Chin Chin Restaurant – Melbourne CBD - Melbourne, Australia

A visit to Melbourne is not complete without going to Chin Chin Restaurant. It’s one of the most famous restaurants in Melbourne and the ‘IT’ place to be. There is a lot of hype surrounding the restaurant, being one of the most reviewed on Zomato. 

Chin Chin Restaurant is a walk in restaurant and only takes reservations for groups of 10-12 people. We arrive on a Saturday night at around 8pm thinking it won’t be too crowded given that its past busy dinner time but no, we were wrong. It’s so busy and fully packed out. We’re told there is approximately a two hour wait for a table. That would mean having dinner at 10pm!

Since we were in no hurry for dinner having just consumed a waffle from Waffee and being rather full from lunch, we decide to wait. Now you may think we’re crazy waiting at those odd hours but since we’re already in town and having heard such rave reviews we had to try it. Our expectations were set high. 

Getting side tracked a bit but the waffles from Waffee are worth a mention. The plain waffle is wonderfully warm and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

You have the choice of waiting at the bar or they can call you once a table is available. We opt for the latter as there is still plenty to see in the CBD including a visit to the Gingerbread House and watching the Christmas lights display.

A hour and a bit in, our phone buzzes and they advise a table is available. That was indeed much quicker than we expected. I’m glad we waited as it wasn’t that long after all. At past 9pm it's still a full house and there are still customers waiting to go in.

Located on Flinders Lane, Chin Chin Restaurant is a casual eatery serving modern Thai street inspired dishes with a South-East Asian twist. It’s dimly lit and rather dark but that gives it the nice ambiance. There is that constant lively buzz from the chatter and 80’s music pumping in the background, giving it a very cool vibe.

We find our neighboring tables extremely friendly. They are locals from Melbourne and they greet us once we take a seat, not something you would expect to see in Sydney.

The menu is elaborate and there are plenty of options to choose from. All sound visually appealing even though there are no pictures. We struggle to pick only a few dishes to share but eventually decide on them after much deliberation.

We start off with the ‘Handmade Crab and Pork Cakes ($15.00)’ served with a salted duck egg and tamarind sauce.An odd sounding combination but flavours worked well. The cakes are deep fried to a lovely golden texture. Wrapped in the leaves and then dipped in the sauce, it was delicious.

The ‘Smashed Green Papaya Salad ($16.00)’ with red chilli, prawn floss, peanuts and black beans is SPICY. For a chilli lover like myself, it was fiery. The sweet, sour and hot balanced well together and the papaya was just so fresh. A simple dish, yet packed with a whole lot of punch.

Next up was the ‘Pad Seuw Beef ($24.00)’ made up of stir fried rice noodles with wagyu beef, gai lan and shallots. A popular dish at regular Thai joints but the version here was superb.  The beef wasn’t chewy and the noodles were wonderfully coated with a dark soy sauce.

The ‘Hot and Sour Steamed White Fish ($29.50)’ was the last dish to arrive. We were expecting a fillet of fish in a lovely sauce. However, it was more like a soup. Pieces of fresh fish in a tom yum style broth with chilies and baby corn. I personally found it a bit sour and compared to the other dishes this was our least favourite.

How could one leave without dessert? The ‘Palm Sugar Ice-cream Sundae ($16.50)’ with salted honeycomb and lime syrup was delightful. A scoop of the honeycomb with the robust flavours of the palm sugar ice-cream was a satisfying way to end the meal.

If you’re in Melbourne do give Chin Chin Restaurant a try as I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. It does live up to its hype. The large portion sizes, fresh ingredients and scrumptious food makes up for the higher prices and long waiting times. A memorable experience.

Next destination is Singapore (again) and Hong Kong. There is so much I want to eat in these countries I don’t think I’ll have time to try everything. I can’t wait!

Look out for upcoming posts after April.

Where

Chin Chin Restaurant

125 Flinders Lane

Melbourne VIC 3000

Australia

Phone no: 03 8663 2000

Waffee

1/77 Swanston St

Melbourne VIC 3000

Australia

Phone no: 03 9041 4594

Opening Hours

Chin Chin Restaurant

7 Days a week

11:00am – 11:30pm

Waffee

7 Days a Week
Monday - Thursday: 7:45am - 7:00pm
Friday: 7:45am - 11:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm

Websites

http://www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au/

http://www.waffee.com.au/

Operator 25 - Melbourne CBD - Melbourne, Australia

Operator 25 is a fairly new cafe in the Melbourne dining scene, having only been open since May last year. It has already garnered a following, seeing a surge in its popularity, witnessed by a myriad of online reviews and publications .

