

Cultural Moment 
So, I did actually ask them what style of food this was. They unequivocally claim to be Hong Kong style. This confused me quite a bit because the dishes had a definite non-Hong Kong feel to them. I also could not place it at definitely northern Chinese - which confused me even more.

It is true that the braised beef brisket on rice, has a Hong Kong feel to it - but the flavours were not authentic. However, the noodles were very different from what one might get in Hong Kong. Even the Hot and Sour Soup is actually more northern Chinese - because Hong Kong style Hot and Sour Soup tends to be way sweeter. So, this leaves me wondering if I am perhaps overconfident about my knowledge of Hong Kong cuisine, or maybe they are just really northern Chinese cooking Hong Kong dishes and have brought their own flavours to the table. I am not sure. If you every try this out - I'd love to hear from you (especially if you know Hong Kong food).

Hanani Sushi

331 Smith Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065

This is possibly going to be my shortest entry so far in more than 6 months of blogging. It's a simple eatery with a fresh feel. It is a great addition to the area as a no fuss, friendly, and informal space, that serves fresh Japanese takeaway food.

The Place
This is a little place along Smith Street, next to the pub and well positioned in front of the tram stop. It is clean and feels a bit trendy because of the simple deco they have used. It doesn't feel like a tired old grotty takeaway (partly because it's new but also because of its set up).

Things to do Nearby: Smith Street shops or a 10 minute walk to Brunswick Street along Johnston Street (the section with all the furniture and new home living shops)

The Food
The food is fresh made sushi, done by Japanese chefs... I was so excited that I didn't take any photos. They had the usual rolls and my favourite was the plain and simple Inari (rice in beancurd skin), which was not overfilled with rice, and tasted like they do in Japan. It's hard to go wrong with Inari (which actually means rice in Japanese) but some places do serve it up really dried our. That's not the case here.

Katsu Don

They also have a small range of cooked meals - donburi style. I had the Katsu Don (Fried Crumbed Pork on Rice) which was basic but nice is served with teriyaki sauce. It looks and tasted similar to some of the quick meals I had while in Japan where it was basically the katsu and don - and a bit of ginger and spring onion - nothing else. So, don't come here expecting fancy Japanese, but a quick meal/snack and you won't be disappointed.

The Service
They are friendly here and it's really functional service. They do not feel the need to shout out greetings at you like many other Japanese places in town but still come across as really easy going and polite. All good and informal.

Overall
This is going to be a great place for a quick lunch (in or takeaway) and a no fuss quick takeaway meal on the way home from work, or just a snack in the middle of the day.

Cultural Moment
The humble Katsu Don comes in different forms in Japan. As my brother said when he came back from a trip to Japan, he had "Katsu Everything" - highlighting that it's a highly popular dish in Japan. There's Katsu Sandwich, Katsu on it's own with Salad, Katsu with Ramen and of course, Katsu Don.

Katsu Don itself is basically the crumbed pork cutlet served on rice. However, variations include being served with worcestershire sauce, miso sauce, shoyu (soy) sauce, or with a wet egg omelette over the katsu plus any combination of sauces. You could event find places where they substitute the pork for chicken or beef. So, the long and short of it is, you could potentially have katsu don 5 days of the week and never have the same meal twice. Yummy fried goodness... but of course, everything in moderation, right?

Shophouse Kitchen

Shop 29 210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

This is a new set up as of June 2013 and is a place you have to queue to get in for dinner. Surprisingly, with the crowd, it has a relatively low score on Urbanspoon and there are some really harsh comments from diners with one review. It proudly says that this is a concept by David Loh (of Food Republik fame in Box Hill, and Dessert Story), a quite renowned chef of Malaysian origin, who is also inspired by Taiwanese and Hong Kong cuisine. This is one of the few times I have to disagree with Urbanspooners - I had a good experience here at Shophouse Kitchen and look forward to coming back again when it is less crowded. I think a lot of the bad reviews were from the initial teething problems to do with service and food preparation timing. They seem to have improved since June.

The Place
This is a tastefully decorated, that befits the kinds of eateries in the area. There are lots of things to look at inside, including the upside down fortune sign (in neon lights). There is a definite buzz here and the crowd dines amenably in a rather tight space. As things settle down, I hope this place will become a more leisurely dining space rather than the current somewhat hurried feel.

