Tag: Black Pepper Beef

First Taste Box Hill

Posted in Box Hill, Chinese, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

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First Taste is one of my favourite restaurants in Springvale. I love the claypot rice, absolutely adore it. Being able to scrape the rice from the sides is just a treat. I never knew there was a First Taste in Box Hill, and now it’s even more convenient to dine and order my favourite Black Pepper Beef Claypot Rice.

What is noticed is slightly different from the Springvale eatery is that they use less or sometimes none at all of coriander and they don’t leave the claypot bowls to cook as long. What you have is less crispy rice but still ridiculously hot, and the lacking flavour from the coriander. However everything else is basically the same, the beef is nice and tender with a pleasant fragrance and taste of pepper on the tongue. First Taste also provides a generous serving of sauce on top.

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I’m not a big fan of First Taste’s other claypot dishes though. The chicken, Chinese sausage and mushroom with soy sauce isn’t too my liking. It’s one of those slightly herbal tinged dishes, and I’m not fond of Chinese sausage with soy and of course the big mushrooms. That’s not to say it’s not cooked well, I definitely say for those that like these kind of dishes would find this perfectly satisfying. Again, they don’t leave the claypots to cook long enough so the sides and bottom of the claypot bowl aren’t as crispy.

Impressions

First Taste Box Hill is much like it’s brother (or sister) in Springvale. Slightly varied but familiarity is key here and you can’t find better Claypot rice anywhere else. Yes even Claypot King.

First Taste on Urbanspoon

First Taste
604 Station Street
Box Hill VIC 03128

First Taste

Posted in Chinese, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Springvale1 Comment

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I don’t go to Springvale that often anymore, but when I used to there were two places where I usually ate. Walrus and First Taste. First Taste is a Chinese Cantonese eatery, where one of its delicious specialties is Claypot rice.

Their Claypot rice is cooked to order, so there is usually a 10 minute wait for your meal to be ready. They have quite a few varieties of their claypot rice.

The one I always order is their Black Pepper Beef rice (pictured). I love the slightly sweet sauce that they put on top. It’s the much needed gel that brings the whole dish together.

What I love about their Claypot rice is the crunchy rice that’s all along the edges of the bowl. I wish the whole dish was like that! The nicely seasoned pepper beef is tender and not too chewy, and with the coriander and spring onions on top, it brings a much needed freshness to the whole dish.

The only warning I have for people is that you’ll probably have to wait a little longer once your meal arrives because it is burning HOT.

I usually can’t wait so I usually burn my tongue or throat, but I still say it is worth the pain afterwards. Maybe I’m just too impatient but I can’t help it.

First Taste also have a good selection of noodle soups that people seem to enjoy too but if I want to eat at First Taste, it’s always Claypot rice for me.

First Taste on Urbanspoon

First Taste

2C Windsor Avenue
Springvale VIC 3171
(03) 9546 7283

 

 

 

 

 

Claypot King

Posted in Food, Food Reviews, Glen Waverley, Malaysian, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

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Claypot King in the bustling Kingsway street, Glen Waverley is another popular Malaysian and Chinese eatery. I believe there is one in the city too, with a slightly different menu.

One of the best things about Claypot King is their sizzling dishes. Which I just had to order of course.
I ordered the Black Pepper Beef Sizzling Noodles. I’ve ordered the Salmon one before, which was good but the salmon wasn’t that flavoursome so I didn’t really want to eat it again. Although, it was still nice, just that black pepper is always good in anything.

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I love it when it arrives and it is still crackling and sizzling about. It’s just one of those cheap thrills.
This dish had a pretty strong black pepper taste and combined with capsicum, Hokkien noodles and loads of beef. It was just an overall pleasant and tasty dish. However if you don’t like to have a black pepper overload, this is probably not the dish for you.

I’ve tried their Thai Fried Rice and that’s a pleaser too! Claypot King is definitely a eatery you’d want to go back for. Mind you, it’s slightly more expensive then the other Chinese/Malaysian eateries on Kingsway.

Claypot King on Urbanspoon
Claypot King
Kingsway
Glen Waverley
Victoria

03 9561 8884