Juicy Bao

Shop 2/178-190 Little Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Excuse me as I interrupt your usual Ming-written programme with a guest post from Chris! I’m back for another round whilst Ming does a 9am-7pm work week. She’ll be back shortly!

Sometimes it feels like, for all the Chinese food Ming and I eat, we very rarely go to Chinatown. I suppose given any random Chinatown restaurant, it’s hard to know if you’re in for some authentic Chinese food or just some Western-pandering Beef in Black Bean Sauce. However, on recommendation from a friend of Ming’s, tonight we once again made our way into that small, brightly lit street to try out Juicy Bao.

Juicy Bao looks more or less like your typical Chinatown restaurant, if somewhat less extravagant than some others (and certainly cleaner than yet others too), but we had high hopes as we sat down and ordered from their no-surprises menu.

Pork and Prawn Wonton Soup ($9.8, 15pcs)

Ming was very eager to try their Pork & Prawn Wonton Soup ($9.8, 15pcs), and having normally eschewed wontons in favour of dumplings myself, I was happy to concur. After clumsily dropping one of these meaty parcels onto the floor, I fished another out of the light chicken broth, and thankfully this one was securely in my grasp. 

Pork and Prawn Wonton Soup ($9.8, 15pcs)

Despite the juicy flavour granted by the soup, these wontons unfortunately failed to impress, lacking somewhat in prawns – the pieces of prawn were simply spread out too much and too little to be majorly noticeable. This left Ming a bit disappointed, though personally I still enjoyed them.

Salt and Pepper Squid ($6.8)

My first bite of their Salt & Pepper Squid ($6.8) yielded a lovely hit of flavour, the salt and pepper plentiful though not overdone. However, when I eagerly started eating some more pieces, I was instead greeted with a much more restrained flavour. As it turns out, the flavouring in this dish was inconsistent, the aforementioned pattern repeating throughout the meal. That said, even when not bursting with flavour, I enjoyed the batter which was not too heavy like some others we’ve had, and the squid hidden inside which had a good level of chewiness. All in all, I liked the dish, I just wish it had been more consistent!

Zha Jiang Mian ($9.8)

Zha Jiang Mian ($9.8)

One of these days, I’ll remember Zha Jiang Mian ($9.8) by its actual name – but until then, I’ll simply get by on “oh, that really slippery noodle dish with the pork and cucumber on top”. I’ll admit upfront that the slipperiness of these noodles has always bothered me a little; my white-boy chopstick skills can only handle so much! But I digress – these savoury noodles, heaped generously in the bowl, became a tasty, chewy mix with the morsels of minced pork. It also made for a tasty lunch the next day, thanks to our slight over-ordering.

Perhaps Juicy Bao didn’t quite live up to our expectations, but to be perfectly honest, I would happily eat there again and try some of their dumplings and rice dishes. It doesn’t really exceed the other good restaurants in Chinatown, but it’s on par with price, so you won’t feel short-changed spending your money here either.

Rating: 12/20

This rating reflects my (Chris’) personal experience at the time of visit. 

Penang Laksa House

482 Springvale Rd 

Forest Hill, VIC 3131
http://www.penanglaksahouse.com.au/

Penang Laksa House and I got off on the wrong foot. Why? Because it sits on the grave of one of my favourite places for yum cha and Cantonese dinners – The Treasure. Still, it’s there, so I may as well make the most of it and give it a go. The feedback may be lukewarm but stranger things have happened.

Though the outside is more or less the same, I could barely recognise the interior. The menu however is a bit too familiar for comfort. Despite there being classic Malaysian hawker dishes available, there is also a disconcerting amount of Cantonese dishes, and worse still, westernised Asian. It doesn’t come cheap either; at $26 for a prawn omelette, it’s overkill even in this economy. 

Penang Har Mee ($11.8)

Though I don’t have it often, Penang Har Mee ($11.8) is one of my favourite things to eat. Spicy and aromatic, I often liken it to bun bo hue. Though it was a bit pricey, the bowl of noodles served up by Penang Laksa House was satisfyingly large, and certainly looked the business.

