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Bandak Chicken, West Melbourne

Paul
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Bandak Chicken, West Melbourne

MELBOURNE | Anyone who’s travelled to Korea knows that as a general rule of thumb, the best places to eat are those that do one thing, and do it well. Bandak Chicken, Melbourne’s newest Korean fried chicken spot, opened in June this year and follows that philosophy. I popped in for What’s On Melbourne to take a look.

Bandak Chicken is owned and operated by classically trained, former Vue du Monde chef, Jayden Park, and radiographer turned restaurateur, Kathy Kim. Together, the duo have created a 10-seat, primarily take-away spot that’s all about serving up the best possible Korean fried chicken.

Chicken is delivered fresh each day, and everything from the coating to the sauces is prepared on site from scratch. The menu is simple, choose from either whole of half, bone-in or boneless chicken, or a serve of wingettes and drumettes. After being brined for 24 hours, the chicken is crumbed and single fried until it’s juicy on the inside, with a light, crispy exterior.

Flavours include Bandak original; sweet and spicy; smoky hot; soy, honey, and garlic; and lemon pepper. All chicken comes with a serve of pickled radish, and you can add optional sauces like ranch, and buldak (spicy chicken) mayo. Add a side of chilli cheese waffle fries, or cheddar cheese corn ribs, and your good to go.

The chicken is heavily, but not overly, seasoned, and is packed with flavour. Garlic, and fragrant flavours features heavily, and gloves with your order means you can dig in without getting messy.

Bandak Chicken is fully licensed, so along with non-alcoholic drink options like Galbae (Korean pear drink) and Bong Bong (Korean grape drink), you can also enjoy Korean beer and soju.

Bandak Chicken

203 Rosslyn Street
West Melbourne
Victoria 3003
Australia

Telephone: 0493 382 042
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed – Mon: 4:00pm to 9:00pm

Pharaoh, Exarchia

Paul
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0
Pharaoh, Exarchia

ATHENS | When travel and food journalist Fotis Vallatos, top chef Manolis Papoutsakis, opera singer Dimitris Platanias, and wine aficionado Perry Panagiotakopoulos join forces to open a venue, expectations are high. Pharaoh, which opened in Athens in late 2022 was of the hottest restaurants in the city in 2023. Today, Pharoah continues to deliver substance that lives up to the hype.

The bar and restaurant is located in Athens’ edgy Exarchia neighbourhood – relatively close to the centre of town, but tucked away enough that you won’t just stumble across it. Walk inside, and you’ll find a modern, airy, and vibrant space. The long bar, the rear of which extends to the roof, serves not just as a place to hold bottles, but to display Pharoah’s extensive and eclectic vinyl collection, which is spun live by DJs.

The menu showcases the best seasonal produce sourced from independent Greek farmers and purveyors. Traditional dishes and classic flavours inform the menu, ranging from options that don’t stray too much from their origins, to exciting contemporary takes. Everything is cooked exclusively on wood-fired stoves, charcoal grills, and wood-fired ovens.

A salad of monk’s bear, rock samphire, avocado, and citrus is a light, summer delight. So too, a zesty ceviche of fresh caught fish with strawberries, radish, and basil. Seafood continues to impress with a mackerel, cucumber, dill, and chilli medley. A simple plate of runny egg with asparagus, shaved truffles, and salt and pepper is wonderful. Meanwhile, traditionally presented, umami-rich gemitsa is up there with the best.

To drink, there’s over 400 Greek and foreign wines, with a focus on natural varieties. There’s also Greek craft beers and a great cocktail list, including plenty of non-alc options.

Pharaoh

Solomou 54
Athina 106 82
Greece

Telephone: 021 0380 8412
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Thu: 6:00pm to 2:00am
Fri – Sat: 1:00pm to 2:00am

Flying Malaysia Airlines Business Class From Paris To Kuala Lumpur

Paul
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0
Flying Malaysia Airlines Business Class From Paris To Kuala Lumpur

TRAVEL | Malaysia Airlines (“MH”) operates one flight daily between Paris and Kuala Lumpur. The Airbus A350-900 (“A350”) is currently used on the route, and travellers can choose between Economy, Business, and Business Suite Class. I flew Business Class for this flight. The average flight time on this route is 12 hours and 45 minutes.

