I live a block from Victoria Street (and
have done for fifteen years); Richmond’s famed strip of Asian restaurants.
And when I say “strip of Asian restaurants”, I mean a long
line of shops; easily confused with “strip-off Asian restaurants” where you might see racy-strip shows while you eat (Yuck! Can you imagine the food safety and hygiene implications??? It doesn't bear thinking about).
Just making sure you got that. I know you and your dirty mind.
I admit we don’t dine on Victoria St as
often as we should. When we first
moved to Abbotsford, we’d eat out there three to five times a week;
but after six months, the smell of peanut oil – and the idea of ever eating deep fried
spring rolls again – would turn my stomach.
Occasionally, however, we’ll have a visitor who is
keen to pop down for a visit, and I’ve discovered recently that there’s more to Victoria Street
than your traditional pho (soup) restaurants, or the rice paper rolls, Mongolian beef
and lemon chicken many restaurants have included on their menus in an
attempt to be a “me too” experience for the unwitting.
Some are lifting their game, becoming more
genre specific and getting trendier interior fit-outs. After the last couple of weeks trawling
the strip (with Jane’s cousin Matt-o-san) we found two very good options which I
can recommend you try... the next time you find yourself on Victoria St wondering where to go.
Arisoo
‘True Taste of Korea’
285A Victoria Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Arisoo has been open for about a year and a
half, and celebrates itself as offering “authentic” Korean food. It offers a
slightly higher-end feel than many of the surrounding restaurants, using the “traditional”
stainless steel chop sticks of Korea.
The meal we had, as guided by Matt-o-san
who’d spent his thirtieth birthday in Korea, was sublime.
Not everything looked the goods on the menu
though. One meal was called “Camp
stew” and incorporated what looked like tinned hot dogs served with other
tinned produce one might find readily available while fighting in the jungles*.
Anyway, if you’re unsure of what to order,
Arisoo offers the menu as a photo book, so you can go through that and get a very
good idea of what you’ll be eating before ordering.
The staff were also very friendly, explaining
all of the dishes available, and when one dish came out, we asked them to “make
it for us” (you had to break up an egg and stir it into this dish). Arisoo took great pride in their excellent house-made kimchi, with fresh rather than pickled cabbage; and they had good reason to be proud of it. I rate it six tentacles out of eight.
“Jinda” Thai Restaurant
1-7 Ferguson St
Abbotsford VIC 3067
Telling a pal about this place, yesterday,
he said:
‘Jinda? It sounds like Tinder for red heads…’
‘... or a hook up site for alcoholics,’ I
rejoined.
You’ll find this restaurant by wandering
down to the “Thai section” of Victoria St (the last block before Hoddle St). Jinda
has opened in a former fashion-outlet warehouse located in a side street.
They’ve built a kitchen in one corner, and it has a very nice if industrial fit-out, with exposed brick walls, timber, a Thai lamp installation, a picture of the King and Queen (Thai), and a big portrait of the owner’s mother “Jinda” on one wall.
I know that Thai food is “so 2003”, but
this is worth a look. The place
was pumping with happy patrons and the food was fantastic; i.e. not too
hot/spicy, with just the right balance of ingredients (coconut, chilli, lime, palm sugar,
curry pastes, etc.).
In spite of how busy it was, the staff
quickly got us a table, and we enjoyed an excellent Tom Kha, a whole tamarind
fish, red duck curry, roti bread, all the staples really, and all very well
done. Six and a half tentacles out of eight.
So there you have it; brief but quality
tips from a local who lives around the corner. Try them out! You
know I wouldn’t steer you wrong.
Bon appétit!
Or as they say in Korea:
하겠습니다!
And Thailand:
ความอยากอาหารดี
* Do they have Jungles in Korea? I haven’t been there, but if M*A*S*H is
anything to go by, probably not. Incidentally, trivia buffs, did you know
that the film time of the TV show M*A*S*H went for longer than the actual
Korean war? It’s true! Now if only they'd stop the re-runs...
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