Jinda Thai

Address: 1-7 Ferguson Street, Abbotsford, Vic 3067

Phone: (03) 9419 5899

Facebook: Jinda Thai

My sister and I checked out Jinda Thai the other week and we were sorry that we hadn't come earlier! The food was pretty amazing. The one good thing about being a 'late' visitor was that it was no longer as busy as it had been when it first openned. That, and it was 2 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon, so we'd probably missed the lunch hour rush. Anyway, my sister is a huge fan of Tom Yum Soup, so we ordered one of those. I have to admit, I've never loved Tom Yum and I've always preferred to go for the less spicy Thai options....But at Jinda Thai, I actually thoroughly enjoyed the dish for the first time in my life. 

Thick and rich in flavour, this Tom Yum soup was the perfect combination of lemongrass and spices. It was just really fragrant and sweet. I also really liked the Moo Ping Pork Skewers. Sticky, candided pork skewers, sticky rice (in another seperate little box) and nam jim sauce...what more could you ask for? They also served their skewers on a lovely platter with beautiful blue and white patterns. Very eye-catching for photos.

We couldn't forgo crab once we spotted on the menu, so we ordered the soft shell crab with the apple salad. The little crabs were crispy on the outside, but tender and fresh on the inside. The apple salad gave the dish a real flavour punch with the sliced apples and onions drenched in sweet and spicy fish sauce. When I say spicy, I mean that it was ultra spicy and pretty much set my tongue on fire!

And of course, Thai food just doesn't feel complete until you have the old favourite - Pad Thai. I felt that the serving was a bit on the small side and didn't have all the ingredients that I was use to. But it was hearty and filling, so it hit the spot all the same. 

By this time, my sister and I were pretty full. But Jinda Thai is so well-known for it's mille crepe cakes that we just had get a slice. The flavour on offer was Matcha Green Tea. Silky green tea crepes layered with cream and topped with green tea custard and red beans. I have a tase aversion to red beans, so my poor sister had to pick them off. But the green tea custard was beautiful and thick, adding the perfect amount of sweetness to the cake. I would love to go back to try all the other exotic flavours including Thai Milk Tea and Pandan.

Overall, the food was lovely. A little pricer than regular Thai, but it was every bit worth it. Service was a little slow, but pleasant enough and all the orders came out in a timely way. The restaurant space itself was also pleasant. Very peaceful, spacious and airy with lots of elegant Thai decor. Will I revisit? Hopefully yes! I definately plan to go back to try out the other crepe cakes. If you like Thai food, or cake, Jinda Thai is the perfect place for you.

Ratings

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 8/10

Food: 20/20

Worth visiting? Yes! Prepare for an exotic food adventure.

Price: $$ (The average dish is around $13-15...But you'll definately want to try more than one dish!)

Supernormal

Address: 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 8688
Website: www.supernormal.net.au
Facebook: Supernormal

A few days ago, I had my first food adventure for the new year. Kind of late, I know, but I thought it'd be better to start visiting restaurants after everyone had left on their summer holidays. My sister and I had talked about going to Supernormal, another venture by Andrew McConnell (who you may remember was the chef behind Cumulus Up), pretty much since it's opening. But we didn't get around to it till the other day. We arrived at 2 o'clock, to a comfortable open-space environment and ordered some dishes. The first one to arrive was the New England Lobster Rolls. 

The brioche buns were crisp on the edges and deliciously soft and buttery inside. Wedged between each bun was a slice of tender lobster meat which laid on a bed of shredded lobster and mayonnaise The combined flavour of the buns and the lobster meat was sweet and satisfying. At $16 a pop, they were by no means cheap. But I had no regrets ordering these rolls and I would have totally ordered another if I had not made so many dinner plans for the following week which would require saving some cash. But yes, those lobster rolls. So, so delicious.

Next came the Pork Baos with Tamarind Sauce. Baos are all the trend in Melbourne at the moment and pretty much all modern or fusion Asian restaurants will offer an interesting take on the traditional Chinese bread. The Pork Bao was interesting at Supernormal. Instead of streamed or straight out fried meat, the pork patties were crumbed nuggets of juicy, chunky meat served with a spicy, Tamarind sauce on top of some cucumbers. It was definitely not the traditional filling for a Bao, but the meat was flavoursome. I don't think I enjoyed the Tamarind sauce too much though. But the Bao texture and consistency was just right. It was good, fluffy steamed bread.  

