Arisoo

Finding a home on Abbotsford’s Victoria Street, Arisoo exudes a casual and welcoming environment.

In line with its social setting, the menu items are primarily designed for sharing, with dishes divided into user friendly sections. The menu is abundant with options and features authentic Korean combined with modern techniques and twists alongside excellent service.

The home-made banchan are extremely addictive condiments. Each wonderful in its own right, they were a brilliant accompaniment to our enlivening culinary journey at Arisoo.

Assorted Korean pancakes

We enjoyed the assorted Korean pancakes comprising of a few kimchi pancakes, seafood & chive pancakes and mini seafood nuggets. The seafood & chive pancake was of particular note, boasting a crispy and light texture courtesy of being made from wheat flour and pan-fried with the perfect amount of heat. 

Spicy Japchae

The Spicy Japchae noodles were an absolute stand out. While many Korean restaurants in Melbourne serve Japchae, Arisoo’s variety are a cut above. The slippery stir-fried sweet potato starch noodles had the perfect balance of sweetness, savouriness and umami flavours and were enhanced by just the right amount of spiciness. Highly recommended!

Spicy soft tofu stew made with seafood and egg

Army base stew - Ham and sausage stew with kimchi, assorted vegetables

Arisoo are also famous for their delicious stews which are a labour of love and made from scratch. The resultant stock used is unsurprisingly a concoction of decadently rich, unadulterated flavours. We loved sampling their Spicy soft tofu stew and Army base stew - Both unctuous liquid gold which went well with either noodles or rice. 

Three flavours of fried chicken - Original fried chicken, Sweet and Spicy Fried chicken and Soy garlic fried chicken

The meaty fried chicken morsels were each crusted with a flavoursome spice mix and then perfectly fried to achieve a moreishly crunchy exterior.  Each flavour was delicious and distinct. A must-order when visiting Arisoo.

Marinated pork belly with chilli sauce base

Marinated pork belly with soy sauce base 

Our final savoury dishes were plates of glistening pork belly slices. Plates that evoked excitement upon arrival, each slice of pan fried pork belly consisted of perfectly delicate layers of pork fat which exploded with intense porky goodness with each bite. Both the chilli sauce base and the soy sauce base delivered - merely a matter of preference for more of a spicy kick or an umami hit. 

Hoddeok A-La-Mode

The hoddeok took us back to the streets of Korea - Wonderfully crisp on the outside and filled with gooey melted sugar, aromatic cinnamon and crunchy nuts. 

Banana flambé served with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with ground peanuts and slivered almonds

For the less adventurous, the banana flambé will ensure your visit to Arisoo ends on a delightfully sweet note. Arisoo’s banana flambé is a classic French dessert done well. 

Arisoo delivers high quality Korean cuisine and assimilates perfectly in Melbourne’s casual dining scene.  The food produced adheres to a very high standard and looks to both surprise and please.

Location: 285A Victoria St, Abbotsford

Phone: (03) 9943 5615

Link: Facebook 

Cuisine: Korean

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Arisoo.

Baotime

Baotime is a Richmond eatery dedicated to the “bao”. While many restaurants in Melbourne serve the bao, Baotime’s variety are a cut above courtesy of being handmade resulting in a fluffy, soft and delicate bun.

We were delighted to meet owner and founder of Baotime Jes Lau who explained to us that Baotime was created with the vision to provide warm meals and childhoods to children in need, offering hope and love to the less fortunate kids in the world. 

We loved her energetic passion which has translated into a compelling business model - offering patrons with a top notch dining experience. 

The menu, much like the venue is kept small but packs a punch with gourmet bao fillings, delicious drinks and a selection of mains.  The gourmet fillings and mains draw from Jes’ Malaysian background.  Growing up in Malaysia (Asia’s cultural melting pot), Jes has been exposed to many different interesting flavours. These flavours evoke childhood memories and these are the very flavours she seeks to share with her customers. 

From left: Air Mata Kuching - fruity longan juice; Honey Lemon drink

We started with a couple of heart-warming drinks. Both the Air Mata Kuching and Honey Lemon drinks were delightful and especially comforting on an unseasonably cold Melbourne evening.

Captain Bao 

The Captain Bao was filled with Succulent braise pork belly garnished with crushed peanuts. Featuring the tried and true flavour combination of braised pork in soy sauce, we enjoyed the generous morsels of tender pork belly. It really hit the mark!