Check In

Check in is very straight forward. You can check in online, or using MH’s app. You can enter in all relevant information before your flight, and receive a pdf, digital, or Passbook boarding pass that you can add to your Apple Wallet. There’s also the option of checking in at the airport using a kiosk or at a staffed counter.

Checked luggage can be dropped off at one of the bag drop stations, or at the dedicated Business class counter.

Loyalty

MH’s loyalty program is Enrich, which is free to join. MH are also part of the oneworld Alliance, which offers the option of points transfers and certain reciprocal privileges.

Malaysia Airlines passengers flying Business Class or holding oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status can access the oneworld lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Luggage

Checked luggage is included with all MH Business Class tickets when flying international. You can check-in one bag up to 40kg (88lb), and two carry-on bags up to 7kg (15lb). You can also carry on a small item that can fit under your seat.

Service

I couldn’t fault the service on the flight from Paris to Kuala Lumpur. Staff were polite, professional, and attentive without being overbearing.

Cabin

The MH Business Class cabin on the A350 that flies from Paris to Kuala Lumpur features 35 flatbed seats, in a staggered 1-2-1 / 1-2-2 layout. It’s a clean, well-maintained cabin, with a muted blue, grey, and white colour scheme.

Seat

The cushioned leather seat has dimensions of about 112cm x 56cm (44in x 22in). It’s a a comfortable seat, with ample space. When lying flat in “bed mode”, the seat length is 198cm (78in). Enough space for the average person to lie down comfortably, but do be aware that the foot section does taper in a bit in this mode.

There’s a small storage section, accessible seat controls, and a section to the side with a drink holder. A coat hook and small adjustable light are present, and there’s also a USB 2 and 110V multi-country AC power socket

The remote control for the entertainment pops out when required, and there’s a decent sized tray/desk for getting work done. The seat features adjustable pneumatic cushions, and retractable armrests, with a touch panel to configure it in various ways between fully upright and lie down.

Entertainment

Each seat features a 40cm (16in) widescreen with touch controls. It’s linked up to MH’s MHstudio entertainment system, which features a large selection of new release and classic moves and TV shows, including Hollywood, Malaysian and international options. There’s also a live flight map, flight info, and a small selection of games.

There’s almost 500 music and spoken-word albums to listen to, along with unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi through MHconnect for messaging and social media apps.

Provided headphones are cushioned over-the-eat style headphones with decent sound quality, and basic passive noise reduction.

Food

MH’s Business Class meal offering features an assortment of Malaysian and Asian favourites, plus Western dishes. Lunch and breakfast are served on the MH flight from Paris to Kuala Lumpur, along with a selection of “dine anytime” options.

For lunch, before take-off, it’s a starter of chicken, beef, lamb, or combination satay, which is tender, nicely seasoned and flavourful. You also get Champagne and a non-alcoholic signature cocktail.

Shortly after take-off, you get a starter of smoked salmon guacamole timbale with cucumber and lime; and your choice of stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes, tomatoes, and butter peas; veal osso buco with creamy cheese and mushroom polenta, asparagus, and roasted tomato; or chilli shrimp with steamed rice, mixed vegetables, and soy sauce.

I opted for the veal osso bucco. Slow cooked and tender, with lots of flavour, it’s a great choice. To finish, its a truffon cake with coulis.

To drink, it’s things like coffee and tea, with Western and Malaysian options, along with fruit juices, mineral water, and soft drinks. For alcohol, there’s 9 different wines, along with a selection of spirits and beer. The wine and spirit selection is decent, however the beer options could be better, and don’t stray from macro lagers.

