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

Mad Mex: My new fave fast food joint

I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD.

After hearing rave reviews about Mad Mex in Sydney, I was excited to finally head to their first Melbourne store on Chapel St...

And to see in person their much-talked about Corona Chandelier - a chandelier made up of empty Corona bottles...

Mad Mex allows you to build your meal as you go along. You start by picking a burrito or taco, then you choose the meat, veggies, sauces and other extras.

Above is a terrible photo of three very yummy crispy tacos:

1) Chicken seasoned with their very own Chipotle Adobo Marinade

2) Slow roasted shredded pork traditional style, with garlic, onion, lime & cumin

3) Freshly grilled to medium steak marinated in citrus, garlic & spices

All topped with fresh lettuce, Chilli Corn Salsa (fresh corn, pineapple onion, coriander & jalapeños) and cheese.

Rest assured, Mad Mex makes tacos better than I take photos.

A burrito made up of spicy slow roasted beef with robust Chipotle, garlic, cumin & tomatillo, Mexican rice, cheese, lettuce & sour cream.

If you are in Melbourne, visit Mad Mex at 131 Chapel Street, Prahran. Open daily from 11am. Sydneysiders will find their local Mad Mex in Blacktown, Castle-Hill, Macquarie Centre, Tuggerah, Circular Quay and Darlinghurst.

Burritos - From $7.90
Tacos (Soft) - From $8.90 for 2
Tacos (Crispy) - From $9.90 for 3
Nachos - From $10.90
Quesadilla - From $8.90
Kids meals - From $3.90
Desserts - From $4.50

For more information, visit www.madmex.com.au

Hasta Luego!

"In Mexico we have a word for sushi:  bait."  ~José Simons