What makes the perfect japanese bowl of soup? For me it takes a weighty voluptuous noodle, not to soft and not too hard, a delicious flavoursome broth, rich and deep yet light and joyful. Add to this loads of fresh seafood, vegetables and big dose of loving attention to presentation and you get the picture. That’s why I LOVE Yumenoki.
When I grew up in Australia in the 70s, Chinese restaurants were ‘the’ exotic family treat that usually had mum and dad bickering. Dad, being a tradtitional Pole, hated all things foreign that took him out of the comfort zone of meat and 2 veg. Mum on the other hand, decked out in a bouffant “do” and platforms, found it all very glamorous, surrounded by red laquered panels, black and gold wallpaper, silk lanterns, and names like ‘Golden pagoda’ and ‘Mystic Dragon’. Born and bred in the heart of Melbourne suburbia, I had to agree with mum, and delighted in the bilingual Chinese/English menus, threatening my little brother with spicy chickens feet, while dad ordered a T-Bone from the ‘Australian’ menu. In those days there was nothing better than masses of egg special fried rice, beef in black bean sauce and banana fritters.
This week it’s Princess Lottie’s uglier half giving you a taste of what it was like to grow up in Mama Hue’s kitchen. Strong aromas (!), fresh ingredients, and flavours that packed a whole lot of punch: that was Mama’s trademark. And the in-laws certainly approved on Saturday when we cooked up this Vietnamese inspired feast. Credit also goes to Mr Ramsey’s Chinese five-spiced pork for leaving the in-laws thoroughly fed and ready to burst, but it was really Princess Lottie’s chocolate delight in a box that made us roll them out of here…
PS: if you want to taste Mama’s home recipes, just give us a shout. I’m sure she’ll be on the first plane over here!
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Lovely noodles. Cha Cha Moon is fast becoming a Monday night fave.
Prawn dumpling, wonton noodle, Prawn, squid, fishcake, belly pork, choi sum.
Not oniony – lovely. With lots of garlic.
Always fiish my trips to Melbourne on Victoria St with the family. We go crazy, 6-8 of us, polishing off plate after plate of fish, and squid and crabs and greens. It’s true delicious fresh carnage.
