[Travel Melbourne] State Library Victoria, Lunch at Pho Thin and Gelato at Piccolina

steps leading to State Library Victoria

gull

Went to eat grab pho after the visit to State Library.

 

signage

lunch hour

small spaces

The shop was busy as it was lunch hour and we waited for about 15 mins for a table. Scan the QR code to order. I got myself the fatty brisket while Hence got the non-fatty version. 

The brisket slices retained quite a bit of chew and the soup was certainly comforting on a cold day. The noodles were softer than expected and pretty similar to hor fun.

fatty brisket @AUD16.50

softer than expected

fatty, indeed

plenty of greens

There's still water from the dispenser, and cutleries self-service from the counter.

fried donut (cute looking doughstick) 

pickled garlic slices

Pho Tin has another shop opposite the one that we dined in.

Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc MELBOURNE

Address: Shop 3/399 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Website: https://www.foodbooking.com/ordering/restaurant/menu?restaurant_uid=3336ba80-9783-40f2-977a-d49fbb815e7d

Business Hours:

Daily: 10:30 am–8:30 pm

We saw the gelato shop during the daytime but only Ivan had space in his stomach for some. Then, we returned at night for some more!

time for some sweets

guess which flavour I got

stracciatella and pistachio (double)

Staff said I made a good choice when I wanted the pistachio and stracciatella. Didn't know what's a stracciatella and thought it could be some sort of cheese  but it turned out to be vanilla with some choco bits in it. The gelato was really good and I enjoyed it. Double scoop was a good value too!

Piccolina Gelateria

Address: 43 Hardware Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Website: https://www.piccolinagelateria.com.au/shop

Business Hours:

Daily: 12–11 pm

[Melbourne 2022] Ling Nan Restaurant 国利酒家 @ Lonsdale St

Was there for supper after our Harry Potter show at Princess Theatre. The show was from 7pm to 1030pm, and we walked from Spring St to Lonsdale St thereafter.

The restaurant was surprisingly bustling with activities. We got a table and observed what the rest were having. Porridge looked good, as well as clams.

Clams cooked in XO Sauce

Our order arrived within minutes. Chef must have mad wok skills here! The clams tasted good and it was pretty spicy!

We discovered that the porridge here comes in 2 sizes. Small or large. The staff informed us that small has 2 servings while large will yield around 6 serves. We decided to go with small, and was amused when the youtiao 油条 (fried cruellers) is of a large plate.

Chinese Donut

Beef Porridge

Am happy with the beef porridge. Well cooked grains, flavourful, smooth and enjoyable with tender beef slices. Yums! To elevate the porridge, simply drizzle a bit of the XO sauce from the clams dish. Double yums!

We had a plate of morning glory as well done ala stir fried with fermented beancurd sauce. But beware as there was plenty of cut chilies thrown in there as well. Fiery!

tofu with salted fish

The tofu with salted fish dish was good with rice. Every bite makes you want to take another and another...

The best dish for the night, was deep fried pork spare ribs with salt and chili. Tender meat fried till golden brown, seasoned perfectly and just lips smacking good.

Deep Fried Pork Spare Ribs with Salt and Chilies

Service staff was efficient and they were helpful in clearing off the bowl with clam shells, even without us asking. Our tea was also regularly topped up.

Busy place, nice staff and good food. We spent around AUD150 for our supper. We were there for only 45 minutes...  Payment at the counter, after your meal.

Ling Nan Restaurant 国利酒家

Address: 207 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Contact: +61 435 954 828

Business Hours:

Closed on Tues.

Mon - Sun:  5pm–1:30am