Melbourne Trip: Mount Buller Resort and Vietnamese Dinner at Pho Hung, Preston

Mount Buller was my last retreat in Melbourne before getting back to the daily grind. Going right after XL finished work meant that dinner had to come first. Naturally, I was more concerned about being stranded on the way up more than anything else.  When I think of comfort food in freezing cold weather, nothing beats a bowl of piping hot Pho.  For that we stopped by a suburban Vietnamese place in Preston called Pho Hung. 

For starters, a generous serve of rice paper rolls stuffed with pork.   Mix your own concoction of Siracha and Sweet Sauce before dipping them in :)!

Pho Hung’s house specialty is mixed tender chicken and beef pho.  It was a super generous serve.  I like the tender slices of meat paired with the silky smooth noodles. Just chewing the beef followed by a spoonful of warm tasty beef broth made this a rewarding exercise.  Whilst it was really yummy, the flavour of the broth was less potent that the ones I have had in Perth.  My perception maintains that Perth still has the best Vietnamese Pho in town haha.

The food quality here was good from start to end.  A very typical Vietnamese restaurant which stands as a classic rather than a contemporary but still every bit pleasing. Service here is prompt and necessary rather than overwhelming but more importantly, the price here is superbly decent.

Our night drive to Mount Buller was scary and challenging altogether.  Endurance is key despite the short drive because unlike driving on a normal road, the path up the mountain was steep and snowy.  Put extremely low visibility and tight corners into the equation and one would require a high level of concentration.  But when you are up there, the views were every bit rewarding!

The view from our lodge's balcony.  Absolutely stunning views.

The last picture from the resort before driving home :)!

WenY

Melbourne Trip: Winter Food Festival @ Luna 1878, Queen Victoria Market

Melbourne might be famous for laneway cafes, but Melbourne's rich culture is easily its next best feature.  For a foodie like myself, I was lucky to be there at a time when the Luna 1878 was held.  Every Wednesday night at Queen Victoria Market  visitors to the market are greeted with an amazing smell right from the door step.

Walking in, I was super excited to see all the different vendors come to promote their nationality.  Naturally, as a Malaysian, my first stop was at Mamak.  Fresh from the kitchen was a serve of Roti Telur and an Ayam Goreng.

The fried chicken was a reminisce of my eating trip with my ex-colleagues to Sydney last year.  Superbly more-ish especially in the chilly weather!   Have it together with the Roti Telur and some curry.  So  damn good! 

Walking on,  I was got all excited again when I saw a large pig getting all crisped up over a charcoal grill.  Initially, I mistook it for the Indonesian Babi Guling, but quickly realised it was a Filipino vendor called Hoy Pinoy.

Regardless of what it was, the roasted pig is always worth a try.  Thankfully, the pork was crisp and the meat was flavourful.  It came with a nice pickled vegetables.  The same delicious kind you get with the HK Barbecued restaurants in town.  All together it was quite a joy.  But I have to say, the rice was wet and I did hated that.  

Next stop was a cup of mulled wine.  Hearing so much about the drink, I wanted to try it although I am no big fan of alcohol.  This did not differ.  Despite the notes of orange peel and spices, it was still every bit bitter! 

But it was ok.  XL wandered away and unexpectedly returns with a serve of Italian grilled squid from 400 Gradi.   Weird choice but it was pretty nice.  Could have been a lot more tender!  But I had come to terms that these were not calamari tubes.  Instead, they were little octopuses which are  chewy as usual!

Wanting to finish our night with something warm, we ended up at the soup factory for a bread bowl filled with potato and leek soup.  Yummy!

Slowly scrapping the little bits of soup from the corners of the bowl was simply joyful.  Soaked with the soup it sits in, the bread made the whole experience very moreish.  Put Melbourne's chilly winter into the equation and the wonders that come is nothing you would not expect. :)!

Apple strudel was our dessert that night.  The Austrian strudel is denser than the usual Corica strudel but pack an amazing flavour to its crust.  But the fillings of custard and apples were a little lacklustre.  Ultimately, there are no better strudels than the one from Corica's in Perth!

Strudel for dessert anyone?  

By the end of the night we were so full we could barely walk across back to the apartment.  The Luna Night Market was an exceptional host for dinner last night.  So many different types of food were on and the pictures I took were barely half of the vendors that participated in the event.  There were tonnes of other Indian, Mexican and American establishment that were setup for business.  Whilst I definitely enjoyed it, many people might find the prices here a little steep which it really is by Melbourne standards.  But if you want a place that has it all and is looking for a great festival feeling, definitely come to Luna 1878 at Queen Victoria Market.

WenY

Melbourne: Brunches of 2014 (Hammer & Tong)

Hammer & Tong at Brunswick St, Fitzroy.

My last brunch spot after a skiing trip was at Hammer & Tong.  Still trending on the Melbourne’s top 10 eating list, this place sports your usual Fitzroy vibe with a simple fit out and hipster dressed crew.  As Hammer & Tong was the brainchild of a ex-Vue de Monde chef, my expectations were rather high.  Or if you prefer, astronomical.  

My first dish was Hammer & Tong’s classic Soft Shell Crab burger ($14).

Crispy, with a slight hint of roe between this fluffy bun, it was no surprise that the Soft Shell Crab burger is an instant hit among diners.  It was not because it was unusual, but rather, the combination is a no-brainer. Who hate deep fried stuff between buns!?  Pair that with some mayo and refreshing coleslaw, it was just sensational. to The biggest merit is the deep fried crab which was not dripping in oil!  For $14 bucks though, it was a microscopic meal which means more food required, so I ordered the zucchini and corn fritters ($18) to my meal.

At Hammer & Tong, the fritters were actually crisp unlike the one I had at Mart 130 before!  With one poached egg to merry the lot with the avocado, parmesan and homemade tomato chutney, it was actually a pretty good eat.  BUT, it was again, another microscopic meal.

XL on the other hand ordered the ramen.  Translucent onsen egg, mushrooms, bacon, spring onions on a bacon dashi base.  The intent here was clear from start to end.  Hammer & Tong's use of bacon not only provided a saltiness to the dish, but at the same time a sense of smokiness. A truly unusual dish, but with two bacon elements together, it felt too salty for my liking. But for an brunch place, it was a good attempt.  

Breakfast Ramen; 62c hens egg, bacon, oyster mushroom, spring onion, bacon dashi

At Hammer & Tong, the menu is creative with unique ingredients making their way to the menu.  Soft shell crab, ramen, and duck eggs to mention a few.  But at the end of the day, this place still presents brunch at a level already available in town.  Least to say, brunch here was satisfying.  My biggest dislike though were the microscopic serves.  Without two meals, you go home feeling half the man you were before you walked in. If I had to queue to get in (most did) which was probably gonna be very long at peak hours, I’d be gutted to be served that a burger that pathetic size.  Yay or Nay?  Yay, but with caution.

Looking for Brunch?  Check out my Melbourne Brunches in 2014

Operator 25, CBD

Hardware Société, CBD

Seven Seeds, Carlton

LE MIEL et la lune, Carlton

Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy

WenY