China Town is generally the go to place for Asian in the CBD, but unless you’re having dumplings, these places aren’t usually very vegetarian friendly. As a result, we decided to venture down to Swanston St so see what we could find. We were going to go and see The Sound Of Music, so we were on a strict time schedule, and only had about an hour for dinner.

We had no plans of where we were going, but instead hoped that we would stumble upon something that appealed to us. As we walked along, we came across Rice Paper, which was unrelated to the very popular Rice Paper Scissors where it is close to impossible to get a table on a whim!

With a sign that said they specialised in Vietnamese street food, and a menu that had vegetarian options, we decided this was the place for us!

Rice Paper had an ordering system that was very similar to Pappa Rich. There was a menu for us to peruse, and a note pad and pencil on every table where we could write down our order. I made a quick decision and settled on the vegetarian spring rolls with vermicelli. This is usually one of my go to dishes when we go to Springvale for lunch, so I was keen to try it out somewhere different.

The service was super quick, and our dishes arrived in a matter of minutes. The serving sizes were generous, and my vermicelli came with a side of flavoursome nuoc mam sauce which I drizzled over the top. I was impressed with the ratio of spring rolls to vermicelli which is always my first concern. But I was equally impressed with the flavours and freshness that the dish contained.

My dining partner ordered char grilled pork on vermicelli, which some additional chicken spring rolls. Whilst she enjoyed her dish, she did comment that the pork didn’t have the authentic charred taste that she was hoping for which was a little disappointing, especially when you can usually count on street food for smoky, charred flavours.

Nevertheless our dinner was an enjoyable one, and I will definitely put Rice Paper on the list of quick dinner venues in the CBD.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been lucky enough to see a couple of great musicals. I saw Singin’ In The Rain, and also The Sound of Music. Both were great, and you should take the opportunity to see them if you can! This also meant that I had to find options for quick, pre-show dinners in the city and we managed to find some good offerings.

Down on Swanston St there are a couple of Asian restaurants that I like to put in the cheap and cheerful category. Your Thai Rice and Noodle Bar is located just near the Lonsdale St intersection and is spread across two levels. There is counter, a small amount of seating and the kitchen downstairs, and upstairs there is more seating. One the night we went, I was starving, and I was willing to settle for anything that was affordable and had vegetarian options so I was more than happy to give Your Thai a go.

The menu is set up like a typical Asian menu, with lots of pictures, and very affordable prices. Myself and the other half both decided to opt for rice options. I chose to have the vegetarian tom yum with Rice whilst the other half went for a beef massaman curry.

True to the cheap and cheerful tag, both meals were served on plastic melamine dishes that were sectioned into to compartments for the rice and the curry. Tom Yum is one of my favourite flavours, and true to expectation, my dish packed a good amount of punch. It was also quite generous with the amount of vegetables and tofu through the sauce so I was happy.

The other half was also reasonably pleased with his dish. Again, there was a generous amount of meat through the sauce and a good amount of flavour so he couldn’t complain.

Your Thai Rice and Noodle Bar is not a restaurant you would go to for a fine dining experience, or to impress a date, but it definitely does a decent meal at a good price point. The service is quick, the décor is basic, and the quick turnover of tables means that there are a lot of Melbournians who appreciate what they have to offer.

Sometimes all you need is a bowl of Asian soup to make everything better. My soup making skills are non existent, so it is important to have a trusty Viet place to visit. Bang Bang is located in the heart of Northcote on High St, surrounded by many other restaurants so it definitely had to be of a high standard to survive.

We went on a Monday evening unsure of what to expect and were faced with a packed restaurant! There were people sitting outside but it was pretty warm, so we decided to stick with air conditioned comfort inside. There was a little table for two available, so we sidled our way through the patrons and made ourselves comfortable. There was Chinese tea on the table so we poured ourselves a couple of cups and set about deciding what to order from the menu. Like a typical Asian restaurants, like the ones I had often frequented in Springvale, the Bang Bang menu was long and very comprehensive. There was sections devoted to entrees, soups, rice and noodles, and then each kind of protein. There was over 250 dishes to choose from! I was extra excited to discover there was a separate vegetarian section which had stir fries, rice and noodle dishes, and the soup I was craving.

I decided on a tom yum soup. I felt that the hot and sour would work better in summer. Summer is a season where I love eating strong flavours, bitter, sour, spicy, so the tom yum seemed to fit this bill. The other half went for a combination cashew stir fry with steamed rice. We also ordered some vegetarian rice paper rolls as an entrée.

Bang Bang have a fridge of soft drinks, but no liquor license. Instead many of the diners had brought their own beer, cider or wine and were enjoying it with their meal. It seemed like a good option. We hadn’t brought any drinks with us, so instead stuck to our Chinese tea.

