Tokyo Tina

Welcome a third sister to the family, Tokyo Tina - Windsor's newest contemporary Japanese restaurant-dive bar ! From the brains behind Hanoi Hannah and Saigon Sally, the guys have combined the best eats, beats and vibes inspired from the streets of Japan and brought us the exotic country as it is today.

Jade green tiles, distressed manga posers and timber features set the scene. The menu ? We're talking Japanese street food with a helping hand from neighbour Korea and touches of inspiration from other parts of the world. Tokyo Tina dares to walk the walk and walks a fine line between fusion and modern Asian cuisine.

Open California Roll / Crispy Avo Bao

We started off with the Open California Roll - a delicate wafer of crispy nori topped with plump sushi rice, shredded WA spanner crab, crunchy salad and toasted sesame seed. An elegant and light start to our meal - I could have only wished for more than a mouthful !

We also tried their Crispy Avo Bao - a soft pillowy bun encasing a battered piece of creamy avo, pickled ginger and gochujang. Unfortunately, this dish didn't really do much for me, with its aimless fusion of flavours which were easily overpowered by the pickled ginger.

Tonkatsu Croquettes 

In contrast, the Tonkatsu Croquettes drizzled in bulldog sauce were ever so lovely, crunchy and packed full with flavour. Accompanied by a refreshing coleslaw, these bite-sized morsels were easily my pick of the night.

Medley Tomato Salad

Next up was the Medley Tomato Salad with smoked tofu, slippery knot noodles and shiso. Sadly, a dish that I was not very fond of at all. I understood that it was a simple side dish, however I felt it was far too simple and a little too effortless. 

Karaage Chicken Ribs 

To finish off the night, we nibbled on Tokyo Tina's Karaage Chicken Ribs slathered in hot sauce and dotted in sesame seeds. Chicken ribs have a special place in my heart and with Melbourne's food scene offering such top notch chicken ribs and wings, I could not help but feel a little let down with the ribs at Tokyo Tina. Again, I felt that ingredients and sauces had just been thrown around, without allowing sufficient time for sauces and spices to marinate and soak in, resulting in rather dry and bland ribs. Luckily, the hot sauce and a spritz of lemon picked up its game. Whilst the overall dish was tasty, the results weren’t as amazing as I imagine they had hoped for. 

Regrettably, Tokyo Tina did not leave me salivating. The potential is definitely there so I'm just thinking of giving her a little more time to grow, learn and find her feet before heading back.

Tokyo Tina

66 Chapel Street  

Windsor, VIC 3181

http://www.tokyotina.com.au 

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Rumi

No doubt about it, Rumi is charming. The space is warm and sophisticated, with its intricate poetry etched into wooden screens, and room filled with the aromatic flavours of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Arak Fakra

We started the night off by warming our stomachs with some Arak, an aniseed based drink distilled from wine and aged in clay jars. Arak first, water second and ice last - following this order, we watched as the once colourless drink transformed into a translucent milky-white colour.

Sigara Boregi 

We then kicked off with Sigara Boreki - brilliant little things. A lethal trio of haloumi, feta and kasseri, the blend of the cheeses was soft, rich and salty - all rolled delicately in a crisp and flakey pastry. 

Freekeh Salad

We then transitioned smoothly onto our mains of the Freekeh Salad and Spiced Lamb Shoulder. The combination of the Freekeh Salad was lovely and a medley of exciting tastes and textures. The nuttiness and chewiness of the freekeh, crunch of the almonds, light tang from the ewe's milk feta and the sweetness of the pomegranate dressing made a substantial and tasty salad.

Spiced Lamb Shoulder

The lamb shoulder itself was cooked beautifully, benefiting from long slow cooking times. Despite its dark and dry looking appearance, with only a gentle prod, the meat slipped off easily the bone, revealing a tender and pink flesh. We did however find that the lamb did not deliver as much flavour as we had hoped for, even with the sweet sirkanjabin mint sauce.

