Rice Paper Scissors

Rice Paper Scissors is a South East Asian inspired hawker dining bar situated on Liverpool Street in Melbourne. With it's mouth watering menu and incredible prices to match, Rice Paper Scissors is a must go to if in the mood for Asian cuisine.

Still bustling at 3pm on a Sunday, the venue unquestionably had a Melbourne laneway feel with its high-topped wooden benches, jam -packed bar seating, and bicycles / eclectic paintings adorning the walls.

It is difficult to go past the five share dishes for $55 altogether (that's right, only $27.50 each!).  Whilst on this occasion I was feeling too fragile to take advantage of their drinks list (it was a Sunday after all) I should also mention that the cocktail list looked spectacular and I will definitely be hitting up the Mang-koh Samui (gin, Cointreau, mango juice and thai basil topped with soda) on my next occasion.

The twice cooked sticky pork belly in a tamarind caramel sauce, topped with a herb salad, was the dish of the day - sweet juicy sticky pork paired with a deliciously fresh and fragrant salad, this dish was spectacularly mouth watering.  The steamed pork buns were also deserving of a special mention and came a close second to the pork belly. There is something about the fluffiness of the bun, the tang of the sauce and the crunch of the pork belly that gets me every time when it comes to a good pork bun.

The Thai fried chicken wings and Crispy Coconut Wafer were also delicious and packed full of flavour.  Whilst I will not be rushing back just to order these dishes (I couldn't help comparing the chicken wings to Gingerboy's which are amongst the best I have ever had), they were far from disappointing.

We also had a special of the day - beef cheeks cooked in coconut milk - which was unfortunately average.  Overall the dish was bland and lacked any flavour.  However, with four out of the five dishes being exceptionally delicious, it is still a venue I hope to return to soon.  

Rice Paper Scissors does not take bookings for dinner so I would recommend getting in early for an evening meal.  Otherwise, if you are like me and think it is outrageous (selfishly so) that Longrain and Gingerboy are closed for a Sunday lunch  -  Rice Paper Scissors is the perfect place for a delicious weekend lunch if you happen to find yourself in the city

Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Décor: 4/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon.