Melbourne

by

Hakata Gensuke – Melbourne, City – Sunday 11 January 2015 – Lunch

IMG_3279There’s something oddly attractive about a line outside a restaurant. I know those who don’t pursue food like a hunter might completely disagree, but in my world, a line signifies there might be something worth waiting for.

Often it is a façade. It is great marketing or PR, a huge following of friends of the owners, or something intangible that makes others want to partake. Equally it can be a sign of greatness, amazing food at the right price-point, or a unique quality that captures the imagination of the population.

Signature Tonkotsu

Signature Tonkotsu

When we walked past Hakata Gensuke a week ago on the way to HuTong, we were intrigued by the crowd out front. Some research and a bit over a week later we were one of those waiting in line for the ramen shop to open at midday. Getting there by about 11.40am was good enough for making the first sitting.

The staff, the chefs in particular, shout their Japanese greeting at you as you walk in, which is traditional. Throughout the meal you find that the energy of the floorstaff and the chefs from their greeting sparks the atmosphere in the restaurant. You are presented with a piece of paper, and a pencil, and have a number of choices to make on the type of ramen, the noodle texture, its strength, and additions you can make.

Signature Tonkotsu

Signature Tonkotsu

Being our first time, we both chose the signature tonkotsu ramen, normal textured noodles, normal strength, spring onions, and I had an additional flavoured egg. Tonkotsu is made from pork bones and this makes for a rich broth, that in this case, is completely divine. Throw in some noodles, that from my experience, are very high quality in taste and texture; some thinly sliced pork (cha-shu), black mushrooms, spring onions, and a deeply flavoured egg; and you have one of the best Japanese noodle soups that you could hope for.

Gyoza

Gyoza

Japan is one of the many countries that I haven’t travelled to yet, but know I’ll experience at some stage soon. If I can find ramen better than you find at Hakata Gensuke around Japan, then that would be the only reason I need to buy the plane ticket. For now, I’ll have to settle for some amazing soup on Russell Street in the city.

Hakata Gensuke on Urbanspoon

by

HuTong Dumpling Bar – Melbourne, City – Thursday 1 January 2015 – Dinner

Shao-long bao

Shao-long bao

Luckily it was not my New Year’s resolution to eat healthy as this would not necessarily be a great start. Not that dumplings are necessarily unhealthy. It is just, as a rule, difficult to stop yourself from eating several dozen!

Market Lane has long been known as the home of Flower Drum, Australia’s most famous and long lived Chinese restaurant. It has also now, for several years, been the home of one of the best dumpling houses in Australia in HuTong.

Wantons in hot chilli sauce

Wantons in hot chilli sauce

The head chef here has over thirty years of experience and is considered a “dumpling master”. I wouldn’t disagree as on every single occasion I’ve been to HuTong the dumplings have been immaculate from a flavour and consistency perspective. This leads to quite high expectations which I hope are met again this evening.

IMG_3245

Deep fried squid in salt and pepper

The soup dumplings, known as shao-long bao, are the king of dumplings in this house and today they are exceptional as usual. The wrapper is delicate in taste, but strong enough to hold the soup and pork filling, which are both huge in flavour. It is an explosion in more ways than one.

That’s followed up with wantons with hot chilli sauce which have a stickier wrapper drizzled with the reasonably hot sauce. The prawn dumplings are quite generously packed and have a firmer texture, good for dipping in soy and chilli if you please.

With the stars of the show quickly annihilated, we enjoy the deep fried squid in salt and pepper (and chilli) which are tasty, but some are a little chewy. The crispy fragrant duck on the other hand is all beautifully cooked with glorious crispy skin for a flavour punch giving away to juicy duck meat.
IMG_3247
The question of dessert versus some more dumplings was answered swiftly by the majority of the table and to finish we tried the pan fried dumplings which come in an interesting presentation. It is difficult to top the shao-long bao, and indeed, while the pan fried dumplings are good, they are not the champions.

Pan fried dumplings

HuTong’s dumplings have again lived up to my high expectation, especially when washed down with a couple of Tsingtao beers on this beautiful New Year’s Day. I expect it won’t be long until the next visit to enjoy the fruits of the dumpling master’s great and enduring work.

HuTong Dumpling Bar on Urbanspoon