Hammer & Tong

Whilst visiting Melbourne I mentioned that I was keen to visit Hammer & Tong – luckily my friends were keen too, so off we went to try their adventurous menu. There is definitely an industrial/Soviet-style feel about the cafe, with plenty of unpolished metal and bare walls, which is also reflected in their communist flag-inspired logo. The menu draws mostly on Asian cuisines, with the unusual option of ‘breakfast ramen’ offered – I was so tempted but it was just too early. Instead, I picked the spanner crab egg crepe served with cucumber ketchup and charocal brioche, and the mango, passionfruit and pineapple juice. The juice menu said fresh but when the juice came out it had none of the hallmarks of a fresh juice (there was no froth and it had a watery texture), but was nonetheless delicious – the passionfruit’s tart flavour was a great wake-up aid! The crepe was heavenly – light and fluffy with plenty of crab inside, each mouthful was delightful with the cucumber ketchup, which tasted more like a cucumber pickle in liquid form. It matched perfectly with the charcoal brioche which was also quite light. The flavours and textures worked together so well – next time maybe I’ll be brave and try the ramen!

Hammer & Tong, 412a Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC       http://www.hammerandtong.com.au

Supernormal

My friend and I visited Supernormal for a Friday night dinner and waited for about 45 mins for a table – while we waited we devoured the Supernormal Smash cocktail with gin, tonic and seasonal syrup – it was a perfectly balanced cocktail with the right amount of sweet and bitter. We were told that the dishes are best to share, so started with the sesame cucumber (2 pieces included), which had a lovely pickled flavour and came served on a stick, followed by the raw bar tuna dish. As our lobster rolls arrived we asked the kitchen to slow the service down, as the plates were piling up. The roll was a highlight, with tender strips of lobster meat and a sweet brioche bun. My overall favourite, though, was the duck bao – cooked in Peking duck-style, the meat was cooked to perfection with a thin crispy shell, and served with hot, soft bao. So, so good. We finished off with the miso and pink lady soft serve, which had a fascinating flavour combination that just worked. We added the snack petipas given at the start of the meal on top to make it even better. Five hours later, we left full, happy and wishing we had a second stomach for more!

Supernormal, 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC                   http://www.supernormal.net.au

Kong BBQ

I was a bit confused when I first saw the sign for Kong BBQ – it was half written in Japanese, but when I approached the menu looked like Korean fusion. Ok, I don’t mind a bit of cultural confusion, as long as it’s tasty! Luckily despite the language/cuisine conflict, Kong has some very tasty offerings, many of which come with my favourite form of cabbage – kimchi! As a takeaway lunch from the pop up stall in the city, I started with two different buns – the smoked brisket and the spicy pork belly.  Both are served in a soft bun and are packed full of flavour and spice (and kimchi).  Bring your tissues for runny noses and oozy sauce – not elegant, but when food tastes that good who cares? To finish, I shared a chicken roti roll with lemon and (you guessed it) kimchi – this was far and away the highlight, and I would have eaten two more of them if there was any space left in my stomach.

Kong BBQ, Rue and Co (pop up), 80 Collins Street, Melbourne            http://www.kongbbq.com.au/

Monster

Monster on any given day is a cool place to be; located in the Hotel Hotel part of the Nishi building in New Action and full of exotic flowers, Monster is the epitome of modern dining in Canberra. But Monster on a rainy day is especially cool – they have these circular panels of glass in the ceiling over the seats where you can see the water-drenched ferns and rain coming down while you stay cozy at your diamond-shaped table inside.  My friend and I were drawn in by the unusual menu – yabby jaffles, you said? – and so we ventured out in the rain to try these treats.  The jaffles didn’t have chunks of yabby in them as I’d imagined, but they did have a rich creaminess from creme anglaise and chives.  The pork neck bao was surprisingly filling and enlivened by the cucumber kimchi served on top.  But the dish of the day was without a doubt the cured kingfish, served with smoked avocado, pickles and jalapenos.  Incredible flavour and texture, with a real kick from the chilli.  A good place to hole up for a classy feed, rain or shine.

Monster, at Hotel Hotel, NewActon Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Ave, Canberra    http://www.hotel-hotel.com.au/eat-and-drink/monster/