For our mains, my sister and I shared a fish, The Whole Roasted Flounder with Seaweed Butter, Potatoes and Spring Onions. For some reason I pictured this dish a little differently...probably because I assumed the potatoes would be roasted as well. But it was still an enjoyable dish. The fish was fresh and melted in your mouth with the seaweed butter. The potatoes turned out to be potato shreds, which were crunchy and also deliciously addictive when served with the seaweed butter sauce. I wish they'd actually provided more potatoes, rather than the spring onion as it could have made for a fancy fish and chips dish!

The part of lunch that we both looked forward to the most was dessert. I'd heard about this Peanut Butter Parfait with Salted Caramel and Soft Chocolate since the opening of the restaurant and I knew that if I had to try one thing at Supernormal, it'd have to be this dessert. And it did not disappoint.

The parfait was silky and creamy, with a light peanut butter taste. It was my favourite part of the dish and it was paired perfectly with the sweet, rich, salted caramel sauce that it was swimming in. To conteract the sweetness, the soft chocolate ganche on top was made from dark chocolate. It was slightly bitter, the natural bitterness of unflavoured cocoa, which helped to offset the sweetness. When all the elements were gathered together, along with some of the roasted peanuts sprinkled on top, it was an explosion of dessert flavours and textures that delighted the taste buds.

What my sister had been really curious about was the Miso and Fuji Apple Soft Serve Ice-cream. We'd seen some pictures of the pretty looking sundae and wondered what Miso Ice-Cream would taste like, so my sister ordered one. It turned out to be an interesting experience, but not one I'd be keen enough to try again anytime too soon. The yellow soft serve was the Miso component and it was mighty salty. Sort of like frozen, sweetened Miso soup. The pink soft serve was the Fuji Apple component and it was sour, with a slightly sweet finish. So when combined together it was a bit like salty apple. It reminded my sister of sun-dried apple chips. I will add that I really liked the seasame brittle on top. It was very thin and caramel-flavoured and the seasame was not over-powering, as with the case with some sesame biscuits.

The restaurant had a lovely dining area. Large and open with long counter-tops and simple furniture. It was lined with some Japanese sake bottles and plants. Nothing super fancy....just Supernormal. Hahaha, sorry, couldn't resist. At two o'clock lunchtime, it did have a business lunch and intimate date vibe, but not exclusively so as there was a family with some kids dining there too.

My favourite decoration in the restaurant, apart from it's hot pink neon sign, was the giant Bonsai they kept in a glass case by the front of the restaurant. It looked a bit like a Japanese pine tree. Kind of cute in it's glass case. There's something nice about plants in restaurants, don't you think?

My final verdict? I loved a lot of the items that we tried, particularly the Lobster Rolls and the Peanut Butter Parfait. But some dishes felt like they needed a little more to make them more desirable to me as I mentioned with some aspects of the Bao and Fish. All in all, it was a super pleasant experience. 

The service was polite and on point. If we asked for something, we'd get it in good time. It did take awhile for the fish to come out though, but perhaps it was the cooking time required for the dish. It was an enjoyable meal and I'd love to come back to try some other dishes sometime. 

Ratings

Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Food: 18/20

Worth Visiting? Yes - Peanut Butter Parfait! And other dishes are lovely too!
Price: $$$ (You're looking at anything between $6-$69. There's some entree dishes, Baos and such, that are well over $10 for a very small serving. But if you'd like to try them, they are quite enjoyable. Most filling main dishes are about $30-$40, with rice at a separate cost.)

Cumulus Up

Address: 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 1445
Website: cumulusinc.com.au

Cumulus Up is one of many ventures owned by the talented Andrew McConnell, who has redefined the Melbourne dining scene with restaurants such Supernormal, Moon Under water, Luxembourg Bar and Bistro and Cumulus Inc. Cumulus Up, an extension of Cumulus Inc., is a fancy wine bar, which also serves fine foods to be shared between guests. 

When catching up with Ada, a friend I hadn't seen in a long time, I suggested Cumulus Up because I thought it'd be fun to test a variety of dishes while we talked about all the things that had happened this year. I'd been to Cumulus Up for the first time not long before and I was keen to try some of the dishes I didn't get to try last time because everything sounded so good.

We started off with the Grilled King Prawn with Creme Freche and Lemon. The tender prawn meat was enhanced by the creamy, zesty flavours it was served with. Really a delicious entree dish. The only issue I had was scooping the meat from the shell - every bite required a bit of work. But I suppose that what you get when you order prawns!

