Juicy Bao

Juicy Bao is everything a good dumpling house should be - clean, cheap, quick and easy - and serving absolutely delicious food.

The dumplings here are so fresh that you can watch them being crafted by the dozen in the makeshift kitchen set up by the restaurant's front door.  But not only are they fresh, they are incredibly cheap - for $25 you will be rolling out of Juicy Bao's doors (and did I mention that it was BYO!).

On this occasion we ordered the pork and prawn wontons with chilli and peanuts ($9.80), the stir fried noodles with seafood and XO sauce ($14.80) and the vegetarian Xiao long bao ($11.80). The pork and prawn wontons were the dish of the night - offering a suite of spice, flavours and textures - I'd highly recommend ordering this dish!

Busting with flavour, the stir fried noodles came a close second (and would have come a clear number 1 if the seafood tasted just a touch fresher). 

We couldn't go to Juicy Bao and not try their bao, so the vegetarian Xiao long bao were added to our list. For me, I found them to be a touch boring as they were filled only with spinach. Whereas my friend (who is vegetarian, so one could say is an expert on the matter) absolutely loved them and said that they were some of the best veggie dumplings she's ever had.

With its great food, value and service, Juicy Bao is definitely on my recommendation list for dumpling houses in Melbourne. 

Food: 4/5

Venue: 3.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Total: 11/15

Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon

Tim Ho Wan

Hong Kong's dumpling house Tim Ho Wan is one of the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurants. So you can just imagine Melbournites excitement when we found out that a Tim Ho Wan (well several) were coming to our shores.

Unfortunately the CBD restaurant didn't quite live up to the hype and high expectations, with only two dishes being worthy enough to claim the title of worth going back for. 

In terms of the venue, cleaner and shinier then it's China Town counterparts (mainly to do with it being new), the venue consists of a large beige room full of cheap plastic tables and chairs crammed in close together. Service is quick (mainly because you are made to complete your order whilst waiting outside in the shivering cold) but don't expect your drinks to come until you've almost finished all of your dishes. 

But onto the world famous food, the highlights of the night were the pork buns ($7.80 for 3) - deliciously sweet and sticky on outside, rich and flavoursome on the inside - best pork bun I've ever had, and the wasabi prawn dumplings ($7.80 for 3) - an interesting but successful fusion of Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

Pork Buns

Wasabi Prawn Dumplings

The prawn dumplings (4 for $8.20), pork dumplings (4 for $7.80) and egg white Spring rolls (3 for $6.00) were nice, but I've had better dumplings from China town for less than half the price. 

Prawn Dumplings

Pork Dumplings

Egg White Spring Rolls

In terms of the low lights, the vermicelli roll with BBQ pork (3 for $7.50) and the turnip cake (3 for $6.00) had no flavour, and the spinach dumplings with shrimp (3 for $7.80) mainly tasted of raw garlic. 

Vermicelli Roll with BBQ Pork

Turnip cakes

Spinach dumplings with shrimp

Whilst offering the best pork buns I've ever had, for the wait, expense and otherwise mediocre food, sorry Tim Ho Wan but I will not be back. 

Food: 2/5

Decor: 2/5

Service: 2/5

Total: 6/15

Verdict: don't bother.

Glovers Station

The biggest draw card of Glovers Station in Elsternwick is its venue - transformed from what once used to be a service station from the 1930s, the cafe which prides itself on using locally sourced organic produce is bright and spacious on the inside with a courtyard for brunch in the sun on the outside.

Using only seasonal produce, Glovers Station changes its menu monthly to make the most of the local produce in season.  On this occasion i ordered the smoky beans with mozzarella, pesto and corn purée.  The dish came out looking magnificently drool worthy and he flavours of the beans, pesto and corn purée worked beautifully together. However, I wouldn't have called the beans "smokey" as it lacked any smokiness flavour (or any big flavours) and the couple of tiny dollops of mozzarella were completely lost in the dish.

Whilst I loved Glovers Stations' concept of using only organic local produce and my dish was "nice", unfortunately on this occasion it wasn't a dish that I would run back for.  At least next month there will be a new menu to look forward to!

Food: 2.5/5
Decor: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point.

The Burger Block

Fish burgers are completely underrated if (and it's a big if) they are done well. Offering Asian fusion burgers, The Burger Block in Kew is one such place that manages to hit the mark!

Located in Kew, the venue itself is reminiscent of a small town cafe - warm, friendly, with attention to detail down to the wicker baskets containing serviettes on the tables. 

The chips were definitely a highlight  - crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and smothered with a delicious seasoning. The sweet chilli Mayo is also a sauce I'd recommend not to go past! 

In terms of burgers, we tried the Eureka beef burger (beef pattie, American cheese, bacon, Spanish onion, beer battered onion rings and BBQ sauce) and the Tempua Fish burger (tempura hake fillet with cheese, lettuce, tomato, Jap Mayo). Whilst I generally like my beef pattie a bit pinker, the Eureka beef burger is an excellent choice for lovers of BBQ sauce. 

