Twenty Pho Seven

138 Russell Street, Melbourne

As you may have already guessed from the name, Twenty Pho Seven is one of the newest additions to Melbourne's 24/7 dining scene. Although there are already an abundance of Vietnamese restaurants, particularly those that specialize in the Vietnamese noodle dish, pho, Twenty Pho Seven has managed to set itself apart by being the first to be open 24/7. 
If that was not enough, the team behind Twenty Pho Seven are also behind the very popular restaurant Hochi Mama.

Twenty Pho Seven

Bruce Lee

Crispy pork belly rice paper roll

Rice paper rolls are a dish I usually avoid when I am visiting a Vietnamese restaurant, as I usually find they are a trap to make people spend more money. Despite this, I decided to give them a try thanks to the enthusiastic recommendations from our server. Surprisingly I found myself enjoying the rice paper rolls quite a lot, especially the freshness of the herbs combined with the perfectly cooked crispy pork belly. One complaint I did have about the dish was that the rice paper itself was a little dry and stiff, so it took a little strength to bite through it.

 Satay chicken

 Hanoi honey glazed fried chicken

The honey glazed chicken wings were one of the menu items that came highly recommended to us. I was a little skeptical at first, as most people would be if they were recommended chicken wings at a pho restaurant. To my surprise though, these were some of the best chickens wings that I've had in Melbourne. The glaze on the wings had a light sweetness, which when paired with the slight kick and perfectly fried crispy skin left us wanting more! 

Sliced beef & brisket pho

As the namesake would suggest, Twenty Pho Seven is a restaurant which specializes in the incredibly popular Vietnamese noodle dish known as pho. As a child from an Asian family, I spent many of my early years eating Vietnamese cuisine in suburbs such as Richmond and Springvale. And although there are still many people questioning whether their pho is "authentic" or not, if you judge it by itself as a standalone dish, it is quite enjoyable. The broth of the pho we tried was a lot more clear, in both appearance and taste, which is something we found was different from other restaurants which serve the same style. Although the flavour of the broth was not as intense, we were able to taste each different element added to the dish. 

Usually when I am invited to dine at a restaurant I like to focus on the food aspect of the experience more than the service side of it. Despite this, I felt the need to make a special mention about our service during our visit. Our server who introduced herself to us as Taeeun was one of the friendliest servers that I have ever met. Her recommendations were spot on and her attentiveness and enthusiasm was amazing to say the least. I would not be exaggerating if I were to say she provided the best service that I have ever had in a restaurant. 

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Twenty Pho Seven.

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 9/10

Jai Ho Indian Restaurant

205 Swan Street, Richmond

Melbourne has quite a broad choice of restaurants when it comes down  to Indian cuisine, with many well established restaurants already in place. However, with the shift in trend towards a more South-East Asian influenced fusion and hawker style experience, there has been a decline in new Indian restaurants opening in Melbourne. Jai Ho is one of these aforementioned established names in the Indian dining scene, with three locations, including Hoppers Crossing, Berwick and Richmond.

Chicken tikka and fish amritsari

The chicken tikka and fish amritsari were the first of the dishes we sampled in our visit to Jai Ho. While the chicken tikka was a solid dish, we were more impressed by the fish amritsari. The fish itself was quite tender and still moist, while the spiced chickpea flour that they were coated with accentuated the fish with a little kick.

Vegetable samosas

Lamb rahara

Dal balti

The dal balti was one of the vegetarian dishes as well as one of my favourite parts of the meal. The spices used in the dal balti were lighter and more balanced, which worked well with the lentil based dish, as opposed to a dish like the lamb rahara, where a stronger flavour profile would be more suitable, as the distinctive flavour of lamb can sometimes be a little too strong.

Butter chicken

Mushroom pulao

The mushroom pulao did not look very impressive when it arrived, however looks can be deceiving as the rice dish was one of the highlights of the meal. The best thing about the mushroom pulao was that the dish was great at doing exactly what a side dish should do, providing a base for and helping to accentuate the main dishes of a meal.

Garlic naan

Pistachio kulfi

The pistachio kulfi was one of the few disappointing points of the meal, which is a shame, because it was the last thing that we tried. Although our main problem with the dessert was the strong flavour of the spices which overpowered the pistachio, the texture and mouthfeel of the dish was also a little unpleasant, which is unfortunate as the rest of the meal was quite enjoyable.

If you are a fan of Indian food, I would definitely give Jai Ho a go, they have three different locations around Melbourne so there is bound to be a location that is convenient. With so many new restaurants popping up and introducing new flavours and styles of cooking, sometimes it is better to go back to something more traditional.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Jai Ho

Food Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10

Charisma Workshop

3 Frederick Way, Melbourne

As a new arrival in Melbourne's expansive cafe scene, Charisma Workshop has a lot of great cafes to compete with. Charisma Workshop is a result of the collective vision of the Ko family, with Jonathan Ko at the head. With a passion for patisserie, he inspired his family to join him in advancing their skills as well as sharing their passion with others in the form of Charisma Workshop.

