This was one of the best restaurants we’ve been to recently in 2023, all thanks to A&E. Mongkok Tea House is a modern Chinese fusion restaurant and bar located in Camberwell, Melbourne. The average cost was $55 per person, including a cocktail each.
Food
If we could go back in time to relive a single moment in the month of March 2023, it would be to eat this fried chicken and waffle over and over 🤤🤤🤤. This was a tender and flavourful bite-size piece of fried chicken on a soft-firm waffle with konbu crème fraiche, sweet maple shaoxing and a decadent serving of Avruga caviar for $9 each. It was heavenly; a perfect balance of savoury, umami and sweetness, with a good mix of crunch and chew. We highly recommend going to this restaurant just for this dish!!
This buttermilk pineapple bun was another delicious entree. It was soooo soft and fluffy, served with an interesting combination of Vegemite char siu butter and pork floss for $9 each. There was a lot of savouriness and umami coming through the toppings (pork and salty vegemite), complemented perfectly by both the sweetness and crackling skin of the pineapple bun.
This fremantle octopus cocktail for $15 with shredded lettuce, chinese celery, and Cantonese cocktail sauce looked stunning but was a little weak in taste. The octopus had a very light coating of the sauce, with a very chewy texture. The lettuce added a refreshing element but not much else – it was like eating bites of water.
Back to the amazing dishes, this drunken kingfish crudo was everything 🤤. It was pickled Kohlrabi and snow pea for $26. The presentation was amazing; an evenly split Chinese drinking vessel.
The fish was fresh with a clean taste, paired delicious with the shao xing wine. The sauce also had notes of sweet tang (fish sauce) and salt (soy sauce). And combined with the earthy flavours of the vegetables, it was a flawless bite.
The fish was fresh with a clean taste, paired delicious with the shao xing wine. The sauce also had notes of sweet tang (fish sauce) and salt (soy sauce). And combined with the earthy flavours of the vegetables, it was a flawless bite.
This fresh local burrata was another delicious plate. It was a soft mozzarella on a bed of smashed cucumber salad and crispy chilli, paired with spring onion pancake for $28. The combination of ingredients was tasty and unique. It was refreshing with a nice subtle heat; with both crunchy texture blended together by the cheese’s smoothness. The pancake was crispy and slightly greasy.
The Mongkok XO fried rice $20 was cooked perfectly, bringing back nostalgic memories. The Jasmine rice was soft and fluffy, but still absorbed all the seasonings. There were chunky pieces of fried egg and a good amount of fried shallots and sliced scallions. Everything was cut and cooked according to tradition and we loved it.
This dry aged Moorabool Valley corn-fed duck was so friggin’ good! 🤤 It was a succulent and tender half a duck cooked with honey, osmanthus, spices, and medjool date for $60. The fat was rendered superbly, giving a flavourful explosive upon first bite. And the skin was perfectly crackly and crispy, coated in a sweet glaze. This was delicious with the fried rice.
Desserts
For dessert, we got a milk tea mont blanc for $19. This was a red bean chestnut paste, ma lai cake. It was decadent and creamy, with the right amount of sweetness to end the night.
Drinks
The cocktails were really good, except for Mick’s whiskey-banana combination. It had a lot of theatrics but the taste was a tad off.
Service
Truly, honestly, wholeheartedly, the service was amazing. The staff were a right amount of attentiveness and chattiness that it vibed symphonically with our dining experience.
Review
This was one of the best restaurants we dined at during this Melbourne trip and we are looking forward to returning (for the chicken waffle and duck 🤤).
Thank you for reading! Happy eating!
Thank you for reading! Happy eating!