The next dish we tried was the Duck Waffle with Foie Gras and Prune. I'd tried the Duck Waffle on my first visit and fell in love, which was why I recommended that Ada order it too. This is the dish that you go to Cumulus Up for. Rich, buttery, melt-in-your mouth foie gras is served with sweet, prune jam on top of a light and crispy waffle that has tiny, shredded duck pieces folded into the batter. It's a rich dish, but so flavoursome and delightful that I'm pretty sure it'd be a sin to come to Cumulus and avoid this one.

After the duck waffle, our mains came. I'd picked the first two dishes, so it seemed only fair to make Ada choose something too. (And honestly, I hate making decisions when everything looks good!) Ada ended up picking the Pork Rack, which came out beautifully presented.

The pork belly was so soft and tender with a thin brittle layer of cracking above. The meat was flavoured by the basil, parsley and olive oil green sauce or Salsa Verde. It really added a salty and herbyedge to the white bean puree and the pork cuts. On the topic of the puree, I really enjoyed it. As a thick, creamy paste, it added a smooth texture to the the dish.

To go with the Pork Rack, we also ordered a Roast Potato side. I generally love potatoes (even though they bring on the carbs), but these were really something. They were covered with a thick Confit Garlic sauce, which added a strong salty taste to the soft, warm potato flesh in their crackling skins. 

I think Ada enjoyed her meal...and I know most certainly did. Maybe it could be accredited to good company too...you know what they say, good company makes good food better.

In terms of the restaurant, the interior was beautiful with jagged mirrors, flowers and wine bottles lining the walls. On this visit, we also had a really friendly waiter, who came to our table three times (as we kept forgetting to look at the menu, getting deep into conversation) without showing any attitude. He was patient and smiley, which really made a good impression on me. He also gave us a cheery good-bye and thank you when we paid for our meal. 

I feel I should also talk a bit about my first visit too although that was about a month ago. It was a meet-up with high school friends who seen Cumulus on a list of Must-Tries for Melbourne. Although it was a catch up with a group of people, I somehow manged to weasel my way into taking some nice food pictures, even with the lack of natural light inside the restaurant (We were dining at 8pm) and the 10 people who had to wait for me to do the happy snaps before they could dig in.

On that night, I started off with a cocktail - I can't remember the name of it, but it was not my cup of tea (Or rather, glass of gin). It tasted a lot like cough syrup, unfortunately. Though it did have a lovely misty purple hue to it.

We tried the Duck Waffles and the Roast Potatoes on my first visit, as I mentioned before. But we also shared a number of other dishes including the Spanner Crab and Brioche...These were crunchy, toasted brioche fingers, oozing with oil and topped with a creamy Spanner crab and salmon mixture. Definitely rich, but in their tiny size, a good amount to excite the taste buds without being too much for the stomach.

Another dish we tried was the Ricotta Dumplings with Burnt Butter and Pine Nuts. In my mind, dumplings are always filled with meat...probably because I grew up on Asian-styled pork dumplings. So I was initially weary of this dish. But it turned out to be delicious - round parcels of thin skin that melted with the fluffy ricotta filling. It had the lovely aroma of pine nuts and melted butter. Again, rich, but delicious with a small tasting.

We then got into the Whole Rock Flathead and Mussels En Papillote with Herb Salad. Perhaps it's because I don't know if I like Mussels or not, but this one didn't have as much pulling power over me. The fish was fresh and tender and the herbs flavoured the subtle taste of the fish. But I can't say much about the mussels - I didn't try any. I guess I enjoyed the dish, but perhaps not as much as the others.

Finally, we tried the dried aged 600gr. rib fillet. My friends kind of dug into it by accident before I got a picture. But it was delicious...and kind of difficult to share with friends because you wanted to go back in for another piece.

All in all, I really liked dining at Cumulus Up. It serves some interesting dishes, unique to the venue, and really balances subtle flavours with more rich and tasteful elements. It can be a bit pricey depending on what you're ordering and how many people you're dining with, but I tell you that you'll have an experience worth every dollar paid and more.

Ratings

Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Food: 19/20

Worth Visiting? Definitely...so many delicious dishes. Easy, classy shared dining.
Price: $$$ (You're looking at servings from $7 per piece to dishes priced $12-$68. You'll need to order a few dishes to fill up, but it's great for trying all the different options.)