BBQ Lamb Ribs

Timed perfectly, we then progressed onto our next wave of dishes. In contrast to our previous dish, these BBQ Lamb Ribs were full of flavour and perfectly seasoned with za'atar. I tackled three of these moreish ribs with my hands, there's really no time for cutlery in these situations. I know, very lady-like of me.

Roast Field Mushrooms

Our final dish of the night were these wonderfully meaty roast field mushrooms. A bite into one of these had us singing praises for the rest of the night. With our flat bread, we mopped up every last drop of its accompanying creamy garlic yogurt. 

Rumi delivered on all fronts, with a special mention to their impeccable service. We walked out of Rumi with full bellies and smiles on our faces - a night at Rumi certainly promises to be a feast for both the eyes and palette. 

Rumi 

116 Lygon Street  

Brunswick East, VIC 

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The Rickshaw

New to the neigbourhood, The Rickshaw on Gertrude Street is all about reflecting the cultural history of Asia. Inspired by the foods spanning from India across to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, The Rickshaw takes these street food favourites and puts a modern Australian twist to it.

Chicken 65

While we were waiting for a table, we were seated at the bar where we enjoyed a couple of drinks and nibbled on Chicken 65. Coated in a fusion of spices and enhanced with fried curry leaves, these bite sized chicken pieces were absolutely delicious. What would have taken it to the next level though, would be if the chicken had a crispier exterior.

Pani Puri / Pui’s 3 Fungi Rolls / Duck Salad

From the small bites, we had Rickshaw's delicate thin-shelled Pani Puri served with a aromatic spicy water. There was also Pui's 3 Fungi Rolls - steamed cabbage rolls filled with a trio of enoki, oyster and shitake mushrooms in a garlic konbu sauce. We also shared the Duck Salad,  a generous amount of shredded duck leg tossed in a salad of cucumber, green papaya, lychee, red chilli with papaya dressing.

For the entrees, I did feel that the dishes lacked the punch that you would expect. The flavours seemed like it had the potential to be explosive, however I found it to be much more on the muted side. 

Black Cod

Fortunately, the mains really got the ball rolling. And oh my, how the Black Cod was an instant hit . It  had everyone asking for more. Marinated in Saikyo miso for 24 hours, the black cod fillet was cooked exceptionally well - retaining it's texture, tenderness and shape. Served with grilled asparagus and baby carrots and som tum, it was an unusual combination, but hey, I'm not complaining.

Achari Rack of Lamb

The Achari Rack of Lamb was the other dish which was well received by all - lamb braised and then slow cooked in a fragrant mustard oil. The  lamb melted in our mouths whilst the spices surprised our palate with fenugreek, fennel, cumin seeds and cloves.

Drunken Noodles 

We also enjoyed the smokey stirfry of Drunken Noodles - flat rice noodles tangled among juicy chicken breast, green peppercorns, wild ginger and Yamazaki whiskey.

Lemongrass Crème Brûlée / Thai Tea Panna Cotta with Honey Syrup / Coconut Sago Pudding

Ending with something sweet, we sampled the unique flavours of the Lemongrass Crème Brûlée, the silky smooth Thai Tea Panna Cotta and the refreshing Coconut Sago Pudding. 

Extremely busy, the night did start off a little shaky with traffic jams here and there. However, as the night went on, the pace picked up and everything took order. With the exception of a couple of the entrees, the food here is delicious and crafted with great attention to detail.  If you're after something to tickle your tastebuds, The Rickshaw may just be what you've been looking for.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of The Rickshaw

The Rickshaw

199 Gertrude Street

Fitzroy, VIC

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Maedaya

Furnished with black walls, wooden features and thick ropes stretching across the ceiling, Maedaya brings a modern spin to izakaya style dining. Known for their touch screen menu ordering system and affordably priced bite-sized dishes - this has got to be one of my favourite ways of eating as you can taste more dishes in one sitting. 

Edamame 

We start the night with Edamame, popping out the little suckers straight into our mouths, repeating this endlessly until the whole bowl was finished.