Cuckoo Bao

The Cuckoo Bao was another winner. We loved the oozy mozzarella cheese which was lifted by the slight kick from the chilli.

Farmer Bao

The Farmer Bao impressed with beautifully roasted pumpkin and tofu garnished with mushrooms. We loved the contrast of textures between the mellow tofu and the robust pumpkin and earthy mushrooms. It was a delightful vegetarian bao that would which would appeal to even the most carnivorous individuals.

Chilli Crab Bao

The Chilli Crab Bao was outstanding. The batter was ethereally light and crispy. The soft shell crab which sat within the batter was fresh and most memorable. The bold chilli broth was the perfect accompaniment with its wonderful punchy flavours, synonymous with Malaysian curries.

Mini Bao platter: Lobster Bao; Tempura Prawn Bao; Aburi Scallop Bao

The Mini Bao Platter similarly impressed. We enjoyed the mini version of the luxurious Lobster Bao in particular which was filled with Moreton bay bug dressed in mayo and a refreshing pineapple salad.

Kahwin Bao 

Our dinner concluded on a sweet high with a couple of sweet baos starting with a stunning little Kahwin Bao filled with housemade kaya jam and butter, and a side of coconut ice cream. The brioche-like baos were filled with kaya jam and worked perfectly with the side of coconut ice cream.  

Durian Bao 

The Durian Bao (strictly for Durian lovers ONLY), was a stand out. The decadent durian ice cream was a welcome departure from the usually weak flavours and instead was vibrant, creamy and absolutely moreish while the Durian Bao itself was wonderful and filled with rich durian flesh - YUM.

Baotime pleases with unique and flavoursome baos satisfying the demand of Melbournians for delicious Modern Asian cuisine. 

Location: 342 Bridge Road, Richmond, Melbourne

Phone: 03 9942 7608

Link: http://baotime.com.au/

Cuisine: Asian

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of MATRADE's Malaysian Kitchen Program.

Chicken N Beer

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Chicken N Beer.

At Chicken N Beer, eating chicken is a serious ritual. The chicken focused menu is impressive - ranging from battered and fried to glazed and baked. You can even indulge in a marinated whole chicken baked with a beer can stuffed inside it. Seriously, there is something here for every chicken lover.

In fact the menu goes above and beyond what you would expect given the name of this eatery, with healthy options like a playful quinoa salad for those not so chicken-inclined. However, you really can't go past the impressive sharing platters which offer serious bang for your buck. 

Tasting platter - 3 x spare ribs, delights, buffalo wings and skinny potatoes. Served with popcorn chicken and 8 deep fried spare ribs, medium chips and spicy sauce.

The platter was very impressive and we loved tucking into every corner of it. The popcorn chicken was fried perfectly golden. While the American-style skillet-fried chicken spare ribs were delectably crunchy on the outside and extremely tender and juicy in the centre. The buffalo wings were sticky and moreish. Just. Yum.

And just so happens that everything pairs magnificently with beers...

From left: Toff salad; Quinoa salad

We enjoyed both our quinoa and tiff salads. The quinoa salad in particular was a stand out. An enlivening salad of quinoa, cucumber, tomato, capsicum, red onion, corn, parsley and spinach and brought together with a spiced olive oil dressing, the salad was a medley of exciting flavours and textures which will appeal to even the most carnivorous individuals.

Vegetarian cornballs

The vegetarian cornballs were another delicious addition. We loved dipping them in the Spicy Korean sauce which was hot enough to enliven the taste buds but sweet enough to keep us coming back for more.

CNB Sandy Burger

The CNB Sandy Burger was an almighty burger filled with crispy chicken breast and served with guacamole, sliced cheese, baby spinach, red onion rings and sliced tomato and then slathered with spicy mayo and CNB sauce. The result was a balanced combination of flavours, with all ingredients working in perfect harmony to highlight the real star of the show - the crispy chicken.

Whole marinated beer can chicken

The signature whole marinated beer can chicken was divine. The chicken was covered with a beautiful herb rub while the inside had been bathed with steamy beer, to keep the chicken meat wonderfully moist. The result was exquisitely tender, falling-off-the-bone meat, encased in salty, herby, crispy skin. 

Doughnut balls served with raspberry coulis and crème anglaise

These golden puffs were stunning. Ethereal in texture, the doughnuts were cinnamon-sugar coated and tasted delicious with the slightly tart coulis and velvety crème anglaise.