Located near Flagstaff Gardens, this restaurant is tucked away in a little alleyway. It occupies a heritage listed building in the CBD fringe serving breakfast, lunch and everything in between including brunch.

We arrived early on a weekday morning, the week where most have just returned to work following the long weekend and lucky for us it wasn't busy. The customer base was mainly corporates, but when we went past on the weekend it was packed with a diverse group of people.

The interior is modern and rustic, giving off the cool industrial and warehouse vibe.

They appear to have two separate menus, one in summer and one in winter. We tried the dishes from their 'Summer 2015' menu. The selection available is interesting with a creative twist on the traditional dishes, and not like items from the typical standard breakfast menu.

The 'Cappuccino ($3.80)' was spot on. They use the finest beans from a local producer called 'Code Black Coffee Roasters'. The coffee was strong, rich and creamy. A great way to start the morning.

We started off with the 'Coconut Sago Cup ($10.00)', made up of fresh berries, pineapple salsa, coconut chips and mango foam. An interesting option for breakfast as it sounded more like dessert, but it was well received by all of us. The mango mousse was incredibly smooth, and the coconut sago was refreshing. The best way to eat this is by scooping up all the elements together and you'll experience that flavour explosion.  This was our favourite dish as it was so good.

The 'Breakfast Tortilla ($17.00)' is filled with chorizo, scrambled eggs, mixed mushrooms, aged cheddar cheese and green harissa sauce. The mixture of perfectly cooked scrambled eggs, slightly salty chorizo and finely chopped mushroom, all encased in a lightly grilled soft tortilla, was delicious. We would have preferred the grated cheese to be melted.

We were most excited about trying the 'Hot Cakes ($16.00)'. Matcha and white chocolate flavoured hot cakes served with black sesame mascarpone, banana chips, toasted hazelnut and cherry sauce. The hot cakes were chunky and round, but it was still moist with a faint green tea taste. It wasn't too sweet and with the cherry sauce, while an unusual addition, balanced out the sweetness with a slight sourness.

'Smoked Chicken, Vegetable Hash and Tomato Chutney ($16.00)' with a poached egg looked striking with the contrast of different colours. While it was visually appealing and the flavours worked well together, it didn't have that wow factor as compared to the other dishes we had.

Operator 25 surprised us with their food combinations and it actually worked. The food was amazingly good and it surely left a lasting impression. If we're ever in Melbourne again, I would love to try out their lunch menu. The 'Balinese Pulled Pork Burger' sounds very enticing.

Where?
25 Wills Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia

Phone no: 03 9670 3278

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 7:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday - Sunday: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Website
www.operator25.com.au

Sokyo Japanese Restaurant - Pyrmont, The Star - Sydney, Australia

Sokyo Japanese Restaurant

'The Star' has had a major transformation since the days it was still called 'Star City'. After the refurbishment, a number of eateries have since opened with food court stores, casual outlets and high end restaurants occupying the space.

So-k-yo, I had trouble pronouncing the name and had to ask my friends who said it's Tokyo but with a S. It has always been a place my best friend has wanted to go to and for her birthday she decided she wanted to go there. Initially, we wanted to go hiking but unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, it was way too hot and we would have been toasted by the time we were done. Walking from Town Hall to The Star gave us a nice unwanted tan.

Sokyo Japanese Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant serving contemporary fusion Japanese cuisine, located within The Star complex. Sokyo was awarded a 'One Chef's Hat' from the SMH Good Food Guide 2014 and 2015. The head chef, Chase Kojima is a well-known Japanese chef, having worked at the renowned Nobu restaurant group worldwide. It's not the typical Japanese food you would usually find around town but Sokyo adds a new dimension with a western twist.

Getting to Sokyo from the inside of The Star can be confusing. We had to ask concierge for directions and they were happy to help. There is a sign that leads you to the outside but then you have to turn left into an interconnecting building. It's discretely hidden in the lobby of the Darling Hotel, away from the casino.

The prices here aren't cheap and you're paying the premium for quality food. However, for lunch they currently have a set lunch for the special price of $45 for a three course meal with miso soup and a green salad included.  A bargain considering how much each dish can cost. You have the choice of one sashimi, one tempura and one main from a selection of 3 dishes in each category. Usually, you wouldn't associate large portions with fine dining restaurants and this restaurant was no exception.

The interior is stylish and modern with hues of black and wood. As you walk in, the ambiance is relaxed and welcoming. Even though the dining area is big, it still retains that intimacy.

The bar area is separated from the main dining area.

