Since my friend Steph’s return from China, we have made a bit of a habit of catching up for lunch once a week. This week we went semi-cheap and just made avocado-ey toasty goodness at home (accompanied by some cupcakes, which I will hopefully blog about at a future time that doesn’t involve me dropping them on the footpath thirty seconds after Steph had carefully transported them from Fitzroy), but I still have another week’s eating excitement up my sleeve. I frequently meet pals in Melbourne Central (have I mentioned my love for this place? I mean, it is sadly bereft of kids’ clothing stores, but not everywhere can accommodate my every need I GUESS) but have yet to try everywhere, though I am doing my best. And a recent happy discovery was Chillipadi.
The Rocket had fallen asleep in her Baby Bjorn (did you know that they were invented by Bjorn Borg? I did NOT until very recently, thanks to my friend Katy) before we arrived which seemed like a godsend until shortly after our food arrived. The food was great but do you know what is ridiculous? Eating laksa over a sleeping baby’s head. It is a glorious food, but it is a splashy food. It is designed for slurping over the bowl, not delicately eating (with a FORK, ugh) over your daughter’s lovely skin without getting soup on her. Anyway, I got soup on her, and on her clothes and also me. But she was cool with it.
So we got chips with shichimi salt, a vegetable laksa each, and Steph had a virgin cocktail (the Hello Kitty, I think?) while I ordered something that I remember, vaguely, as being Ribena with lychees. The first few sips made me think EEK TOO SWEET, then mysteriously, after eating the spicy laksa, it was suddenly WHOA PERFECT SWEETNESS. The laksa was pretty good–not Laksa King good, but as that is the King, I guess there isn’t much hope for anyone else–with stacks of noodles and vegetables but not enough tofu, WHY IS THERE NEVER ENOUGH TOFU*. But I would (and will) happily get it again, this time hopefully while the Rocket stays awake and sits next to me very quietly with her hands folded in her lap, so that I can eat it properly with slurps. But let us talk about the chips. I think we can all agree that the chip winner in the Skinny and Interesting category** is Trippy Taco’s trippy fries, all paprika and smokey goodness. Well, we have a contender now in these shichimi salted fries, and while I don’t know what shichimi salt is (magic, presumably) I will eat it gladly because it nudges ahead in the category by being more conveniently located. These are GLORIOUS.
All in all, two thumbs up, would nom again. The service was smooth and friendly about the Rocket, even recommending we didn’t go upstairs as intended because it was loud and might wake her up. As it’s part of Melbourne Central, it’s on a flat surface (though gets squishy inside, however there is outdoor seating as well) and the toilets are just around the corner.
Chillipadi
Melbourne Central
Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne
9663 5688
* I KNOW there are those of you snickering about tofu. When it is done badly, or eaten straight from the packet, it obviously sucks. When it is made properly, it is a beautiful thing. DEAL WITH IT.
**current winner in the Fat Chips category is Gasometer, but I haven’t been there for ages due to lengthy waits so, what are your favourite Fat Chip locations?
