MELBOURNE | There’s never been a better time to be a fan of Thai food in Melbourne. There are so many new Thai restaurants opening in the CBD alone, and it’s hard to keep track of them all. One of the newest, Plern, opened last month. I popped in to get some snaps for What’s on Melbourne the other day.
Plern, which translates into English as ‘joyful’, can be found on Hardware Street in the space previously occupied by café, White Mojo. They offer an assortment of dishes from across Thailand, with a particular focus on Central Thai cuisine.
Fans of White Mojo will be happy to know that Plern still offers brilliant coffee, and a selection of Cobb Lane pastries. The breakfast menu, however, aims to bring something different to Melbourne, with a number of Thai breakfast dishes to choose from.
The signature breakfast congee is a must try if you’re looking for a morning feed. There are a few options on offer, with the triple egg congee being the one to go for. It’s filled/topped with century egg, salted egg, onsen egg, pork liver, intestines, ginger, spring onion, Chinese doughnuts, crispy rice noodles, pickled cabbage, and crispy anchovies. Outstanding.
For lunch and dinner, it’s an extensive menu of snacks, rice and noodle dishes, and other things. If you’re a fan of pork, the snack platter is a must try. You get a platter of sour pork sausage, pork intestines, crispy pork, deep-fried pork, pork crackling, eggs, and assorted house dipping sauces. Classics like boat noodles (go for the combination beef and offal version), and pad krapao also hit the spot.
Don’t leave without trying the ruam-mit ice-cream. A bowl of creamy coconut ice-cream is served with coconut sticky rice and four Thai-style toppings. To drink it’s a selection of Thai drinks, plus a small selection of boozy options.
Plern
115 Hardware Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9969 2681
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Sun: 8:00am to 3:00pm; 5:00pm to 10:00pm