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Emilia reviews an Asian steakhouse with some ‘extra flair’

emilia reviews
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TungThit

341 Springvale Road, Springvale & 297 Victoria Street, Abbotsford

If you’re looking for a dining experience with a bit of extra flair, TungThit can certainly provide that.

TungThit is known for having the most expensive banh mi in Melbourne at $58, I had to find out what all the fuss was about.

Their owner, Anthony is of Vietnamese descent and their two locations in Springvale and Victoria St, Abbotsford are amongst some of the most iconic strips of Vietnamese culture in Melbourne meaning their competition is high. 

Anthony, also known as TungThit, made a bold shift from his career in luxury cars and hospitality to open TungThit Sizzling Steak, an Asian fusion steakhouse.

Hailing from Vietnam, he initially moved to Australia with aspirations in the export industry but soon discovered his true calling in the restaurant world. Through his travels, he honed his culinary craft, and in February 2020, alongside his wife, he launched their first restaurant in Springvale, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding.

In just three years, TungThit expanded to a larger space, quickly becoming a local favorite. With a background as a butcher and a wealth of self-taught cooking skills, Anthony ensures that every steak is a flavorful masterpiece.

Now, with a new location in Abbotsford and a growing presence on social media, he continues to elevate the TungThit brand, transforming his initial career shift into a celebrated culinary success story.

So apart from hype, is it worth it? Well there is some more context to the $58 banh mi price tag, it has a whole slow cooked six hour short-rib inside. Drawing from his Vietnamese roots the short rib is slow cooked in broth with fresh herbs and vegetables.

The waiter brings it to the table with the bone still in for flavour (and definitely a bit of theatre), they pull out the bone at the table and show you how tender the meat is, spreading it across the bread. With gloves on, of course you’re then offered a taste of the meat as they come over and feed it to you.

It’s Australia’s version of ‘Salt Bae’. 

For more theatrics we also tried the beef carpaccio which has a lightly spicy citrus over it, then laid out, thinly sliced raw beef topped with red onion and peppers. The waitress rolled the beef over itself and cut into sections for the table before being put onto sesame rice crackers before popping it onto each of our plates all served and ready.

Apart from the banh mi, the second best thing of the night was of course their steaks that they’re so well known for. We got their tenderloin eye fillet wagyu MS6, served on the sizzling hot plate. Anthony’s love for great quality meat is truly showcased here. 

Their panache continued through to their fried rice when they brought out bone marrow still in their bone, tossing it through the rice for extra flavour. It certainly didn’t finish there though; you can only get one in their Abbotsford store – Vietnamese coffee souffle which you push a scoop of ice cream through and drizzle cream over the top. Nothing is without that extra bit of personality.

Fun fact is that their newer Abbotsford location happens to be in one of the buildings Dustin Martin and Ralph Carr alongside Chris Bissiotis restored in 2020 but the building has been there since 1880. 

So, was it worth the money? For an elevated dining experience, for those times when you want a little bit ‘extra’ – it’s fun, it’s worth it.

The flavours are exceptional, the clear thought behind not just the dishes but the way they are presented are worth it. There’s not many other places in Melbourne where you can get an experience like that.

Was it one I’d be going back to? Maybe not but I would say everyone needs to try it once.

It’s a great display of the fun that can be had with food and the power of hype.

emilia reviews
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