Looking for a night out bursting with umami? These are the five venues you need to hit.
They call it ‘umami’ in Japan, but travel a little further south, perhaps to Indonesia, and you’ll encounter ‘gurih’, or ‘dam da’ in Thailand. In any case, if you somehow haven’t heard of it yet, you’ve definitely tasted it. This fifth flavour (sweet, salty, sour and bitter are the others) is a hallmark of South-East Asian cuisine. Described as savoury or meaty, nothing gets the mouth watering or stomach growling quite like it. It’s what makes mushrooms, grilled meat and even Vegemite so damn delicious. It’s pivotal to South-East Asian cooking, but it’s also made its way into menu vernacular all over the world.
While you can’t get any better than being in South-East Asia, we give it a good crack here in Australia with some outstanding restaurants and bars across the country. Melbourne in particular has some stellar options, whether that be a bar or a restaurant. You’ll find them on fourth-floor blocks, in basement-level bars, and tucked into city laneways serving delicious snacks and fusion-styled mains, all rich and full of umami. So, if you’re in Melbourne for the weekend, the week, or are already a resident, try some of these truly yum bars and restaurants with deliciously South-East Asian food and drink.
For Chinese-influenced Thai fare, look no further than the scrumptious Dessous (left). Headed up by Thai-born chef Dan Sawansak, his varied dishes combine his Thai upbringing with French cooking techniques, Asian cooking utensils and Spanish flavours. It’s eclectic and it’s brilliant, all served in the historic Richard Allen & Son building.
Meanwhile Her’s level-three restaurant, BKK, serves up Thai barbecue that is literally finger-lickin’ good. Think meat on skewers, wok-tossed noodles and hearty curries. Serai is all about traditional Filipino food, reimagined by owner and head chef Ross Magnaye. Best of all? It’s cooked over a woodfire grill.
