Where to eat in the early evening before seeing the Melbourne production of the musical Hamilton?
This was today’s first world problem during my travels here in Australia. I’m now back from the wilderness (literally) for a few days to sample the cosmopolitan city life.
Handily, the city’s theatre district is close to Chinatown, which opened up a number of possibilities. A recommendation from my son (who is resident here), supported by a number of very positive online reviews, led us to Mr Ramen San.
I hadn’t really heard of Ramen before, but I now know it is a Japanese dish consisting of wheat noodles in broth, served with various meat or vegetable toppings. I opted for spicy chicken ramen, which came with toppings of spring onion, beansprouts, cabbage, seaweed and half a boiled egg (see my main photo).
I understand this may not sound the most tempting dish you’ve ever encountered, but take it from me – it was actually very tasty.
Given where we are in the world, it’s no surprise that Melbourne has sizable communities originating from all over south-eastern Asia. I believe this began with the discovery of gold in the mid-nineteenth century, when many Chinese in particular came here to join the prospectors. More recently, many others have followed, and Chinatown has grown up as a haven for not just Chinese, but Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other restaurants.
In a strange juxtaposition of cultures, Chinatown is currently decorated to celebrate Christmas – a giant toy soldier from the Nutcracker guarding the ornamental gates.
And as for Hamilton? I hadn’t seen or heard it before, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it is based around the story of the American War of Independence, interpreted from a black minority ethnic perspective. It’s a very modern musical, featuring soul and hip hop.
Regular followers will know that I cannot claim either of these as my own top musical genre. However, the show rips along at a fast pace, with great music and dynamic choreography. It is definitely worth a visit if you get the chance.
No prizes therefore for guessing the latest addition to the ADK Spotify Playlist. Here is one of the catchiest tracks My Shot.
A Different Kitchen 