We arrived just a bit after lunch service started, it was empty, but the room gradually filled up with customers. For those out there who are fans of Alan Tam, a famous Hong Kong singer who was here for a concert with Hacken Lee earlier in the month, he was also dining at Sokyo whilst we were eating there. My friends couldn't help but spy at his table to catch a glimpse of the star and his entourage.

A huge sushi bar is visible from the dining area.

Miso soup actually varies in taste between restaurants. I've never liked miso soup until recently. I tried it at a Neutral Bay Japanese restaurant, and it was one of the best I've ever had and my liking for it started from then. We had a choice of either miso soup or clear soup.

The 'Miso Soup ($6.00)' here is tasty. It's made from a blend of miso, dashi, tofu and daikon.

The 'Mixed Greens ($8.00)' portion is huge. This is a big contrast to what we were going to be served. We get two of these plates to share between three. They use a spicy garlic vinaigrette dressing which is refreshing to the palate, but they were a bit heavy handed leaving the salad leaves drenched in dressing.

The 'Salmon Ssamjang' is my preferred choice of the three options available. As mentioned previously, I'm not a fan of raw seafood and I dread at the thought of having to eat raw sashimi. The waitress told us this was partially cooked sashimi so I thought I would give it a try considering I wasn't able to switch to another dish.

The salmon was nicely flamed with a torch and it did have a lovely zesty and acidic drizzle made from red shiso, ginger and ssamjang, a form of Korean red paste. I don't like raw fish and I didn't really enjoy it. My two dining companions thought it had nice flavours but they prefer raw sashimi over partially cooked sashimi. Thus, a personal preference thing.

The 'Tuna Umami ($18.00)' is a fancy looking plate of sashimi. Thin slices of fresh raw tuna are topped with garlic soya sauce and choya umeshu, which is a plum wine liqueur in a cubed jelly form. Miss A thoroughly enjoyed this dish and preferred this over the salmon.

The tempura selection is my favourite part of the meal. Who doesn't like fried seafood?

I opted for the 'Barramundi Tempura ($19.00)' and it tasted very much like the Aussie fish and chips. A light and crispy batter, though not like the Japanese tempura we're accustomed to eating. Dipped in layu, a form of chilli oil, and apple aioli served on the side, this was the perfect match.

The 'Cuttlefish Tempura ($16.00)' has a light crispy batter that is delicious. It's different to the batter used for the barramundi. A side sauce made from Chilli de arbol, a form of Mexican chilli, and tarragon ponzu is provided on the side. Both were very good tempura dishes. We wish they gave us more!

For mains, there was a choice from fish, lamb or scallops.

The 'Sea Scallops ($30.00)' looked delicate in that huge plate. Three plump pieces of scallops were cooked to perfection leaving it tender and oh so juicy. This was accompanied with a wasabi and shitake pepper sauce, reminding me very much of a creamy steak pepper sauce.

The meat on the 'Lamb Chops ($36.00)' was falling off the bone. Tin Tin wasn't sure on how to eat it as no knife and fork was given, leaving her to fend with only a pair of chopsticks and her hands. They say you got to do what you go to do and she had to use her hands. The sauce, made from a mix of black garlic eggplant puree and basil looked extra thick but it gave it that extra flavour.

For dessert, we chose to try two and picked the ones that sounded most appealing. Dessert is fairly priced in comparison to the other dishes.

'Goma Street ($13.00)' is picture perfection on a plate. The presentation of this is one of the best I've ever seen for a dessert. 5 discs of thin dark chocolate are layered with a sesame filling and crunchy sesame bits. Then to the side is quenelle of ice cream on top of caramelised white chocolate crumbs. It tasted as good as it looked.

'Sokyo Mochi Ice-cream ($9.00)' is very different to the mochi we imagined. It's not round like the usual mochi but resembles wonton. The green and chewy glutinous outer skin is wonderfully delectable encasing a scoop of strawberry milkshake ice cream. The ice cream tastes like candy and I much preferred the Goma Street dessert over this as it lacked that oomph.

The service at Sokyo is exceptional and the food is well presented. A great place to dine for a special occasion or if you are just after excellent Japanese food with a modern twist. It will put a hole in your wallet but the lunch special that is currently on is excellent value. Book ahead online as spots fill up during lunch and dinner. A dining experience to be remembered.

Where?
Level G, The Darling
The Star
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
Australia

Opening Hours
Breakfast: Daily 7am-10:30am
Lunch: Thu-Sat: 12pm-2.30pm
Dinner: Sun-Wed 5.30pm–9.30pm
Dinner: Thu-Sat 5.30pm–10.30pm

Website
http://www.star.com.au/sydney-restaurants/signature-fine-dining/Pages/sokyo.aspx