‘Although Mum was proud of me, I think she also saw me as a bit of competition’ … Louis Kuo, chef and co-owner of Kitchen Republik in Melbourne.‘Although Mum was proud of me, I think she also saw me as a bit of competition’ … Louis Kuo, chef and co-owner of Kitchen Republik in Melbourne.At Kitchen Republik in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, the savoury soy milk, beef-filled pancakes and fried buns are top orders.
The extensive menu includes breakfast dishes such as thick toast and congee, noodles, bian dang and shaved ice desserts. Ordering is simple. Each menu item has a number: jot down the numbers of your desired menu items on the supplied notepad. Staff snap it up and make it happen – and fast. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning
Xiao long bao, pork dumplings with a squirt of broth inside, are glammed up with sleek truffle-flavoured skins. They’re extremely popular, says Kuo. “The Taiwanese versions are smaller than the Shanghai ones, but they still maintain that juiciness. It took our chefs between three and six months to learn how to master these.”