It is however, a very well ventilated and insulated place. There is no smokiness and the sound level is just a buzz. You can actually hear each other without needing to shout at your friends. This is very well set up.

It's not exactly kid friendly because of the tight squeeze (but that shouldn't be over stated - there are worst places). Parking is probably easiest under QV itself.

Things to do Nearby: This is set within the QV Compound.

The Food
I believe they do use a bit of MSG and I hope I am proven wrong and they stop using this very quickly. I think it was just in the minced meat sauce in my noodles. Beyond that, there were some really good dishes. Firstly the noodles quality was excellent. We tried the Minced Meat and BBQ Pork Noodles, Braised Pork Belly Noodles, and the Crispy Wonton and Crispy Pork Noodles (all pictured in succession below). Suffice to say they were all very tasty. What I think is important to highlight is that they didn't feel too salty unlike some places that serve similar dishes (the exception was the minced meat sauce which was salty). The other meats didn't have a high level of salt which makes for a very pleasant change.

Minced meat and BBQ Pork Noodles

Yummy braised pork belly (without being too salty)

Crispy wontons and Crispy Pork

We also had some of the Panfried Chicken and Shitake Mushroom Dumpling which was really succulent and tasty, with a thinner than average dumpling skin. Then, there was the Wontons in Chilli Oil and Black Vinegar, which I felt was less stellar. Although, it had 2 little chilli symbols on the menu, the wontons were not very hot. As regular readers of my blog might know, I when I am promised vinegar and sour things, I like it to be really sour - the wontons had a more peanut sauce taste than vinegar. In hindsight, I should have added the readily available black vinegar. (Pictured right, wontons on top and dumplings below.)

Finally, when I say that Hot and Sour Soup  (pictured below) was on the menu, I had to try it. I try this item whenever it is available at a restaurant. I have to say that it was not bad. Firstly, it wasn't sweet which was really good, it had no hint of tomatoes, which is even better. There was some szechuan pepper corn in it, some chilli oil and definitely black vinegar. You can add vinegar to taste too if it's not sour enough. It had shredded chicken too. The tofu they use was not of the silken variety but just your basic tofu (which was not ideal for me). Like I said before, it was ok but not necessarily the best.

Shredded Pork and Shitake Mushroom in Abalone Sauce with Crispy Noodles

The crispy noodles was pretty yummy but you have to eat it quickly because once it gets to room temperature, it's not great and maybe there's just too much of it. You have to like shitake mushroom and abalone sauce for this dish.

Curry Seafood (tricky dish to get ride - pre-cooked seafood added to curry sauce)

The Service 
To begin with, queue management is everything when you have a new place like this. It kicks off people's impression and sets the tone for their attitude. Depending on the waitstaff looking after the queues, there are some hits and misses here. I didn't experience too many problems here and it was relatively well managed despite the cold. However, it is important that all staff who are managing the queue are able to interact with queuing customers, keep them informed or even have a discussion with them about items on the menu while they are waiting.

Once you get in, they seem to be well staffed so that you are served pretty quickly, and if you are not, just raise your hand and smile for a bit of attention. The food comes when it comes depending on what you order. So, start eating instead of waiting, it's that kind of place. Mostly, they are friendly and efficient if not very personable.

Overall
I will be coming to this place again, and again - there are too many dishes I want to try.

Cultural Moment
It's really a pleasure to see that all Shophouse Kitchen's menus that are in English have accurate descriptions and no spelling error. This is going to be a bit of a rant and is going to sound very politically incorrect but I am going to say it anyway... what is it with places that can't get their menus right - with wrong spelling, wrong descriptions and wrong contextualisations. I have seen so many Asian restaurants like this. Even the signages are embarrassingly wrong in many places.

I can completely understand this in a country where English is not the first language - completely understandable and acceptable. I don't even expect people to have perfect English here in Australia - I certainly don't - you just have to read my blog to know that. Even Aussies don't have perfect English. However, when producing a menu or a signage, SURELY a restauranteur would check with someone that they have the terms right - and that there are no embarrassing mistakes? SURELY, it's easy enough to get the people who produce the big signages to do a quick check? SURELY they have at least one random English speaker who might be able to suggest that glaring mistakes be avoided. However, this is clearly not the case.

I am going to offer my humble services - if you are an Asian restaurant owner and need someone to check your menus and signages - holler at me, and if I am available, I'd be more than happy to help out. How about that? So anyway, that's my rant done... don't throw shoes at me!