Penang Har Mee ($11.8)

And thus, it was twice the shame when it fell short of expectations. Whilst all the right ingredients were there in generous amounts, I couldn’t believe something so fiery-looking could be so bland and generic. The soup had none of the aromatic briny tang of a good bowl of prawn noodles. It wasn’t bad eatin’, but it was a disappointment for sure.

Crispy Roast Pork Rice ($13.5)

Though I had wanted to try another traditional hawker dish, there wasn’t very much in the way of non-noodles, so we settled for a plate of Crispy Roast Pork Rice ($13.5).

Crispy Roast Pork Rice ($13.5)

Faring a bit better than the noodles, this pork was decently tender (but occasionally burnt) and the skin reasonably crunchy (but occasionally chewy). The accompanying rice, soaked in gingery pork broth, was a definite plus. At $13.5 however, it’s hard to find reasons to come back for this when any restaurant in Box Hill does better pork for much less moolah.

Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed with Penang Laksa House. Not only was the food borderline bad, the service wasn’t helped by the waitress who took away Chris’ chopsticks, which we found awfully presumptuous. Despite harbouring a grudge, I was desperate to like Penang Laksa House even partially as much as I loved The Treasure, but unfortunately it was not to be. Not when the most interesting part of our meal was when the power went out smack-bang in the middle of it due to one of Melbourne’s signature summer storms.

Rating: 11/20 – yeah no.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

North East China Family

302 Flinders Ln 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

Chris and I had a simple dinner at North East China Family. A real simple dinner. Because sometimes you’re just so tired and hungry you just want something comforting sitting solidly in your tummy.

The menu boggled a little, being a mix of Northern Chinese, Southern Chinese, and Aussie Chinese. Nevertheless, there is bound to be something that pleases everyone. 

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings ($9, 15pcs)

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings ($9, 15pcs) were a must-order. These plump parcels were reassuringly irregular, filled with a mince and vegetable mix, and the overall effect was one of hearty stodginess. The jar of chilli oil was a disappointing flavourless burn, but a dash of vinegar made things better. 

Spice Salt Squid ($18)

The Spice Salt Squid ($18) was battered with powdery rice flour, and fried into large golden florets. Though the squid leant towards mushiness, the batter was light and peppery with just the right amount of salt. Despite having a light texture however, the batter was rather too liberal in places, and ended up being a bit cloying towards the end.

I told you it was a simple dinner.

Rating: 11.5/20 – K.I.S.S.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

China Red

Shop 6, 206 Bourke St 

Melbourne, VIC 3000
http://www.china-red.com.au/

Given that I have a few more exciting meals lined up for the next couple weeks, Friday night dinner this week was less of an affair, and more of just a simple meal at China Red that doesn’t break the bank. 

I’m really not very sure when China Red rocked up, but it’s been a while. They seem to do continuously well due on a mixture of reasons, including a reliably adequate menu, a large range of dishes, and the novelty of touch-screen ordering. I imagine being the little sister of HuTong doesn’t hurt their reputation either. 

Chilli Wontons ($8.9, 8pcs)

Though I’ve long since given up on HuTong as a bad job, I’ve always retained fond memories of the Chilli Wontons ($8.9, 8pcs). Unfortunately these if not destroyed, then at least tarnished those recollections at least a little. The skins on these wontons were no longer silky and delicate, and the sauce was heavy on both sugar and vinegar, whilst the chilli oil had lost its smoky aroma. They’re hardly bad, but I would no longer go out of my way to order them.

Peking Dumplings ($11,8, 12pcs)

The Peking Dumplings ($11.8, 12pcs) however defied expectations. Mind you, they were very low to start off with, but these were actually on the nicer end of the spectrum. Despite being somewhat gluggy and mushy, the taste was actually quite authentic, though presentation could definitely use some work.

Seafood Combination with Beancurd in Clay Pot ($21.8)

The pick of the night was the Seafood Combination with Beancurd in Clay Pot ($21.8). Everything about this dish was fresh and perky, the vegetables vibrantly crisp, and the curls of calamari competed with the arched prawns for attention. The pale yellow tofu, wobbling inside its fried exterior, soaked up every last drop of the glistening egg gravy. I love it when a simple dish like this is made well.

China Red is neither good nor bad, cheap nor expensive. Though I wouldn’t remember it when I’m on the hunt for good Chinese food, I’m sure it’ll crop up here and there when I’m out of ideas for places to eat, when I want something simple and comforting, or after a long day of work where I would rather keep to myself and order from the touch screens instead.

