12's

12's is the new kid on the Camberwell Road food scene and a realisation of passionate owner Jack Kwan's food aspirations.

The restaurant's strengths lie in its Chinese BBQ meats. This focus sets it apart from the current modern Asian offerings in Melbourne which are firmly focussed on South East Asian cuisine. 

Owner Jack learnt the art of Chinese meat roasting in Hong Kong, guaranteeing the perfect Chinese BBQ comes out of his kitchen each time. Jack's love of wine translates into an interesting and extremely well priced wine list featuring a selection to suit most tastes.

Our evening commenced with a tasting plate of various items from the sharing section of the menu. The gold sticker pan fried dumplings with crispy flake was a winner. The gingery juicy meat nestled within the soft pastry skins was tender and boasted a lovely flavour with just the right amount of seasoning. The large "crispy flake" base added the lovely textural element which makes pot sticker dumplings so popular.

The pork collar salad boasted beautifully grilled and aromatic lemon grass pork collar with rice noodles and fresh salad all tossed in a South East Asian inspired lime juice dressing. Just beautiful.

Our final and favourite dish of the evening was the Roast "Pipa" duck leg marinated in homemade BBQ hoisin sauce served with fried noodles and horenso (spinach salad with sesame dressing). The slices of duck breast were cooked to perfection and showcased authentic Chinese BBQ flavours. The crispy noodles were a great accompaniment to slurp up all the flavours while the horenso added a wonderful touch of umami.

12’s offers an exciting new concept to Camberwell Road's dining scene with a dining area and beer garden that is perfect for enjoying the good life.

Location: 207 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East
Phone: 03 8658 3519
Link: http://12s.com.au/
Cuisine: Modern Asian