Melbourne Street Food - Part 1 - Ivan Teh

Melbourne Street Food - Part 1

Melbourne Street Food is largely influenced by British English cuisine and cooking styles, because Australia formerly was a colony of the United Kingdom. As a largely immigrant country, cuisine in Melbourne is also greatly influenced by other international cuisines including Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Turkish, Indian, American, French, Italian, Mexican, Peruvian, and Spanish. And as a major economic and cultural hub of Australia, the majority of these cuisines are prevalent all over Melbourne, and it's easy to find a wide variety of street food.

Macadamia Tart

Food in Melbourne is typically found in individual restaurants and cafes. Restaurants and cafes tend to be clustered within an area, typically streets with high traffic. Food courts are common within shopping malls, and normally consist of various fast food brands and ethnic food vendors. There is a strong cafe and coffee culture in Melbourne, and residents are fiercely passionate about this. Common ingredients used here include beef, chicken, lamb, fish, prawn / shrimp, oyster, squid, crayfish, lobster, milk, cheese, honey, artichoke, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, leeks, asparagus, lettuce, tomato, onion, mushrooms, peas, rhubarb, zucchini, squash, eggplant / aubergine, spinach, corn, apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, cherries, plums, nectarines, apricots, grapes, pineapple, raspberries, bread, noodles, white rice, potatoes, yoghurt, butter, and more.

The diverse, eclectic dining scene in Melbourne spans traditional, modern, and exotic, making it a true melting pot of cultures. It both owns, and celebrates, diversity in food, and it's here that you'll find some of the tastiest dishes outside of their originating countries. And coupled with their status as the coffee Mecca of the world, it's little wonder that the food scene here plays a part in Melbourne being such a liveable city.

.....

The name of Ants Climbing The Tree / Vermicelli With Minced Pork piques the interest, but it's the smoky savoury salty flavours of this dish that hold. Stir-fried potato starch cellophane vermicelli noodles are tossed in a light soy sauce, along with minced pork, eggs, and spring onions, cooked till the exterior turns slightly crisp. The thin strands of noodles are silky smooth and so easy to eat, and the bold flavour makes you hunger for more.

Ants Climbing The Tree / Vermicelli With Minced Pork

The Beer Hawthorn Golden Ale is a handcrafted American style pale ale, brewed by the Hawthorn Brewing Company in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has a bright, sparkling golden yellow colour, with aromas of lemon, orange, straw, and pepper. Body is light, hoppy, clean, with good carbonation, and tastes of pineapple, biscuit, cloves, and cheese. Starts tangy with some sweetness, finish is zingy and bitter, but quickly fades off.

Beer Hawthorn Golden Ale

The Cheesecake Macadamia is a sweet dessert treat, featuring a creamy smooth, rich cake made with cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream, with a buttery, crumbly biscuit base. Usually studded with crunchy, nutty, earthy macadamia nuts, and served coated with caramel sauce or raspberry sauce. This is a common local dessert, due to the prevalence of the base ingredients here.

Cheesecake Macadamia

A piping hot bowl of Chips With Lemon & Chicken Salt, thick cut and with good potato flavour, savoury salty in taste. Light zesty touch, but it's the unique chicken salt, lending a fragrant roasted aroma, that makes it so addictive.

Chips With Lemon & Chicken Salt

In Melbourne, as with other parts of Australia, the cities often have Chocolate producers, many of whom take advantage of the abundance of fresh, good quality milk. Here, the base Chocolate of Dark, White, and Milk, have creamy, smooth, rich textures, melting in the mouth so easily, yet the level of sweetness is just right, neither too plain, nor too overwhelming.

Chocolate (Dark)

Chocolate (White)

Chocolate (Milk)

There is a strong cafe and coffee culture here, and the people are totally serious and fiercely protective about coffee beans. This results in most places having above average standards of coffee, and you're almost assured of a good cup of joe in nearly any cafe. This includes Coffee Cappuccino, Coffee Cold Drip, Coffee Latte, or Coffee Mocha. The culture of coffee is so strong, that you'll see people drinking coffee at all hours of the day, and even well into the night.

Coffee Cappuccino

Coffee Cold Drip

Coffee Latte

Coffee Mocha

The Coffee Flat White has a thin layer of milk foam / microfoam, with a thick velvety texture, and stronger roasted espresso coffee flavours supported by milky notes. The art is another highlight, expertly executed coffee art, usually featuring plants or birds.

Coffee Flat White

The Coffee Long Black has a thin layer of creama, with a thin watery texture, and robust roasted espresso coffee flavours supported by chocolatey nutty notes. The variety of beans and methods of brewing result in widely different taste profiles.

Coffee Long Black

The Coffee Magic is steamed milk poured over a double ristretto, and served in a smaller 160ml cup, in effect having the 'perfect' milk to coffee ratio.