Byblos

Address: World Trade Centre, 18-32 Siddeley Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Phone: (03) 9614 6400
Website: byblosbar.com.au
Facebook: Byblos

About a week ago, I was lucky enough to be invited by Clemance Harvey PR to dine at Byblos, one of the eateries forming the row of restaurants next to the river at the WTC Wharf. Byblos originated from the sunny state of Queensland and has been known for its exotic Lebanese cuisine and award-winning bar, so I was quite excited for lunch. I arrived at Byblos at 2 o'clock for a late afternoon meal, so it took awhile to flag a waiter given the quiet hour at the restaurant. But once I did get his attention, he was very friendly and recommended a delicious dish from the grill menu. 

I was told that the grilled prawn and fish skewers were not to be missed, so I took up the recommendation. I also selected a chicken skewer, a lamb cutlet and a vegetable skewer for variety....And what a great selection it was...

The char-grilled jumbo prawn was succulent and flavoursome, marinated in olive oil, lime and garlic. The dory fish was also fresh and tender, flavoured with lemon juice, spices and coriander, flame-grilled to perfection. It was surprising my favourite of the skewers as I just loved the way the fish fell tenderly from its stick. The chicken was tender and lightly seasoned with oregano and pepper. It was pleasant, although I preferred the seafood skewers more. There was also a sweet capsicum, mushroom and tomato veggie skewer which went well with the lamb cutlet.

The platter also came with pickles, a corriander and tomato salad and a large bowl of pita bread to dip into the creamy house-made garlic dip. The hummus and olive oil combination was also quite delicious. I was thoroughly impressed with the size of the plate because it was a good amount of food - a generous serving of skewers, bread and salad, although you'd definately be able to order a few more side dishes if you really wanted to try out some of their other interesting entrees. 

I also tried one of the syrups on offer - The rose and lychee syrup. It was a beautiful colour with a soft, rose scent that was quite lovely. But it was very, very sweet. Perhaps a little too sweet for my usual tastes as I couldn't finish it. But if you like very sweet drinks, this one's for you!

I was also fascinated with their platter for two, which looked like a Lebanese high tea, so the waiter let me take a photo of one coming out to be served. If you're dining with a friend, these tiered dishes offer a good variety of Byblos' popular dishes to share, with 2 of each of the Rekakat, Fatayer, Lahim bil Ajeen, Sambusek, Shish Tawook and Lahim Meshwi. The next time I feel like Lebanese, I'm bringing a friend to try this with me! 

In the end, I had a great time and enjoyed the delicious meal. The food was nicely presented and came out quickly and the restaurant itself was quite pretty with its decadent lamps and curtains - a great place for grabbing lunch if you happen to work around the WTC Wharf. Although the restaurant is hidden away next to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, it's got some delicious grilled food, so make sure you check it out if you're around that side of town.

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Clemance Harvey PR and Byblos. This post reflects my honest experiences and opinions at the time of my visit. Please note, I'm a blogger who enjoys food and photography, not a professional critic for a particular media organisation or company.

Ratings:

Service: 7.5/10
Ambience: 6.5/10 
Food: 18/20

Worth Visiting? Yes, that grill is just perfect.
Price: $$ (You're looking at about $20-$30 plates that will fill you up quite well)

Shizuku Ramen

Address: 309 Victoria St, Abbottsford, Vic, 3067

Phone: (03) 9995 8180

Website: shizuku.com.au
Facebook: Shizuku Ramen

Have you ever heard of a ramen burger? It's a pretty cool idea - they make the burger buns out of fried ramen! I first heard of the ramen burger from a friend who seen the concept in New York and kept a mental note to myself to go find this unusual burger when I hit the States. But recently I noticed that some restaurants in Melbourne had brought the concept down under...

Last week I was kindly invited by the staff at Shizuku Ramen to come try out their new menu which included...the ramen burger! I was super excited,of course! As was my sister, a lover of all things Japanese, who I brought along with me for this food adventure. We got to Shizuku at 5:30pm - the openning time for their dinner session - and found a cute little restaurant with a lovely display of Japanese drinks and ambient lighting all around.

The staff were very friendly and proactive. They sat us down and provided us with some curried popcorn in the cutest little daisy bowl while they went to get us some tea.

I was pretty dead set on my ramen burger and my sister had decided on a ramen dish when we were offered the option of ordering some entrees. We perused the menu and finally settled on the lobster slider and crab meat croquettes.

My sister and I really liked the lobster slider. The kewpie salad and sweet lobster filling was combined with some crunchy pickled carrots and radishes, which offset its richness and made it a creamy and refreshing snack. All this was wedged between briche-y bun goodness, making it a delicious combination.

