Gingerboy Brings Modern Cuisine
Gingerboy is a popular restaurant featuring acclaimed chef Teague Ezard that brings modern Asian flavours and cuisine to Melbourne and is one of the best restaurants in Chinatown and Melbourne. Here you will find inventiveness, freshness and flair with a sophisticated ambience.
To be honest I am writing this article after having visited some months ago, but I was highly impressed (and intend to visit again soon for an update). Gingerboy is one of the best restaurants in Chinatown for sure, and is the favourite of many of my foodie friends when it comes to Asian flavours with finesse (if I can be so general).
Gingerboy is not a grungy restaurant in Chinatown but a modern upmarket fit out makes it the place for your date, as well as for general dining. The bamboo ceiling catches the eye, as does the red themes and romantic lighting. Come here for an intimate style lunch or dinner; while I was at Gingerboy I spotted several couples seemingly in locked engagement.
Gingerboy serves up some delectable Braised duck spring rolls. My visit for lunch included spring rolls and dumplings - simple I know, but I intend to return soon.
Some time ago I enjoyed Wagyu dumplings; I see the menu has changed and the prawn and ginger dumplings look amazing. Ever evolving.
Gingerboy offers choice; start with Snack and street food and then move on to larger Shared dishes. Street dishes include salt and pepper oysters, shredded iceberg and prik nam pla (3 pieces) or try son in law eggs, chilli jam and asian herbs (3 pieces), or even prawn and ginger dumplings, peanut chilli soy (3 pieces).
Also tempting are the seared hervey bay scallops, edamame puree, black bean dressing (3 pieces) and the grilled wagyu in la lot leaves, sour chilli vinegar (3 pieces).
Sesame crusted swordfish tataki, avocado, garlic chips, shiso-wasabi dressing also feature, as well as roast pork belly, steamed buns, pickled cucumber, chilli sauce (3 pieces), and hot and sour smoked ocean trout, banana blossom salad, roasted shrimp dressing.
Tempting are the salt and pepper chicken spare ribs, tamarind hot sauce, and the tempura chilli salt cuttlefish, lemon and roasted sesame.
Also check out the crying tiger beef salad, roasted rice, cherry tomato, young coconut and coriander, the steamed pork and garlic chive dumplings, with szechuan-chilli dressing (3 pieces), as well as braised duck spring rolls, spiced hoi sin dressing (3 pieces).
An attractive option is sticky tamarind pork, lettuce cups and crisp shallots.
The Shared dishes include prik khing curry of local autumn vegetables, coconut, toasted cashews and thai basil, as well as deep fried silken tofu, black bean-chilli soy, crispy asian coleslaw, or try the spiced yellow rice, chicken, prawns, cherry tomato, chilli, garlic and fried egg.
Great variety here for all tastes with whole fried baby snapper, mandarin caramel, pickled ginger salad, five spice salt, as well as sweet and sour pork belly, pomelo, chilli peanuts, asian herbs.
Or try the crisp fried coconut chicken, dry green curry and green tomato sambal, or the red duck leg curry, thai basil and coconut cream.
Tempting is the wagyu beef MS7, black pepper chilli sauce, asparagus and soba noodles, as well as the slow cooked beef brisket, hot and sour sauce, fried taro and lotus root salad all shared dishes are accompanied with steamed jasmine rice.
This is about modern cuisine with a twist using fresh Australian produce. It really is the complete experience, with the ambience of modernity and a laneway vibe the perfect backdrop for the funky cuisine.
Gingerboy is essentially celebrating Asian hawker style street food. In my opinion Gingerboy has been a trendsetter, with a few others now "glamming up" street food in Melbourne.
This has been a highly acclaimed consistently excellent restaurant for some time, which should be applauded.