Coffee Magic

Coffee Magic

Coffee Magic

Coffee Magic

Coffee Magic

Coffee Magic

Coffee Magic

The Corn-Fed Chicken, Peas, Red Grape, Caterpillar Mushroom, Hazelnut, Sesame Butter is a modern European Australian dish, which aptly uses fresh local produce. The combination of ingredients is carefully planned and well executed, each flavour lends a distinct profile, and it all works together. Beautiful plating and presentation, a real gastronomic work of art. The bright, clean-tasting flavours of sweet sour savoury nutty earthy, with the combination of textures; juicy tender crunchy grainy, is incredibly delicious.

Corn-Fed Chicken, Peas, Red Grape, Caterpillar Mushroom, Hazelnut, Sesame Butter

Corn-Fed Chicken, Peas, Red Grape, Caterpillar Mushroom, Hazelnut, Sesame Butter

The Danish Blueberry is much larger, and more fruity over here. A crisp, buttery crumbly pastry base, flaky and satisfiying, is topped with a host of blueberries, and blueberry jam. This sweet dessert goes down well as a snack, or as a light breakfast.

Danish Blueberry

A unique dessert confectionery to Melbourne, Australia, the Doughnut Plum Jam is a typical doughnut, filled with a sticky, sweet sour earthy plum jam. Often eaten as a dessert or as a snack around town.

Doughnut Plum Jam

The Eclair Salted Caramel is a decadent dessert. Chewy soft choux pastry encases a smooth sweet vanilla cream, all dressed in a sharp salty sticky salted caramel sauce. This seems to be a popular dessert confectionery here.

Eclair Salted Caramel

While the British Fish And Chips and the Australian Fish And Chips both use the same English style thick cut chips seasoned with salt and a dash of vinegar, the difference lies in the type of fish used. Australian Fish And Chips are typically made with firm white flesh fish that are common in Australia, such as John Dory, Whiptail Hake, Flathead, Reef Cod, Rock Cod, Flake, Basa Catfish, Blue Grenadier, or Barramundi. The fish is light battered and deep fried, then garnished with a slice of lemon and served with a side of tomato sauce or tartar sauce. It has a crisp exterior, a moist tender flaky interior, and a delicate sweet salty savoury flavour. In Melbourne, the most common type of fish used is Blue Grenadier, Flake, or Barramundi, and a typical set meal normally includes a dim sim or potato cake.

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

The Fisherman's Pot Pie features a rich, buttery pastry pie shell, stuffed with silver trevally fish fillets, deshelled Bass Strait scallops, leeks, carrots, and coated in a rich creamy seafood veloute sauce. Warm and satisfiying, with flavours of savoury sweet salty earthy milky, this main course is utterly delicious.

Fisherman's Pot Pie

They make some great tasting Gelato here, such as the Gelato Strawberry and Gelato Pistachio. Owing to the abundance of farm produce, many flavours here feature a type of fruit or nuts. Creamy smooth, rich in fruity flavours, they're also very generous with their portion sizes.

Gelato Strawberry

Gelato Pistachio

The Gourmet Chocolates here are tasty and well executed, with varied exotic flavours. Most feature either a fruit, nuts, or syrup of some kind.

Gourmet Chocolates

The Kransky Hot Dog is a Slovenian sausage, also known as Kielbasa or Polish sausage. It features a meaty, juicy sausage made with pork, cured bacon, salt, pepper, and garlic, and is usually hot smoked, then served in a warm, soft, fluffy hot dog bun, along with sauteed onions, barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, and tomato ketchup. This is a popular breakfast item here.

Kransky Hot Dog

The Macadamia Tart is rich and sweet, with a buttery, crumbly pastry tart base, studded with a generous amount of earthy nutty macadamia nuts, coated in sweet caramel sauce. Really rich dessert, but so tasty.

Macadamia Tart

Fresh, clean flavours define the Ocean Trout With String Beans & Almonds, which features a medium sized, meaty fillet of ocean trout fish, garnished with sauteed string beans, shaved almonds, and a zesty lemon sauce. The sharp sour citrus hits the palate, but then you get the earthy vegetal sweet flavours of the vegetables, and the oily savoury taste of the fish beneath. The almonds lend a nutty fragrant, delicate and light.

Ocean Trout With String Beans & Almonds

The Pan-Grilled Snapper Fish, Zucchini Roulade, Confit Apricot, Rosemary, Caper Powder is a modern European Australian dish where each individual component is fresh and well executed. The fish is tender and flaky, with a delicate sweet savoury flavour, and a satsifiying crisp skin. The unique vegetable roulade has notes of earthy grassy vegetal sweet, the medley of vegetables complementing harmoniously. Plating is so pretty, like a beautiful work of art. Visually appealing, and tasty on the palate.

