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Katsuhon, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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Katsuhon, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Katsu sandos experienced a wave of popularity in Melbourne a few years back, but katsu in its non-sando form never received the same love. Recently, a few places have popped up around town specialising in the Japanese comfort food, one of which is Katsuhon. Being a huge katsu fan myself, I wasn’t going to say no when I was invited to check it out by co-owner Charlie.

Charlie and the team opened Katsuhon a few months back, inspired by their travels to Japan, eating their way through the country’s best katsu spots. It’s a small spot, with counter seating and a few booths and table inside, and popular group dining, sheltered larger tables outside. There’s an emphasis on quality and the little details that you find in Japan. Ingredients are sourced locally where possible, and sauces and condiments are made from scratch on site.

Katsuhon’s signature item is tonkatsu, made using lean pork tenderloin (‘hire’). It’s a dense, tender cut, with melt in your mouth fat at the end. Crumbing is light, crispy, and golden. It leans more towards a neutral rather than buttery flavour. Beyond pork, there’s also the option of things like ebi (prawn), tori (chicken), and unagi (freshwater eel).

The best way to enjoy your katsu at Katsuhon is as part of a set. You get your katsu of choice, served atop a mesh rack to keep it crispy. It’s served with yuzu dressed cabbage salad, wasabi, Dijon mustard, miso soup, rice, tonkatsu sauce, sesame seeds (which you can grind yourself), tonkatsu sauce, truffle salt, and a small side. For me, a bit of mustard and tonkatsu sauce is the perfect way to enjoy each bite.

Beyond the sets, there’s also things like cheese katsu nabe udon, carbonara udon, a vegan basil soba, and snacks like karaage, and takoyaki. To drink, its Orion beer on tap, a small selection of sake, alcoholic or non-alcoholic highballs, and tea.

Katsuhon

3/200 Queen Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: 0455 224 812
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 12:00am to 3:00pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm

Punters Club, Fitzroy

Paul
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0
Punters Club, Fitzroy

MELBOURNE | 22 years ago, iconic Fitzroy pub, and one of Melbourne’s best live music venues, Punters Club, shut it’s doors. A few weeks ago, a new team of publicans, including Jason Cameron of Near & Far across the road, Jet bassist Mark Wilson, and music industry veterans Nathan Farrell and Adam Booth, reopened the space. Most recently home to Bimbo Deluxe/Kewpie, the new owners have brought back the Punters Club name, and are aiming to bring back the spirit of the original venue.

The outside looks just as it did during the Punters Club 90s heyday. The inside has been renovated and once more resembles a classic Aussie pub. There main space features a large, wood panelled U-shaped bar, flanked by booths, tables, and stools on either side. There’s a pool table towards the back, and sports on the TVs.

Upstairs, there’s a cosy room with two dart boards and jukebox filled with CDs featuring artists from the Punters Club’s past. There’s a small rooftop terrace, and a 100 capacity band room. The latter will be decked out like a recording studio, and will host an eclectic assortment of local artists.

To eat, it’s pub classics done right, and a fun selection of well executed snacks. The chicken parma and grass fed cheese burger are top notch, as is the tuna tartare served atop a pile of Smith’s salt and vinegar crisps. Other dishes include things like kangaroos schnitzel on mash, dim sums, and a rotating Sunday roast. For dessert, check out the bread and putter pudding made with Lune croissants and Pidapipo gelato.

For drinks, it’s an approachable selection of Aussie beers, including a few house beers brewed by nearby brewery, The Mill. There’s a quality international wine list, and a sharp list of classic cocktails.

Open until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights, the Punters Club is a great addition to the area. It a place that feels like it’s always been here, and will appeal to fans of the original Punters Club, and new punters alike.

Punters Club

376 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Victoria 3065
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Tue – Thu: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 3:00am
Sun: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Chiki Chan, Mordialloc

Paul
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0
Chiki Chan, Mordialloc

MELBOURNE | Up until this year, I’d not been to Mordialloc before, but there have been a few things this year that have gotten me down to the bayside suburb. Most recently, it was for the launch of Chiki Chan that I was invited to.

The restaurant, from ex Crown and Lucas Group chefs Johnny Jong and Kelvyn Yeoh, is modern Asian and unashamedly fusion. The menu takes Asian flavours, with particular influence from Malaysia, and gives them a spin, incorporating Western influences.

