Miss Chu : 276 Toorak Rd, South Yarra / Shop 2 297 Exhibition St, Melbourne CBD
The original Vietnamese tuckshop, Miss Chu led the way in making Vietnamese street food widely accessible, before rice paper rolls and banh mi became takeaway staples. The hipster-ification of daggy takeout has proven to be a profitable model in this era of instant gratification (so much so that it has been adapted for the souvlaki joint, with the kebab shop soon to follow). The dine-in venue decor is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the queen of rice paper rolls’ background, complete with re-used coconut juice containers for water, shuttlecock light fixtures by the service windows and lamp shades fashioned from old-school ceramic bowls, the ones with the fish design that you can find at most Asian supermarkets (and which you’ll therefore find at my house, my grandma’s house, my aunt’s house….).
Ordering is a tick-the-box exercise (it’s called efficiency, people). In general, your best bet is to go for dishes not normally found on a standard Vietnamese restaurant menu, so skip the pho (broth lacks depth of flavour), curry (similarly lacking in complexity) and baguettes (somewhat dry and under-filled, a far cry from the fat pork rolls from your local hot bread store, which have you struggling to keep filling from busting out the other end as you tuck in). There’s better value to be had with the salmon salad; cubes of seared salmon, blushing pink in the middle, rice vermicelli, mixed leaves and a rain of golden fried shallots, tied together by an intense dark soy dressing. Banh cuon is a spin on a Vietnamese breakfast favourite, with rice noodle rolls encasing pork mince and wood-ear mushroom filling, dressed with more of that sweet soy sauce. Moreish spring rolls are also a winner, done in the northern style with rice paper skins that fry up super crispy.
Rice paper rolls are somewhat pricey and hit-and-miss, the stand-out being the egg omelette rolls with avocado and sweet caramelised onion.
Beer, wine or coconut juice to drink, with coconut ice cream to finish and I’m happy. Keep an eye on the specials board for the dessert of the day; you won’t want to miss the banana spring rolls.
Golden Porridge
If you’re up-to-date on the wellness/clean eating trend that’s sweeping through Melbourne at the moment, you would have heard of “golden milk”. Made by cooking milk with turmeric, ginger and black pepper (with variations including other spices like cardamom and cinnamon), haldi ka doodh is a medicinal, Ayurvedic drink, commonly served as a home remedy for coughs and sore throats. With its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, turmeric has a long history of use in herbal medicine to treat a wide range of ailments. Skeptics would argue that the amount of turmeric you would need to consume to reap the benefits of curcumin (the “active ingredient” in turmeric) is impractical, but regardless of which side of the fence you are on, “golden milk” is a delicious, tummy-warming alternative to your hot chocolate when the mercury drops.
In this recipe, turmeric and ginger give the oats a gorgeous creaminess. I find that the banana is sufficient for sweetening the porridge but you can stir through a teaspoon or two of honey to serve for added sweetness. I also like to mix in a tablespoon of natural peanut butter for some extra protein and richness. This “golden porridge” is possibly the ultimate winter comfort food, and any health benefits from the spices are just an added bonus.
Ingredients (serves 1)
- half a cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup skim milk (or soy/nut/coconut milk – if using coconut milk, omit the desiccated coconut)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Optional spices : 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, pinch of nutmeg
- 1 small banana, sliced
- Optional : 1 tsp honey, 1 t bsp natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)
Place the oats, coconut, milk, water and spices in a small saucepan and cook gently over low heat for 5-6 mins or until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Stir frequently to stop it from catching. If using, stir through the nut butter to combine thoroughly before removing the pan from the heat. Serve with honey for a sweeter porridge.
egg tarts and apple pie 