Box Hill – ohdenny

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart – Box Hill

April 7, 2017 Posted in Asian, Box Hill, Food Reviews, Japanese, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart opened in Melbourne Central and Box Hill late 2016 with locations across Asia as well. Their stores only do takeaway, and it’s pretty much a one item store, only offering their cheese tarts for sale, but you can also grab a coffee with your tart too.

The cheese tarts have this amazing texture, it’s so creamy and light but not overwhelmingly cheesy. The buttery shortcrust pastry complements the filling well but I prefer the tart casing to be a bit thinner. Overall, it’s just creamy, cheesy, buttery goodness.

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Last words

While the cheese tarts are honestly pretty darn good, I find the price just a bit too steep and especially so for the size of the tarts.

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart – Box Hill
SP016 1 Main Street
Box Hill VIC 3128

La Burgery

March 31, 2017 Posted in American, Australian, Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

La Burgery opened its doors last year, replacing Nandos on Whitehorse Road, Box Hill close by to the Box Hill Town Hall. It offers an extensive variety of burgers, with beef, chicken, lamb, fish and vegetarian options as well as wraps and salads if you are not feeling like a burger. They also offer a few sides, like fries (obviously) and onion rings. All their ingredients are locally sourced with their bread and meats delivered daily.

Their Mexicano is served with a free range beef patty, jalapenos, rocket, avocado, cheese, chunky salsa and sour cream and seasoned with habanero spice. The burger is flavourful and fresh, although the beef patty was fairly dry.

The chips we ordered were also a bit disappointing. Not crispy enough and lacking seasoning. A herb seasoning would be great on these fries.

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The Antipasto Bellissimo burger is served with chicken breast, red capsicum, roasted pumpkin, feta cheese, semi-dried tomatoes, basil pesto, rocket and herb aioli. The chicken was more moist, and the basil pesto flavours comes through well. Although, both burger buns were harder than expected.

Last words

There aren’t too many places to grab a burger in Box Hill, apart from fast food joints so La Burger fits nicely into the Box Hill food scene. The burgers weren’t amazing by any means, but they were slightly above average which sometimes, is good enough.

La Burgery
5/1031 Whitehorse Road
Box Hill VIC 3128

Miss Saigon

March 3, 2017 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Miss Saigon, a recent entry to the Box Hill food scene, adds to the growing list of Vietnamese eateries in this renowned Chinese food hub. Miss Saigon predominantly offers a wide selection of Pho options, where you can opt for a beef soup option with various beef toppings, and the same with the chicken soup base and chicken toppings but of course there’s always an option for a mix of beef and chicken. They also have Grilled Pork and Grilled Chicken with Pho for something a bit different.

While they only really do offer Pho for a main dish, they do also offer spring rolls (as you do) and rice paper rolls, and quite an extensive list of drink options such as my personal favourite Three Colours dessert/drink, as well as Vietnamese Coffee, Fresh Sugar Cane and Mango Smoothies.

Their Pho is served hot, unlike Indochine which is served very lukewarm. The beef and chicken soup bases aren’t particularly memorable but it has enough flavour to it.

I did quite like the Grilled Pork Pho, but it adds quite a bit of oil to the soup which makes it less appetising. The grilled pork though, had nice flavour.

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The Three Colours drink is basically cendol (green jelly), red bean (bigger variety) and mung bean with ice and coconut milk. Refreshing and not too sweet.

Last words
While, Miss Saigon probably won’t win any awards for authenticity, the Pho is decent enough to be a satisfactory meal.

Miss Saigon
Shop 68B, 1 Main Street
Box Hill Central
Box Hill VIC 3128

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Kim Sing

November 4, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Malaysian, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Kim Sing opened its doors earlier this year under new management after Madam Kwan closed down. Their menu has been tweaked and a number of menu items have been removed from the menu, but Kim Sing still has a mixture of Malaysian/Chinese style dishes on offer and they advertise itself as Kim Sing, Truly Malaysian Delights. So expectations are high with that statement.

More often than not, I always try a new Malaysian restaurant’s Curry Laksa to see if they can trump Laksa King and Chef Lagenda. Kim Sing’s Laksa is a letdown, and substantially poorer quality than its predecessor. It has this watery, curry powder flavoured taste to it. A Curry Laksa it ain’t.

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Their Char Kway Teow is served in a bowl, for some odd reason and with Madam Kwan’s logo still placed on all its crockery. It has that ‘wok’ flavour, so thank goodness for that but there are several oddities with this dish. It uses Char Siew (BBQ Pork) as its protein instead of Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage). The prawns are tiny, and they don’t add in the deep fried Pork Lard but usually I can live without that. We also ordered it spicy, but no heat to it whatsoever. The substitution of Lap Cheong with Char Siew completely changes the taste of the Char Kway Teow. Very strange.

