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.

Boundary Espresso

107 Plenty Road, Preston, VIC 3072

http://boundaryespresso.tumblr.com/
So, ocassionally I do a blog of a cafe/restaurant that's not Asian but offers the occasional Asian-inspired dish. Boundary Espresso is one of those but really only has a couple of dishes in this category. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the dishes that much that it deserves an entry here. From its name, it seems that coffee is the big thing but since I am no coffee drinker, I am just going to focus on the food and the tea here is great too.

The Place
This is a tiny place that can seat no more than 22 inside at a squeeze, though there are a few tables outside too. There are some tiny tables and a long table that seats up to 6. It's a nice little corner cafe and the parking is on the streets that surround it.

Things to do Nearby: There's not a lot to do nearby but a short drive will take you to the Preston Shops and Markets.

The Food

So we're here to talk about the "Asian coleslaw" which is in two of their dishes, the Asian Style Salad and Baked Eggs, and Pide with Smoked Chicken and Asian Coleslaw. This is more a Vietnamese style salad (but with wombok rather than cabbage as the base).

The Pide with Smoked Chicken and Asian Coleslaw (with a side of Roquette) 

Baked Eggs with a huge serve of the Asian Salad (with smoked tofu)

The freshness of the salad is undeniable and it's also got an amazing lime based dressing. Just beautiful, and balanced out with crunchy peanuts and shallots. If you love nuts in your salad, this comes with a generous serve of them. Then there's the smoked proteins (chicken in the pide, and five spiced dense tofu in the salad), which may or may not be to your taste but the highlight is the salad.

The Service
This place is well run and efficient, with very welcoming friendliness. It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere and they make every effort to see to your needs, while making do with the small space they have. Just what you need in the morning. In fact, I observed them dealing with slightly difficult customers, all with a smile.

Overall
I shall be back! There are other things (non-Asian) I can't wait to try, including the Chorizo baked eggs, Mushroom with truffle oil, and green eggs with ham. All sound so good.

Cultural Moment
So... was the salad really Asian? Have you seen Margaret Cho's Asian Chicken Salad video? It's hilarious.
In my books, it certainly is, with it's fresh balance of sesame, lime and peanuts. It's really yummy - and just reminiscent of Vietnamese salad dressings. It's great to see Asian flavours taken in a new direction. So, this is a great addition to the area.

So, what is the difference between Westernised Asian dishes and Asian-Inspired dishes?

I think that Westernised Asian dishes are those that take an original Asian dish and twist it to the point that the flavours are either watered down or have lost their core balance. On the other hand, Asian-Inspired dishes are those that take the core Asian balance of flavours and apply them to different dishes and in different combinations. Would you agree?

China Style (Chinese Cafe)

743, Swanston St, Carlton, VIC 3053 (Entrance from Grattan)

This is a no fuss fast food joint with a range of Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes. It is best good for a quick lunch if you are very hungry as they serve big portions. It's a basic eatery that caters mostly to students at the University. This space has seen a few incarnations since it was opened (including China Bar at one stage) - this latest offering has chefs with stronger Northern Chinese influences (rather than Southeast Asian or Cantonese).

The Place
This is actually on Grattan Street though the building has a Swanston Street address. It's a basic eating space with rows of tables in and outside. The ventilation is ocassionally bad enough that you come out smelling very much like the food they serve, especially when it gets busy. It's a bustling eating space around lunch time with many students and some staff. Expect to have someone knock into you at some point of your meal especially if you are sitting a bit far out from the table. I am never sure about sitting outside by Grattan Street with the traffic just zooming by (would you like dust with your meal?). None of these have stopped the large numbers of students who dine here. There is no parking to speak of here.

Things to do Nearby: Lygon Street is not too far off.

The Food
This is basic hawker fare aimed at a hungry crowd of students. I am just going to state it up front, if you are really into healthy food, this is not the place for you. It's not really high quality food but there's a lot of it, it's very down to earth, and has a real punch (they don't hold back with flavouring). The dishes do tend to be a bit more oily and the cuts of meat also have fat in them. In addition, the food comes out pretty quickly in order to get the students back to classes...

Some of the highlights here for me include:
Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice - (I do ask for less oil) The are generous with the salted fish and it's always quite tasty. However, there's a lot of it and it gets boring after 10 mouthfuls... sometimes, I pack it to have later... but beware of leaking oil... yes, salted fish oil is never good in the manbag.

Szechuan Style Chicken and Beancurd Rice - Again with the oil but this is spicy, sweet, savoury and yummy but it's harder to hold back on the oil. Anyone who's had Szechuan style dishes would know that chilli oil is usually part of the deal. You either like it or not. This is generally a nice dish but the chicken can be fatty too.

Black Fungus, Shredded Pork and Egg on Rice - Very easily my favourite dish here, with a healthy dose of fibre and protein with a heap of carbs. It is tasty and non-spicy, and for me, the textures of this dish is what sets it apart from all the other dishes here.

