Minh Xuong & Rice Work Shop

Another interesting trip that I would like to share with you guys will take you on a trip to Melbourne. It can be said that any good city needs to have its very own Chinatown, if not then at the very least a dedicated quarter for good Chinese food. We're lucky enough to have a lively Chinatown in Melbourne, which is situated very centrally and could easily be accessed regardless of where you may be in this city. 

Just like Sydney, the core, as in the heart and soul of the city, is fairly small and can be covered by foot. If you're ever in Melbourne, it's best to cover the city using their tram system. Before I go pass this point, I must mention that my friends living in Melbourne have been caught on multiple occasions for going on a free ride. If you look at it, it's super easy to just hop on then hop off. If you're having a lucky day, no one, as in the officers will catch you. I'd been to Melbourne on two different occasions and have never seen an officer, ever. But words on the streets have it that sometimes they're just wearing normal clothes like us. So what I would suggest that you do is, to simply by tickets! The fines are hefty, and it's best that you keep that money for some delicious eats while you're here.

Melbourne is described by many as the food capital of Australia. There is obviously a fierce rivalry with Sydney, but I really see where the people are coming from. I will introduce to you two places in Melbourne, with one being a really, really good and affordable Chinese place, and the latter, being an even more affordable, but this time, a Japanese spot.

Let's start off by visiting Minh Xuong, a Chinese restaurant within the Chinatown Area. The exact address for this is best put into Google Maps, since you'll most definitely get lost if you follow my directions. Just plug in 209-211 Russell Street, Victoria into your phone and that should do the trick. Alternatively, walk through the main street of Chinatown when you'll walk through Chinese gates. At this point, there will be a 7/11 convenience store at the corner as well as the Exford Hotel just steps away from the restaurant. You will also recognise this restaurant by the hanging BBQ pork, crispy pork belly and of course, Chinese-style duck. It was actually because of this display window that attracted us to this restaurant. 

Alright, now that you are here, I would strongly recommend that you order the exact dishes we ordered during our time there. First thing first, you need (a must in Chinese cuisine of this quality) a meat dish, or maybe two. Since I was with my mom and she was really craving the roast duck at the front, we ordered that. I didn't get to try it since I don't like it, but she could confirm that it was good. I mean, she finished everything without me, so there's only one explanation. What I really liked for this meal though, was the their salt and pepper chicken. The parts of chicken they use for this dish was extremely juicy and tender. It's one of the best dishes we had on this Melbourne trip. The chicken was deep-fried in its house made batter. The batter was nice and crispy and acted as a little blanket to keep the meat nice and juicy inside. The salt and pepper element of this dish was absolutely, deliciously executed. I loved the seasonings with its spiciness and garlic elements; this is a must get in my opinion. To balance our your meal, you may want to get some vegetables. We ordered a very simple dish as you could see, which was also delicious. The vegetables were fresh, and were not under or over cooked. 

We clearly enjoyed our lunch here hence why I would strongly recommend this place to you guys. For the price of the items on the menu, I can confidently say that we got the value for money. The place is also fairly clean, which is always a plus for Chinese eateries. You could also order take aways here, like many of their regulars that came through the door while we were there. Minh Xuong is at your service for lunch and dinner, as well as later into the nights for supper. Just one last point, don't expect too much out of the service. Go here strictly for the food, and specifically for the items I recommended. There are mixed reviews about the service and other items on the menu for this place, so if you want to avoid disappointment, stay away from items that may sound bizarre. 

But all in all, this is my honest opinion of this place in a nutshell:

Accessibility - 8.5/10

Taste - 9/10

Price - 8/10

Selection - 8/10

Staff Friendliness - 6.5/10

Cleanliness - 8/10

Overall - 8.5/10 

Moving right along, I would like to share another place, perhaps for a simple dinner. Also in the Chinatown area, this place can be found easily on 238 Little Bourke Street, which is right in the middle of Chinatown. Rice Work Shop is a small, straight-forward Japanese eatery that has uncomplicated menus. If you're read my post way way back about a place called Oiden in Sydney, the concept here at Rice Work Shop is almost identical. As you enter, the menu should be just above whereby you simply pick a rice bowl of your choice and the size of either regular or large. There is a counter that you have to walk pass, which is also the very spot you see your rice bowl being prepared before you (most of the time) as well as the area that you could select other sides. Normally there will be deep-fried items and a few small vegetable dishes like salads to go along with your main meal. 

