RedBean Kitchen, Burwood by Big Fil

It was Saturday night and a few friends had recently returned from overseas so we decided to go out for dinner. We are all fans of Malaysian food (one of us is from Sabah) so we decided to try Red Bean Kitchen, a suburban Chinese Malaysian restaurant located in Hawthorn.

The first dish served was the Rojak. This is a fruit and vegetable based salad with a strong, belacan (shrimp paste) based sauce. One of us has been here several times before and apparently it is really popular at Red Bean so we pre-ordered it when booking the table. The Rojak here isn't bad, although I would have preferred it with more fruit to make it a bit tarter in taste.


I know fish head is a real favourite of my Malaysian friends but it was something I'd never tried before. The choice was between the Curry and Assam Fish Heads, and we went with the Assam. Assam dishes are made using tamarind juice, giving it a slightly sour taste.


I loved the look of this dish, with its bright orange colouring. I think eating the fish heads is an acquired skill though. The ratio of small bones to meat is pretty high, making it a little tricky for a novice like myself to eat the meat without swallowing the bones. Interesting to try, but not sure that it's something I'd order regularly.


I am a huge fan of Char Kway Teoh, but the one at Red Bean was a bit disappointing. The noodles were slightly gluggy, the prawns few and small. The dish as a whole had uniform taste and consistency. Not sure what it is with this dish, but few Melbourne restaurants seem to get it quite right.


To me the dish of the night was the soft shell crab. Good example of a great dish. Last dish to be served, first dish to be finished. I could happily have eaten the whole plate of this by myself (although I think my companions would have been less than happy).

Of the other mains on the menu, the next table ordered a sizzling beef dish which looked good and which I will certainly try in the future.


The sago pudding came as either a hot or cold desert. A big tick for this, as I prefer it warm but some places only serve it cold. I like the texture of the sago mixed with the flavour of the coconut and Red Bean's is a fairly typical example of this dessert.


I didn't try the Ice Kacang, but was reliably informed that it wasn't bad. I like mine with ice cream or condensed milk on top though, and this doesn't seem to be the common way of preparing it in Melbourne.

Overall
One of the better suburban Malaysian restaurants around without being at the top of the class. A nice place to eat if a little cramped, with fast and friendly service. Somewhere I would be happy to have as my local Malaysian restaurant and somewhere I will be returning to.

Verdict
Ambience - 7
Service - 8
Food - 7
Price - 7

Address
430 Burwood Road
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Tel: (03) 9815 2488