Whenever I feel a bit blah, I often seek the aid of the comfort food of my childhood, which can mean a craving for soup noodles.
However, I’m not very adventurous when it comes to trying cheap-and-cheerful Asian restaurants unless they come with a recommendation – so one lunch hour I popped onto twitter with the following message:
“Need soup noodles. But can’t go to Ramen Ya for the 3rd time this week! Any other CBD suggestions?”
Wow! Quick as a flash, I had five suggestions and so I’m going to start a little ad hoc series called Soup Noodles in the CBD. First up, The Grand BBQ.
I’ve actually walked past The Grand BBQ numerous times as it’s located in the Target Centre, but I’ve dismissed it previously as another food-court-chop-suey kind of establishment.
How wrong. While the large menu of noodles and rice dishes is still order-by-number, it’s heartening to see that their barbeque pork and roast meats are all strung up on metal hooks for inspection and display. At lunch time the pace was fast and furious as noodles and accompaniments were cooked to order, so you know your food hasn’t been stewing in a bain-marie.
The seated space is small and crowded and the restaurant also does a busy line in takeaway, and I’d say that the number of people eating The Grand BBQ easily outnumbers all the other establishments in the food court. I also love visiting the kind of places where people from all walks of life are enjoying the kind of food that I grew up with – on the day I was there the place was packed with Asian students, pinstriped office workers, inter-racial couples and rather a glamorously dressed middle-aged woman out shopping for the day.
As for my egg noodles with barbecue pork and roast duck ($9.80), I’d say it was worth recommending but not amazing. On the positives, the barbecue pork was lean, the clear broth soup was flavoursome without being overly salty and the serving size was generous. On the other hand, I found the noodles soaked a little too soft for my liking and the roast duck skin was overly chewy.
For more reviews of The Grand BBQ, check out My Food Trail and Delishaz. Seems yong tau food (stuffed beancurd) is the thing to try!
- The Grand BBQ, Shop 6, Target Centre, 236 Bourke St, Melbourne +61 3 9639 7228
You went to try it!
The thing to try is definitely their yong tau foo (the pick your own selection at the front counter) with your choice of soup. If you get the clear broth, you have to try their homemade chilli, It’s awesome! Not spicy, but really tasty.
You have made me have a craving for soup noodles now! Looking forward to your other posts!
Twitter: myfoodtrail
| June 21, 2010, 9:10 am
Hi April
Thanks – I did return the week after for yong tau foo with clear chicken broth and chilli sauce, as suggested. Very very delicious and filling too for $10 (I had the rice noodles). I will definitely be returning for more noodle soup goodness.
Jetsetting Joyce
FWIW I can’t walk past Menya Ramen without trying to get in. The simple pork ramen or the prawn-and-pork gyoza ramen are just as good as it gets (to the taste of this old skip anyway…) Marinaded meat and silky fresh noodles. Mmmm…
Hi Zardoz
You might be interested in reading a Ramen tasting session that my fellow food bloggers undertook recently – Menya Ramen was marked mid-range compared to some other places. http://jeroxie.com/addiction/where-is-the-best-ramen-in-melbourne-cbd
Jetsetting Joyce
The yong tau fu laksa is what I usually order. You have so many choices in the CBD… totally envious!
Twitter: jeroxie
| June 27, 2010, 10:52 pm
Mmmm…mouthwatering Noodles!
Thanks!!!
Hi there, anybody knows or can share me a Beef Ramen recipe
So hungry….that’s why I cameback here
Coming to Melbourne for first time … looking for the best “local” eateries to check out. Thanks for this website – has been very helpful in making plans. And I can’t wait to get a taste!
Wow, these are my favorite back at home. Is this a chinese restaurant? Barbeque Pork and Roasted Duck, I love to have them with rice. This post is making me drool! My aunty lives in Melbourne and so I will ask her to check you out. Do you serve Roasted Duck drumsticks?
9.80 for that in melbs is a steal. i dont care what anyone says.
Yeah pork looks really lean, nice .