Siphon coffee

Kenyan coffee beans

Charisma Workshop is one of the only cafes in Melbourne that I have been to that serves siphon coffee. Many people who have had siphon coffee swear by the fact that it makes coffee with a lighter and more delicate aroma, while eliminating some of the bitterness. Although I could definitely tell the difference between the siphon coffee and a regular brewed black coffee, I would still prefer cold drip coffee. However, if hot black coffee is your thing, then I would definitely give their siphon coffee a try.

Chicken burger with chips

Confit duck leg

I chose to have the confit duck leg, as I was looking for something more substantial, and I rarely ever turn down a good duck dish. Although the dish had many different elements, they all combined well to compliment each other. Even though the duck should have been the centerpiece of the dish,it was slightly overcooked. Instead, I found myself enjoying the mushrooms and sweet potato and pumpkin mash more than the duck. The hidden star of the dish would definitely be the coffee and red wine reduction, which had a strong and deep savoury flavour that helped bring the dish together.

La vie en rose

When I first arrived at Charisma Workshop, I did not expect to find some of the best cakes that I have tried. Absolutely everything about them were done fabulously, from the texture of the different layers within the cake, to the subtle sweetness that accentuated the flavours instead of overpowering them.

The biggest obstacle that Charisma Workshop has to overcome is definitely their location. The cafe is located in a small lane-way adjacent to A'beckett and Wills street, which is the home of the very popular Operator 25. Apart from the location of the lane-way, the cafe was also obstructed from view by scaffolding on the nearby buildings.

Although you can tell that there is a bit of inexperience with them being a new cafe, Charisma Workshop itself was a good experience for us. There were a couple of wrinkles in the preparation of the food that could definitely be ironed out in time. However, other than that they are definitely a place to look out for, especially for those with a sweet tooth!

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

The Moldy Fig

120-122 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

Located in the heart of Brunswick's Lygon Street in the vicinity of some big names in the dining scene such as Rumi, The Moldy Fig brings us a side of American cuisine which is somewhat under-represented in Melbourne. Although there are some restaurants in Melbourne that incorporate flavours and techniques from New Orleans style cooking, The Moldy Fig has gone one step further and not only based their entire menu off of New Orleans style cooking, but also incorporated a jazz theme into the entire restaurant, including a reference in their name.

 The Moldy Fig

Southern Fried Shrimp Po'boy

Beef Brisket Po'boy

We started off the night sampling some of the Po'boys that they offer at The Moldy Fig. We chose to try the Southern Fried Shrimp Po'boy and the Beef Brisket Po'boy so that we could try two different flavours. The Po'boys themselves were great, with perfectly cooked shrimp on mine as well as a great balance of the slaw and remoulade. If I had to be picky though, eating the Po'boy was quite difficult, as it was completely packed with the fillings, which made eating it really messy.

 Homemade Cornbread

 

 Ribs of the day

 Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Deep fried Southern Bites

After we sampled the Po'boys we had the chance to try many of their main dishes, such as the Prawn and Chicken Jambalaya, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Turkey Meatballs, Deep-fried Southern Bites and Ribs of the day. 

These dishes were a great showcase of the New Orleans style of food, many of which I had not tried before. Many of their dishes were great and full of flavour, such as the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and the Ribs of the day. The ribs basically fell right off the bone from the slow cooking process, and their homemade BBQ glaze and dry rub gave them a slightly caramelized sweetness. While we did enjoy most of the dishes we tried, I did find some small faults with some of their food, especially the turkey meatballs which where dry and under-seasoned.

Passionfruit and Pomegranate Hurricane

Surprisingly, while we did enjoy our meal, it was actually the drinks they had on offer that impressed me the most. Before visiting The Moldy Fig, I was expecting most of the emphasis to be on their unique offering of New Orleans cuisine. However, after trying their signature cocktail, the Passionfruit and Pomegranate Hurricane, as well as a unique twist on the classic whiskey sour I realised that their bar was also first class.

The Moldy Fig is like nothing that I have tried before. With their unique menu and amazing drinks as well as a snazzy jazz theme, live music and accommodating staff and venue, why wouldn't you want to visit them and give them a go?

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Bergerac

555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

My first experience with Bergerac was many years ago when the restaurant was still located on Melbourne's King Street. I was quite disappointed when I went to visit them again, only to find that they were no longer there. However, while looking for new restaurants in the city I happened to stumble upon their new Lonsdale Street location. Eager to try them again, I dropped my plans and visited them for dinner soon after.

