Kong
599 Church St, Richmond
Hours: 7 days, 11am-late

Part of The Lucas Group, Kong is the Korean BBQ sister of infamous Melbourne restaurant Chin Chin, and already commands similar wait-times with its no booking policy. It does result in a higher table turnover, however, especially when coupled with the successful share-plate style of rolling out dishes to diners in no particular order and as fast as the chefs can make them. Using contrasting white walls with green lighting, large fluorescent panels depicting pandas and bowls of ramen (their latest offering here), and a projector directed out the window playing a massive game of pacman on the white-washed outside wall while chefs in red caps rush around the open kitchen, Kong creates a contemporary look and buzzing atmosphere: subtly hinting to diners that yes, this is the place to be. Having visited a few times before, we made sure to arrive early enough (around 540) to avoid the wait, and were seated at the bar straight away. The place was pumping soon after with lines out the door and a pop music playlist – but surprisingly still managed to keep the volume at a level where you could easily converse with those next to you.

The menu is extensive, encompassing variations of roti-rolls, sticky chicken wings, buns, small share plates, larger meat platters from the pits and ovens, sticky pork ribs and a short beef rib, rice and noodle dishes and vegetable sides plates. Prices range from $7 for a bun to $36 for a full set of BBQ baby back pork ribs (marinades are soy & sesame or Kong crazy horse chilli), with most medium plates around the $15-20 mark.

The salmon roti-rolls are something I have never been able to bypass, even with repeat visits ($12.5): flaky, warm and tender roti bread wraps up a filling of rocket, spicy tomato salsa, and salmon. Yes, it will get messy, and salsa juice might drip down your hand, but stylish rolls of paper towel sit on each table for that eventuality.

Next up are the buns: this little bites are flavour explosions encased in the fluffiest, softest bao dough I haver ever tried. The spicy pork belly with pickled cucumber and Kong crazy horse chilli ($7) has a bit of a kick, but it works well with the sweet pork belly slice and generous piece of crackling in the bun. Almost as good is the soft shell crab ($8.5) – a crispy soft shell crab piece is served with a smear of a creamy salted duck egg relish and coriander leaves, contrasting with the velvety bun outer.

Bec’s favourite ever dish is in the small bites section: the Nasu Miso ($14). Both sweet and salty, chunks of miso caramelized eggplant are served wrapped in a square of cool ice-berg lettuce and topped with sesame seeds, chervil and chilli. In fact, she stated that she would marry this eggplant, or, at least, any man who could make it for her on a regular basis”. A must-try for eggplant lovers.

A larger noodle dish rounded out our meal: the Tobanjan sweet potato noodles with chicken, wood-roasted eggplant and coriander ($16). Chewy glass noodles (that you would never pick as being made from sweet potato) are paired with generous stir-fried chicken, more sweet roasted eggplant, lettuce, and a hint of coriander. It may not sound like much, but, elevated by the noodles, this warm and comforting dish was a hit in my books.

To finish, we chose the apple and walnut tart with miso butterscotch and caramelised whisky ice cream. One of my favourite restaurant desserts, for sure. Crisp short crust pastry encases a filling of tender, caramelised apple slices and a sweet walnut crumb, topped with more salted caramel sauce with a scoop of whisky ice-cream melting down into the tart, melding with the caramel to create mouthfuls of deliciousness.

On a previous visit (hence the slightly different photos), we tried the Kong Bossam BBQ tray ($29), a mixture of many of the different barbecue meats on one platter. Pulled chicken and pork, pork belly and beef brisket are served with lettuce for wrapping and condiments of pickles, kimchi and walnut ssamjang. This was not as stand out as the other dishes I have eaten eat Kong – this beef brisket and pulled chicken were on the dry side, and to me the flavours didn’t really jell. However, this is a good option if you want to try a whole lot of the wood-fired meat at once, but probably better if you have 3 or 4 people to share it with. We also ordered the corn ($8): barbecued with chilli salt and miso butter, this tender, charred-edged corn is a winner.

Kong is a must-visit restaurant in Melbourne at the moment – punchy flavours, a huge range of well-executed dishes with something for everyone (there are many vegetarian options) and a hip vibe – a meal there with good company can’t help but put you in a good mood. Just be warned about the no bookings policy, and if you really can’t handle going early or can’t face going out, try the take-away options online. PLUS they do express lunch options including spicy pork and sesame ramen and a Korean bento box – what more could you want?