It’s not something that this part of Melbourne has seen before. Modern Asian fusion isn’t a new concept in this city, of which Johnny and Kelvyn are cognisant. The dishes they’re creating aim to being a different, refreshing spin what you find at similar restaurants around town.

A take on pani puri is filled with tuna tartare, sweet savoury tamarind, shallots, and Vietnamese mint, and is a great way to kick things off. Another must try small plate is the “Sichuan” burrata. It’s a creamy ball of burrata served in a plate of roasted sesame sauce, fennel jam, macadamia, and chili oil. Be sure to order a side of focaccia to mop it all up.

For larger plates, charred Fremantle octopus is a must. It’s served with whipped dill and mint yoghurt, lime leaf, and sweet chili sauce. For something either of the diced beef fried rice with crispy garlic, pine nuts, and roasted bone marrow; or smoky wok-braised udon with prawn, pork, cabbage, and onsen egg, will serve you well.

To finish things off, try the white chocolate dome. Crack it open with the back of your spoon and you’ll find a filling of chocolate mousse, chocolate “soil”, candied cacao nibs, puffed rice, and palm sugar mandarin caramel.

To drink, its an extensive and diverse selection of wines, house cocktails that follow the theme of the food, and local craft beer. It’s all available as part of the regular menu, or with snacks and live DJs at the adjoining side bar, Hiki.

Chiki Chan

2 Centreway
Mordialloc
Victoria 3195
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9580 4363
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Wed – Sun: 12:00pm to 10:00pm

Rocky Ridge Brewing, Brunswick

Paul
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0
Rocky Ridge Brewing, Brunswick

MELBOURNE | When I’m looking to replenish the beer supply in my fridge, there are three Aussie breweries that I tend to do my online orders through. One of these is Rocky Ridge Brewing, which owners Hamish Coates and Mel Holland founded in 2017 on Hamish’s family farm in Jindong, Western Australia. I’ve been a big fan of Rocky Ridge’s beers since the beginning, from their solid core range through to their inventive and experimental limited creations.

With the growing Eastern States profile of the brewery, the amount of beer they’ve been sending to this side of the country has been increasing. Great for business, but also a challenge for a business that’s continually been at the forefront of sustainability and net-zero initiatives in the industry.

Earlier this year, Rocky Ridge, took a big step towards setting itself up for further growth in a sustainable manner, when they purchased Brunswick’s Thunder Road Brewing. Two weeks ago, the space reopened as Rocky Ridge Brunswick.

Things look much the same, but improvements have been made. The bar is more open and customer focused, some of the equipment has shifted around, and what used to be the lab on the mezzanine floor will soon be home to chill space with couches and a pool table. Expect live music from local up-and-coming artists.

Across 32 taps, you’ll find the full Rocky Ridge Range. There’s also wine, sprits, cocktails and non-alcoholic options from like minded independent Aussie producers. In the fridges you’ll find all the favourites and new release beers to take away. Keep an eye out for barrel aged beers made using yeast strains native to WA’s South West, and fun collaborations, like the recently released ‘Cheat Day’. It’s a banoffee pie imperial pastry stout brewed with Mane Liquor and Butter Crumbs. For something more classic, the Ace IPA and Jindong Juicy Pale Ale, are both crackers.

Food comes from the Airstream caravan parked in the front beer garden. It’s currently being run by the crew from taqueria, CDMX. Expect things like Baja fish tacos, birria, quesadillas, and nachos.

Rocky Ridge Brunswick

130 Barkly Street
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Fri: 2:00pm to 11:00pm
Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 9:00pm

Liyin Rice Roll Master, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Liyin Rice Roll Master, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | A few weeks ago, Healey’s Lane was officially anointed Melbourne’s Koreatown. While it’s true that the area is full of amazing Korean cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, and more, there’s also lots of other good stuff there from elsewhere in Asia, and further abroad. One of these is the recently opened Liyin Rice Roll Master, which I visited for What’s On Melbourne.

Liyin Rice Roll Master is a Guangzhou-based chain founded in 2008 by He Yingbin. It specialises in Cantonese cheong fun aka rice rolls, which originated in Guangdong’s Xi Guan district. Their cheong fun are popular, with over 100 locations in China, and a few in the USA since last year. Rowling Wu, who hails from Guangdong, missed the cheong fun that she enjoyed back home, so decided to take matters into her own hands and bring the brand to Australia.