Our dishes arrived quite quickly. Two plump rice paper rolls were placed on our table with some hoisin dipping sauce. The rolls were packed tightly with noodles, vegetables and tofu, and when dipped into the sauce were very yummy. It was a good start to the meal.

Once our entrée was finished and the plate was cleared, our mains were brought out. I was very excited to see my big bowl of steaming soup. It was filled to the brim with lots of vegetables, noodles and plump cubes of bean curd. I dressed the soup with bean shoots, Asian herbs, and a squeeze of lime and proceeded to dig in. The soup was exactly what I wanted in a tom yum, full of flavour and lots of tang! It was a good sized serving too, with the ratio of liquid to other ingredients just right. 

The other half’s dish came out, but it wasn’t quite what he expected. He had assumed that combination stir fry with cashews would mean that the cashews were mixed into the rest of the dish, but instead they were generously scattered over the top. Despite this, he did say the dish was very tasty.

Bang Bang is a no frills restaurant. The food is very good, the staff are friendly, and the prices are very reasonably. But don’t expect fancy décor and silver service, that’s not what Bang Bang focuses on. Instead, when you need to satisfy your craving for good Asian food, Bang Bang should definitely be on your list of places to try.

Thai restaurants have become very popular in Melbourne, popping up all over the place, but it is often tricky to find a good one. On our explorations of the Northcote food scene, we decided to try and nail a trusty Thai option. Some Zomato research led us to Inthanon Thai, and so together with the other half’s cousin, J, we decided to see if it was worth the high reviews.

Located almost directly opposite the Northcote Town Hall, the restaurant is set slight away from the main strip. This possible means that it gets less traffic that the other places, but don’t let that deter you, it’s obviously a very well kept secret.

We went on a Sunday evening, and the restaurant was very quiet. We were seated immediately and as our menus were handed to us, I stopped to appreciate the décor. The interior of the restaurant was not overtly filled with Thai knick knacks, but there were a few pictures on the wall, and a rather grand light fitting hanging from the roof.

With both J and I as vegetarians, we decided to exercise our balance of power and opted for a full vegetarian meal. The menu had a whole section dedicated to ‘Vegie Lovers’ so we were spoilt for choice. As a vegetarian, I am used to only having to choose from one or two dishes, so when faced with two pages of options, I didn’t know where to start! On top of that, as the food blogger, I was entrusted with the responsibility of ordering for the table. Talk about pressure!

Eventually we settled on a selection of dishes to share, so that we could all try some different things. The items are all listed with their traditional Thai names, so ordering was a fairly comical affair. The staff are very friendly though, and after a few mispronunciations and lots of laughs, we eventually managed to explain what we wanted!

We were all pretty hungry, so the wait staff were given instructions to not worry about what order the dishes were made in, and to just bring everything out as it was ready, so it wasn’t long before the food started to arrive at our table.

The first thing to arrive was some complimentary prawn crackers. Probably not the best choice when you have a table ordering a vegetarian meal, but nevertheless the other half was happy to munch on these as a starter! The food came almost immediately after, starting with Pad Thai Jay, or vegetarian pad thai. Full of bean curd, egg, vegetables and flavour, this was a good dish. Our pad thai standards are pretty high. I’m not sure if what we like is even traditional, but this version was good. If I had one criticism though, it’s that I felt that the dish was slightly too sweet. The other half disagreed though, saying that he thought it was perfect, so I guess it just depends on each individual’s tastes.

We also ordered a Gang Dang Puk, or vegetarian red curry. This curry was wonderfully creamy, with the slightest hint of spice. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was spicy, but it was fragrant and flavoursome. This curry was probably my favourite dish, and also a favourite around the table.

To complement the curry, I decided that we should also have a wok tossed dish and had ordered Pad Ruammit. This was a dish of stir fried vegetables and bean curd with garlic and soy sauce. This is a fairly classic combination of flavours and whilst it was nothing exciting, everything worked well together and it was a welcome addition to our meal.

Our last dish was actually an entree! Taw Hu Tod involved battered, deep fried pieces of tofu served with chilli sauce. It is no secret that deep fried food is my weakness, and this dish was no exception. The tofu itself had little flavour, but the batter was so crunchy, and the sauce sweet, and everything combine made a great little dish to go with the meal.

Our meal at Inthanon Thai was great and we all agreed that this was definitely a great Thai option in Northcote. While we were there having our meal, the restaurant slowly filled up, and there was a regular stream of takeaway customers, so it was clear that the locals knew how good the place was!

Asian fusion food is a trend that took Melbourne by storm a few years ago and it seems there are no signs of it slowing down. The originals like Cookie and Chin Chin have become stalwarts on the scene but there are a few new players, namely Magic Mountain. Magic Mountain is actually run by the same team that run Cookie, The Toff In Town, Revolver Upstairs and Boney.

A converted Irish pub which has been turned into a tri level venue that is as much a restaurant, as it is a bar with music, Magic Mountain places equal amounts of emphasis on food, drink and atmosphere making sure that you will have a good night on all accounts.