Dine anytime options include classic egg noodles, a few sandwich options, seasonal fresh fruit, ice-cream, and cheese and crackers.

At breakfast, it’s a mango pineapple smoothie, yoghurt with granola and compote, and seasonal fresh fruits to start. Following this is your choice of nasi lemak chicken rendang; cheese omelette with salmon, grilled tomato, and French beans; or Chinese fried rice with chicken and garlic oyster sauce. I recommend the nasi lemak, served with coconut milk pandan rice, sambal, and the usual condiments.

Amenities

On the seat when you first board is a mattress pad, blanket and a pillow. You’ll also find an Aspinal of London amenity kit. It features a dental kit, socks, sleeping mask, and a few beauty products like moisturiser and lip balm. The case itself is a stylish faux-leather affair, which I actually now use to store my electronic accessories when I fly.

Verdict

As someone who usually travels Economy class, and hasn’t flown Business Class since 2018, I really appreciated this flight. The cabin is quiet, clean, and modern, staff are great, and the dining options were quality. Most importantly, the lie flat seat was comfortable, which meant that I was able to get in a decent sleep during the flight.

Arriving in Kuala Lumpur early in the morning, I was refreshed and ready to explore the city.

Lane’s Edge, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Lane’s Edge, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Lane’s Edge has been a staple on the corner of Myers Place and Bourke Street for over a decade. While always a fun spot for a drink, food was never the highlight and the place was starting to feel tired. Things changed a few years ago, when Lane’s Edge was renovated, and the food and drink offering updated. I was recently invited in to take a look.

Visually, heritage-listed 1800s brick building makes the most of its heritage bones, but feels fresh, with additional comforts like weatherproofing in the courtyard adding to the appeal. More importantly, the revamped drinks list, combined with the food coming out of Scottish-born head chef Garry Dick’s kitchen make Lane’s Edge a place well worth visiting.

The menu is cantered around European snacks and share plates, with Garry bringing his experience from the kitchens of Bar Margaux and Scotland’s Michelin-starred Martin Wishart to the table. It’s a small but mighty menu of things like focaccia with olive oil and warm pumpkin and goats cheese whip with orange and roasted pine nuts; and crispy skin chicken breast with parsley root, negi onion, and house chili crisp.

Two dishes in particular, the gratinated mussels with garlic, parsley, and pastis butter; and the fried Brussels sprouts with tahini, honey, and pumpkin seed, I’m still thinking about.

To drink, there’s an impressive list of around 30 local and international wines available by the glass, with a wide variety of styles on offer from top notch producers at all price points. There’s also local, independent beer on tap, along with about 20 interesting rotating cans. For cocktails it’s the classics, plus house creations that put a twist on things.

The kitchen closes at 9, but a reduced, quality snack menu is available until late into the night. There’s also a decent happy hour from 3-6pm during weekdays, along with keenly priced daily food specials.

Lane’s Edge

39 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9654 2409
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon: 3:00pm to 10:00pm
Tue – Thu: 3:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 3:00pm to 1:00am

Next Hotel Melbourne, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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Next Hotel Melbourne, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Next Hotel Melbourne opened in 2021, helping kick off the wave of new hotel openings that’s continued unabated since. Hilton took over the hotel in late 2023, adding it to their staple of upmarket, stylish “Curio Collection” of hotels. I’d been to the restaurant, La Madonna, before, and taken a look at the hotel, but hadn’t stayed there until now, when I was invited as a guest of the hotel.

It’s a stylish, understated hotel, with muted colours, natural materials, and modern art featuring heavily. The lobby, on the second floor, opens up to a spacious lounge area, with stairs that lead to the dining and bar area on the third floor. Check in is efficient, and you can even check in advance online and get a digital room key if you want to skip the traditional process.

Location

Next Hotel Melbourne is located at the top end of Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD. It’s well located if you’re looking to shop at the city’s luxury retailers, or head into Chinatown for a feed, or a drink one of the area’s many great bars. The 80 Collins precinct itself, in which the hotel is located, also features several top quality spots to grab a bite to eat.