Everything is made from scratch on site where possible each morning. This includes the delicate rice noodles which are made using a specially imported stone mill that grinds high quality rice into a milky batter, then steamed for a few seconds to produce sheets of noodles. They’re brushed with a house-made soy sauce, and filled to order with your choice of ingredients. The result of this intricate process is worth it.

There’s classic flavours like BPS (beef, shrimp, and pork); and 3 Treasure (beef, pork, and charshu); along with special flavours like beef, pickle, and chilli; and the popular black truffle with prawn. There’s also things like steamed red rice rolls filled with crispy prawn paste; beef ho fun; stir-fried ham, egg, and onion, noodles; braised pork leg on rice; and congee with fillings like seafood, and century egg with pork.

Generous fillings, big wok hei on the noodles, and soy sauce on the side to keep your cheong fun fresh seal the deal. I can confirm, bringing the dishes home after the photoshoot, that most of the food holds up really well for takeaway too. Wash it all down with some classic Cantonese-style lemon iced tea, and you’re sorted.

Liyin Rice Roll Master

Healey’s Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: 0487 314 801
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed: 5:00pm to 9:30pm
Thu – Mon: 11:00am to 2:30pm, 5:00pm to 9:30pm

Il Mercato Centrale, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Il Mercato Centrale, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Il Mercato Centrale is a gourmet Italian food hall and market, started 10 years ago by Umberto Montano in his hometown of Florence. There are now locations in Rome, Turin, and Milan, and from today, Melbourne. I was invited to the launch celebration to check it out.

Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne is a partnership between Umberto, and local restaurateur Eddie Muto. It’s housed in the heritage listed 1930s art deco McPherson’s building, which has undergone extensive renovations. The main floor is now a two level homage to Italian food, culture, and community, with a third level event space above.

There are 23 stalls, offering an assortment of high quality Italian delights, from some of Melbourne’s favourite artisans. There’s hot and cold options, regional specialities, savoury and sweet treats, and multiple bars (and a distillery) where you can enjoy a drink. It’s a showcase of fresh, local produce, and quality Italian imports.

Valerio Violetti from Hello Bello is slinging Neapolitan-style pizza at La Pizza Napoletana, while cheesemaker Giorgio Linguanti of That’s Amore Cheese has set up shop at La Mozzarella. Former Society chef Nikos Chatzopoulos is serving up cold cuts and aged meats at La Carne e i Salumi; and you can get cannoli at I Cannoli. The latter is from Dario Di Clerico of UGO Burrata Bar.

If it’s fresh produce, or Italian pantry items for home that you’re after, you’re in luck at Il Mercato Centrale. Many of the stalls sell items for home. Fruit and veg stall La Frutta e la Verdura is from Biviano & Sons, and you can grab fresh fish from Il Pesce, which is owned by ex-QVM fishmonger George Milona. If you need a bottle of wine for home, L’Enoteca, from Mark and Michelle Singarella of Vino Bambino, has you sorted.

Il Mercato Centrale aims to become a part of the local community, and wants to contribute to reviving quieter part of the CBD. It’s a real collaboration between the vendors, with many of them sourcing produce and ingredients from the other.

Il Mercato Centrale

546 Collins Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: 1300 546 566
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Sun – Thu: 7:00am to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 7:00am to 12:00am

Thessaloniki Street Art Guide

Paul
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0
Thessaloniki Street Art Guide

THESSALONIKI | While not particularly known for its street art, especially compared to Athens, Thessaloniki is a city where you can find plenty of street art if you know where to look.

It’s a city that’s more about the small pieces. You’ll find them on the sides of walls, apartments, the rolled down shutters in the front of shops that have yet to open for the day, and that sort of thing. There are some large murals too, many of which date back to 2018, when the city hosted a street art festival.

Most of the street art in Thessaloniki is by local artists, but there are also pieces from international muralists. There are fun, whimsical pieces; themes of cultural identity; bold, political statements; and more. There is a lot of tagging, stylised graphics, and graffiti in the city – it’s not just about murals.

You’ll find street art throughout Thessaloniki, with most of it being located in the centre of town. In this Thessaloniki street art guide, I’ll tell you about some of my favourite areas to visit for Thessaloniki’s best street art.

