Rice Paper Scissors, Melbourne

Recently, on a cold, wet, miserable Melbourne day, we went to see Kinky Boots The Musical at Her Majesty's Theatre.  It was a fun musical which I almost skipped, but it was so uplifting and cheerful, I am glad that I added it to my schedule of entertainment. 

Before Kinky Boots, Tim and I went to lunch at Rice Paper Scissors.  This restaurant is modelled on the hawker bars of South East Asia, and is all about shared food.  The only catch is that you can't book for less than 6 people and it can therefore be hard to get into, as it is a small but popular venue.

When we went, they were in the middle of their special yum cha season:

We didn't have the yum cha, and instead ordered off of RPS's extensive menu.  The price of the dishes varies, but there is a special where you can order 5 dishes for around $60 (that is, around $30 a head).

Our first choice was the betel leaf topped with fresh lobster, green mango salad, crispy pork belly and chilli jam:  

And what a delight little bite this was! The fresh Asian flavours are irresistible.

We also ordered one of the specials of the day, a Wagyu beef stiry fry - delicious but very hot in flavour (it definitely cleared the sinuses):

Next up was the Galloping Horses - caramelised pork, prawn and peanut on sour pineapple:

It sounds a little out there (so of course, I chose it), but it was sensational.

We also went the more traditional route and ordered the Steamed Pork Buns with pork belly, cucumber, shallots and hoisin sauce:  

The buns were soft and juicy and light as a feather.

 

Our final dish was the Duck Salad - crispy roast duck and banana blossom salad with lychee and herbs:  

This was a fresh tasty way to finish off.

As this was our first visit to RPS, we also ordered dessert - in our case, the Vietnamese tiramisu ($12):

It looks like a houseplant, but the "dirt" is actually chocolate biscuit crumbs that cover the coffee flavoured mousse beneath.

We washed it all down with Hawkers Pale Ale ($8):

The service was very efficient, and we were out of there quite quickly (it's hard to get in right away, but you can pout your name on the list and the turnover is quite rapid).  We in fact dallied longer than our fellow diners who arrived at around the same time so that we could talk and while away the time until Kinky Boots.

We loved RPS and would definitely go back.

Rice Paper Scissors

19 Liverpool St

Melbourne VIC 3000

Ph: (03) 9663 9890