BangPop

35 South Wharf Promenade 

South Wharf, VIC, 3006

http://www.Bangpop.com.au/

I’m sorry, Melbourne. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know by now how regularly I mourn the dearth of good Thai restaurants in Melbourne. But now it seems that I owe Melbourne an apology – spoiler alert: my recent dinner at BangPop was as delicious as the memorable meal at Chat Thai in Sydney. 

Popping up with a bang (see what I did there) some time last year where The Sharing House used to stand, BangPop is as effortlessly snazzy as the rest of South Wharf. It’s not what I expected of a street-food restaurant at all; the ceilings are high, the room is almost as airy as the al fresco seating, and there’s a bar made of – wait for it – LEGO. With a menu written entirely in Thai and a bona fide spice warning, BangPop seems to genuinely want to fill the space in Melbourne where authentic Thai street food should be. 

Son in Law Tofu ($13.9)

Our entree of Son in Law Tofu ($13.9) was both hugely satisfying and supremely disappointing. It was satisfying in that the dish itself was fantastic – custard yellow blocks of silken tofu wobbled in its light batter, ready to be swished around the plate, gathering up the sticky sweet yet tangy tamarind sauce. The pieces of tofu were scattered with crunchy shallots and chilli, and a variety of herbs were strewn artfully on the plate for us to mix and match to our heart’s content. So why was it disappointing? The picture above doesn’t actually show the dish half eaten – you heard me: $14 for 4 pieces of tofu! 

Num Tuk Moo ($16.9)

Beautifully cooked meat with an abundance of fresh herbs, and no boring Mesclun or cherry tomatoes to be seen? If you ask me, Thai salads contain some of the best things the culinary world has to offer. This delicious Num Tuk Moo ($16.9), aka pork neck salad, was everything I had ever wanted. Striped like a tiger from the grill marks, the succulent pieces of pork were juicy and flavoursome. The rich smokiness of the meat was thrown into even starker contrast against the robe of fresh mint and coriander, and ample amounts of lime juice. The resulting effect was a perfectly balanced salad that exploded with gusto on the tastebuds. 

Gaeng Om Nua ($24.9)

I had originally wanted to order the yellow fish curry but DAMN YOU CHRIS and your chilli intolerance! This turned out to be an unexpected mercy however; despite being the least spicy curry on the menu, the Gaeng Om Nua ($24.9) was still enough to bring a few tears to my eyes. 

Gaeng Om Nua ($24.9)

Gaeng Om Nua ($24.9)

Nevertheless it was hard to stop myself from eating the curry, even as my mouth burned. The spice of the curry was mellowed out with coconut milk and sweetened with kaffir lime and lemongrass, and the resulting brew soaked into the unctuous chunks of beef, leaving them rich and aromatic. It was unerringly delicious spooned over a bowl of Sticky Rice ($3.9).

I could not have been happier with our meal at BangPop. The flavours were right on the money, containing all the authentic herbs and spices I had been longing for. It’s a shame that the portions were so absurdly tiny – the amount of food we ordered would probably only have been enough for one very hungry person, so it was a relief that I had stuffed my face with cakes and nachos at work two hours prior. Be that as it may, eating at BangPop, especially if you get the $49pp banquet, is still a lot cheaper than flying to Sydney. Melbourne now officially has it all.

Rating: 15/20 – bang-on.

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

Plus 5

37 South Wharf Road 
South Wharf, VIC 3006

http://www.plus5bar.com.au/

‘Tis the season to be jolly! And whilst turkey and Christmas cake is all well and good, sometimes you need something a little... stronger. That’s where Plus 5 comes in, a new restaurant-but-mainly-bar on South Wharf that can please even the most discerning of connoisseurs with their selection of cocktails. 

Replacing the similarly-named Shed 5, Plus 5 is a large warehouse that opens out to both the promenade and the waterfront, giving merry-goers a summery space to enjoy their cocktails from the extensive bar. And to wash down all that booze – a variety of charcuterie, tapas, and pizzas. 

Apple Mojito ($12)/Rose Lemonade ($12)

It’s no secret by now that I can’t hold my alcohol, but the lovely staff left us well-catered for with a pair of refreshing mocktails. I absolutely adored the Apple Mojito ($12), a classic blend of apple juice and sugar syrup with fresh lime and mint, served over crushed ice. It was as delicious as it sounds, and I was almost tempted to ask for a splash of rum in it to get the full mojito experience.

Apple Mojito ($12)/Rose Lemonade ($12)

Meanwhile, Chris enjoyed the Rose Lemonade ($12) a lot more (due to his dislike of mint). Served tall with a single rose petal on top, this concoction of rose syrup and lemonade was a beautifully tart and floral drop. 

