Bang Bang

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest as part of an event

We could smell it as we walked down the street. There are lots of places that are doing contemporary South East Asian, French Indochine cuisine, but Bang Bang smelt like it - in all the best ways possible. Lemongrass hung in the air, and the irresistible smell of barbecue was impossible to miss. 

Bang Bang has been a long time coming, but it’s been worth the wait. On a balmy evening like the one we had, and are still having (late Melbourne summer’s for you), the indoor-outdoor deck is bright and so inviting, especially with a cocktail or three in hand. The Vermouth Spritz is the perfect way to begin your night, with Dolin Dry Vermouth orange and holy basil, topped with soda. It’ll be one before you know it. 

But the food! When Daisy and I arrived, we were a bit late, having been stuck in traffic, but really, we were just in time, as food hit the table minutes within us being seated. It was all totally planned. Obviously.

Chargrilled King prawns with roasted shallots and lime, are juicy, sweet and a great way to get the meal kicking. The betel leaf with confit duck, and the betel leaves with pomelo are both delightfully herbaceous - although we’re divided over the table which we like better. I’m a sucker for pomelo personally, and I love how vibrant the pomelo combination is. 

Kingfish sashimi with caramelised cashew and trout roe is refreshing, but also textural, with a unexpected amount of zest - all the favourite flavours from South East Asia. Chilli, lemongrass, citrus - perfect.

It’s hard to dislike crispy chicken wings, especially when they’re crispy as advertised. The chicken itself is juicy and moist inside the batter, only issue? You’ll definitely need to order two serves. Why share?

Chargrilled pork neck was also tender with a hint of sweetness, reminiscent of char siu for me, complete with the slightly charred edges. The crunch of the iceberg lettuce a refreshing contrast in texture, and a hit of chilli to bring everything to life. 

The roasted pumpkin curry with kipfler potato with cinnamon and anise was a hit around the table, other than the fact that there was no where near enough gravy to drown the rice in - cause it was so darned good! Creamy, slightly sweet but nicely offset with a balance of spices, would come back and order this with a bowl of rice just for myself!

For those who are looking for something a bit more filling, the chargrilled Cape Grim short rib is definitely a solid choice. Literally! The meat from his just falls off the bone, so tender and very moreish. 

To wrap up? Black sticky rice with pandan sweet cream, mango and coconut sorbet - a twist on a classic Thai dessert. Very easy to gobble up, but lacking some of the punch that the savoury dishes had in flavour. 

We were also served some watermelon with chilli salt, which is quite a classic combo in South East Asia and very refreshing on the palate. Having said that, I’m not sure if it’s something I would order while out at a restaurant personally, but it is a great option if you might have miscalculated in your ordering, don’t have much space for dessert, but still want something sweet to end the night on. 

All in all, good vibes, good cocktails, bright and punchy food (in general). It’s refreshing to have a modern Asian space that’s approachable, friendly and fresh, and would definitely be around for after-work drinks if I lived closer to Elsternwick! 

Bang Bang

294 Glenhuntly Road

Elsternwick 

 

Glovers Station

Average age of 40, Louis Vuitton bags in strollers while the kids run around in the front courtyard and copious amounts of expensive lycra and neon running shoes.

Brad, we aren’t in hipsterville anymore.

Indeed, Brad and I were instead in Elsternwick, away from the usual hipster neighbourhoods, where the crowd was less tight jeans and fixies, and more athletic mums and surprisingly cool dads. 

We were meeting a friend from Ferntree Gully, and Elsternwick made a nice middle spot between the two of us. That, and I had read about Glovers Station and been sold on visiting instantly. Even better? When I found out it was from the same team that did Little Tommy Tucker in Bentleigh.

Glovers Station is just beautiful, breathing new life into an old building that was once a service station, with a great big courtyard outside, it certainly has a grand and historic feel to it and I can’t stop marvelling at how nice it looks. 

Inside though, the historical stops, and the modern begins. Crisp, minimal, bright; the coffee station bang in the middle of the cafe with life revolving around it (pretty accurate for most people isn’t it?)

I fell in love with the fuzzy felt banquette seats, and although the space was modern, it definitely still exuded warmth and cosiness. 

Jimmy Marinis, one of the co-owners, made sure things ran smoothly, and I am still in awe with how attentive and personal he is with each customer, always coming back to make sure we knew that they knew we were waiting for table and apologising for the wait. Having been a waitress some years back...it's tough work! Was definitely a lot less stressed than when we saw him at Little Tommy Tucker! (You knew it was coming buddy! :))

His style of service has obviously rubbed off on to the staff, who, despite the crazy Saturday they were having (only a week or two open and absolutely full to the brim), were cool as cucumbers, friendly and attentive. 

After a half an hour wait or so, we are seated, and I drink one of my new favourite chai’s in Melbourne. Served up in a volumptuous and generous glass, I am smitten with the spiciness and richness in texture as well. Have not really come across anything like it, and adored it so much…that I had two…which never happens! The chai is from the Original Chai Stall, and will now definitely keep an eye out for it around town…

The menu reads a pretty treat, with lots of interesting ingredients and unexpected additions, without being pretentious.

Brad’s baked beans with buffalo mozzarella, potatoes, corn puree, grain crunch and chorizo, were hearty and rich, and our friend ordered the poached ocean trout with quinoa, kale, goji berry and broccoli sandwich with avocado puree and a poached egg. The trout smelt delicious, and I loved how clean and fresh the dish looked. 

I didn’t really try either of their dishes though, because I was too busy devouring my braised ox tongue on gluten free toast with burnt onion puree, mustard butter and pickles. Seriously, the way to my heart must be offal. The ox tongue was sliced thinly, and so tender and lovely. Juicy too. I was all about the burnt onion puree, which worked beautifully with the tongue. Although it sounds rich, it wasn’t really, and was a nice modest sized serve…

…meaning that there’s room for dessert. In the form of a polenta, orange and blueberry cake, which was moist, zesty and refreshing. 

Although they were so busy, despite us finishing and gas bagging for a while after, we were never rushed or hurried, or felt to feel like they didn’t want us around. I absolutely loved my visit to Glovers Station, and love the energy it brings to an otherwise sleepy little street in Elsternwick. 

Glovers Station

258 Glen Eira Road

Elsternwick 3185