The unassuming St Kilda street packed with vibrant food and a unique shared dining space
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Blessington Street, St Kilda
Yang Thai
Corean Chooks & Chips
Dish-licious
Surabaya Johnny’s
The only logical alternative to fish and chips near the beach is chicken and chips by the beach. I was drawn to Blessington Street in St Kilda for Yang Thai, but what I found was a whole pocket of venues feeding off each other’s energy.
Yang Thai sits in a tight strip that punches above its weight.
Beside it, Corean Chooks & Chips flies the flag for Korean fried chicken, Dish-licious serves Vietnamese staples, and Surabaya Johnny’s hums away as a tiny jazz bar.
Out front, a former car park has become a shared outdoor dining space. Long tables. Beers in hand. Orders from different kitchens landing side by side. It feels collaborative rather than competitive.
Yang means grow in Thai. Grow Thai. Simple. The menu follows that same thinking. It is short on purpose.
The owner has cooked long enough to know people always order the same two or three dishes. So instead of padding the menu, he chose to focus. Do one thing really well. That thing is charcoal chicken.
The chaat grilled chicken is brined for up to twelve hours, then marinated anywhere from three hours to five days.
The batch we ate had been soaking in flavour since Sunday.
Southern Thailand informs the marinade. Black pepper. Turmeric. Layers of aromatics built from years of trial and error and time spent eating through the south.
It hits the grill first, then finishes in the oven, depending on the size of the bird. The result is smoky, deeply savoury and quietly complex.
The skin blistered and golden, bits blackened for flavour. The meat is tender and fragrant all the way through.
The green mango salad was sharp and electric, cutting through the richness with crunch and heat.
Sticky rice on the side, essential for scooping up whatever is left on the plate.
The other must-have here is the chips with tamarind ketchup, but they’re also well known for their prawn toast (it happened to be out when I went, but I will be making a trip back for it) AND dessert.
Chiffon cake is what’s in the display case at the moment, but the owner, Narit says he’s always trying new things.
Now, it would have been rude not to explore the strip now that I’m here…
From Corean Chooks & Chips, or CCC as owner Jisun Oh calls it, we ordered bibimbap, kimchi deep-fried dumplings and Korean fried chicken.
Open since November 2024, CCC is still new and very much a neighbourhood spot.
Their focus is clear. Real Korean flavours, nothing toned down. Everything is made from simple but authentic recipes, using proper Korean chilli powder rather than softening the spice.
Korean customers often tell them the chicken tastes more Korean than in Korea, which is the kind of compliment that keeps a kitchen honest.
The fried chicken was loudly crisp and sticky with sauce. Heat built gradually. Sweetness stayed balanced.
The kimchi dumplings carried a proper fermented tang, fried golden and blistered.
Bibimbap brought comfort to the sharper plates.
Jisun (the owner) said they felt this strip was the perfect place to introduce proper Korean fried chicken.
There are no other Korean restaurants nearby, but there are two great bars around the corner. Chicken like this was made for a cold beer.
The outdoor seating has been a blessing for them. Sun, breeze, dogs under tables. It suits the food and the mood.
Surabaya Johnny’s anchors the strip in something moodier. Low light and walls layered with posters.
You hear the music as you walk past, a thread of jazz slipping out the door, but at the shared tables outside it is more about conversation than sound.
If that all feels a little heavy for you, duck into Dish-Licious for some fresh Vietnamese.
Blessington Street right now feels accidental in the best way.
Independent operators backing each other. A car park turned dining room. Charcoal smoke in the air. Chicken and chips by the beach.
But better.
Images: Supplied