Pan-Grilled Snapper Fish, Zucchini Roulade, Confit Apricot, Rosemary, Caper Powder

Pan-Grilled Snapper Fish, Zucchini Roulade, Confit Apricot, Rosemary, Caper Powder

Pan-Grilled Snapper Fish, Zucchini Roulade, Confit Apricot, Rosemary, Caper Powder

The Italian version of roasted pork, the Porchetta Roll is a sandwich featuring meaty slabs of roast pork and crackling, rolled and served in a warm, soft, chewy hot dog bun, along with lettuce and sauteed onions. The slow cooked pork belly is moist and tender, savoury salty in flavour, with the crackling skin being extremely crisp. A decadent sandwich.

Porchetta Roll

The Quiche Bacon Spinach Tomato features a buttery, crumbly, open-face pastry pie crust, stuffed with rashers of salty savoury smoky bacon, tender earthy vegetal spinach, juicy tomatoes, eggs, onions, salt, pepper, and milk. This versatile snack can be eaten on its own throughout the day, or as a light meal by itself.

Quiche Bacon Spinach Tomato

The Italian inspired Ricotta Dumplings In Ciambotta features ravioli dumplings stuffed with gooey salty savoury ricotta cheese, served in a warm summer vegetable stew of tender eggplant / aubergine, zucchini, bell pepper / capsicum, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. The bright, sweet savoury earthy vegetal flavours complement so well, and overall, this vegetarian dish almost makes you forget there is no meat with its bold taste.

Ricotta Dumplings In Ciambotta

Ricotta Dumplings In Ciambotta

Ricotta Dumplings In Ciambotta

A classic Shepherd's Pie from Melbourne, Australia, featuring a firm, crisp pastry crust, filled with warm minced beef, onions, carrots, and topped with creamy chunky mashed potatoes. Robust, meaty savoury salty flavours with a light sweet taste, this comfort dish really warms both body and soul.

Shepherd's Pie

The Stir-Fried Cumin Beef is a Chinese style dish, featuring sliced beef, onions, bell peppers / capsicum, stir-fried with ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and dried chili. The dish is intense with salty savoury spicy flavours, but really whets the appetite, making you crave more.

Stir-Fried Cumin Beef

The Stir-Fried String Beans With Minced Pork is a classic Chinese stir-fry, made with fresh string beans, minced pork, onions, and chili. The meaty savoury salty flavour of the meat layers nicely with the sweet earthy vegetal flavour of the vegetables. Looks dry, but is usually still moist and palatable.

Stir-Fried String Beans With Minced Pork

There are many Strawberry farms around, offering fine, fresh examples of Strawberries. No surprise that this fruit features commonly in desserts here. Some places even turn this into an activity, and allow guests to go into the fields to pick their own.

Strawberry

The Super Grain Salad is a fresh, clean-tasting vegetarian salad, featuring a blend of healthy grains and vegetables tossed together. This includes farro, lentils, quinoa, pearl couscous, spinach leaves, coriander, red onions, tomato, and feta cheese, all dressed in a sherry vinaigrette. Very filling and nutritious.

Super Grain Salad

The Wanton Pork Dumplings In Vinegar And Chili Oil is a Chinese classic appetizer, featuring steamed wanton dumplings stuffed with juicy savoury minced pork, dressed in a sour salty spicy vinaigrette of light soy sauce, white vinegar, spring onions, and chili oil. Love this.

Wanton Pork Dumplings In Vinegar And Chili Oil

The Wine George Wyndham Bin 555 Shiraz is a New World red wine, produced by the George Wyndham winery. Made of 100% Shiraz / Syrah grapes, it has a deep, dark, crimson violet colour, with aromas of plums, pepper, chocolate, and cloves. Body is smooth, rich, and structured, with tastes of dark cherry, star anise, blackcurrants, and oak. Fine savoury tannins, with notes of sweet fruit and spices. Pleasant and drinkable.

Wine George Wyndham Bin 555 Shiraz

The Wine Leeuwin Estate Siblings Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is a New World white wine, produced by the Leeuwin Estate winery. Made of 66% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and 34% Semillon grapes, it has a clear, bright, green white colour, with aromas of lime, grapefruit, white currants, and jasmine flowers. Body is soft, supple, and fresh, with tastes of elderflower, peach, nettle, and honeydew melon. Youthful zesty freshness, with notes of sour fruit and flowers. Delicate and palatable.

Wine Leeuwin Estate Siblings Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

Named for its distinctive shape which resembles the toy, the Yo-Yo Biscuit is a traditional but uncommon Australian confectionery. Made with all-purpose flour, white sugar, vanilla extract, and butter, these crumbly dense baked biscuits sandwich a creamy gooey filling of lemon custard or vanilla custard. Often infused with edible food colouring that lends vibrancy and colour. Bite in and the Yo-Yo Biscuit bursts with floral sweet tangy zesty sour buttery flavour.