Now, as for what I would recommend. You've got the original, no-fuss ontama teriyaki which is essentially a bowl of rice topped with grilled chicken, in which has been marinated then glazed with their house teriyaki sauce, then topped up with an onsen tamago, or a soft-boiled egg. This is the most simple yet one of the best things you could get here, and also at Oiden in Sydney. Sometimes the most simple things bring the most deliciousness! If you're up for something more fancy, you can get another version of this dish, but with a spicy kick. The only difference between spicy teriyaki chicken and the original is the addition of their spicy-mayo sauce to add that extra spice. Oh, and it's also important to note that there's no soft-boiled egg! I'm sure you could also get it for an extra cost, but that's up to you really. The spicy-mayo is quite nice, but it's not that spicy. I would still stick to the original version, as I think the spicy-mayo kind of complicates the dish and throws away the Japanese element of the dish.

Speaking of the Japanese elements, I must mention that this place is not as Japanese as Oiden in Sydney. By all means, they do serve Japanese food, but in terms of the execution of some of their dishes, it's clear that the people in the kitchen are not Japanese. Well, it became quite clear when we paid and the cashiers were all speaking Chinese. I am not going against people of other nationality making Japanese food, but as most of you could understand and agree, this could very well effect the taste and authenticity of the food you're having. 

On the bright side though, they could serve yourself to as much pickle (that's the red stuff) and mayo (in the black saucer) as you want! This is pure heaven since I love both and there's nothing better than getting as much as you want, or what you love. I completely took advantage of this and took my teriyaki rice bowl to a whole new level of deliciousness. 

In addition to the rice bowls, they also have other items. If it's not a rice kind of day for you, you could go for the udon noodles with curry, udon/soba noodles with tempura and more, or even a healthy option of salad. Another cool thing that have here is salmon. They have rice bowls with salmon pieces with some nori seaweed. As to how fresh or delicious these are, I guess you will have to find out by yourself!

Just one last thing about Rice Work Shop. If you're not up for a whole, proper meal, you will also have the choice of grabbing some ice cream here. There is nothing more Japanese, in terms of ice cream, than a classic soft serve. Yes, this is a type of ice cream that is a piece of art on its own. If well executed, they will look like swirls of colourful perfection. But what makes these stand out from other places like Ben & Jerry or Coldstone is the flavours. Since Rice Work Shop is supposedly a Japanese place, you will be able to get Japanese flavours like matcha green tea (of course), black sesame, or if you can't decide, get both! Both in this case means they are mixed, so honestly I really can't imagine what it would taste like but that's just another option that I would like to throw out there. If you're not an ice cream person, then you should start becoming one! But no, really, if you're not keen for a soft serve ice cream, you could also try their doriyaki, which are basically Japanese pancakes, with red bean fillings in the middle. So imagine a burger but with pancakes as buns and your patty being red bean. It already sounds delicious so just imagine this all together just after a bowl of rice with teriyaki chicken, soft poached egg of onsen tamago, and unlimited sauce and pickled ginger at your disposal; yummy!

If you've had a long day and would prefer to enjoy this meal at the comfort of your home, you're more than welcome to order a take away! They will be able to pack your rice or noodle bowls for you and provide you with some chopsticks and other necessities as well. And if going to Chinatown is inconvenient for you, or maybe you're in Sydney, they have locations elsewhere through Victoria, and a store opening soon in Sydney's Westfield Shopping Centre in the CBD. 

And again below is my personal overall impression of Rice Work Shop Melbourne Chinatown for your reading pleasure:

Accessibility - 8.5/10

Taste - 8/10

Price - 8.5/10

Selection - 9/10

Staff Friendliness - 7/10

Cleanliness - 8/10

Overall - 8/10 

Minh Xuong Chinatown - 

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1511627/restaurant/CBD/Minh-Xuong-Melbourne

Rice Work Shop Main Page - 

http://riceworkshop.com.au/

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