Rating: 8.5/10
Don’t miss: the nasu miso eggplant, buns, roti, or the apple-walnut tart
Pro tip: go early to avoid the queues
Features: takeaway, express lunch options,  no bookings, share-plates, outdoor seating

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Feast of Merit
117 Swan St, Richmond
Hours: Monday 7:30-3pm, Tuesday-Friday 7:30am-1am, Sat-Sun 8am-1am
www.feastofmerit.com

The Middle-Eastern influenced salads and breakfast dishes of Feast of Merit, a non-profit community oriented cafe in Richmond, had been on my radar for quite some time before our visit on Sunday morning. A YGAP initiative, all profits from Feast of Merit go to youth education and leadership projects in disadvantaged communities in Malawi, Ghana, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Australia, with the aim of helping these communities become self-sustainable. The philosophy of Feast of Merit itself is also admirable, with the name based on a tradition of Nagaland, a region of far North-eastern India, about how “merit lies with those who choose to give it away.” (read the full story of Feast of Merit in the cafe).

Stepping inside early on a Saturday morning felt like entering a separate world: gone was the busy traffic of Swan St, and in its place was the spacious world of Feast of Merit. Hazy morning light streamed though large windows with stripped back wooden frames, vibrant greenery hung from the ceiling, rustic bleached bricks contrasted with the dark wooden seating, and the cushioned benches gave a homely, unpretentious feel. It is much bigger than it may first appear – the space is divided up by pieces of old wood and big doorways into separate, more intimate sections, ideal for dinner seatings, while a big communal table in the entranceway is perfect for the lunchtime rush.

Feast of Merit offers breakfast, lunch and dinner most days, all with a Middle-Eastern influence and combinations that would be difficult to find else where in Melbourne. The breakfast menu, running until 1130am weekdays and all day on the weekends, encompasses options like bircher with super seeds, orange blossom yogurt, poached new season pears, cinnamon, honey & lemon thyme ($11), Autumn Harvest – avocado, roasted cauliflower, smoked yogurt, spiced eggplant, vintage carrots ($16.5), and a shakshouka with tomato, chilli peppers, legumes & pulses, green eggs, tahini labneh, & toast ($15). It is a menu for adventurous eaters, and our only thought was that it would be nice to have an additional sweet option for those so inclined. For lunch, you can choose a protein source (such as Hopkins river beef, roasted Milawa chicken with lemon and za’atar, or BBQ market fish with tahini and herbs) and one or two salads. The salads look phenomenal, and I will definitely be back to try them – options include local mushrooms with chermoula, garden herbs, cracked wheat & yoghurt dressing, roasted eggplant with smoked labneh, dukkah, harissa oil, coriander & parsley, and charred broccoli with mint, watercress, pomegranate, lemon oil, rough hummus & za’atar.

For breakfast, though, I couldn’t go pass the hot smoked trout ($17). Feast of Merit’s own supergrain toast is chargrilled and topped with smears of chunky hummus, strips of pickled zucchini, flaked ras el hanout hot smoked ocean trout and a soft poached egg. A sprinkling of homemade dukkah finishes the dish, of which fennel, coriander and cumin were dominant flavours, and decorated with fronds of fresh fennel. This was a meal that I would happily eat again and again. So good.

Kate and Kate (is there a plural of Kate??) ordered the locally foraged mushrooms ($17), where grilled supergrain toast is topped with a thick layer of fresh ricotta, parsely, coriander and lemon, then served with tender, warm (and massive!) mushrooms and a poached egg. Flavoured with spices and sweet paprika, the mushrooms had a note of heat to them, matched by the refreshing and cooling ricotta and lemon. Another hit dish, in our opinion.

What we saw of Feast of Merit made us want to return as soon as possible. For more brunch (would happily eat those trout and mushrooms dishes again), for lunch (those salads!) and for dinner, which looks just as innovative as the daytime menu. A relaxed, charming atmosphere and fit-out, plus healthy, filling food absolutely bursting with flavour and unique to Feast of Merit is a winning combination.

Rating: 8/10
Don’t miss: the breakfast mushrooms
Features: breakfast menu, selection of salads and protein of lunch menu, and full dinner menu.

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