Rating: 12.5/20 – antisocial dining.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Sichuan House

22-26 Corrs Lane 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

http://www.sichuanhouse.com.au/

When I’m hungry, bad decisions are made. Most of the time I manage to stay away from the Sichuan food, but the times I succumb to the spicy, greasy, and salty fare that’s iconic of Sichuan, I’m almost always starving. And the time we had dinner at Sichuan House? I had just finished a 2 hour study session, AFTER a whole 8-5 day at work.

Like most good restaurants in Chinatown, Sichuan House is located in one of the dingy little laneways, though at least this one doesn’t reek of garbage. It’s a lot smaller than the stately arched entrance would suggest, and has an air of faded glamour about it. But it’s the smell that hits you first, an aroma of chillies fried in copious amounts of oil that works its way into every fold of clothing. 

Kungpao Chicken ($19.8)

In preparation for the Kungpao Chicken ($19.8), our table was lined with butcher paper to catch the fiery sauce. The tender pieces of chicken were coated in a sticky, tangy sauce, tossed through with crunchy fried peanuts and whole segments of dried chillies. It doesn’t taste so spicy off the bat, but the relentless heat slowly builds on the tongue until I’m left shovelling spoonfuls of chicken and Rice ($2pp) into my mouth, trying to eat as much as I could before the fire caught up. 

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork Mince ($16.8) 

No one in their right mind would call Sichuan food ‘light’, or ‘cleansing’, but the Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork Mince ($16.8) came pretty close (well, for Sichuan food anyway). This is one of my all-time favourite dishes, the smoky beans stir-fried with an addictive salty pork mince, and chopped pickled mustard greens for just that tiny hint of tang. 

Steamed and Fried Buns ($3.8, 6pcs)

Chris doesn’t do spices well, so to fill up the last of the room in his belly, we had the Steamed and Fried Buns ($3.8, 6pcs). In my opinion, this simple dessert isn’t seen nearly enough. The fluffy, slightly sweet steamed buns were good, but it’s the golden ones, fried to a crisp on the outside, that tastes the most amazing when dipped into condensed milk.

And the final sprinkles on the icing on the cake was when I brought the leftover chicken home (we had a whole take-away box left!), which my dad and sister received rapturously. Even mum, who doesn’t eat chicken, was tempted by the tantalising smells. What more affirmation could you possibly need?

Rating: 14.5/20 – hot chicks.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Shu Restaurant

147 Johnston Street 

Collingwood, VIC 3066

http://www.shurestaurant.com/

I come from Yunnan, a province in China that’s bordered by Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. The food in Yunnan is therefore vastly varied, owing to its many neighbours and the large number of ethnic minorities that call Yunnan home. But all in all, it’s not a cuisine that Melbourne is all that familiar with (though you can get some fine examples at Colourful Yunnan). However, Yunnan does have a much more well-known neighbour, culinary-wise – Sichuan, the home of chilli, oil, and chilli oil galore. Hence, I grew up eating a lot of Sichuan food as well, learning in the process that although tasty, it really isn’t a very tactful cuisine, and tends to leave one reaching for the water to wash away the film of spice, salt, and oil.

So that explained why I was utterly bamboozled (and more than a little curious) when I was invited by Shu of Shu Restaurant to try what he dubbed to be ‘contemporary Sichuan food, made with organic ingredients and served tapas-style’. Are we talking about the same Sichuan here?

Like Shu’s bold new vision for Sichuan food, the interior of his restaurant is fresh and eclectic, paying homage to his artist days as a refurbished warehouse that could double as an exhibition space. All the decorations are hand-made, including a set of wire-frame chandeliers made by Shu himself. 

And the drinks are served in beakers! How quaint! I had a moment of squeamishness when I recalled the chemical-caked beakers from my uni days, but these were squeaky clean, and have hopefully seen no chemicals outside of dishwashing liquid! Anyway, for just $60pp (or $45 per vegan-person), you’ll be treated to 12 delectable Sichuan fusion dishes served over 4 courses – definitely some of the best value I’ve come across. 

