Hutong Dumpling Bar

I've been wanting to blog about this fabulous dumpling place for awhile now.

I admit, when I first entered what looked like a clean, upmarket restaurant and was promptly greeted by a friendly smile, I immediately regretted making a booking.

A real, authentic dumpling place should be dirty, run-down and have atrocious service...

 ...or so I thought.

 The customary fresh ginger in soy.

Vegetarian dumplings.

Xiu Long Bao (soup dumpling) is what the restaurant is most famous for. SO YUMMY!

I originally thought that soup was somehow delicately piped into a pre-made Xiu Long Bao, but I have actually been told that solid meat gelatin is instead wrapped inside the dumpling and melts into soup during the steaming process.

Pork dumplings.

Mapo Tofu - A chinese dish from the Szechuan province. Tofu cooked in a spicy chilli and bean sauce with minced pork and spring onions.

Claypot style eggplant and scallops.

Fried long beans with salted pork bits - my second favourite to the Xiu Long Bao!

Spicy salt and pepper chicken ribs.

We are already making plans to return for their Peking Duck - a dish we couldn't help noticing other tables order. Oh, and despite what I've read online - service was polite and efficient. I had no complaints whatsoever.

Hutong Dumpling Bar is part of the boutique Cullen Hotel on 162 Commercial Road, Prahran. The venue is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and bookings are recommended.

Cheers x

"When it comes to Chinese food, I have always operated under the policy that the less known about the preparation the better." ~Calvin Trillin

A weekend in Malaysia...

As I am about to write this post, I think about the moments just before the plane lands in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the standard inflight video that Malaysia Airlines plays for first-time visitors to the country.

In the video, TV presenter Asha Gill gives viewers a snapshot of what to expect of their time in Malaysia, and proclaims that "food is the centre of our universe."

She wasn't kidding.

This is not even half of the local delicacies I had the opportunity to eat and photograph during my short visit home.

Oyster omelette topped with coriander, served with a chilli dipping sauce.

Pork ribs cooked in a Marmite marinade.

Pippies cooked in soy, garlic and curry leaf, served on a bed of lettuce.

Stir fried baby kai-lan (chinese broccoli) with garlic.

Deep fried fish with a light soy sauce, topped with ginger and coriander. My favourite!

Spinach tofu and chinese mushrooms.

Bak Kut Teh (literally translates to meat bone tea) - pork ribs simmered in a complex broth of herbs for hours, served with a variety of mushrooms and tofu puffs. Also eaten with the chinese version of savoury doughnuts - yummy!

Rice noodles in a coconut broth, fried fish head, ginger, spring onions and salted vegetables.

Rice noodles in a clear pork broth with pork balls, kai lan, and garnished with fried garlic.

A traditional Malay spread - taken from the wedding reception dinner I attended. All dishes served with Biryani rice.

These are the things that dreams are made of!

-Trish

"Food is an important part of a balanced diet."  ~Fran Lebowitz

Las Chicas... again

I realise I only blogged about my local breakfast joint Las Chicas four weeks ago, but I still clearly can't get enough as evidenced below...

Yes, it's a bagel... again. The infamous BBB (Bikini Blowout Benedict) - two poached eggs on a sesame seed bagel with grilled bacon, avocado and hollandaise sauce.

This was a slightly different take to the regular omelette where all the ingredients are mixed in together. Instead, it arrived as a fried egg with cheese, served with roasted tomato, ham and rocket lettuce. This was very average - would not order again.

More details about Las Chicas can be found in my original blog post.

Cheers x

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." ~John Gunther

Important Message

I know that I am not alone in my love for animals.

Please sign a petition to help stop plans to build an animal testing laboratory in Malaysia and pass on to your friends.

Thank you.

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~ Immanual Kant

Jungle Juice

I think it is starting to become apparent how much I love bagels.

My favourite local bagel place was and still is Jungle Juice down Melbourne's quirky Centre Place.

 I love the vibe in Jungle Juice and the little menus stapled inside old copies of Little Golden Books - a children's series first published in 1942. I remember these books fondly as a kid.

Jungle Juice is located at 20 Centre Place in Melbourne city. I would recommend the McBagel (bacon, egg & Jungle Juice's own special mayo). I also hear the coffee is great.

Until next time,
Eat well and happy x

"No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut."  ~Channing Pollock

Mekong

One of the many things I love about living in Melbourne is the access to great Vietnamese food. I have a number of favourite places, but whenever I'm in the city, I can't go past Mekong for something cheap, quick and so good.

I always order the exact same thing - pho and spring rolls.

Rice noodles, clear beef broth (beef bones, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, coriander seed, fennel, clove) with beef balls, tripe, spring onions and coriander.

As above with chicken breast.

Prawn and chicken spring rolls with lettuce wrap and sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Mekong is hard to miss as it sits right in the middle of the city - 241 Swanston Street - and is open daily until 10pm.

Good night x

P.S. The restaurant is named after one of the world's major rivers (12th longest in the world & 7th longest in Asia) - the Mekong River - which runs through the south of Vietnam in an area known as the Mekong Delta.

"Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's buying." ~Fran Lebowitz

Pacific BBQ Cafe

During my uni days, Pacific Seafood BBQ House was usually the place we went to for special occasions - graduation, birthdays, family visits. It was normally an indulgent meal which almost always consisted of whole roast duck (their specialty), lobster, abalone, etc.

In early 2008, they opened sister restaurant Pacific BBQ Cafe. As the name suggests, this was to be a more 'cafe' style establishment, with tables set up for no more than 4 diners and a substantially smaller menu.

The crowd is mostly made up of students and city workers, most of whom order without consulting the menu (which is made up predominantly of Hong Kong style cuisine). If you are stopping by, you must order their famous roast duck.

Don't even think about sitting to chat after your meal. The manager will promptly put the bill down on your table just as you're about to finish your last bite - that's chinese service for you!

To savour their yummy roast duck and more, visit Pacific BBQ Cafe at 213 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

Happy eating!

"When I'm at a Chinese restaurant having a hard time with chopsticks, I always hope that there's a Chinese kid at an American restaurant somewhere who's struggling mightily with a fork."  ~Rick Budinich