The croquettes were filled with creamy, thick crab chowder, with little golden corn kennels tucked within. They were lightly crumbed and given an additional flavour punch with the sweet plum sauce. I probably should have ripped one in half and captured the way they looked with crab chowder on the inside, but I was
slightly afraid that it would drop on my ramen burger. That's right, my ramen burger and my sister's ramen dish had arrived pretty much at the same time. Pretty efficient service!

I tried the gyoza from my sister's bowl, but not much else as my sister was pretty ravenous. There's honestly nothing like freshly cooked gyoza when you're hungry. These ones were some of the nicest gyozas I've had in awhile. The silky dumpling skins were wrapped around a lot of ginger and mince. My sister also loved the soft, gooey yolk of her boiled egg. But I've saved the most exciting dish of the night for last. I've even labelled it all for you...

I actually took awhile figuring how to eat my ramen burger at first because it was pretty big! I wonder if the waiters saw me awkwardly tackling this - I tried chopsticking and spooning it apart and ended up with mayo everywhere. Then my sister said, why don't you just lift it up with the wrapper? It's great to have a sister with common sense. So that's what I ended up doing.

It was soooo good. The pork belly was sticky, sweet and tender - not too fatty or lean. It pretty much came apart in a bite and melted in my mouth. The pickled salad and mayo was also pretty refreshing. As for the ramen buns? Unusual - like my noodles had turned into one massive pancake! It was a little bit too gummy for my teeth (I have to be careful due to dental work :/), but it was a fun experience. Once the burger sauce seeped into the patties it broke them apart, so it turned into a more conventional noodle eating experience. Well, sort of, as I was still eating it from the wrapper! Overall, I was pretty pleased with the burger, especially with its candied pork belly.

All in all, my sister and I had an enjoyable night at Shizuku Ramen. Totally wished I could have tried their pudding desserts, but we were so full by the time we'd finished! I'd like to go back one day to try out their other dishes. In terms of service, there were a few small order mix-ups due to there being so many tables of twos, perhaps a little too close together. But the waiter who first served us was really friendly. He made us feel quite comfortable, so I'd say you're in good hands if you guys are looking for some tasty Japanese food in Abbottsford!

Disclaimer: My sister, A, and I were invited to dine as guests of Shizuku Ramen. This blog post reflects my honest experiences and opinions at the time of my visit. Please note that I am a blogger who has eaten a lot and enjoys food photography, not a professional critic for any particular media or institution.

Ratings

Service: 8/10
Ambience: 7.5/10
Food: 17/20

Is it worth visiting? Yes! A modern twist on Japanese cuisine.
Price range: $$ (You're looking at $5-20 for entrees and about $15-$20 for mains)

Rice Workshop

Address: 238 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, Vic, 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 6663
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiceWorkshop
Website: http://riceworkshop.com.au/

Due to one of my weekly volunteer activities, I've always walked up Chinatown and passed Rice Workshop. As I'd been curious about it for a long time, I went to try it out this week. Rice Workshop is probably best described as quick-eat Japanese restaurant with a self-serve component; you select a dish, it gets served to you, then you pick out the sides you want to eat it with. On my first visit, I tried the Ontama beef with a side of potato salad. 

The potato salad was pretty much mashed potato with little vegetable pieces in it. It was quite Japanese styled - slightly more tart and less creamy than traditional mash. I felt pretty neutral about it - it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best mash I'd ever had. The Ontama Beef bowl, on the otherhand was good value for money and quite tasty too. The beef was thinly-sliced and served with a delicious sauce. There was also a perfect little soft boiled egg with the dish (the Malaysian in me really enjoys a good soft boiled egg), which added a nice runny yolk to the rice.

On my next visit, I tried the Chicken Karaage with spicey mayo. The fried chicken was crispy and the mayo, a tart and spicey affair. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed the Chicken Karaage at Shuyun.

I also tried the desserts...the tiramisu mochi and the green tea soft serve ice-cream. The mochi was devoured before I remembered to take a photo, but it didn't have too much going for it. The bean paste filling was nice and creamy, but the mochi shell was hard and stale - rather disappointing given that mochi is pretty much the softest dessert you can get! I did, however, like the green tea soft serve...for $2, you can get a generous hit of matcha. A nice little dessert for the end of summer.

Rice workshop has a pretty little dining space for you to finish your meal in. There's even an upstairs area if you prefer your privacy. And it's complete with interesting lights in almost every corner...

