Tenpin

Tenpin is a vibrant new restaurant and bar offering contemporary South East Asian cuisine, served up alongside picturesque ocean views on Port Melbourne's Beach Street.

Crafted from what was previously a rundown two-storey space, hospitality gurus Nick Savage, Lyndal Barnes and Matt Thurley have teamed up with Executive Chef Ashley Richey (Mr Lawrence, Chin Chin, Mecca Bah) to realise a modern, inviting dining venue focussed on Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian fare. The name Tenpin was inspired by old Mentone Tenpin Bowling Club signage found onsite during renovations. 

To start, we loved the shredded chicken and mint salad with broken rice cake, pomelo, sweet fish sauce and coconut - balanced, flavoursome and fresh. 

The steamed fish fillet with XO, ginger and spring onion broth was a standout. This dish is a subtle knockout, with cleverly assembled layers of flavour - highly recommended. For feel good factor, it is hard to look past the mild coconut chicken curry with kaffir lime, lemongrass, sweet potato and sugar snaps. Creamy and delicious, you'll want to lap up every last bit with some roti bread. 

Desserts show modern techniques melded with traditional Asian flavours. The spiced coconut cake trifle with passionfruit curd, sugar bananas and peanut caramel is unsurprisingly delicious. But, the humbly named fruit salad steals the show. Steer clear if you want a traditional fruit salad, because this "fruit salad" is made up of layers of coconut jelly and coconut cream combined masterfully with tiny cubes of tropical fruit and drizzled with lime syrup - definitely one to bring a smile to your face. 

The Tenpin team has created a lively atmosphere where you can indulge in feel good food, drinks from the well crafted wine and Asian-inspired cocktail lists and watch the sun set over the bay. Lovely. 

Location: 67 Beach Street, Port Melbourne
Phone: 03 9041 3211
Link: tenpinkitchen.com.au
Cuisine: South East Asian