Maedaya Tsukune Set

Piping hot off the grill came our Maedaya Tsukune Set - 5 skewers, 15 chicken balls for 4 hungry mouths. Drizzled in 5 different sauces (garlic crumbs, black pepper, nanami chilli pepper, spicy miso mayo and wasabi mayo), one was not enough as it was devoured far too quickly. Luckily there was enough of these flame-licked skewers to go around. 

Avocado Roll

A long plate held plump pillows of rice, rolled inside out with a cream cheese and lobster salad, topped with delicate slices of avocado. Immensely fond of sushi, this was right up my alley. 

Cold Soba Salad

Nestled on a bed of fresh greens, the seductively slippery soba splashed with plum soy provided a healthy bite and was perfect to pass around and share with everyone. 

Veggie Chips

We also ordered a mixed platter of Veggie Chips to nibble on, consisting of renkon lotus root chips, burdock root chips and carrot chips with a creamy avocado dip. Simple, yet full of crunch and flavour. The renkon chips were the clear winner, followed closely by the crispy carrot chips.

Yaki Buta

The Yaki Buta, more commonly known as Char Sui was magical - slow cooked and incredibly soft. The tender and fatty pork literally melted as it touched my tongue, just like magic. 

Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi Tofu is a dish I order without fail, and is a dish that is usually done well. Decorated with grated daikon and spring onion, I had to admit I didn't enjoy Maedaya's version as much as I had hoped - with the broth lacking in depth, and the tofu on the firmer side. 

Takoyaki

Lavished with kewpie mayo and takoyaki sauce, these Takoyaki balls remained crispy on the outside and plump on the inside till demolished. With a little more octopus, these could possibly be renamed amaze balls. 

Gyu-Don

The last dish of the night was my favourite of the night. A bed of fluffy rice topped with thin slices of tender beef and onions simmered in a sweet dashi based broth. The rice thirstily soaked up the rich broth, juicing up the rice with flavour. Decorated with pickled ginger and sliced spring onion, this donburi was filling, comforting and most importantly, extremely tasty.

Japanese is slowly creeping up on me, becoming one of my favourite cuisines and seeming to be always at the top of mind now. There is just something so enchanting about their style of cooking, where quality ingredients are crafted and showcased in such a humble yet exciting manner. 

Maedaya completely charmed my pants off. The flavours, presentation and food itself ticked all the right boxes, and was further highlighted with attentive service and lively atmosphere. It would be safe to say that I would highly recommend Maedaya in a heartbeat. Run, don't walk.


Maedaya
400 Bridge Road 
Richmond, VIC 

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SHIZUKU

Ramen Burgers. Yes, you heard me right, ramen burgers. Taken off to a humble start, SHIZUKU is nestled among the plethora of Vietnamese restaurants on Victoria Street. Serving up Izakaya-style plates, ramen and  donburi bowls, you can see how SHIZUKU would stick out like a sore thumb - for all the right reasons though. 

Surrounded by dark charcoal walls, hanging terrariums and intricate light fittings, the space has a lovely contemporary feel that welcomes you in the moment you step through the door. The menu is developed by Head Chef Ken Yoshida, who has been said to have worked in some of Japan's most renowned ramen shops. Bringing his expertise to SHIZUKU, the menu offers dishes with a twist, with a heavy focus on texture, taste and innovation. 

Oyster Sake Shots

Edamame

Takoyaki Senbei

Tuna Tartare

Wasabi Prawns

Grilled Cha Shu

Gyoza Cali and Gyoza Spicy

Karaage Popcorn Chicken

SHIZUKU Ninki No.1

Kanpai ! The night started off strong, with a round of Oyster Sake Shots for all. The zensais then started to come out progressively, allowing our tummies adequate time to digest, whilst readying our tastebuds in anticipation for the next dish. To sum up the zensais, my favourite zenzai for the night, was the Tuna Tartare. A dish I could eat on and on, with the lightness and crunch of deep fried gyoza skins, freshness of sashimi grade ground tuna in SHIZUKU dressing, and tang from the spring onion. Followed closely were the Wasabi Prawns - flash fried prawns served with a Japanese inspired wasabi mayo. Extremely addictive.