Warm up your winter with mouth-watering chicken at Chicken N Beer. Located in the heart of Richmond, it’s the perfect place to settle in for the night and enjoy the irresistible combination of expertly cooked chicken washed down with craft beers.

Location: 297 Bridge Road, Richmond, Melbourne

Phone: 03 9428 0580

Link: http://www.chickennbeer.com.au/

Cuisine: Tapas, Bar Food, Chicken

 

‪#‎from5fridays @ Royal Saxon

To celebrate the start of Melbourne's beautiful autum, Royal Saxon are spicing up your Fridays with ‪#‎from5fridays. And you guessed it... it all starts from 5.

The Saxon have also recently launched a delicious new autumn menu which has kept us coming back more.

If you've never had the Saxon's charming Italian pizzas before, you'll get to experience their magic during ‪#‎from5fridays‬ where the Saxon shout everyone complimentary pizzas from 5-6! So keep a look out for those delicious pizzas when you're there.

And please... please stay back for dessert. If you do, we recommend the Poached pear tart with spiced red wine reduction and cinnamon ice cream. A beautifully decadent dessert, the soft centre of caramelised pears combines with the buttery crumbly pastry, the rich red wine reduction and moreish cinnamon ice cream in perfect harmony - absolutely sublime!

Think good tunes, cocktails & delicious aperitivo - All available from 5 PM every Friday.

What: #‪‎from5fridays 

When: From 5 PM every Friday

Location: 545 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 03 9429 5277

Link: http://www.royalsaxon.com/

Cuisine: Italian, Pub/Bar Food, Coffee

Read our review of their new autumn menu here.

Autumn @ Royal Saxon

As Melbourne turns golden and the leaves begin to fall, the Royal Saxon in Melbourne’s inner east is serving up a whole new array of deliciously rustic dishes that fuse simple classic flavours with an elegant modern twist. 

The all new Autumn 2015 provides a fresh, enticing experience that make this local haunt a serious dining contender. The Royal Saxon is a Richmond institution that’s best known for its edgy beer garden and excellent nightlife. But this two storey venue on Church Street in the heart of East Richmond also boasts a seriously delicious menu that rivals some of the best restaurants in Melbourne. 

Whether eating in the beautifully intimate restaurant, the upbeat bar or the leafy courtyard, the entire menu is available across the whole venue until late every single day.

The kitchen is in safe hands, being led by Italian-born Head Chef Simone Righetto and his first class kitchen crew. The warm and inviting selection of meals fuse traditional Italian cuisine with the best of fresh and seasonable Australian produce. 

As expected of any great Italian eatery, Royal Saxon is particularly good at producing quality pasta dishes of exceptional quality. The mushroom and ricotta parpadelle special that we had recently was no exception. The parpadelle was exquisitely al dente and when combined with the earthy mushrooms and rich, truffle infused ricotta, this dish was pure nirvana. Seemingly simple but with a great complexity of flavour, this pasta course undoubtedly belongs on the permanent menu. 

Royal Saxon serves some of the best pizzas in Melbourne. The delicately thin crusts have the perfect balance between crispiness and chewiness and the expertly judged toppings are always impeccable. 

Righetto has bought his hearty Italian feel to the new main dishes and constructs them with an air of delicious purity. From the whole snapper fillet that is baked in paper to seal in the succulent aromas, to the premium O’Conner grass fed steak, grilled to perfection and served with a drizzle of balsamic, each dish is prepared to accentuate and preserve their natural flavours – a skill of artistic simplicity which Righetto and his team have truly mastered. 

The menu now features an extensive range of sides and salads from which diners can select and share from. As summer fades and new, fresh options become available, the sides menu is constructed to take full advantage of this by including a vast array of fresh Autumn produce. From cannellini beans and peas to shitake mushrooms and broccolini, with a menu like this there promises to be a little something to suit all tastes.

Our favourite dessert from the new autumn menu, and a definite MUST-HAVE is the Poached pear tart with spiced red wine reduction and cinnamon ice cream. A beautifully decadent dessert, the soft centre of caramelised pears combines with the buttery crumbly pastry, the rich red wine reduction and moreish cinnamon ice cream in perfect harmony - absolutely sublime!

Make the most of Autumn’s cooler months and come sample these new flavours at the Royal Saxon. From something casual in the courtyard to something cosy in the restaurant, Royal Saxon is sure to delight. 

Location: 545 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 03 9429 5277

Link: http://www.royalsaxon.com/

Cuisine: Italian, Pub/Bar Food, Coffee