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