Ano Poli (Upper Town)

Overlooking the lower part of Thessaloniki you’ll find Ano Poli, or Upper Town. It’s a charming, historical part of the city that was once home to the city’s large Jewish and Turkish populations. There are beautiful cobble stone lined streets and buildings dating back to the Ottoman era. It’s mostly small murals that you’ll find here, dotted along the sides of unassuming buildings.

Aristotle University

Like most cities, there’s street art to be found where there’s a university. Aristotle University is the largest university in the Balkans, and attracts students from across the region. Just south of the university you’ll find Toumba PAOK Stadium, which is also an area worth exploring for street art.

Ladadika

Once considered a sketchy neighbourhood, Ladadika is today one of Thessaloniki’s most popular entertainment districts. It’s filled with cafes, bars, and clubs that attract people of all ages and walks of life. Vibrant until the early hours of the morning, there’s no shortage of street art to be found as your wander around and soak in the atmosphere.

Be sure to find “The Girl”. It’s a large mural that was created during the 15th Biennale of Young Creators in 2011. A collaboration between Chinese artist DALeast and South African artist Faith XLVII, the mural makes a stand against violence against women.

Louloudadika

Just behind the promenade, in the centre of town, is Louloudadika. It’s one of the most vibrant parts of Thessaloniki, home to plenty of hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars, independent retailers, historic sites, and more. You’ll spend a lot of time here when you visit, and there’s street art all over.

Roman Forum

Aristotelous Square is a beautiful square in Thessaloniki, and a great place to find your bearings. It begins on the promenade, and heads north until it reaches the Roman Forum of Thessaloniki. The latter is the ancient Roman-era forum of the city, and is a must visit. Around the area, there’s no shortage of street art to see.

Rotunda & Galerius

The Rotunda and Arch of Galerius are two of Thessaloniki’s most historic sites, dating back to the Roman Empire. Both are must visits when in Thessaloniki, and are in a part of town where you’ll find plenty of street art.

One particular piece to look out for is “Portrait of Thessaloniki”. It’s a large mural on the side of one of the taller buildings in the area, created in January 2020 by Simoni Fontana and Argiris Ser. It was created with the help of Street Atelier, a Greek creative agency that collaborates with artists to create, amongst other things, some impressive murals throughout Greece, and wider Europe.

Vardaris

Walk west from the tourist centre of town, and you’ll pass through the neighbourhood of Vardaris. It’s home to Thessaloniki’s Chinatown, and en route to the popular outlet mall, One Salonika. It’s an interesting neighbourhood to walk through, and will show you a slice of life that you won’t see in the centre.

There are several murals, including some large scale ones, in the area. Just east of One Salonika you’ll find a great large mural by artist APSET. It depicts three women along with the ‘animals-symbols’ of their home country, that creator Stelios describes as a ‘cultural torch’ that has followed them to their new home/country.

Identified artists featured in the image gallery include:

Happy discoveries on your street art walk through Thessaloniki. What are your favourites places for street art in Thessaloniki? Are there any street art neighbourhoods beyond these hotspots that you love?

Onigiri Kitchen (Degraves), Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Onigiri Kitchen (Degraves), Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Onigiri Kitchen opened up late last year, inspired by the owner’s love of Japan’s speciality onigiri spots. It’s proven a hit with Melburnians, leading to the opening of a second location on bustling Degraves Street. I recently popped in for What’s on Melbourne.

Similarly to the original, it’s a cosy little spot, with a minimalist, warmly lit, timber and rendered-wall fit-out that evokes the kind of spaces you find tucked away in Japan’s nooks and crannies. There’s a small dine in section, and a take away window facing the street.

On the menu you’ll find a selection of eight rotating onigiri made daily, along with bento boxes, and a few sides and sweet treats. Onigiri flavours include things like kimchi; chicken with cucumber, wasabi, and mayo; and stir fried green cabbage with capsicum, celery, and garlic. Produce is of the highest quality, sourced where possible from the family’s farm, Ferndale Organics. The farm is also home to a pottery studio, where Japanese clay is used to craft Onigiri’s tableware.

Bento boxes follow a similar theme to the onigiri, with some different flavours and components. Think karaage, and a Japanese take on latkes and Königsberger klopse. There’s also a few cold sides like pickled cucumbers, and Japanese curry sets with your choice of beef, chicken, or veggies.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, be sure to try the airy tofu doughnuts. Flavours include cinnamon, matcha, coffee, and lemon.