Parliament station is just a 5 minute walk up the road, and there’s a tram stop almost directly in front of the hotel which will get you almost anywhere you want to be in the CBD. Being up this end of town is super convenient if you are heading to Melbourne’s sports precinct too. Both the MCG and Rod Laver Arena are only a 20 minute walk away.

Rooms

Next Hotel Melbourne’s 255 rooms and suites are well thought out and functional. Little things like the positioning of the power outlets, coat hooks and clever luggage storage stand out.

All rooms have a stylish design, in keeping with the hotel’s overall theme. Bed are well sized and comfortable, with luxurious 300 thread count linen. Each room features a decent sized work desk, along with a comfy side chair and small table. The mini bar features local Victorian snacks, cocktails featuring the hotel’s barrel-aged spirits, and a Nespresso machine.

There’s a large TV with free to air channels, music, and streaming, a safe, bath robes and slippers, blackout curtains, and iron and ironing board, and air conditioning with an adjustable thermostat. If the default pillow isn’t to your tastes, there’s a pillow menu on offer so you can get just the right one for you.

Like the main room, the bathroom is quite spacious and well designed. There’s a large regular and rain combo shower, A large mirror, Dyson hairdryer, and Who Is Elijah amenities, round things off.

All rooms come with free WiFi.

Amenities

Next Hotel Melbourne features a well-specced 24-hour fitness centre with the option of a personal trainer, room service, and a concierge. If you need to host a meeting or event, the hotel features multiple bookable meeting rooms and event spaces of different sizes, with options for catering.

If you’re staying in one of the hotel’s Club rooms or suites, you get access to “The Club”. It’s a space featuring private work spaces and meeting rooms, continental breakfast, 24/7 coffee, tea, and sweet and savoury refreshments. Between 5:00pm and 7:00pm, you can also enjoy “Aperitivo Hour”. It gets you a selection of wines by the glass, and a rotating array of antipasto, and small bites.

Parking is available for $40 per night, or $65 a night if you want the valet option.

Eat & Drink

One of Next Hotel’s big draws is La Madonna Restaurant. It’s a restaurant that can hold its own as a quality spot in it own right. Executive chef Jacopo Degli Esposti has trained in Michelin-starred kitchens including Guy Savoy and Atelier Joël Robuchon Étoile, and his contemporary Italian and French leaning menu showcases all of his skills.

Local, seasonal produce is showcased across dishes like yellow fin tuna tartare with Ann Dutch Baeri caviar and basil coulis; delicate ravioli with bone marrow and textures of tarragon; and dry-aged Loddon Estate free range duck breast with Felds Farm radicchio, and roasted duck jus. It’s all outstanding. In the morning, La Madonna offers an a-la-carte breakfast menu, too.

If you’re in the mood for a drink, head to La Madonna bar, where you’ll find classic and seasonal cocktails made with Next Hotel’s house barrel-aged spirits. There’s also a selection of Victorian craft beers, a 150+ strong global wines list, non-alc beer, wine, and cocktails. To eat, it’s snacks and small plates from the La Madonna kitchen.

There’s also the Green Room and Barrel Room which are two bookable spaces if you’re looking to hold an event or gathering.

Downstairs, during the day, you’ll find Ingresso Cafe. It’s a small spot where you can grab and excellent coffee-to-go, along with a selection of pastries, and grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items.

The Verdict

Next Hotel ticks all of the right boxes when it comes to what I look for in a hotel. The location is great, and the rooms are well designed with excellent beds and pillows, and blackout curtains ensuring a good night’s sleep. The food and beverage offering at La Madonna is outstanding, the kind of place you’d be happy to eat at even if you weren’t staying at the hotel. An overall top notch offering.

