Dandelion – 133 Ormond Road Elwood http://dandelion.ws
Misschu – 2/297 Exhibition St City – www.misschu.com.au

Dandelion

Oh, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of this bayside diner from former Pearl owner/chef Geoff Lindsay. Thought I was onto a quiet winner too, until Matt Preston announced on this program last week that it was one of the next hotspots in town. Called that day to book five days in advance for a weekday dinner and got the last table in the joint!

So this is Vietnamese fare, with many traditional elements and of course the odd creative, exotic twist. The menu is yet another teaser, split up into Wraps and Rolls; Salads, Curries; and Coconut Grill; and there are enough mouthwatering options in each to make ordering a right challenge!

Staff were efficient, friendly, and thankfully a great help in terms of working through the menu and ordering an appropriate amount of food.

From the wrap and roll bar, regretfully went past the Soft shell crab and avocado, and the BBQ pork and King prawn with green mango, and instead went for the Peppered Wagyu and pineapple ($15 for three rolls); and a sugar cane prawn and green banana with young coconut ($12 for three skewers). These are offered with the traditional accompaniments of fresh lettuce (to roll them in), Vietnamese mint, holy basil and nouk cham dipping sauce. The beef wasn’t quite what we expected, couldn’t decipher the pineapple but there was plenty of pepper and an indecipherable but not altogether unpleasant aftertaste; but the sugar cane prawn was easily the winner  – minced fresh prawn meat with plenty of herbs, cooked on the cane then removed to wrap.

The decision was just as tough when it came to the curries and wet dishes, and the duck just won out from the Lamb curry with taro, lotus root, green mango and black cardamom. So the duck consisted of two plump legs, perfectly cooked and sitting in a broth of mandarin juice and star anise with chillli, ginger and holy basil ($32). It was a very fragrant sauce (resulting in the realisation that I just don’t think I’m the biggest fan of star anise!), but it was softened when mixed with the rice, baguette and small salad that accompanies the dish.

Surprise of the night was the “risk” dish, those meals that you want to try for some reason but don’t necessarily believe would be your best option. Still, we ordered the Cambodian pork and peanut sausage with cucumber and roasted nut relish ($27) and the gamble well and truly paid off. Rather plain to look at on the plate, this literally was a big long, chunky sausage rolled into a coil and accompanied by more lettuce and Asian herbs. That said, it was anything but plain when it came to taste and texture. Chunky meat, crunchy peanuts, and a gorgeous relish, and once paired with the crispy lettuce and fragrant herbs, it was the sort of dish that transports you to a creaky restaurant over the Mekong somewhere.

Skipped the sides in order to try to save room for dessert, which on this night was a Caramelised banana cake, with tamarind and coconut ice creams. Asian desserts haven’t wowed me in the past, though this one was an improvement, with the icecreams definitely the highlight.

Tried two whites from the wine list and thoroughly enjoyed each, the Yarra Loch Arneis at $9 and particularly my first taste of a Gruner Veltliner at $14.

Plenty of thought has gone into the menu at Dandelion, and just as much into the new interior, it really is stunning – from the glassed-in herb wall, to the Spartan light fittings and stylishly neutral colour scheme. With its long dining room, wooden tables and concrete floor the buzz falls just short of a roar, but when some of the tables are packed fairly close, I don’t mind not being able to hear the conversation next to me.

For me, the ultimate compliment is walking out of a new restaurant like Dandelion and remarking that you just can’t wait to get back to try some of the other dishes on the menu, and that’s exactly what I said as I made my way out onto Ormond Road – let’s just hope I can get a table!

Misschu

Quick, affordable, healthy tasty food. Doesn’t get much better than that for a weekday work lunch in the city, does it? Misschu has branched out from her popular digs in Sydney, bringing her wraps, rolls, salads and other Vietnamese inspired goodies to the streets of Melbourne (well, Exhibition St at least). This is hawker style eating, in what they describe as a ‘tuckshop’, so no need for reservations, just head down and hope you get a table, or take your tucker away. Perhaps the most appealing aspect for me is that you can simply ring or fax ahead your order, and either pick it up at the streetside window, or have it delivered within a 1km radius on a GForce electric bike! I must admit, I’ve heard it can get pretty hectic if you really do want to eat in, so can really only vouch for the takeaway option!

The spread here is standard Vietnamese dishes, with a bit of exotic flair. Rice paper rolls boast options like Tiger Prawn & green mango, or Roast Duck & banana flower among other fillings. Found the duck a little plain, maybe could have done with a dipping sauce of something a little more exotic in the fillings. The dumplings on the other hand were packed with flavour, Shanghai Pork were tasty and loved the Asian Vegetables with garlic chives. I’m a sucker for a warm Vietnamese or Laos salad and have previously tried Misschu’s lemongrass beef vermicelli, but now may never stray from the Chilli prawn option. Perfect lunchtime fare, it was light with plenty of punch, and tasty plump marinated prawns.

Sharing two serves of dumplings (3 in each serve), a couple of rice paper rolls, and a decent-sized vermicelli salad between Ruth Serum and I set us back a grand total of $30 – certainly more expensive than you’d pay for a similar spread in Victoria St, but still not bad for a CBD, non-formulaic feed.

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