Magret de Canard

Magret de Canard was a dish comprised of oven-roasted duck breast with potato fondant, served on a bed of braised red cabbage in a black cherry jus. I actually really enjoyed the flavour components of the dish, especially how the jus and the duck came together. I do wish that the duck was cooked slightly better as I did find it a little overcooked, however this was only a minor issue.

Lamb special

Pear and frangipane tart

Creme brulee with berry compote

I've been served my fair share of terrible creme brulee, from the incredibly burnt, to the overcooked and grainy. Luckily the creme brulee served at Bergerac was exactly what I would expect to be served from a nice French restaurant.  The thin burnt sugar coating lent to the mouthfeel and texture of the creamy and well balanced custard base, as well as adding a little extra sweetness. If I had to fault this dish, I would have to say that compared to the quality of the creme brulee, the berry compote did not seem to add much to the dish.

With the rise in popularity of all the modern and fusion restaurants around the city, there are a smaller number of the older style and more traditional restaurants left. With some of my favourite restaurants closing in recent times, I feel like giving some of the older restaurants, such as Bergerac some love is definitely something worth doing.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

New Taipei

273 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Located right in the middle of the Melbourne CBD, New Taipei is one of the newer Asian restaurants in the city. Calling one of the busier intersections in the city it's home, means that it is quite difficult to miss this restaurant, which is how I ended up dining here after a night out.

 Zhajiang noodle $10.80

The zhajiang noodle, or zhajiangmian is a popular dish served in many Chinese restaurants. The dish is usually made with a combination of thick noodles, a sauce comprising of ground pork and soybean paste as well as some other elements. Compared to some of my favourite Asian restaurants, the meat sauce on the noodles was a lot milder than I was used to and could also have done with a little more seasoning.

Pan-fried pork dumpling $6.80

Even though I was quite full at the point, I had to try a serve of their dumplings, as that is one of their main dishes. While they weren't terrible, the dumplings were a bit of a disappointment. The texture of the skin, as well as the filling was a bit different from what I was used to, and there was also a lack of seasoning in the filling, which made the dumpling quite bland. For the price point, there are definitely other restaurants in the CBD with better dumplings for cheaper.

Unfortunately I was quite disappointed by New Taipei. Not only did the food let us down, but the service was also quite slow and the staff were not attentive. With the wealth of Asian restaurants that serve food similar to New Taipei in the city, they will really need to pick up the slack.

Food Rating 6/10

Overall Rating 5.5/10

Punjabi Curry Cafe

87 Jonhston Street, Collingwood

Located on the busy Johnston Street in Collingwood, Punjabi Curry Cafe is a prime example of a restaurant which you should not judge by it's cover. Having driven past Punjabi Curry Cafe many times on my way to the city, the shopfront has never caught my eye, as it is quite cluttered and doesn't really draw much positive attention. However, after seeing the interior of the restaurant and trying the food they had to offer we were pleasantly surprised.

Interior

 Punjabi tandoori platter

The Punjabi tandoori platter was definitely our favourite dish of the night. It was exciting trying all the different flavours from the use of different spices and meats and the aroma definitely got our appetite going. The lamb cutlets were especially worthy of praise, as my friend who usually does not enjoy lamb found them amazing.

 Vegetable platter

The vegetable platter allowed us to try an assortment of their vegetarian entree dishes, such as the samosa, pakora, onion bahji and aloo tikki. The different flavours and textures presented in each of the elements on the dish gave us an insight into their use of spices and ingredients. The texture of each entree on the dish was wildly variant, where some of the large pieces were just a large mass of mush and others were so hard that biting into it hurt my mouth. This would have been less of a problem if the size of the pieces on the dish were reduced.

 Garlic naan

 Butter chicken

The butter chicken at Punjabi Curry Cafe is one of their most popular dishes and I can definitely understand why. The marinated pieces of chicken are cooked in butter, coriander, tomato and ginger to create a dish of tender and flavourful chicken in a smooth and mellow butter sauce.

 Aloo Gosht

The Aloo Gosht was quite similar to the butter chicken in the way that the spices and potatoes combined to make a great base for the dish in terms of flavour and texture. However, the one difference in how the dishes were made was an important one. The Aloo Gosht was a dish which had slow cooked beef as it's main ingredient and although this process made it so the beef was not tough, it still left the beef quite dry and stringy.

Initially we were a little skeptical due to the appearance of the restaurant, but we quickly found that you should not judge a book by it's cover. Although both the restaurant and the staff were quiet during the night and there were a few shortcomings in the dishes we were served, we still definitely enjoyed the food and found it delicious. I would definitely recommend giving Punjabi Curry Cafe a try, whether it be take-away or dine in, as the food is good and set at a reasonable price point.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Punjabi Curry Cafe.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10