It can be an expensive affair eating out in Melbourne, but on those days that you’re really flat out to cook after a hard day’s at work, do you have a regular go-to place for that quick no-fuss but comforting meal? I’m sure all of us have those places in mind, and these are what I call my ‘comfort eats’ – that one place for a no-frills dining experience, and yet always guaranteed a satisfying meal at an affordable price.
So since I live in the city, I shall disclose 3 of my comfort eats in the city area!
Kitchen Inn
This shop sits along other casual eateries at Elizabeth Street. But I think they do their food just right, not too salty or too oily, unlike the other shops. This is definitely my go-to place to satisfy my local cuisine craving. AND the best part is their early-bird menu (as shown above)!
Curry Fish Head for only $7.50? I’m in!
Mmm this definitely satisfied my cravings for curry fish head. It might not be as aromatic as the one back home and the fish was not as tender. But I was happy enough with the curry and the generous serves of eggplants and tomatoes.
A little fusion twist with the Kimchi Kampua…
I’m actually not a big fan of this dish because I thought the kimchi didn’t go with the Chinese seasonings of the dish, and it’s meant to be the main ingredient of the dish. The sourness of the kimchi just made the rest of the savoury dish taste a little strange. But Ann who had ordered this liked it – oh well, to each their own!
And the house specialty of Kolo Mee…
This is definitely the star dish of the restaurant. The noodles are apparently hand-made and the texture of the noodles is just right – a little chewy and not overcooked. It is a very simple dish but done up really well – this is definitely 1 comfort dish that you can eat from time to time for that one quick weekday dinner!
Don Too
I think the ramen speaks for itself – some may disagree but I honestly think that this is the best ramen in town. The broth is full and flavoursome (I believe the base is pork), the charshu melts in your mouth, the texture of the ramen is beautiful and the egg yolks… yuuummm.
For all the times that I’ve been to Don Too, I’ve never left unsatisfied and having tried a few of their ramens, the best would still be the classic Kuon Ramen 🙂 And yup, the Monster Ramen is just 2 serves of the Kuon – you can try the Monster if you dare!
Big Mama
This is my top go-to place for Korean food in the city. The biggest draw factor is the Sam Gye Tang (Ginseng Chicken Soup), as pictured above. There is just something about Big Mama‘s Sam Gye Tang – the tender chicken and the SOUP which has the deep flavours of the glutinous rice and red dates. It’s really the best!
My friends and I have had Sam Gye Tang in other Korean places but so far, we have not found one that could beat the soup at Big Mama. If you know of a place that serves up good Sam Gye Tang, please share!
There are many other good dishes at Big Mama, but my next favourite dish is the Kimchi Seafood Fried Rice..
I find this dish quite unique and I’ve not found another Korean restaurant that has this. The cream really works well with sweetness and sourness of the kimchi fried rice. And it also helps that there is yummy seafood to go with the rice 😛 It’s like a cream-based pasta without the pasta and with kimchi-flavoured rice instead?? Sounds strange but it’s delicious!
Big Mama also has unique side dishes (don’t have pictures of them unfortunately) and other star dishes like their agadeshi tofu, peanut chilli chicken wings etc. So with all these yummy offerings at prices that won’t break your wallet, Big Mama is definitely top on my list for a comfort eat!
So there you have it – 3 comfort eats in the city. And they happen to be of 3 different cuisines as well – Malaysian, Japanese and Korean! I guess this again is a testament to Melbourne being a melting pot of cultures, with so many cuisines to offer. We are definitely too spoilt for choices when it comes to dining options!
So what are your comfort eats? Knowing Melbourne, I’m sure there are wayyy more out there and even beyond the city so please feel free to share!
What's my next meal? 
Lol april, I got so inspired to try the Don Too and Kitchen Inn so I ate the Kolo Mee and Kuon Ramen today…my highlights would be the texture of the handmade noodles and gravy from Kolo Mee. Seasoned egg, charsiew and restaurant ambience from DonToo. Great blog, keep it up!
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Waahhh glad my recommendations went all right with you! I find that Kitchen Inn can be abit inconsistent but DonToo is always good – glad u like it and enjoying my blog entries thus far!
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