Next Hotel Melbourne

103 Little Collins Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9118 3333
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Eleni’s Kitchen + Bar, Yarraville

Paul
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Eleni’s Kitchen + Bar, Yarraville

MELBOURNE | Eleni’s Kitchen + Bar in Yarraville has all of the trademarks of a beloved local’s restaurant that’s been around forever, but it’s actually only been open since 2018. It was opened by sisters Eleftheria and Anatoli Amanatidis to honour their yiayia Eleni’s Pontic Gree roots.

The Amanatidis family has strong ties to this neighbourhood. Eleftheria and Anatoli’s great grandfather, Antonios was the founding priest of Yarraville’s St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church, and the family has owned and operated several businesses in the area. Eleni and her husband Dimitrios even opened Yarraville’s first Greek restaurant back in the day.

It’s no surprise, then, that Eleni’s Kitchen + Bar feels like it’s been here forever. Walk inside the rustic, welcoming venue, and it’s a hive of activity. People from all walks of life are enjoying themselves, and there’s a big showing from local Greek families. Rotisserie meats and things being cooked over charcoal are on display in the open kitchen, and it’s a whole lot of fun. Upstairs, people enjoy the banquet menu, complete with a live band playing Greek music, and plate smashing later on. You might even spot Eleni sitting at the bar.

The menu is based on Eleni’s family recipes. Executive chef Christos Katopodis has faithfully recreated Eleni’s dishes in a restaurant context, and put his own spin on things. It’s traditional, home-style food, that very much hits the spot.

The banquet menu is a great way to try the best that the team have to offer. There’s mixed dips with bread, saganaki, Greek salad, lemon potatoes, some of the best fried calamari in town, and a wonderful platter of chicken and lamb gyros, pork kalamakia, loukaniko, lamb cutlets, and keftethes. Finishing off with baklava and galaktoboureko, it’s a wonderful feed.

To drink, there’s a Greek and Aussie wine and beer list, and cocktails that put a Greek spin on the classics. You’ll also find a tight selection of ouzo and tsipouro, and of course, Greek coffee.

Eleni’s Kitchen + Bar

28 Anderson Street
Yarraville
Victoria 3013
Australia

Telephone: 0467 508 991
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Tue – Sun: 12:00pm to 3:00pm, 5:30pm to 10:00pm

Polneti Piperki: Recipe

Paul
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Polneti Piperki: Recipe

RECIPES | Polenti piperki is one of my favourite Macedonian dishes to eat. Literally translating as “stuffed peppers”, it’s a dish that’s common throughout the Balkans and former Ottoman empire. Many cultures, from the Caucuses, to the Middle East and beyond have regional versions.

It’s a simple, healthy, comforting meal that can be enjoyed year-round. My baba (grandmother) used to make them all of the time, and my recipe is based on hers. My polenti piperki is different to other versions you might have tried, linked to my family’s roots in the mountainous villages of Greece’s Western Macedonia region.

Most versions use regular bell peppers, which is admittedly an easier pepper to stuff, however my grandparents are from the region where the famed Florina pepper is grown. It’s a red bullhorn pepper, prized for its thick flesh and rich, sweet flavour. Unsurprisingly, it’s this pepper that they use.

Another difference is the use of meat. Although meat is a very common filling in many regional versions of the dish, most people when they think of Greek stuffed peppers (gemista), will think of the Southern Greek version, which is tends to be vegetarian and more rice-heavy. Like many of the dishes in Northern Greece, Ottoman influences are stronger, and they’re a bit of a hybrid between what you might find in Southern Greece, the Slavic Balkan countries, and Türkiye.