Shredded Pork and Fragrant Fish Sauce on Rice (pic to the right) - This is a classic Szechuan dish that's very popular in the region. The one here is a bit more vinegary (just how I like it) but again, it's greasy. If you like bamboo shoots and black mushrooms in a garlicy sauce, this is it. It's a huge serve as you can see.

The other dishes are ok and they do have a wide range of dishes including Southeast Asian dishes like Char Kway Teow and Hainanese Chicken Rice, but just note that they are cooked by Chinese Chefs, so it's not as authentic as you might expect.

The Service
The service is pretty basic like all such places. They are never rude and the food is usually served very quickly. As far as a fast food joint goes, this is pretty good. However, it does get busy and very harried at times, so don't expect too much.

Overall
I'd go there for lunch when I want a quick meal and can cope with the level of oil. It's not the place for a lunch meeting though, just a quick meal or a takeaway.

Cultural Moment
It is commonly suggested that you need to look at the clientale of restaurants to know the target audience of the restaurant. The clientale at China Style is mosly mainland Chinese students, most times I have been there. What I find really fascinating is the collectivistic/communal dining that I often observe here. Although most of the offerings here are individual dishes, it is totally not unusual to see the students eat off each other's plates.

The food here is very similar to some of the more basic eateries in Shanghai and the Szechuan regions. The flavours are strong and they don't hold back on the grease either. Obviously, this resonates with the Chinese students and they keep coming back. I have just one question... how do they have all that grease and still manage to be half my size? Both the men and women!!

Mama Roots (Vegetarian and Vegan)

599, High St, Northcote, VIC 3070

 
Asian inspired fusion vegetarian meals are not my first choice. So, perhaps my expecations were low but I was really pleasantly surprised by some of the Asian themed dishes. This is a great find in Northcote and its a relatively new place. Some of the initial harsh comments on Urbanspoon from diners seems no longer relevant as I didn't have any of the problems the initial diners had. The food was well balanced and the one thing that most people agree on, is the warm friendly service, with a smile.

The Place
This is not a huge place but tastefully decorated with a variety of seating arrangements. Lovely little cafe style dining joint with a friendly atmosphere. Parking is great across the road. There were quite a number of diners there when I went with a small group of friends but the sound level was just a small murmur.

Things to do nearby: There's not a lot nearby though about 10 minutes down the road is the High Street, Northcote shops.

The Food
There's a range of dishes here including non-Asian ones. So, I am just going to focus on the Asian-inspired dishes. When I say Asian - I mean South Asian mostly here. It's true that one would not leave this place hungry. The serves are generous and if you order the banquet as we did - there's plenty to go round. The highlights for me include:

Firstly, the starters...

The humble Curry Puff was tasty and light to start with. It was not greasy like some places and could be seen as really simple. However, the balance and lightness was just light for a starter.

The Tofu Balls are sweet and light, not too heavy and a nice way to begin the meal.

I am always partial Corn Fritters and the ones here are moist, light, tasty and well balanced as a starter.

The Tofu Burger here is simply delicious. I am already thinking about when I can go back there to have it again. It's is wonderfully well balanced, moist, and just tasty. Delicious and nutritious... yummy.

I also has the Laksa which looked like a deceptively small serving. This is fusion laksa at its best because it wasn't overpowering and just the right level of coconut milk. It did have spice and some of my friends, Deb and Robbie found that it had a bit of a kick to it. The only problem I had with it is the bits of lemon grass in it. The old style of leaving everything in the soup could be annoying for some.

Lasksa in a Claypot

There were other non-Asian inspired dishes here that I haven't reviewed but suffice to say, I think there's enough of a range to inspire most people but - when you go to a place such as this - you have to be a bit adventurous.

The Service
This place has really friendly service and I felt really welcomed coming here. They are pretty accommodating. They will take time to explain their menu which changes from time to time. I think this is an important thing because many of the dishes, as described on the menu are not familiar ones. They are innovations and with any innovation, it's always good for a diner to ask questions if they are not sure. So, ask, and they will explain what you could expect. One of the friendliest places to dine in Melbourne and my fellow diners agree on the personal touch this place offers.

Overall
What a great find for a local restaurant. I never thought I'd find a vegetarian restaurant that I would rave about (other than the Moroccan Soup Bar) but I do like this one and will likely go back again and again. A real delight.

Cultural Moment
Fusion cuisine can be tricky. Not only is it tricky because it's trying to bring different cuisines together, it is also tricky because you are possibly introducing new tastes to set tastebuds, and not serving anything that's expected. This presents a challenge especially when you are crossing cultural food boundaries - spices in salads, tang to dishes, new combinations of ingredients, unexpected twists in flavourings and textures. I honestly think this is a niche market. Most people know what they like and tend to go for their traditional favourites and their well known dishes. Even those who like contemporary cusine tend to favour particular flavours. Only a small group would put up with real fusion dishes. It's a brave neighbourhood restaurtant that does that, and I applaud Mama Roots. The good news is that they have a range of innovative dishes but also the more expected traditional ones. As I always say when it comes to dining across cultures - know your own tastes, ask the right questions and order accordingly.