Ramen Burger

Hailing all the way from New York, the next culinary mash-up, has landed in Melbourne. In place of a bun, you will find tightly packed ramen noodles, which delicately held marinated pork belly with homemade plum sauce and Kewpie mayo. As expected, there were ooh's and ahh's, and camera's flashing away as the burger was unravelled. Though it was a little smaller in size than expected, and did  not look overly appealing, it still made a delicious mouthful and ticked the novelty box. It was definitely worth a try, but I think I'll stick to the traditional hot steaming bowls of ramen to curb my ramen cravings.

Tan Tan Men

Now, this is what I'm talking about ! Shame, I did not have much room to stomach my Tan Tan Men after the 10 dishes mentioned above. SHIZUKU has taken inspiration from the traditional Sichuan spicy noodles, Tan Tan Men (bouncy noodles) to bring us a big bowl of comforting ramen. The noodles swam around a thick and sesame rich broth, and featured pork mince, preserved vegetables, chilli oil and a gooey-centred boiled egg. It would be rude not to slurp this all up.

Annin Tofu

After all the savoury dishes, how did I fit in dessert ? Because it was bliss. Similar to the Chinese sweet tofu pudding 'Dau Fu Fa' , this chilled sweet almond tofu was light, refreshing and pretty much the perfect way to end the night.

I quite enjoyed SHIZUKU and believe with a little more time to grow into its own skin, they’ll be a raving success in no time. Rumours also say that ramen sushi and ramen desserts are to be expected soon. Now that's something to keep an eye on.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of SHIZUKU.

SHIZUKU

309 Victoria Street 
Abbotsford, VIC

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Teppankai

Japanese Izakaya Teppanyaki Bar, Teppankai (铁板海）has just recently launched their new tapas menu. Carefully devised by the head chefs, the Happy Hour Tapas Menu offers contemporary twists on traditional dishes that would tickle anyone's taste buds. Of course, Melbourne Girl and I had to go check it out.

We were warmly welcomed in by smiling staff and shown the tapas menu. Sipping on the sweet, roasted brown rice flavour of Genmaicha (popcorn tea), we watched the kitchen staff, complete with Japanese bandanas, dance around each other and skilfully cook away.

Side Dish of the Day

To start us off, we were served a side dish each. The dish consisted of blanched spinach, earthy and chewy mushrooms, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Salmon Carpaccio

The salmon carpaccio was fresh, meaty and tender, which was complemented with a house vinaigrette dressing. Thin layers of lemon interspersed between the elegant slices of salmon welcomed bursts of citrus. The dish had spring written all over it !

Spicy Fish Tempura Roll 

Now this wasn't your average $2.50 Salmon Hand Roll. Think buttery salmon, plump vinegary rice encased in a light tempura batter served with spicy mayo and topped with dried chilli. 

Tofu Salad 

Silken tofu cubes, seasonal greens and crystallised seaweed were dressed in a simple wafu vinaigrette. A party of textures, making a lovely light salad.

Kai Kani Maki

A house specialty at Teppankai and the standout dish of the night was the Kai Kani Maki. Upon arrival, the charred, almost sweet scent filled my nostrils. A crab meat roll centre, wrapped in barramundi, a layer of nori, covered in Japanese mayo and then flamed with a blow torch. Topped with tobiko, the pop of smokiness and saltiness really boosted the mouthful to the next level.

Yakitori 

The tender chunks of chicken, skewered on petite bamboo sticks were moist and coated in a sweet glaze.

Matcha Ice Cream

Served with a sweet azuki bean paste and fresh strawberries, the ice cream was rich in matcha and was just the right balance of bitterness and sweetness. A simple but must have dessert to finish off a tasty Japanese meal.

Here on Bray Street, the food is not just a feast only for the eyes, but for your palate as well. Try the Kai Kani Maki and you’ll understand why. Teppenkai's happy hour was truly hours of happiness.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of Teppankai.

Teppankai

34 Bray Street
South Yarra, VIC

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