Wasabi Almonds

To go with our drinks, we were served a complimentary bowl of Wasabi Almonds to nibble on. These are definitely the best starter I’ve ever had, the crunchy roasted almonds flavoured with just enough wasabi to tingle the tastebuds. Guys, if you aren’t doing this already, package them and sell them by the kilo. 

Chef's Selection of Cured Meats ($22.5)

I couldn’t go past the Chef’s Selection of Cured Meats ($22.5), which on that day consisted of chorizo, wagyu bresola, and prosciutto. Our unanimous favourite was the chorizo, which was dense and meaty with a great pepperiness. The bresola and prosciutto were quite mild, lacking the fattiness that comes with good cured beef, but boasted a silken softness. 

Assorted Bread

To go with our charcuterie, we were given the most adorable little bucket of assorted breads, which included breadsticks, herbed ciabatta, and large brittle crackers studded with sesame. Whilst they weren’t just-baked fresh, the variety was certainly welcome.

Swiss Brown Mushrooms ($10.5)

The tapas selection, whilst short, provided many temptations. So instead of choosing for ourselves, we let our lovely waitress pick for us instead. The first tapas we were served was exactly one I had been eyeing – the Swiss Brown Mushrooms ($10.5). The cast iron pan consisted of juicy mushrooms topped with a fragrant topping of golden breadcrumbs and parmesan, but whilst the flavour combination was timeless, I found the richness of the mushrooms to be lost among the tang of the vinegar. 

Lamb Meatballs ($8)

Chris was just as happy about the selection of Lamb Meatballs ($8) as I was about the mushrooms. The succulent meatballs were moist and moreish, drizzled with thick minted yoghurt. It was the perfect nibble to go with drinks. 

Roasted Salmon Salad ($18.5)

And because our waitress is a responsible grown-up, she made sure that we had some greenery to our meal, in the form of the Smoke Roasted Salmon Salad ($18.5). This was a simple side, consisting of just 4 ingredients – generous chunks of smoked salmon, buttery avocado, crunchy almonds, baby greens – with a scattering of sweet dressing. The elements weren't cohesive per se, but still made for an enjoyable salad overall.  

Ham, Artichoke, Olive, Mushroom, and Mozzarella Pizza ($16, 8 inch)

We topped off our meal with a Ham, Artichoke, Olive, Mushroom, and Mozzarella Pizza ($16, 8 inch). The pizza was spread with a tangy tomato paste, and handfuls of chunky toppings, but it was the base that was the most delectable of all. Thin and crisp with puffy, burnished edges, it made what was a good pizza great.

Plus 5 isn’t so much of a restaurant as it is a bar, where the cocktails (and if you ask me, the attractive staff) are definitely the drawcard. You don’t come here to eat, but at the same time, you certainly won’t be disappointed with the food on offer. At any rate, it is certainly one of the best places to while away a long, hot afternoon, sipping on drink after drink and looking over the Yarra.

Rating: 13.5/20 – nibbles plus 5 cocktails.

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

Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Plus 5.

Akachochin

33 Dukes Walk

South Wharf, VIC 3006

http://www.akachochin.com.au/

Chris is pretty awesome. He knows me very well, so instead of buying me shiny things and fluffy toys for our anniversary, he offered to take me out for some lovely lovely meals. I’ve wanted to visit Akachochin since it opened, so that’s made for perfect perfection. 

Named for the distinctive red lanterns that hang from the eaves of izakayas, Akahochin is a part of the strip of new eateries that has recently sprung up on the once-barren South Wharf. It is a bit out of the way however, so whilst it’s gotten abundant blogger coverage in the few months it’s been around, the restaurant never got to half full the entire night. And it was a Saturday too! Maybe it was the unseasonable heat keeping punters from making the trek. 

Choya Umeshu ($8, 50mL)

Choya Umeshu ($8, 50mL)

Every since that ‘disaster’ at Izakaya Den where I had to drink a whole carafe of sake myself because Chris didn’t like it, I haven’t been game enough to order sake at a restaurant, knowing full well that I’ll have to drink it all. So to be on the safe side I ordered the Choya Umeshu ($8, 50mL) instead. It was a lovely little tipple – a sweet amber liquid that’s intensely plummy. Chris declared that it tasted like plum pudding, and gave it a big thumbs-up, deeming it to be the best straight-up alcoholic drink he’s ever had. 

Appetiser

To start things off, we were served a small appetizer of blanched vegetables. It wasn’t exactly appetising, tossed in a small amount of sesame oil and rather flavourless. To add insult to injury, I noticed that later in the night the appetiser had morphed into a miniscule quail leg instead. WHAT A BUMMER.

