So if you’re anything like me, that is, something along the lines of:
Practically live in the city
Too lazy to travel further for food
But wants to try Gumbo Kitchen
They’ll be on Menzies Lane @ Melbourne Central this Thursday :DD
Except I get out at 5. They better still be there or my stomach will throw a hissy fit :/
Reading Room Cafe (Victoria University)
88 Ballarat Rd Building P
Footscray, VIC 3011
Pork was beautiful ;___; One piece had a lovely layer of fat that melted on impact while the other was leaner (not to mention easier on the heart!)
I think I’ll give up on Monash and head here instead ^^;
Depressing moment of the day
Holding a freshly toasted bagel and feeling its warmth dissipate (because it was take away and I wanted to eat it at that bench!)
Glorious moment of the day
Food in brown paper bags.
Adding on to Myeong-Ga Madang, because the beauty of bbq can’t be captured in a photo alone ;D
That said, it’s more fun at Shou Sumiyaki because you get to cook it yourself ^^;
Myeong-Ga Madang
1/258 Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
With so many eateries popping up around Melbourne, such adventures can really create a near permanent dent in the wallet (even now I’m alternating between typing and looking up a Japanese restaurant in Albert Park that I’ve got my eye on). The natural solution may be to stop eating out and enjoy a homecooked meal instead, but I’ve learnt that my stomach and tastebuds are rather stubborn things. The brain isn’t too great at diffusing the situation either, especially when all it has to reason is “It’s Friday.” and my feet automatically walk an only too obliging me to the next interesting looking establishment ^^;
Once lowered, the extractor can make conversation across the table a little inconvenient.
In case you get confused - being a dolt, I did - once you reach the first floor, take a right turn to reach the restaurant. The waiter promptly directed us to our table and presented a singular menu, with one side dedicated to a la carte and the other, the much more economical banquets. We took the $28 pp beef option, which offered 8 sides, a salad, 3 different cuts of meat, beanpaste stew and dessert.
There were four indentations near the bottom of the glass. Cute.
Beansprouts and Kimchi
Mashed potato, broccoli and assorted pickled vegetables
This looked alot better before the waitress tossed it around. I think she only noticed I was holding the camera afterwards, before asking if I wanted to take a photo xD She introduced it as potato salad, but I may have misheard her. The texture was crunchy and refreshing so it was more likely to be grated radish in a light, creamy sauce. A few pineapple, strawberry and mango pieces were dispersed across.
Cook, dear pretties! Whichever this cut was, it was sliced very thinly, to the thickness of two sheets of paper. Korean oyster, bean paste sauce and salt were the accompanying flavour enhancers.
Hurriedly taken before the waitress returned to do the cooking xD
These were thicker, soft and flavoursome. Bulgogi was pleasantly sweet and the sauces promptly ignored.
Beanpaste stew
Mildly spicy and rich in ingredients. A lingering warmth in one’s throat.
For the finale, the classic fresh fruit platter and the addition of mochi balls with cake crumbs. Chewy furry things.
The aftermath
All in all, a fantastic experience and a newly crowned favourite. I’m almost sad to say that I can no longer liken the capacity of my stomach to a black hole, because this meal left me absolutely stuffed. Service wasn’t outstanding due to slight difficulties in communication (none of us can speak Korean) but otherwise, they were very polite. As the night progressed, the tables gradually filled up and it became rather hectic with the waiters rushing to and fro. I suspect that before long, we’ll no longer be able to casually waltz in and expect an open table without booking.
Total: $96
Genuine happiness was experienced when I finally set foot into that Korean bakery on Lonsdale street and left with a bag of goodies <3
They shall be devoured tomorrow (still stuffed DX)
Pictures for Myeong-Ga Madang coming up soon!