Polenti piperki is easy to prepare and cook, and quite forgiving. It’s a great way to feed the family, and leftovers will last in the fridge for several days.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 1 hour 48 minutes / Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 10 large / 12 medium red bullhorn peppers (preferably Florina or ajvarski variety)
  • 500g pork/beef mince
  • 100g (uncooked) basmati rice
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 brown onion (finely diced)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
  • 250ml vegetable stock (preferably Vegeta)
  • ½ tspn (2g) white sugar
  • salt and black pepper
  • 600ml passata
  • 3 tspn (10g) smoked paprika (normal paprika is fine)
  • 1 tspn (2.5g) Greek oregano (Italian oregano is fine)
  • A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced.
  2. Slice the tops off the peppers. Scoop out and discard all of the seeds.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan at medium until hot.
  4. Add the onions to the saucepan and sauté until soft and golden, around 8 minutes
  5. Add the garlic, mince, and the rice and stir continually until the rice is well coated and starting to turn translucent, and mince is browned, around 5 minutes
  6. Add 150ml of stock, sugar, 100ml of passata, half the paprika and salt and pepper to season to the pan. Stir it all through, cover, and simmer for around 5 minutes, until the liquid has mostly evaporated, but it’s still saucy. If it’s too dry, add a bit more stock.
  7. While the ingredients above are simmering, make the sauce. Combine 500ml passata, the remaining smoked paprika, Greek oregano, salt and peeper to season, and the remaining stock. You want it to be a bit watery so things don’t dry out while baking.
  8. Fill each of the peppers with the rice mixture. Make sure that you push the mixture right down to the bottom of each pepper. I use the handle of my wooden spoon to push the filling in. Pack the filling in, but leave a bit of space, about a centimetre, between the opening as the rice will continue to expand while cooking in the oven.
  9. Place the peppers side by side in a baking tray that’s high enough to fit them in nicely. Evenly pour the sauce over the top of the peppers, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, and cover with foil.
  10. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for a further 45 minutes.
  11. Plate 2 per serving, and garnish with the fresh parsley.

Notes

If you can’t find red bullhorn peppers, you can use regular bell peppers. Indeed, other regional versions of the dish do.

Regarding the smoked paprika and Greek oregano, regular paprika and Italian oregano still work well, however you’ll lose the smoky element with the former, and some of the earthiness with the latter.

Polenti piperki works very well as a vegan dish. Simply omit the mince from the recipe, and increase the amount of basmati rice to 250g.

This is one of those dishes that benefits from having some time to let sauces soak in. It tastes great as soon as it’s been cooked, but arguably even better the next day.

Boon Choou, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Boon Choou, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | Head down Chinatown’s Heffernan Lane, and you’ll find new Thai restaurant, Boon Choou. It’s housed in a historic four-storey former warehouse, home of the famed Wing Ching cafe from 1892 until the mid 1920s, and most recently the site of modern South-East Asian restaurant, Niubi. I recently visited for What’s on Melbourne, and was impressed by what I found.

The restored building makes good use of it heritage bones, with exposed brick and timber beams. It’s a warm, inviting space, spread across two of the building’s four levels. I’ve been told by owner and head chef, Sam, that something fun will be opening upstairs later on this year. I’ll keep you posted.

Sam has leant on his Thai heritage to create a menu that takes diners on a journey through Thailand’s diverse regions. He’s also brought his fine dining pedigree to the table, evident in the refinement of the dishes. On the menu, you’ll find a mixture of classic favourites, and things which expand on this city’s Thai repertoire. They’re all prepared using the best quality local produce around, with bold and vibrant flavours.

Kuaj tiew lord (steamed rice noodle dumplings with five spice pork belly, shiitake mushroom, crispy garlic with, pickled chilli, and sweet dark soy sauce) is a great way to kick things off. Follow it with the wonderful kor moo yang (grilled house sweet soy sauce marinated pork jowl with smoked chili, tamarind sauce).

Of the larger share plates, I highly recommend the spicy koong pad phong karee (Mooloolaba king prawns with curry powder, hens egg, onion, green shallot, celery, chilli), and the very moreish pad pla muak nahm dam (wok fried calamari with crispy fried onion and green shallots in black squid ink sauce).

To drink, it’s non-alc options like nahm gag hoy (sweet chrysanthemum granita), and chanom yen (iced Thai milk tea), along with Thai inspired cocktails, Thai beer, and local wines. And if you’re in the mood for something sweet, you’ll be glad to know that mango sticky rice is on the menu, along with a few other sweet delights.

