Review: Hot Star Taiwanese Fried Chicken | Gong Cha

 Hot Star Taiwanese Fried Chicken

Taiwanese fried chicken, Hot Star, is the latest trend in fried chicken which is sweeping through Asia. And now, it’s in Melbourne.

With lines all the way to the road at its 233 Swanston St store, the team from Hot Star have now opened up a second Hot Star venue at 429 Elizabeth Street.

Hot Star’s  delicious 250 gram hand cut pieces of real chicken breast that are thirty centimetres in length ensure that they are being mobbed by crowds daily.

Established in 1992 by Mr. Wang in the famous Taiwanese Shilin Night Market, Hot Star is unique for several different reasons, one of which is the special cross section slice, which includes the chicken breast bone. Cooking the meat on the bone ensures the chicken is tender, juicy and distinctly flavoursome. 

Most importantly, Hot Star is fried to order; this takes five and a half to six minutes but ensures a succulent, golden brown and delicious end result. The entire chicken breast is served whole in a bag and finished off with salt and pepper and a spicy chilli seasoning.

Left: Taiwanese fried thumb bite pieces with basil and sichuan pepper salt
Right: Hand cut sweet potato chips with a tangy Plum Salt

The Hot Star menu also includes unique vegetarian offerings, including deep fried oyster mushrooms, and hand cut sweet potato chips.

A classic example of one item done impeccably well without compromise, Hot Star has indeed found a new home in Melbourne with foodies queuing up on a daily basis for their crispy chicken fix. 

Gong Cha

Gong Cha is the fastest growing tea brand in Asia and aims to provide the best quality tea and beverages to its customers (and the perfect accompaniment to your Hot Star Taiwanese Fried Chicken!)

What differentiates Gong Cha from other bubble tea outlets is the use of high quality, fresh ingredients such as fresh Taiwanese tea leaves and real, not powdered, milk. Gong Cha also allows you to customise your drink by adjusting the level of sweetness and quantity of ice. All their tea is freshly brewed daily at each respective outlet.

Their taro milk tea is particularly good. It tastes very natural and the bits of creamy taro are absolutely delicious and add a nice textural element to the drink.  

Gong Cha and Hot Star are located next to each other in the following 2 locations:
 

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Hot Star and Gong Cha.

Mr Earl Tea

Introducing Mr Earl… a self-professed tea addict who’ll go as far to say that tea’s not just a drink, it’s a religion. 

Mr Earl is a tea subscription which provides a service where Aussie tea lovers can sample, expand their knowledge of and conveniently purchase premium tea from Australia and New Zealand’s finest tea brands.

There are three different subscriptions options: one, three or six months ($20, $45 or $78). As a subscriber, you will sample three different varieties of specialty teas which are delivered to your door each month. 

Each box contains 50 grams of tea and an information card which explains what you’re drinking, its origin and the precise brewing instructions for the perfect cup. 

After sampling the teas you can hop online to rate and review the teas you’ve tried and purchase your favourites in full size. The website also provides some interesting reads, interviews with tea experts, a peek in the celebrity tea cupboards, designer tea ware finds and snaps of café fashion. 

Gastrology blogger received a sample subscription courtesy of Mr Earl.

Product Review: Kenko Tea’s Matcha

Kenko Tea is a Melbourne-based, online retailer of high quality matcha teas and equipment. On a mission to bring top quality matcha green tea powder and accessories to Australia, their philosophy is simple - importing only the finest grades of matcha green tea available. 

Kenko Tea’s Premium Green Tea Matcha is pure and simple. We simply adored it. Intensely flavoured with a subtle sweetness, Kenko Tea’s matcha has a slight bitterness and a clear umami aftertaste. The tea certainly announces its presence on your taste buds. 

Matcha’s unique characteristics set it apart from traditional green tea. There is also an incredible array of health benefits associated with drinking matcha. As matcha is produced from the entire tea leaf, ground up (as opposed to being made from the liquid by steeping the leaves), the antioxidant and health benefits increase exponentially when compared to standard green teas. It also contains amino acids that naturally enhance your mood. 

Apart from making a delicious cup of tea, there is a whole lot more you can make with matcha especially when it comes to desserts. We made some steamed matcha cakes from Kenko Tea’s Cooking Grade Matcha Tea Powder...

Steamed Matcha Cake Recipe

Makes 12 cakes

Ingredients

2 large eggs 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons greek yoghurt

3 tablespoons icing sugar

1/2 cup of self raising flour

3 teaspoon Kenko Tea’s Cooking Grade Matcha Tea Powder

Steps

1. Prepare a bamboo steamer or any other preferred steamer.
2. Whisk the egg and oil until combined.
3. Add honey and yoghurt into the mixture and mix well.
4. Mix sugar into the mixture and mix well.
5. Add flour into the mixture and stir thoroughly.
6. Fold in the matcha until the powder is thoroughly mixed into the mixture.
7. Pour the mixture into 12 silicon cupcake moulds.
8. Make sure the water is boiling and put the moulds that have been filled with the mixture in the steamer and cover the lid. 
9. Steam for 12 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Gastrology received the Premium Green Tea Matcha and Cooking Grade Matcha Tea Powder courtesy of Kenko Tea.