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.

Restaurant Review: Oriental Tea House

Locations: 4 (see below for details)
Link: http://www.orientalteahouse.com.au/
Cuisine: Chinese, Tea, Yum Cha
Overall Impression: 7.5/10

Oriental Tea House is one of Melbourne's most highly regarded premier tea and yum cha destination.

Remaining loyal to traditional dumplings and tea, Oriental Tea House is one of J and I’s favourite Melbourne tea and yum cha haunts. 

It’s a great place to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - eating tiny delicious morsels of different foods while sipping some freshly brewed Chinese tea. 

Open 7 days a week, Oriental Tea House’s fresh, handmade dumplings and dim sum and wide selection of teas (which are sourced from high quality growers) are a delight!

Fire in the Bowl @ Oriental Tea House

Location: Gd 068/69 Melbourne Central Shopping Centre (Enter via Elizabeth St. entrance)
Phone: 03 9066 0207
Link: http://www.orientalteahouse.com.au/
Cuisine: Chinese

What has three serves of dumplings, sweet potato noodles, tofu skin, cabbage, pieces of chicken and fish and A TONNE of chilli and peppers…?

It’s Oriental Teahouse’s aptly named 'Fire in the Bowl’!

Peach Melba ice tea - to help us handle the heat

Calm & Concentration tea - to calm us down after the fiery experience

After the recent launch of Fire in the Bowl, Gastrology bloggers experienced the theatre of this truly hot pot and tested our spice tolerance a couple of days ago at Oriental Teahouse in Melbourne Central. 

Costing a mere $12.50 for a generous *hot* pot, you get to choose from three levels of heat – mild, medium or spicy! 

The hot pots are very tasty but be warned, the hua jiao (Szechuan Pepper) is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Fire in the Bowl is certainly all you would expect from an authentic Szechuan Hot Pot and we couldn’t help but go back for more!

 

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Oriental Tea House