International Eats

Melbourne Eats: Dodee Paidang / Hot Star Chicken

Published

3 years ago

March 16, 2021

lily

Dodee Paidang

Dodee Paidang in Melbourne started in September 2017 inspired by the wish to bring a no nonsense authentic style of Thai Street Food to Melbourne.

Somporn Phosri developed a strong work ethic as a young boy in Thailand, where he worked for his mother’s restaurant in Isan, a region in the country’s north-east.

After working in a few different Sydney restaurants, Phosri set up Thai street-food chain Dodee Paidang. It quickly attracted a loyal following up north for its affordable, tasty and diverse offering.

As you descend down each step to the basement restaurant, chatter and music grows louder. When you finally reach the 150-seat restaurant, you’ll be hit with the potent aroma of Thai soups, skewers and desserts while the songs of Ronan Keating, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston play in the background. The music may be Western, but the food is bona fide Thai. Most dishes are inspired by Isan cuisine, but the vast menu showcases flavours and plates from all over Thailand.

The goal was to bring a Thai experience to Melbournians through food, hospitality and atmosphere.

Hot Star Chicken

Introducing the ridiculously oversized fried chicken that everyone in Melbourne is talking about. Made from 100% fresh chicken breasts and coated with a secret recipe all the way from Shilin Market in Taiwan, this is authentic street food at its best.

The crunchy coating has just the right level of crispiness and seasoning – and the chicken inside is tender and succulent. So the first bite is a treat for your taste buds; the second is simply an inevitability.

Gong Cha

Founded in Kaoshiung, Taiwan in 2006, Gong cha is the fastest growing tea brand in Asia.

“Gong cha” is the act of offering tea to the Emperor in ancient China.

Tea is offered as tribute to the Emperor. Tribute tea or Gong cha consumed by Chinese emperors is therefore of the best quality collected throughout the kingdom.

Lam, alongside entrepreneur Lili Shi and his siblings, decided to bring a popular Taiwanese bubble tea franchise called Gong Cha to Melbourne. Following its success last year, he decided the Hot Star Chicken franchise would also be a good fit for the Melbourne market.

“Bubble tea is a very summer oriented drink, so in the winter months business is quieter, but with Hot Star Chicken now it balances out,” Lam says.

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International Eats

Melbourne Eats: Tipo 00 / Mamasita

Published

10 months ago

July 12, 2023

lily

Tipo 00

Tipo 00, named after the finely ground flour used to make pizza and pasta, is owned by chef Andreas Papadakis – last seen in the kitchen at Vue de Monde – as well as head chef Alberto Fava (ex-Merchant) and Luke Skidmore. Papadakis cooks with the same ingredients and techniques acquired from his time in fine diners, but takes an unfussy approach with clean, simple elements here.

Location: 361 Little Bourke Street Melbourne 3000

Website: tipo00.com.au

Mamasita

Designer Sarah Townson of Anthology has warmed up the exposed-brick interior with fresh moss, antique mirrors, gothic chandeliers and burgundy banquettes, which line the wall opposite the bar. It’s stocked with all the makings of a classic Parisian cocktail spot (think dirty Martinis and French 75s) and an extensive selection of French and local wine.

Location: Level 1 11 Collins Street Melbourne 3000

Phone: (03) 9650 3821

Website: mamasita.com.au

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International Eats

Melbourne Eats: Coda / Florentino

Published

12 months ago

May 31, 2023

katherine

Coda

The clever use of space and the menu of mostly small sharing dishes gives Coda an energy as people pop in for a glass of wine and a couple of scallops, with the comfort of knowing that they can book a table for a Friday night should the want to. Coda is one of Melbourne’s best.

Location: Basement 141 Flinders Lane (corner Oliver Lane) Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9650 3155

Website: codarestaurant.com.au

Florentino

This classic Italian dining institution takes pride of place on the top level, upstairs from Florentino Grill and Cellar Bar down on the street. The menu format means every diner eats three courses. If you’re there to really lash out, which of course you are, choose the Gran Tour menu, a lavish five-course set-menu matched with wines from Australia, Italy and France.

Location: 80 Bourke Street Melbourne 3000

Phone: (03) 9662 1811

Website: florentino.com.au

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International Eats

Melbourne Eats: Grill Americano / Smith St Bistrot

Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2023

katherine

Grill Americano

With Grill Americano, restaurateur Chris Lucas wasn’t looking to create another Italian restaurant. Melbourne had plenty of those already. Instead, his Italian steakhouse is a reimagining of the grills and brasseries prevalent in Melbourne throughout the ’60s and into the early ’80s. The menu’s centrepiece, though, is the grill section and its bistecca alla Fiorentina. A star of Tuscan cuisine, here it comes in the form of a 1.2-kilogram T-bone cooked over charcoal and doused in sea salt and rosemary.

Location: 101 Collins Street Melbourne 3000

Email: reservations@grillamericano.com

Phone: (03) 8616 8010

Website: grillamericano.com