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The Salt & Pepper Chicken Ribs with rice was actually quite nice. No chilli, which I think it needs to give it a bit of kick and depth of flavour but the chicken is crispy and still moist but they aren’t very generous with their fried capsicum and onion which I think is needed to give the chicken and rice much needed flavour. Decent but you can probably find better elsewhere in Box Hill.

Last words

Kim Sing unfortunately does not live up to its Truly Malaysian Delights statement. It serves quite frankly, mediocre dishes that are so disparate from traditional Malaysian dishes.

Kim Sing
Shop 3, 1 Main Street
Box Hill VIC 3128

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Indochine

September 23, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Indochine on Carrington Road is a popular eatery in Box Hill serving an array of authentic Vietnamese dishes. You might be surprised to know that there are quite a number of Vietnamese restaurants in Box Hill such as the recently renovated Pho Huong Viet, Tien Dat, Pho 888, Tan Tan and the new kid on the block, Miss Saigon. Having tried a majority of these, nothing seems to compare to what you may come across in the Vietnamese hubs like Springvale, Richmond or Footscray.

The pho at Indochine is a mixed bag, while the broth is one of the better ones in Box Hill, it’s served at such a lukewarm temperature that you’d rather have a slightly poorer tasting Pho than order this again.

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Having been disappointed in the tomato rice dishes in Richmond, I finally found a great one. It’s on par with what I ordered in Springvale. The tomato rice is fried nicely, not too wet and not too dry and cooked with scrambled egg. The crispy chicken at Indochine is also pretty tasty, crispy skin and maybe just slightly over cooked chicken. Served with a slice of lemon and extra salt, which I find you won’t really need anyway.

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Last words
Come to Indochine for their tasty Vietnamese food but maybe not for their pho.

Indochine

51 Carrington Road
Box Hill VIC 3128

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Shanghai 1930

August 26, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Chinese, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

From the outside, Shanghai 1930‘s appearance can be a bit deceiving. However, once you enter its doors you’ll find that it has a lovely contemporary yet traditional aesthetic. Shanghai 1930 offers traditional Chinese cuisine, with Shanghai influences on the menu as well. Their menu has a variety of dumplings to choose from, and many chicken, beef, seafood and vegetarian options as well.

Their Crispy Noodles with Beef was actually quite tasty with tender beef. The sauce that it comes with, however, is quite strong, and leans on the salty side but nonetheless the combination of crispy noodles and beef and vegetables, is a winning combination.

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Shanghai 1930 offer what they call “Grandma’s Secret Fried Rice”, and it’s apparent that it isn’t your typical fried rice. The use of chives and I believe spinach adds to the flavour of the fried rice, and it’s cooked with the traditionally used Chinese sausage.

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If you ever walk past this restaurant, you may notice the image of these dumplings. These are the Steamed Shanghai Dumplings that are fried on the bottom with sesame seeds. The pastry (or dough) reminds me of the dough used in Pork Buns, but a bit thinner. The crispy bottom with the traditional pork and ginger filling is an amazingly tasty combination and I’m so glad I tried it.

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Their soups you can order as one serve or for sharing. The Hot & Sour soup is what you’d expect, and has that lovely balance of heat and sourness, and just enough sweetness that nothing overwhelms the other. Yum.

Last words

While, Shanghai 1930 may not be one of the “cheap eats” in Box Hill, it certainly makes up for it with its delicious dishes on offer.

Shanghai 1930
959 Whitehorse Road
Box Hill VIC 3128

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Gami Box Hill

June 17, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Korean, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

In Box Hill, there’s actually quite a few Korean eateries to choose from and although Nene’s Chicken made it’s mark first in Box Hill for Korean Fried Chicken, impressions haven’t been that great. Gami, on the other hand, has a number of outlets across town and positively received among many so it’s nice to see make its way to the east.

Gami is located in the newly refurbished office building next to Box Hill Institute’s Whitehorse Campus. It’s quite a cozy little joint but with great natural lighting that comes through. Of course we had to try the fried chicken, and of course, we had to try the spicy variety.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsI love the crispiness of the exterior, and the slightly sweet but mainly spicy coating is delicious. You’d probably best eat these at a quicker pace as the sauce tends to soften the crispy chicken a bit but it’s still enjoyable nonetheless.

The Soy Garlic variety, is a great complement to the spicy option. Having one spicy and then a sweeter one balances it out. The chicken was also well cooked, not dry and still tender inside.

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All Fried Chicken comes with Cabbage Salad and Pickled Radish. The tomato mayo dressing is interesting.

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We were recommended to try their Potato Heaven, which is basically mash potato plus cheese, sour cream and wedges and with sweet chilli sauce drizzled on top. I must say, this is so addictive, you can’t stop at one mouthful. So incredibly rich, but so tasty.

