His Australian fans know him as the man behind the deliciousness at Mr Wong, one of Sydney’s favourite Cantonese restaurants. Further afield, he’s celebrated for his work at Hong Kong restaurant Ho Lee Fook. Now, in news that augurs very well for the immediate future of Melbourne’s proud dining landscape, Jowett Yu is officially a Melburnian.
Sharpening the cleaver ahead of his new gig at the Merivale Group’s upcoming Tomasetti House project, here’s Yu with how he Melbournes.
I know I’m in Melbourne when there’s a statue of David next to me and in the corner a Colosseum; on the table a schooner of Carlton Draught and a chicken parma. There’s nowhere else in the world where I can have all of those things in one place other than the Moreland Hotel in Brunswick – I think I’ve truly arrived.
In the mornings you’ll find me riding my road bike through Yarra Boulevard or Eaglemont. On the weekends, probably riding through the rolling hills of Yarra Valley. Melbourne is blessed with a decent cycling path network with good connectivity and a big community of cyclists, whether for sports, leisure, or commuting.
My local is the Royal Oak Hotel. I love sitting outside on the street soaking in the sun, enjoying a glass of wine with freshly shucked oysters.
My defining food moment in Melbourne was sitting on the street at Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel eating one of the greatest dishes of all time: the Pierre Koffmann pig’s trotters stuffed with veal sweetbreads and pomme purée. There aren’t many chefs in Australia that do this dish – certainly not in a pub in a lively bohemian neighbourhood. Count your blessings!
When I want to show the city off to friends from out of town, I like to have a stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens, where every part of the ground is carefully manicured and curated. Then walk along the Yarra looking at the city backdrop, followed by an afternoon at the National Gallery of Victoria. These are some of the best free experiences this glorious city has to offer and this is where I truly can see the tax dollar going to good places.
My favourite place to stock up on supplies is Preston Market! I live in the area, and it’s truly the centre of the neighbourhood, serving as the integral third space for the community to connect. You can get great quality seafood, butchery, deli goods and Asian produce all under the same roof. Don’t skip Julie’s Cafe for excellent country fried chicken and Joy Jaune for burnt Basque cheesecake.
The best new thing I’ve found is Warburton. And the Alpine Hotel, Tommy Finn’s Trout Farm and the surrounding hills! There’s a well-paved gravel bike trail from Lilydale to Warburton, and it connects you to the Alpine Hotel for a well-earned pint and lunch. The area is a mecca for cycling and the famous Mount Donna Buang climb, which rises through lush rainforest. They’re also building 160km of mountain bike trails in the surrounding hills, with the aim of promoting cycle tourism in the region.
When I want to go all out on a special meal, I like to order some live lobster or mud crab stir-fried with ginger and spring onions over egg noodles at Supreme J Kitchen in Balwyn. The classic Cantonese cooking here is well-executed, and the restaurant is always heaving with Chinese families. I also love to BYO to go with the occasion.
When I want to drink something Victorian, my first choice is… Not too long ago at Firepop restaurant in Sydney I was introduced to a nebbiolo from Pipan Steel Wines just outside Beechworth. It was quite remarkable and had a very similar expression to cool-climate alpine nebbiolo from the Valtellina region of Lombardy. A pleasant surprise.
There’s no better value in Melbourne than the house-special mixed four-ham roll at Minh Duc Bakery in Richmond. They open at 7.15am and sometimes on the way home from my bike ride I’ll stop by for a banh mi. Sitting in the park with tiger-lace bread rolls warm from the oven with freshly fried cha lua as the sun rises sparks tremendous joy.
If I could change one thing about eating and drinking here it would be making getting a coffee past 3pm less of a challenge. There are times where I could use a caffeine hit late in the afternoon, but most cafes have switched off their machines by 2.30.
But the one thing I hope never changes in Melbourne is keeping the real estate prices in check so small independent operators doing creative and interesting food can survive.
Follow Jowett Yu’s adventures at @thejowski