MELBOURNE | The fusion of Eastern and Western culture can be seen all over Hong Kong, and this extend to its food. It’s arguably most apparent in the city’s cha chaan tengs, or Hong Kong-style diners. They’re casual affordable spots, offering a variety of Cantonese, and Canto-Western dishes. Newly opened Peninsula HK Cafe, which I recently visited for What’s on Melbourne, draws influence from these cha chaan tengs.
Owner and head chef, Wai Wong, was born and raised in Hong Kong and has years of experience cooking cha chaan teng dishes. At Peninsula HK Cafe, he wants give guests a taste of his home, be it a nostalgia hit for Hong Kong expats, or a new experience for people wanting an authentic taste of Hong Kong.
You’ll find all of the classics on the extensive menu, like pineapple buns, Hong Kong-style milk tea, noodle and rice dishes, and sandwiches. There area few cha chaan tengs in this part of town. Peninsula HK Cafe’s point of difference are his Hong Kong-style roast meats, and focus on premium Aussie produce.
Golden Brick French Toast is one of the most popular items on the menu. It’s a two thick slices of French toast, sandwiched with baked rice, and your choice of protein and sauce. A popular combo is the pork chop and black pepper sauce. Topped with melted cheese, it’s a meal in itself. For a more indulgent meat option, you can go for the pork chop baked in rice or spaghetti with two sauces of your choice, covered in a mound of melted cheese.
The signature roast meats are every bit as good as Wai claims – tender, meat, crispy skin, and loads of flavour. I recommend ordering the Three Combination BBQ plate. It gets you a decent serving of char sui pork, crispy pork belly, and roast duck, along with some greens and your choice of rice or noodles.
If it’s seafood you’re after, the crispy noodles (thin noodles with a crisped top layer), and prawns is a great choice. For a quick snack, try the Peninsula Egg Sandwich, which gets you fluffy folded eggs with your choice of Spam, char sui pork, corned beef or ham. For $1 extra, you can upgrade the bread to a pineapple bun, which I recommend.
The milk tea is wonderful – rich and not too sweet. There’s also things like orange and lemon tea, Horlicks, and a red bean frappe.
Peninsula HK Cafe
191 Russell Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: 0451 961 271
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Sun: 11:30am to 9:00pm