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You also can’t go wrong with their G Beer Pale Ale (Gun:Bae), which is exclusive to Gami. The “hoppy” ness and fruitiness reminded me of Hoegaarden a bit, but don’t take my word for it. I don’t actually know my beers that well!

Last words

Gami, Korean Fried Chicken done right.

Gami Box Hill
Shop 1, 990 Whitehorse Road,
Box Hill VIC 3128

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Cafe Rubix

June 3, 2016 Posted in Australian, Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsCafe Rubix caught my eye with it’s bold typeface and black shopfront along Middleborough Road, Box Hill. On a Sunday, it’s bustling with people, chilling out and having their meals and coffees. It’s a cute little cafe and their menu offerings is similar to many other cafes around but of course it’s the taste that matters.

It took my a while to decide but I was dying for hash browns and so ordered the Hungry Badger, it also comes with two poached eggs, toast, chorizo, bacon, smash avocado and beetroot relish. The eggs were nice and gooey as it should be, and the sweet beetroot relish is an interesting addition which provides a bit of tartness to it too. The mashed avo was nicely seasoned, but the bacon and chorizo I found to be a tad overcooked and dry. The hash browns were lovely and crispy!

The coffee isn’t too bad too as well!

Last words

The food-wise it’s decent and service was so-so when I went. Still, I’d probably go back since I’m eyeing the corn fritters.

Cafe Rubix
519 Middleborough Rodd
Box Hill VIC 3128

Rice Workshop – Box Hill

March 18, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Japanese, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Rice Workshop is still one of my favourite Japanese fast-food places in Melbourne. Luckily, I’m spoilt and there is one in Box Hill so close by for me that I regularly order their Japanese curry or sometimes just a Green Tea or Black Sesame soft serve when I pass by.

It’s similar to Hanaichi in that food definitely comes quick, and it doesn’t necessarily mean it lacks anything in taste. Their Beef Curry even in a small serve can be sufficiently filling, with generous amounts of curry and beef. However, what I find it lacks in is potatoes or some vegetables to make it a more balanced meal. Other than that, I really do love the curry there.

Not on their main menu, they sometimes offer the Unadon or their Fried Eel, which has a lovely aroma to it. Definitely just for fans of eel, which I am not.

Rice Workshop have a few difference variations of their Beef Rice Bowls, along with Chicken Rice Bowls, and the curry you can order it with Chicken or Pork Katsu, Grilled Chicken or even Tofu as a vegetarian option, and of course, some Udon and Soba options as well. I find their selection of dishes to be great and honestly, price wise it’s good value too.

Last words

Tasty dishes, fast and good value.

Rice Workshop
Shop 57 Box Hill Central (South Precinct)
1 Main St
Box Hill VIC 3128

Madam Kwan’s

September 11, 2015 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Malaysian, Restaurant Reviews6 Comments

Madam Kwan’s recently opened its doors in Box Hill, replacing Straits of Malacca which seemed to vanish as soon as it opened. Also, not to be confused by Madam Kwong’s and Kwan’s Dim Sum on Whitehorse Road. It retains the same name as a franchise in Malaysia. Variety-wise, it’s quite similar to PappaRich with a mix of noodle and rice dishes, drinks and desserts (Durian too) although where it falls short is the number of menu options, like Nasi Kandar, Roti Canai but seem to mark its place with a few of their specialties such as Madam Kwan’s Noodle Soup.

Madam Kwan’s Mee Goreng, is probably one of the better ones I’ve tried although it lacks that slight sweet and sourness from the tomato sauce that is frequently used in Mee Goreng. Apart from that, I found it quite filling (portions are generous).

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The Chicken Curry Laksa isn’t like what you’d find in Chef Lagenda or Laksa King where it has this rich, creaminess to the Laksa. Instead, it opts for the fragrance of the spices used to add depth to the soup base. Again, it’s a generous offering with both egg and rice vermicelli noodles.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsMadam Kwan’s Lobak is one of my favourites I’ve tried in Melbourne and can actually best some of the ones I’ve tried in Malaysia. It has this wonderful balance of pork and the seasoning. Plus, it adds yam/taro that adds texture and fragrance that I didn’t even know I wanted in a Lobak, and yet it works so well together. Yum. Be warned though, their side dishes cost nearly as much as their mains.

I found their Teh Tarik on the other hand to be overly sweet from its excessive use of condensed milk. Tea flavour-wise it’s on the stronger side of things so the balance is a bit off in my books.

Impressions

While I would say, Madam Kwan’s isn’t my favourite Malaysian eatery in Melbourne, it’s probably one of the tastier choices for Malaysian cuisine in the Box Hill and even Doncaster/Blackburn area. //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Madam Kwan’s
3/1 Main Street (Box Hill Central)
Box Hill VIC 3128