Hiramasa Namerou with Rice Crackers ($16)

Akachochin’s menu is rather expansive compared to most Japanese places, so I just sort of blundered around and jabbed at items on the menu that I liked the sound of. 10 minutes later, out came the Hiramasa Namerou with Rice Crackers ($16), aka kingfish tartar seasoned with miso, wasabi, and spring onion. The small mound of unassuming (and I’ll have to admit, slightly unappetizing looking) fish packed a huge wallop of flavour, the silken kingfish bound together by the umami of the miso and pungent wasabi. 

Hiramasa Namerou with Rice Crackers ($16)

What really sealed the deal though were the rice crackers. Translucent like crinkled tissue paper, the crispy shards held the hint of a crunch before dissolving on the tongue, leaving nothing but the tartar. However as tasty as this dish was, it was also extremely salty, especially given the small quantity of crackers. It was disappointing to see the sweetness of the delicate kingfish disappearing under the copious embellishment by other spices. 

Anago Nigiri Sushi ($8)

Next up was a pair of Anago Nigiri Sushi ($8). I have always wanted to try the fabled sea eel, having read that it was infinitely more buttery and delicious than the regular kind. I found that statement to be both true and not true – whilst the flesh was tender to the point of coming apart spontaneously in the mouth, the flavours were much too mild. It could have probably benefited from a few more seconds of caramelisation under the blowtorch, and a slightly thicker glaze of the sweet soy. It would’ve been even better had the rice not collapsed with the merest prodding by our chopsticks. It was a good pair of sushi but then again, I do have the meal at Shira Nui to compare it to. 

Chicken Wing Dumpling ($15 for 2)

When a chicken wing and a dumpling love each other very much, they get together and make a Chicken Wing Dumpling ($15 for 2). And it’s a beautiful, beautiful child they had created.  My senses got all confused when this landed on the table; my nose smelt fried chicken and dumplings, but my eyes saw nothing but really fat chicken arms. But my taste buds overruled them all, deeming that this was delicious and that is final. It was prime dumpling mince (heavy on the vegetables and liberal with ginger) stuffed into a prime deboned chicken wing, then fried. It shouldn’t work but it really, really does. Dumpling skins made of flour are so last year. 

Avocado Shake Roll ($11)

I didn’t really want sashimi but I felt like that wouldn’t be doing the long sushi bar we were sitting at justice, so I compromised with myself and ordered a Avocado Shake Roll ($11), a simple inside-out sushi of salmon and avocado, rolled in Texta-orange fish roe. It was a sushi roll done with delicacy and balance, neither the plump fish nor the lightly tangy rice overwhelming the other. 

Grilled Wagyu ($18)

I had mostly agreed to order this dish to appease Chris, who prefers chowing down on land animals to sea critters, but the Grilled Wagyu ($18) turned out to be the highlight of the evening. It isn’t all that remarkable when you first place it on the tongue but with each chew a little more of the decadent richness from the heavy-duty marbling is released, until your eyes are rolling back in our head as you marvel at how a simple piece of beef could taste so good. I loved how there was just a little bit of soy to give the beef an Asian twist, but it was really all about the juicy beef and slightly crisp edges. 

Butterfish Nitsuke with Kinpira Gobo ($16)

We wrapped up the savouries with Butterfish Nitsuke with Kinpira Gobo ($16), a large, rustic bowl holding two firm squares of butterfish, and a delicate selection of vegetables. The butterfish was a lot, well, more buttery than I had anticipated, but I wasn’t too keen on the slightly spongy and dry texture of the fish. It was humbly done up in a ginger soy that was comforting and flavoursome. 

Sweet Potato Brulee ($12)

Sweet Potato Brulee ($12)

You may have noticed by now that we’re a little bit cray-cray for crème brulee-ay. The Sweet Potato Brulee ($12) is a fascinating twist on the classic custard dessert. The sweet potato custard was impressively smooth and light for something starch-based, and slightly more savoury than you’d expect. The toffee on top, whilst thick, was chewy instead of crunchy. There was the danger of dragging the entire sheet of sugar off the dessert with every spoonful.

 I liked Akachochin, but I didn’t love Akachochin. The service and the restaurant were lovely, and the food was all somewhere between tasty and astounding. Given all the good reviews floating in cyberspace however, I expected Akachochin to be something phenomenal. It ended up being no more, and no less than a restaurant styled after a Japanese drinking house – a good place for drinks, nibbles, and companionship.

Rating: 15/20 – do the akachakachochin!

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