First Taste (Box Hill)
604 Station Street, Box Hill
03 9890 8788
Chinese
$
Food
- Preserved Cabbage And Pork Mince Clay Pot With Rice
- Salted Fish And Pork Mince Clay Pot With Rice
The Good
Served in a traditional clay pot, flipping open the lid unveiled a piping hot patty of perfectly round mince meat. Cutting it open reveals a perfectly cooked and seasoned patty that gave a nice bouncy feedback with each bite. Hidden underneath the thick patty was a generous amount of rice, and of course the rice had the signature charring clung onto the sides of the clay pot. Crunchy and fragrant, the rice was complemented exceedingly well by the flavourful juices from the patty, and of course a tad of sweet soy sauce.
For a more authentic experience, I opted for one that contained Chinese anchovies. Flavourful and a tad pungent, this provided additional complexity in flavour to the already delicious meat patty.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Their menu at the window definitely needs updating, especially to reflect the price hikes. That being said, it was still reasonably priced and still a decent cheap feed in my books.
The Verdict
While the fitout and decor of the restaurant left a lot to be desired, the clay pot rice here were simply unbeatable and was undoubtedly the best I've has outside of Hong Kong. Simple, traditional food done well is a rarity these days.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Absolutely. Authentic Hong Kong food done well. I definitely can't say no to more of that.