We went as a group of six people, three vegetarians and three omnivores, and were at a loss as to how the tackle the vast menu. Luckily the staff are amazing and they suggested a banquet option. We name our price per head, and they would decide on our dishes, with the guarantee that there would be enough food. We decided to take them up on the offer with a $40 per head request, but not before we ordered a few beers from their diverse beer list. Pirate Life Ale anyone? They did ask us if we had any preferences or objections to any foods, but other than the fact that half of us were vegetarian, we were happy to trust their judgement.

It wasn’t long before the food arrived, starting with the entrée dishes.

Our first vegetarian entrée was the curried rice and mozzarella balls with coriander and avocado sauce. These were an Asian take on an arancini ball but so much better. They still had the creamy rice and the gooey cheese centre, but they were packed full of Asian flavours with lemongrass dominating. Combined with the avocado sauce, this dish was amazing. I was worried that my dinner had peaked too early!

We also tried the lotus root, peanut and pickled turnip tapioca dumplings. These were also tasty but had an odd texture. The skin was made with tapioca which made it a bit too gelatinous, and I think I would have rather had normal dumplings. Nevertheless the filling was delicious, with the peanut flavour packing a punch.

We were served a salad as part of the entrée and this dish was also one of the favourites on the table. It was a tomato, zucchini and buffalo mozzarella salad with a chilli, basil and cashew crumble dressing. The tomatoes were sweet, the zucchini was sliced paper thin and the mozzarella was so creamy. The dressing brought everything together perfectly, and we were all eyeing off the plate to scrape every last bit off!

The omnivores also received a bowl of crunchy fried chicken ribs which they unanimously agreed was super.

Four entrees later, we were already more than half full, and we were unsure about whether we would be able to make it all the way through mains. Still, when you have a table of foodies, stomach size is never a barrier, and so we ploughed on!

The mains started streaming out, and we struggled to make room for everything on the table! There were two different red curries, a vegetarian one with tofu, baby corn, beans and kaffir lime, and then a duck curry with lychee and pineapple. Both were deemed to be excellent, rich in flavour and with the right amount of spice level.

There was also a noodle dish, which I felt was an interpretation of pad thai. Rice noodles were prepares with egg, tomato, thai basil, garlic chives and garnished with peanuts. Once again, this was another dish packed with flavour which was proving to be a common theme through the night.

A salad was served with main too. This time it was a cauliflower salad with thin slices of grilled pumpkin and almonds, dressed with Asian herbs and spices. Whilst not everyone around the table was excited by this dish, I really enjoyed it, and appreciated the freshness in contrast to the creamy red curry.

The omnivores also had a big bowl of sticky beef ribs which were tender beyond belief. They were able to pull the rib bone straight out of the meat cleanly without the need for a knife!

And to share we had a huge bowl of rice for the table. To say huge would be an understatement, I don’t think we even got through a third of the bowl, which was a shame because I hate wasting food.

Overall the meal was delicious and we all left pretty much rolling out the door because we were so full. Would I go back again? Definitely. Magic Mountain also serve breakfast, so perhaps I will have to put it on the list to see what treats they dish up during the earlier hours.

To try and make work a little bit more fun, and to impose some food culture onto my colleagues, I’ve decided to implement a monthly offsite work lunch for my team. I know what you’re thinking, ‘one offsite lunch a month??’ But trust me when I say, this is a big step for us here.

Today, we decided to go to Taste of Singapore, which is a tiny little shop located away from the main strip of Clayton. This however does not deter customers, which is a testament to how good the food us. Although the name pays homage to Singapore, and there is the token crispy noodle dish, the owners are a Malay couple, and the menu is filled with traditional Malay offerings including mee goreng, mee rebus and murtabak. 

We went arrived just after midday and were told that there were no fried options available until 1pm when the burners are started, so our options were limited to rice. This wasn’t a problem at all, because biriyani was the daily special, and there was also nasi lemak available. 

My colleagues A and K ummed and aahed over the choices, but eventually A settled on biriyani with lamb rendang ($9.50) and K opted for nasi lemak with fried chicken ($7.50). I asked the friendly uncle at the counter what he could make for me that was vegetarian, and he suggested I have nasi lemak without the fried chicken and with some additional achar ($6.50). And so our meals were decided!

The service was quick, and before long we had our plates, covered in traditional waxed brown paper and heaped with rice and condiments. It didn’t take long for us to dig and we were all commenting on how delicious the food was. There was a real authentic Asian feel about it, the only thing missing was the 80% humidity that Malaysia or Singapore forces upon you!

Nasi Lemak

Biriyani with lamb rendang

Taste of Singapore is a local gem. It may require you to grab your own cutlery and water or cram you onto a small table, but all is forgiven when you taste the food and look at the bill.