Boon Choou

11 Heffernan Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 7013 2565
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Sun – Thu: 11:30am to 11:30pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30am to 12:00pm

Hanbaobao, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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0
Hanbaobao, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | If you’ve walked past the newly opened Hanbaobao on Russell Street, especially during the lunchtime rush when there’s lines out to the front, you might be wondering what’s going on? I know I did, until I popped in for What’s On Melbourne to find out more.

Hanbaobao (a Mandarin loanword, hàn bǎo bāo, that literally translates to ‘hamburger’) is Chinese-inspired hamburger joint. The line that I mentioned earlier moves fast – this is a venue that’s unashamedly a fast food joint, albeit with a higher focus on quality than many other fast food joints.

Walk inside and you can’t help but notice that the place looks a bit bare bones. That’s because this location is actually a pop-up. It’s given the owners a chance to gauge customer feedback and tweak Hanbaobao’s offering in anticipation of their Elizabeth Street flagship location, which will open later this year. So, what exactly is that offering?

Chicken burgers are the star of the Hanbaobao menu, their point of difference being the buns, which are hand rolled and steamed for an airy, bao-like texture. Flavours include things like original chicken thigh, the signature fragrant spicy burger and, my favourite, the Sichuan pepper chicken. There’s also a few grilled options if you don’t feel like fried chicken. Everything on the menu is halal.

The burgers are reminiscent of KFC if you’re looking for a comparison with a larger chain, with the bread making a big difference in the right direction. Flavours are well balanced, and the spicy options are hot, but not ridiculously so. Price wise, all of the burgers are under $10 each, with regular offers bringing the price down significantly further.

Beyond burgers, you’ll find fried chicken, nuggets, and wings. I highly recommend the snow cheese fried chicken. It’s become a customer favourite, and sees juicy, crispy coated fried chicken dusted with a generous coating of cheese dust.

There’s also fried pies reminiscent of another larger chain. Flavours including things like durian and cheese, taro, and red bean. There’s also soft serve cones if you want something else sweet. To drink, it’s regular coke, lemon coke, and iced tea.

Hanbaobao

234B Russell Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9818 5666
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 11:30am to 11:30pm

Union Boulangerie, Opéra

Paul
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0
Union Boulangerie, Opéra

PARIS | I can’t recall how Union Boulangerie came to be on my list, but when I saw it there on my first morning in Paris, close to the hotel, I knew that was breakfast sorted. Opened down an unassuming back street in Paris’ Opéra neighbourhood in 2021, Union Boulangerie has become a hit with locals.

It was founded by business graduate turned baker, Charles Ye, and neuro-biologist turned pastry chef, Maeva Manchon, Union Boulangerie was three years in the making. Charles and Maeva wanted to open a place that would add something to the area, not just be more of the same, and didn’t open until their abilities matched their ambition.

Inside the minimalist space, you’re faced with a semi-open kitchen, displays, and stacked trays filled with tasty looking treats. Everything is made using the highest quality French ingredients. There’s all of your classic boulangerie items like baguettes and sourdough loaves, along with things like cornbread, and Nordic rye breads. There’s also seasonal creations, like this summer’s spicy Merguez harissa baguette.

On the patisserie side, it’s favourites like croissants, macarons, and chocolate eclairs, and more seasonal and limited creations, like a bûche with confit citrus and basil mousse. I wanted it all, but ended up settling on a pain au chocolate, chocolate éclair, and apple pie croissant for later. All three were outstanding.

Charles and Maeva also work closely with other artisans and businesses in the area. Coffee-infused creations use beans roasted by an independent roaster up the road, and many of the limited creations are collaborations with likeminded locals.

A second location, just around the corner from Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, opened at the start of the year. By all accounts, it’s every bit as good as the original.

Union Boulangerie

2 Rue Bleue
75009 Paris
France

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

Open
Mon – Fri: 8:00am to 8:00pm
Sat: 8:00am to 3:00pm

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