Steamed Tofu Pockets/Chilled Silken Tofu Jar/Daikon Roll

Our first course was a selection of cold dishes. Though the trio of starters included an oyster with apple lime and black caviar, my aversion to that one particular shellfish meant that we were served Steamed Tofu Pockets instead. Not that we minded of course; the firm wedge of steamed tofu, marinated in spices, was split in half and stuffed with a classic mix of roasted peanuts and crunchy preserved mustard greens.

Chilled Silken Tofu Jar

The Chilled Silken Tofu Jar is something the likes of which I’ve never seen before. A stout tumbler was layered with lima beans, chickpeas, lentils, salmon fillet, house-made chilli jam, and of course, silken tofu. We were instructed to give it a good mix and I have to say, the result was fantastic. 

Chilled Silken Tofu Jar

The tastes of this unique little salad were held together by the house-made chilli jam, but it was the silken tofu and salmon, contrasting so vibrantly with the chewy medley of beans, that really caught my attention. It was fresh, it was flavoursome, and at $5 a pop on the a la carte menu, it’s hard to resist coming back just for this alone.

Daikon Roll

Continuing to surprise was the Daikon Roll. Though really just a salad of Asian vegetables and herbs, it was stunningly presented, wrapped up in a translucent sheet of daikon and placed in a shallow dish of spicy soy. Speaking of the spicy soy, this is the real stuff. Whilst the Sichuan influences have been quite subtle up until this point, the lip-numbing peppercorns in this sauce were unmistakable. 

Crispy Fried Spring Roll of Flathead and Fennel Puree/Pan Fried Pork Dumplings/Pan Grilled Organic Chicken Wings

Chris, who up until this point had battled his way through the unfamiliar herbs and unusual flavour combinations, was glad to see that the second course showcased a selection of fried items. The Crispy Fried Spring Roll of Flathead and Fennel Puree gave a new lease of life to the age-old dim sum staple, and the Pan Grilled Organic Chicken Wings were a succulent, caramelised treat, rubbed in cumin and honey soy.

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

But it was the Pan Fried Pork Dumplings I was exceptionally fond of. Delicately pleated with a traditional filling of pork and ginger, it was the freshly chopped red chillies in the sauce that made the golden bottoms of these dumplings dance. 

Tiger Prawn Salad

Then came the entrees. The first on the agenda was the Tiger Prawn Salad, tossed once again in that peppercorn-heavy sauce that makes the lips tingle. The fire in the dish was tempered by the cool, crunchy veggies and fresh herbs.

Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek Slices

I was incredibly impressed with the Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek Slices. Whilst the marinade was nothing ground-breaking (well to me anyway, as mum uses a very similar mix of spices for her slow-cooked beef), consisting of what I’m guessing to be star anise, peppercorns, chillies, and cooking wine, amongst other things, the texture of the meat itself is a revelation. Never have I had beef that has been cooked to such unctuous tenderness; I was cutting it into pieces with my spoon. 

Pan Roasted Eggplant

Pan Roasted Eggplant

And finally, Pan Roasted Eggplant, smoky and soft, rolled up and stuffed with a mix of nuts and preserved veggies. And that’s how our savouries drew to an end. Except it turns out Shu thought that we were full (and in all fairness, I did say “we’re so full”), and kindly decided not to force the mains upon us as well. I’M SO SORRY SHU!

And you know what dishes we missed? Crispy Fried Twice Cooked Pork Belly. Sweet and Sour Organic Chicken Fillets. Slow Cooked Organic Tofu. I could’ve eaten my hat with regret.  

Organic Raw Avocado Cheesecake

But still, our meal had a sweet ending. Defying tradition one last time, Shu served up a slice of Organic Raw Avocado Cheesecake. By itself, the cake was a bit bland, though the buttery flavour of the avocado really shone through. Add in the ginger syrup and dried blueberries however, and this dessert transformed itself into a sweet and tasty treat that left a feeling of utter virtuousness.  

I like the food at Shu Restaurant, but what I was really impressed with was Shu’s vision of turning Sichuan cuisine into something quirky and elegant, and how well those ideas were translated from paper to plate. Fresh and innovative, this dinner defied all my expectations of what Sichuan cuisine can and can’t be. Good show.

Rating: 14/20 – sichuan tapas. no, seriously.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Shu Restaurant.