To drink, it’s coffee and things like matcha lattes, along with premium sodas, craft beer, tea and sake, imported from independent producers in Japan.

Onigiri Kitchen (Degraves)

1 Degraves Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 11:00am to 8:00pm

BKK, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
BKK, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | On the third level of HQ Group’s Pacific House, below rooftop bar HER, you’ll find BKK. It’s a restaurant serving up refined versions of street food dishes from across Thailand’s diverse regions. Visit, and you’ll be treated to some of this city’s most delicious Thai cuisine. I popped in recently to grab some shots for What’s on Melbourne.

BKK has been open for two and a half years, with a menu that’s evolved beyond what it originally was. Head chef Sungeun Mo leads the kitchen, cooking the best quality locally sourced produce, predominantly over fire. That might take the form of meat and veg cooked on the custom charcoal grill, or things cooked hot and fast on the wok.

On the menu, you’ll find things like zesty charred BBQ pork neck and chicken skewers; wagyu beef larb with chili, lime, herbs, and khao khua; and a wonderful red duck leg curry with lychee and makrut lime leaf. Be sure to try the pad kaprao with pork mince, holy basil, chilli, and fried egg. It was inspired by, and developed with the help of, chef Gigg Kamol of Bangkok pad kaprao spot, Phed Mark, when he was over in Melbourne doing a pop-up with BKK for Melbourne Food and Wine Festival last year.

To drink, it’s a sharp list of interesting, mostly Aussie wines that pair well with Thai food. Most are available by the glass. There’s also signature Thai-inspired cocktails, HER cocktails from upstairs, and a few crowd pleasing beers.

A selection of small bites from the menu is available after 10pm, perfect if you’re in the mood for some Thai after a few drinks at HER Rooftop or the Music Room below. Also keep an eye out on the rotating weekly $15 lunch noodle bowl specials. There’s currently a mixed offal noodle soup on that menu that’s fantastic.

BKK

L3, 270 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9997 0437
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Sun – Thu: 11:30am to 9:00pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30am to 10:00pm

Bun Bo Hue Song Huong 越香, Springvale

Paul
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0
Bun Bo Hue Song Huong 越香, Springvale

MELBOURNE | Springvale is a part of Melbourne that I don’t get to anywhere near enough. With around 21% of the suburb’s residents born in Vietnam, there are no shortage of quality places for a Vietnamese feed. I have a few places that I’ve added to my list over the years, so when the chance arose to check one of them out on the weekend, I was stoked.

Fellow Melbourne food lover, Thanh Do, put me onto Bun Bo Hue Song Huong a while back, praising their version of the classic Vietnamese soup that forms part of the restaurant’s name, Bún bò Huế. Originating in Huế, it’s a contains thick, udon-like rice vermicelli and various cuts of beef, inside a fragrant broth that balances spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavours.

The version at Bun Bo Hue Song Huong is fantastic. A perfectly balanced broth, springy noodles, and a generous amount of meat. Specifically, beef brisket, beef shank, coagulated pig’s blood, pork knuckle, and chả lụa (pork sausage).

Beyond BBH, there’s an extensive selection of Vietnamese dishes, including a page of simple $8 a serve specials. Things like com sườn (grilled pork chop on rice), com bò kho (braised beef brisket on rice), and cháo Huế (Huế-style congee). A quick glance at the tables around you provides a hint as to what else you need to order. It’s the other signature dish, Nem nướng Nha Trang.

Originating from Khánh Hòa Province, it’s a herbed grilled sausage, served in this case as a platter with thin rice vermicelli, carrots, cucumbers, crispy wonton skins, herbs, lettuce, rice paper rolls, and dipping sauces. It’s a must order, allowing you to make up lettuce cups and rice paper rolls in just the proportions you like.

As the food arrives, with its multiple components and condiments, owner Yen and the team are super helpful. They’ll let you know what goes with what, and guide you as to the typical way that the dishes are eaten in Vietnam if you’re not sure.

Bun Bo Hue Song Huong

4 Balmoral Avenue
Springvale
Victoria 3171
Australia

Telephone: (03) 8522 2268
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 10:00am to 9:30pm

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