The restaurant also provides the quintessential Melbourne alleyway experience - if you enter through their side entrance, you can see some pretty graffti decorating their walls. Just what every Melbourne-based quick-eatery should have :)

In conclusion, Rice Workshop is a great place for you to eat if you're on the run - it's cheap and easy with a comfortable space to dine in...it's also pretty central in the CBD (right at the start of Chinatown from Swanston Street), so you won't have a hard time finding it. Service is pretty quick and quite friendly (the waitress even told me that she liked my t-shirt). In terms of food, I'd recommend the Ontama beef and the green tea ice-cream, but not the mochi (even though I liked the filling. No one should have to eat hard mochi). All in all, the meals were filling and pleasant.

Ratings

Service: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
Food: 15/20

Is it worth visiting? Yes, if you're in search of a quick bite or a casual, Asian eatery.
Price range: $ (You're looking at $7-$10 a bowl and about $2 for sides)

The Brunswick Mess Hall

Address: 400 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Vic, 3056
Phone: (03) 9388 0297
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBrunswickMessHall
Website: http://www.thebrunswickmesshall.com.au/

To say bye to one of my close buddies moving to Canberra, I visited The Brunswick Mess Hall for a group dinner. For some weird reason, I'd always walked past this joint in Brunswick and thought it was more of a formal function space than a casual restaurant or bar. But I'm glad my friend suggested The Brunswick Mess Hall because it was a really nice venue with flavoursome Asian cuisine!

Between the six or so of us, we shared a couple of dishes. My favourite of the night was the Szechuan Pepper Squid. The squid pieces were lightly battered and fried, so it was crunchy and there was more squid than batter to enjoy. I didn't actually taste too much pepper, let alone that of the Sze-chuan variety (the real hot stuff), but I liked it better that way as I could eat it with lime and sweet chilli sauce instead. The little bed of salad was delicious with its mint, onion and lime juice combination...spicy, sweet and sour....

I also put down the order for some Yakatori sticks. They came quickly enough and looked great on the plate...

But they were a little too salty for my liking. It was nice chicken, though it would have done better with a little less sauce. We also tried the Pad Thai, both vegatarian and non-vegetarian. (I feel like there was a photo... but I don't know where. I'll upload if found). Both were quite hot, so I'd recommend it only if you enjoy spicy food. I feel like it differed a lot from my favourite type of Pad Thai, but it was still quite tasty with lots of beanshoots.

During the night, we found it a tad bit difficult to catch the attention of the bar staff to which we were suppose to hand in our order (self-tick order sheet system)...But it was a busy, busy Friday night and the staff were really attentive and nice when they had the time. Also, our cocktails came out reasonably quickly. I ordered a 'Tromba Cooler' from the menu mainly because I saw the words 'pandan vanilla syrup' and the Malaysian in me got really excited...

I liked the Tromba Cooler because you could really smell and taste the Pandan Vanilla syrup. So it felt like a pandan chiffon cake had been pleasantly blended into my drink. On the flip side, I couldn't really taste any pineapple. Still, it was a pleasant, tropical cocktail and I enjoyed the pandan too much to have any real complaints.

A few nights later, when I found myself in the same area, I wondered in to try the other cocktail that I had been eying over: The Sakura Fizz. It was a pretty little thing and was quite fragrant due to the rose and honey elements. If egg white sounds odd as an ingredient, have no fear! It does nothing to the taste. You only get the tequila and fruitiness of all it all - a good drink for summer, particularly if you enjoy sour flavours. The second visit was on a Wednesday night and there were far fewer people. The staff were even more attentive and friendly on that day and the speed of service improved dramatically.

The venue itself was something to enjoy with its creeping vines, animal projections and dangling lights. There was a DJ on the Friday night spinning tracks at the back, but you could enjoy a more intimate conversation up front, in one of the comfortable little rooms...

All in all, The Brunswick Mess Hall was great fun....colourful, vibrant and messy in a good way. This applied also to the food and drinks. I enjoyed the cocktails, with their inclusion of fun Eastern elements and patterned straws. I also thought the food menu offered a good selection of old favourites. While I wouldn't call it the best Asian food I've tasted, nor the most creative, I will say that they offer flavoursome, crowd-pleasing dishes....so I'd recommend The Brunswick Mess Hall for functions or big dinners, where there's a lotta crowd-pleasing and entertaining to be done!

Ratings

Service: 8/10
Ambience: 9/10
Food: 15/20

Is it worth visiting? Sure, it's a cool, vibrant space with flavoursome old favourites.
Price range: $$$ (You're looking at $12-$28 per dish)