Two Asian restaurants and one at home meal option for consideration.
Asian food is one of our favourites! It’s always full of flavour, filling and there’s usually more than enough of it. Whether you’re a fan of noodles, rice, or hearty broths, our top three Asian offerings are sure to put a smile on your face.
Love me so:
Love me so in Melville, is a trendy restaurant frequented by fashionable millennials and the typical Melville cool kids. Their menu is simple, tasty, and filling. Their servers are well versed and knowledgeable of the menu and are able to make great suggestions. They also have a cannas supper club which is cannabis-infused delicacies, unfortunately, these are temporarily suspended until further notice.
The restaurant décor is modern and simple and the cocktails are super delicious. I tried the candy apple daiquiri (R64) this is a really refreshing cocktail (perfect for a summer’s day) with notes of lime, apple, and strawberry. It tastes like an adult slush puppy and the presentation is really pretty too.
For starters, we tried the sweetcorn fritters (R45) with a really delicious home-made sweet chili sauce. This sauce was so delicious, I wanted to drink it as a soup. I could’ve eaten 10 of these as a main dish. Next time I’m there I’ll definitely be trying their tempura squid with wasabi mayo (R65) and their panko chicken bao buns (R55).
For mains, I had the Tonkotsu ramen noodles (R130) this is a pork broth with garlic puree, and black garlic oil, chashu pork, ramen egg, spring onion, bok choy, and nori. This meal was delicious, flavoursome, and fulling. I would definitely order it again. I was too full for dessert but I would’ve loved to have tried their chocolate wontons (R50) which is a deep-fried wonton filled with dark chocolate, toasted sesame, and maldon salt. Served with miso caramel dipping sauce.
I definitely want to go back for some of their killer cocktails, like the Lychini candy twist or the cinnamon and coconut daiquiri. The music is great and you can take a walk around the area to view cute antique shops too. Their meals are affordable, delicious and it’s a vibe! I would also be very keen to try out their cannas supper club.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovemesojozi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovemesojhb/
Saigon Suzy:
We arrived at Saigon Suzy Cedar Square on a warm summer’s evening, where we were immediately greeted by big smiles from the waitresses, maître’d, and the barman. I love the eye candy that draws you in at the entrance, the cascading fountain of bright red lanterns that lead onto the ‘I need to take a selfie there’ cherry blossom tree. The lanterns symbolise the wish for a bright future, while the red symbolises happiness.
What did we eat?
I had the orange blossom fizz cocktail and it wasn’t just refreshing and delicious it was IG-worthy too (R85) – that’s important in today’s day and age. If your items look great, your guests do some of your marketing for you. My partner and I shared a starter of bao’s (steamed buns) filled with slow-braised short rib with wasabi spring onions (R78) however we usually share the pork belly with BBQ sauce, apple, fennel, and dill slaw (R56). I’ve also had the prawn toast before which was really good (R75).
Braised short rib boaFor mains, I had a traditional Vietnamese dish, their BBQ bowls. I had the roast pork belly option, the ingredients were all fresh and delicious and the glazed pork belly added a lovely sweetness to the dish (R130). My fiancé had the Vietnamese pancake (R85) this wasn’t a traditional pancake. More like a deep-fried potato rosti with Asian mushrooms, bean sprouts, herb salad, and dipping sauce – the flavours were on point and these were both fulling meals.
Chocolate brownieWe shared the raspberry and peanut chocolate brownie with vanilla milk sorbet ice cream and popping candy (R70). Even though I had my eye on the roasted pineapple sundae with coconut and lemongrass ice cream (R62), I’ll have to try that next time.
Should you be a Whiskey Connoisseur, you may want to try the Yoichi Single Malt, imported from Japan at R325 a tot? I didn’t try this whiskey, but it sounds like a flavor journey for the ultimate whiskey drinker. Our waitress was Lisa, not only was she wearing the prettiest earrings, but she was also knowledgeable about the menu and made some great recommendations. She has an infectious love for this place which makes you fall in love with it a little bit too. I enjoyed the music and song selection and found myself bopping in my chair throughout the night and singing along to some of the lyrics – what fun. I had a great experience and I’ll be going back.
Website: https://saigonsuzy.co.za/?v=7516fd43adaa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaigonSuzyJHB
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saigonsuzyjhb/
Obento yum:
Are you a little nervous about dining out in public? Even with all the sanitiser and temperature checks? Well, lucky for you, dining in Asian style, has never tasted so good before. As we return to WFH life after the festive season, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind us to continue to support local entrepreneurs wherever possible. Especially if it means treating yourself and taking the night off to do so.
Have you been craving some authentic, traditional Asian cuisine? Well, clear out your fridge and freezer as you’re going to want to fill them up, with fresh, hearty, tasty, meals from my new favourite Asian takeaway called Obento yum.
These dishes are delivered to your door and they are quick and convenient to heat and serve. They can go straight from your freezer to your air fryer/steamer/oven. In just a matter of minutes and they are absolutely, mouth-wateringly delicious. Asian food is well-known for being rich, filling, and packed full of flavor. Obento yum does not disappoint in this regard.
With sweet, salty, and rich components to most of the dishes – you’ll be slurping your way through these saucy meals. The dishes we’ve tasted have all been perfectly balanced with proteins and carbs. My personal favourites have definitely been the Taiwanese beef noodles, the Tonkotsu chashu noodles, and the sweet and sour pork belly dishes.
The meals we tried were mainly protein and carbohydrate-based dishes. So, keep some fresh pak choi / baby corn on hand to add some veggies to your quick dishes. The protein and carbs are what take time to cook – having those on hand and pre-cooked are a real time saver.
Obento doesn’t just make frozen meals. They’re also available for catering and you can order Asian groceries from their online supermarket. Such as kewpie mayonnaise and lee hum kee plum sauce. Obento’s meals don’t just taste amazing, they’re prepared with the highest quality, locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients. The protein is super tender, the taste is well balanced and the presentation is oh-so-instagrammable.
This meal option is highly recommended for a busy family who is looking to having some quick, flavorsome meals during the week. I know I’ve always got 2-3 frozen dishes in my freezer at any point. Meals range from R58 – R135.