The Tempura Fish Burger was my personal favourite - the fish was crispy, the sauce tangy and the lettuce crunchy.

If you're feeling hungry, The Burger Block offers 5 levels of 'The Block Legends' - each level offering an extra layer of cheese, beef and bacon.  And if you're feeling extra brave, there are the Burger Block Challenges. First up there is the 1.5kg 'Saw' challenge - 8 layers of beef, cheese, bacon and special fusion sauce. And then there's the 3kg 'Chainsaw Massacre' challenge which definitely isn't for the faint hearted - upping it up to 16 layers of beef, cheese, bacon and secret sauce! Whilst I definitely cannot say challenge accepted - I do look forward to heading back to The Burger Block to try other burgers from their menu. 

Decor: 3/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Total: 11/15

Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon!

The New Fave dined courtesy of The Burger Block

 

Corte

The first thing you notice about Corte (and its biggest drawcard) is the venue.  Situated within an old courthouse built in the 1800's, with its distressed stone walls, high ceilings and wooden features, the building just oozes with character.  Also adding to Corte's old world charm is its courtyard which is filled with palm trees and greenery, and spotted with outdoor seating for visitors to enjoy a drink in the sun - a little Oasis in the midst of the bustling Bay Street of Port Melbourne.

Serving Latin cuisine, Corte's menu is designed to share.  On this occasion we ordered (and over-ordered I must add) the Ahi Poke Nachos with raw yellowfin tuna, fresh tortilla chips, kewpie, chilli jam and sesame, the baked Charlston brie with onion jam and rolls stuffed with pulled pork and coleslaw.

The Ahi Poke Nachos was the dish of the day.  Whilst it could have done with more sauce (it looks saucy in the picture below but the chips underneath the top layer were bone dry) the yellow fin tuna was fresh, the sauces were flavoursome and the overall flavours dish surprisingly worked (who would have thought to put raw fish in nachos??).  The baked brie was also executed well -  the brie was warm and gooey and the accompanying sourdough was fresh and spongy.

 

The rolls, however, were disappointing.  The pork was flavoursome and cooked well and the corn chips added a nice textual crunch, but the overall dish was dry, and lacked any zest/spice/tang in its one dimensional flavours.

With live music in the courtyard Fridays from 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm, it's definitely a venue I would suggest for an afternoon drink on a sunny afternoon (and maybe order a bowl of the Ahi Poke nachos while you're there!).

Food: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Venue: 5/5
Total: 10.5/15
Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point.

Taketori

Taketori is about as under-rated as they come.  On heading there for a mid week lunch of Japanese cuisine, the place was absolutely deserted - an absolute shock after trying their delicious food which comes at a very affordable price.

For under $20, you can get yourself a Taketori Bento - a traditional Japanese lunchbox with appetizer, salad, miso soup, protein of your choice, sushi and sashimi and rice.  On this occasion I ordered the beef teriyaki - an exceptional choice - the beef melted in the mouth and the teriyaki was the perfect balance of flavours without being overly salty.  The seafood on the plate (sashimi and prawn covered in roe) was fresh, the Miso wasn't too salty and the seaweed salad was full of flavour. All in all a delicious plate which was exceptional value.

There is no need to make a booking at this King Street eatery which just oozes with charm. It's definitely on the short list for a mid week lunch meal and a great place to take your clients!

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 4/5
Total: 12/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon.

Mr Huang Jin

I had high hopes going into Mr Huang Jin's based on a number of rave reviews.  However, aside from the prawn and pork wontons with chilli sauce (probably some of the best wontons I've ever had), the experience was overall disappointing.

Mr Huang Jin, which used to be located under the Rialto building, is now situated on Katherine Place off of Flinders Lane. It's definitely more upmarket then your usual dumpling joint - elegant lighting, clean and well spaced tabletops and even  a complimentary salad on arrival.

As mentioned above, the prawn and pork wontons ($13 for 5 pieces) were some of the best wontons I have ever had - generously plump parcels filled with fresh local prawns, Mr Huang Jin's special pork, spring onions and ginger with the family's secret chilli sauce, ordering this dish is a must if you find yourself eating at this venue. 

The pan fried pork dumplings ($11 for 5) were not so great - the dough was overly chewy (aka undercooked) and the filling was one dimensional in flavour.  The noodles with fresh local seafood in oyster sauce ($16) were also lacking in flavour and the seafood tasted old and undercooked.

Whilst we did order 4 glasses of wine between the two of us, we walked out the door spending just over $100 - very pricey for a dumpling house but a price I would be willing to pay if the dumplings blew me away. Unfortunately they didn't and next time I will stick with Hutong.

Food: 1.5/5
Venue: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 7/15
Verdict: Don't bother - there are too many other amazing dumpling joints in Melbourne.