Three To Try: International Asian Restaurants Open New Outposts in Melbourne’s CBD

Melbourne’s restaurant scene is world-class. But sometimes you go overseas and have a meal that’s so good, you wish you could bring it back with you. A few restaurateurs have done the next best thing, opening Melbourne outposts of stellar spots from Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam.  

Sederhana

Before Western fast-food chains entered Indonesia, nasi padang from Jakarta-born Restoran Sederhana was the place to go for a quick, cheap meal. Today, 54 years on, the homegrown chain remains the country’s favourite greasy spoon: a 2018 Roy Morgan survey found that it drew at least 4.4 million more patrons than KFC or Macca’s over the course of a year.

From the mid-’90s, Sederhana has been expanding beyond the archipelago, and the empire put down its first Australian roots on Queen Street in June, thanks to Hana Tania, an Indonesian-born restaurateur who co-owns the Melbourne outpost.

Sederhana means “simple” in Bahasa Indonesia, a nod to the no-frills cuisine of the Minangkabau ethnic group that produced nasi padang. Locations in Indonesia and Malaysia serve it the traditional Minang way: carting dishes and rice to the table in a Tetris-like stack of small, cloth-wrapped plates.

At least 25 dishes are available any time, whether by the plate, wrapped in banana leaves for takeaway, or laid out family-style. À la carte offerings like beef satay with ketupat rice cakes are made for sharing, but a slew of curries anchors Sederhana’s nasi padang options.

Six different curry bases fill the bain-maries with a gradient of warm tones. The bestseller is the beef rendang. It starts with a 20-spice paste with fragrant leaves (pandan, lime, turmeric, you name it) that’s reduced to a dry brown curry over nine hours. A number of fried or grilled Padang staples complement the saucy accompaniments. Ayam pop, a glossy skinless chicken that’s poached then fried in coconut oil, comes with a side of house-made sriracha. Plush omelettes are flecked with grated coconut, while hard-boiled eggs are stir-fried with an aromatic balado spice mix. There are also five elaborate sambal stir-fries, including one combining tempeh and anchovy.

207 Queen Street, Melbourne

Ginza Kagari

In February Ginza Kagari, the Tokyo shop that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2016 and 2017 for its tori paitan ramen (a creamy, emulsified chicken broth resembling soy milk), opened its first Australian shop on Russell Street.

Founded in 2013 by Makoto Iwata, Ginza Kagari stood out during the pork-heavy tonkotsu boom of the time, with a silky chicken broth that has since become a staple on many ramen shop menus. The broth draws on Iwata’s specialty in mizutaki – a refined chicken hotpot that demands patience, clarity and depth – and feels closer to French potage than street food.

Kagari was brought to Australia by Adelaide-based William Foo, who spent two years working on the project with Iwata. The signature soup base is still produced in Japan using soft mountain spring water and fresh chicken processed within 24 hours. It’s then shipped to Melbourne under strict quality control. The signature tori paitan anchors the offering. It’s topped with tender slices of chicken and a selection of seasonal vegetables arranged meticulously. Variations include a version finished with truffle sauce, a clear anchovy niboshi soup for something lighter, and a dry mazesoba (a brothless ramen) that uses thicker noodles. Spring onion oil, chilli powder, vinegar and black pepper are available for individual customisation.

There’s also a final flourish. To extend the dish, you can order a bowl of rice topped with raw egg to mix through the remaining soup at the end of the bowl. Rounding out the menu, there’s Asahi on tap alongside highballs and sours.

256 Russell Street, Melbourne

Pho Bat Dan

Husband and wife Nguyen Lam and Duyen Le Ky brought 40-year-old Hanoi eatery Pho Thin to Melbourne in 2018. Earlier this month, they opened the first outpost of Pho Gia Truyen, a beloved 76-year-old pho shop in Hanoi that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Rather than keep the same name, the Lonsdale Street location has adopted the moniker Pho Bat Dan. It’s the nickname Hanoi locals use for the original shop due to its address in the Hanoi Old Quarter: 49 Bat Dan Street.

The name might be different, but the pho recipe comes straight from the source. The northern-style broth is made by simmering beef bones, brisket and ginger overnight. The team is particular about ingredients. Only mature ginger knobs are used, and Lam and Le Ky went to great lengths to get the brisket right, showing their butcher how to cut the meat the same way people in Vietnam do.

The same attention to detail goes into the rice noodles, which Le Ky, Lam and Pho Gia Truyen owner Nguyen Xuan Thang developed together with a supplier. They’re cut thin, like at Pho Thin, but with a higher ratio of rice to water, producing silkier, more opaque strands unique to Pho Bat Dan. 

In addition to beef pho, there’s earthy, coriander-root-forward chicken pho and a vegetarian version made with carrots, white radishes, dried mushrooms and celery root. House-made condiments accompany each bowl: fermented chilli, pickled garlic or chilli oil.

The menu also branches out into the spicier bun bo hue, which sees the pho broth infused with lemongrass and chillies, and bowls topped with extras like shrimp paste, beef gravy, pork loaf, beef shank and beef tendon. Plus, there are sides including fried Hanoi-style seafood spring rolls, which see a sweet-potato-infused rice paper wrapper filled with a medley of minced crab, prawns and mushrooms. 

197 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Additional reporting by Harvard Wang and Haymun Win.