MissChu, Exhibition Street, Melbourne

MissChu is a newish Vietnamese style cafe in Melbourne.  The first MissChu is in Darlinghurst in  Sydney.  Lunch hours can get a bit hectic.  No table service here, you order your food at the counter (the outside counter).  If you do try and order from the inside counter, most times you will be directed outside, depends who is on front desk duty.


The menu is a 'tuckshop' order form.  The food is mainly Vietnamese, with a twist, but there is also steamed dumplings, char sui bao and Peking duck pancake.  


My first visit, I figured if I got there right on 12 midday, I'd beat the crowd.  No, I was just part of the crowd.  I stood at the bench to order my food, trying to look for somewhere to sit.  You have to have a table before you order your food, that's if you are eating in, first lesson learnt.  


I boldly went for Wagyu Beef Pho.  The broth was okay.  There seemed to be cooked sliced beef and uncooked beef added.  There were a few bean sprouts and some Italian basil leaves.  I'm a bit spoilt living near Footscray, where there is plenty of great pho options.  It was interesting to see MissChu's take on the pho.  I was interested to try it, but I wouldn't order it again.

Wagyu beef pho $13

To go with the soup, I ordered some deep-fried pork Hanoi spring rolls, mini versions of cha gio that I have eaten in Footscray and they were really tasty! Crunchy crispy morsels filled with pork and some cubed vegetable of some sort.  The perfect thing to have with beers after work I would think.  

Deep-fried Hanoi spring rolls (cha gio) $5

On my second visit, I opted for their twist on the Vietnamese vermicelli salad or bun.  MissChu has beef and vermicelli, chili prawn and vermicelli as well as chicken and some other options.  I toyed with the idea of getting something similar to a true Vietnamese bun, but followed my heart and ordered the vermicelli salad with shitake, enoki and shimeji mushrooms (which is a vegan dish, according to the menu).  The bowl arrived filled with vermicelli noodles, fried mushrooms, some cubes of fried tofu, some flecks of fresh chili and morsels of crunchy fried shallots.  I was a little disappointed to begin with as there were no herbs to be seen.  The beauty of this dish is it is kind of like an upside-down bun.  The bean sprouts, mint, coriander and perilla leaves are under the noodles, so as you eat you get bursts of flavour from the herbs.  At the bottom of the bowl as you finish, is the soy sauce mix that the mushrooms have been cooked in.  The chili leaves my mouth quite warm.  I would order this dish again, and again.  This was a really successful twist on the Vietnamese vermicelli salad.  

Vermicelli salad (bun) with mushrooms $12

I like the idea of this place, the fitout is simple and industrial looking.  At the bench seat, you are up close and personal as the chefs work away at the woks.  There are signs announcing that no MSG or garlic is used.  I'm not sure why the no garlic is a good thing, but there you go.  


MissChu looks like it would be a great place to meet after work for drinks and some very interesting snacks.   Of my two visits to MissChu, two of the three dishes I ordered were really, really good.  It is a great addition to Melbourne's CBD for interesting and tasty food and for meeting friends for drinks.  

MissChu
297 Exhibition Street (between Little Lonsdale and Latrobe Sts)
Melbourne 
Ph 9077 1097
Open 11am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday