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Image of Melbourne GPO in the background.
Melbourne's GPO is a shopping arcade situated inside the former Victorian-era Melbourne General Post Office building located on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Street in the centre of Melbourne's Central Business District.
Thanks to everyone who takes the time to view, comment or fave this image
One of Melbourne's heaviest downpours, which are becoming all too frequent nowadays. A woman scurries across Bourke Street in an attempt to escape the very sudden burst of rain and hail.
Best viewed large to fully appreciate.
Where do I begin . . .
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this one which had me quite inspired (thank you Laszlo). I had no shortage of ideas, infact I think that was my problem, I had too many ideas and I just couldn’t focus on one, but then when least expected inspiration struck.
So my very first thought for this month’s theme of ‘structure’ was bone structure and more specifically cheekbones and the use of colourful makeup, but willing models and ones with prominent cheekbones were no where to be found, and while the thought of using a barbie doll did cross my mind, I decided to resort to plan B, cake structures as in layered cakes, but with a week of hot weather and temperatures reaching almost 40˚C conditions were not ideal and all I would have had to photograph was a puddle of melted cake!
For some reason though I had macarons on the brain, a kind of cake and still a structure. I had seen something that gave me this idea which was macarons paired with images of Paris. I have been to France but never Paris and that got me thinking. Instead of using my images from France why not try and find Parisian like images in Melbourne (also structures) and so thats where my journey began.
I spent an entire day online researching possible locations of which there was no shortage and the more I looked the more inspired I became. And so over the course of a week before work, during lunchtime and after work I set off on foot with camera and started shooting Paris . . . in Melbourne . . . but it didn’t stop there.
While there are locations that easily resemble those in Paris, the colours in Melbourne (and the light) are quite different and much bolder, not the pale pastels and whites of Paris and so I decided to put my own spin on things when I noticed a reoccurring theme of yellow and golds appearing through my images, hence the use of selective gold . . . the pairing the macarons was the easy part although I did source five locations that sold them to find just the right colours to go with my images. Having said that on the day over the weekend I shot the macarons it was 39ËšC . . . despite shooting them inside it was still warm and the macarons fillings started to deteriorate quite quickly . . . I had to keep putting them back in the fridge for periods so that they retained their delicate structure.
So there you have it that’s how my colour palette ‘structures’ came to be. Of course I have several pairings that I quite like that didn’t make the cut so I will be posting some of those over the coming days. I’m actually thinking I might continue this series as I’m a little obsessed with macarons and colour palettes . . . my quest now is to find red ones! I’ve found raspberry which are a deep pink but not red. Always love a challenge and a big thank you to Laszlo for choosing this months theme and for providing me with a month filled with inspiration and challenges.
Once a local landmark, and admired for its dizzying clock tower height, the Melbourne General Post Office on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets is now dwarfed by the State Bank Centre; former Commonwealth Bank headquarters on the diagonal corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets.
The first Melbourne General Post Office was built on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets in the centre of the Melbourne grid of streets in 1852. It was replaced in 1859 by the current, much grander building. The architects Crouch and Wilson won a competition to build it, but a scandal was caused when the government adopted the second-placed design of A. E. Johnson. The Chief Architect of the Public Works Department, William Wardell, is also known to have influenced the final design. The initial two storey building was completed by 1867. As a result of severe overcrowding a new design by Mr. Johnson added a third storey and tower by 1887, with the work supervised by Peter Kerr of the Public Works Department. The new Mansard roofs gave the building a touch of the French Second Empire style. The first level features Doric columns, the second level features Ionic columns and the third level which was built in 1887 features Corinthian columns. Between 1906 and 1907, additions were made to the Elizabeth Street facade consisting of two storeys and a basement constructed by Swanson Brothers. The original intention to extend as far north as Little Bourke Street was never realised. In 1919 the original sorting hall was converted to a light filled public space following designs by two architects, Walter Burley Griffin and J. S. Murdoch. The Melbourne General Post Office was the venue for Postal and Telegraphic conferences in 1892 and 1897, in the lead up to Federation, at which the colonial postal authorities discussed rationalising international postal routes to Australia.
In 1992, Australia Post announced that the Melbourne General Post Office building would no longer serve as a postal center with plans to move to newer, more modern and more suitable premises. In 1993 plans to transform the space into a shopping plaza were granted, however this never eventuated.
In 1997, more plans were put forward this time to develop a five star hotel including a ten level extension, but these plans were seen through. By September 2001, the Melbourne General Post Office building was still looking for a modern day purpose when a fire significantly damaged its interior. It took three years to restore the building to its former glory and the ceiling was repainted a lighter shade in accordance to the original design.
In 2004, it reopened as a retail centre featuring a range of shops from large retail chains to small boutique shops. It also featured Venetian style dining along the colonnade. In 2014, retail fashion giant H&M opened Australia’s flagship store which occupies three levels and almost 5,000 square metres of the Melbourne General Post Office building.
The State Bank Centre at 385 Bourke Street is a high-rise office building consisting of 41 floors. Completed in 1983 it was designed and constructed by the building firm Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb, which today is now Designinc Melbourne. It is the former head office of the State Bank of Victoria and Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The Commonwealth Bank's main Melbourne branch is still located on the prestigious corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets. The lower levels of the building also house the Galleria shopping plaza.
Melbourne General Post Office (also known as Melbourne GPO) is located on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Street in Melbourne CBD, Australia and is currently listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The former purpose built post office building currently functions as a shopping mall, having been redeveloped by adaptive reuse in 2004.
The architectural style of the building is Classical with French Second Empire influences and was designed in the Victorian period by architect A.E Johnson. Its historical significance is also due to incorporating distinct sections built over a period of 48 years between 1859 and 1907, and multilayered architecture, as a result of the four floors being constructed at different times. A distinctive architectural element is the clock tower which dominates the intersection of the two streets. Its location is still used as a point of reference for the measure of distances from the centre of Melbourne.
The building occupies the north-eastern corner of the Elizabeth and Bourke Street intersection. The design expresses the classical architecture because of its use of Doric columns in the first level which was constructed between 1859-67. The second level consists of Ionic columns and the third level incorporates Corinthian columns. The building’s physical appearance is strongly recognisable for its selection of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian layering of levels. The interior of the post office is expressive of the past as the postal hall was used functionally business intended for sorting mail. The façade is made from stone. The objective of its late 20th century remodelling was to revitalise the heritage listed building by linking its shops to public spaces and pathways, and providing access to parts of the building previously not open to the public.
The first General Post Office was declared in 13 April 1837, shortly after the naming of Melbourne, and was completed in 1852. In 1859 a design competition was held for a new building, but instead of the winning entry, the second placed design by the architect A.E Johnson was selected by the government. Works on the building continued until 1867 and by the end a two storey building was erected. In 1887 a third level and a clock tower were added on top of the existing building. In 1919 architect Walter Burley Griffin designed the remodelling of the sorting hall into a public hall, but his design was later altered by architect John Smith Murdoch of the Commonwealth Department of Works. In the years that followed the neo-renaissance style building became a great success and a city landmark. There were several propositions for various changes and additions to the building; however these proposals were mostly discarded.
In September 2001 a fire severely damaged the interior of the building.[4] However, since then the building has been restored, in part to the original look and feel. The ceiling was restored and a lighter shade of paint was chosen, the more modern design has a feeling of light and space that was not present in the former design.
Follow my 100 Strangers project on: My Website | Twitter | Facebook or view the whole set here on flickr. COMMENTS & FAVOURITES very much appreciated. **No sparkley banners or awards please.
Whilst browsing the streets for strangers on another warm Melbourne day I had remembered seeing a unique face from the previous weekend at a cafe in central Melbourne. This time with my camera in hand I headed towards Melbourne's GPO building to see if they were there working today. Unfortunately he was not, but luckily enough for me I had found another person who was perfect for this project - his name was Pascal and he is officially Stranger #17.
Pascal is a Chocolatier at Cacao - a Chocolatorium of-a-cafe and Patisserie in Melbourne's General Post Office building. Now this is one of the coolest job titles I've heard in the series so far. I'd spotted Pascal as soon as I entered the building, working away with a smile on his face and serving the queue of people waiting for their little chocolate treat. He was also wearing a great hat and an outfit that reminded me of someone from years gone by. There was numerous people walking around with there wonderfully crafted small paper bags, hiding their chocolates they'd just purchased for when they get back to their car or quiet corner on the tram :)
I waited for the line to quiet down a little before I went to order a hot chocolate and got the chance to speak to Pascal himself. After introducing myself and asking if I could take his portrait, he politely agreed without hesitation and asked where he should stand. As we were shooting indoors the lighting wasn't the best, but the large skylight in the roof of the old post office was giving me some soft light that was far better than the normal fluorescent's I'd normally shoot under in these circumstances. After shooting a quick few frames we then got talking about his life and of course his wonderful job. He said he is a local boy from Melbourne who's been making chocolates here for 10 years and has been in this current store location for 5yrs to date. He also travelled to Paris for 2 years to learn his craft and this was where ended up meeting his wife. I bet he had plenty of women after him knowing his day job :)
All-in-all Pascal was a wonderful stranger to shoot and more than welcome to do anything that was needed. He had mentioned that his wife had been following another photographer who was known for his photographs of strangers (whose name I cant remember) and that he would be keenly following my series from now on. So if your ever near the wonderful GPO building in the city and are after a wonderful hot chocolate or the Best Macarons in Melbourne, drop by Cacao Fine Chocolates and say hi to Pascal if he's working.
In researching his business later on after the shoot, I also found out that he had recently been awarded the prestigious award of Best Chocolates Showpiece at the recent Chocolate Australia Championships. So congratulations Pascal on your success and thank you once more for being apart of this project. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed that fabulous hot chocolate.
.......................................................................................................................
This picture is #17 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100strangers.com/ or the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
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Christmas Decorations - GPO Shopping Centre
This year, the Christmas trees look like the Little Trees car air fresheners.
Last year, the decorations were of inflatable Christmas trees! :)
GPO Melbourne Retail Centre
350 Bourke St Melbourne 3000
(03) 9663 0066
Christmas 2007 photos:
- Christmas Decorations from ground floor
- Christmas Decorations from first floor
Christmas 2006 photos:
Melbourne General Post Office (also known as Melbourne GPO) is located on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Street in Melbourne CBD, Australia and is currently listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The former purpose built post office building currently functions as a shopping mall, having been redeveloped by adaptive reuse in 2004.
The architectural style of the building is Classical with French Second Empire influences and was designed in the Victorian period by architect A.E Johnson. Its historical significance is also due to incorporating distinct sections built over a period of 48 years between 1859 and 1907, and multilayered architecture, as a result of the four floors being constructed at different times. A distinctive architectural element is the clock tower which dominates the intersection of the two streets. Its location is still used as a point of reference for the measure of distances from the centre of Melbourne.
Nikon D800 with Zeiss 25 x 2.8 lens. Hand held.
Settings: 1/30 Æ’/2.8 ISO 500 25 mm
©Tom Crossan 2013
© All rights reserved. You may not use this photo in website, blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
Please do contact me if you wish to use any of my images.
This photo was taken early one morning before breakfast. Walking around Melbourne taking photo's is so easy, Amazing City!!
Follow my 100 Strangers project on: My Website | Twitter | Facebook or view the whole set here on flickr. COMMENTS & FAVOURITES very much appreciated.
A diptych shot showing the fantastic style and character of Pascal - Stranger #17.
You can see the shot that was chosen for the project HERE
Thanks to tummyrumbles' review of Concorde Crepes, I had to try it, especially since I had noticed that the crepes at Aix Creperie just isn't the same any more since Maurice Manno left it.
This creperie didn't disappoint. The crepes were good and the fillings being a good mix of traditional, eg. lemon and sugar AUD5, to the inventive Peking Duck (peking duck, cucumber, baby cos lettuce and hoisin AUD12.90). The only quibble being that this is primarily a takeaway place with one a bar and 4 stools to perch on.
We decided on a Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe, very similar to an Banana, Ricotta and Honey Crepe from Aix Creperie. The crepe was nice and chewy, but a little thick. The ricotta filling was very smooth.
Concorde Crepes
Cnr Elizabeth St and Little Bourke St
(outside GPO)
Reviews:
- Concorde Crepes- tummyrumbles'
- Concorde Crepes - threethousand.com.au
- Concorde Creperie - GluttonyGluttony
Photos:
- On the grill - Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe
- Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe - AUD7.90
Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - Ramen Ya AUD9.80
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
Thanks to tummyrumbles' review of Concorde Crepes, I had to try it, especially since I had noticed that the crepes at Aix Creperie just isn't the same any more since Maurice Manno left it.
This creperie didn't disappoint. The crepes were good and the fillings being a good mix of traditional, eg. lemon and sugar AUD5, to the inventive Peking Duck (peking duck, cucumber, baby cos lettuce and hoisin AUD12.90). The only quibble being that this is primarily a takeaway place with one a bar and 4 stools to perch on.
We decided on a Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe, very similar to an Banana, Ricotta and Honey Crepe from Aix Creperie. The crepe was nice and chewy, but a little thick. The ricotta filling was very smooth.
Concorde Crepes
Cnr Elizabeth St and Little Bourke St
(outside GPO)
Melbourne's GPO
(03) 9663 0066
350 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Reviews:
- Concorde Crepes- tummyrumbles'
- Concorde Crepes - threethousand.com.au
- Concorde Creperie - GluttonyGluttony
Photos:
- On the grill - Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe
- Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe - AUD7.90
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
Spicy Tantan Ramen on a hot Summer's day!
The minced beef made the miso soup extra rich and tasty. Not bad at all!
I love the superb soft boiled egg with the yolk still gooey too :)
The sushi is good as always here. The fact that a Japanese man in the suit ordered his sushi in Japanese is testament enough. The rice is always nicely vinegared and the fillings are well thought out and flavoursome, and yummy!
Kenzan At GPO
Shop 28g, 350 Bourke St Melbourne 3000
(03) 9663 7767
Photos:
- Tantan Ramen - ~AUD16
- Spider Crab Roll, Dragon Roll, Salmon and Avocado Rol ~AUD4.50, AUD4.10, AUD3.50
---
Christmas Decorations - GPO Shopping Centre
This year, the Christmas trees look like the Little Trees car air fresheners.
Last year, the decorations were of inflatable Christmas trees! :)
GPO Melbourne Retail Centre
350 Bourke St Melbourne 3000
(03) 9663 0066
Christmas 2007 photos:
- Christmas Decorations from ground floor
- Christmas Decorations from first floor
Christmas 2006 photos:
Roasted Salmon Skin sushi roll AUD3, Salmon and Avocado sushi roll AUD3, Soft Shell Crab sushi roll AUD3.90, Miso Soup AUD3 - Kenzan GPO
---
At a quarter past 12 on Friday, Kenzan is already nearly fully packed. I order my Winter Special of Tonkotsu Ramen and grab a table to wait for Julia. Julia arrives soon after, and orders a few sushi rolls and miso soup.
We've always loved the sushi rolls at Kenzan, especially since the nori seaweed sheets are packed separately, ensuring a fresh crunchy sushi when you put it all together. Julia got our favourite soft shell crab. yum! We also try a roasted salmon skin sushi which was good too.
Eventually, my Tonkotsu Ramen arrives and it looks amd smells great! The soup is not as milky nor as garlicky as some, but it is flavourful pork bone soup. Very good, better than the Chasu Ramen, which was good.
Kenzan At GPO
Shop 28g / 350 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9663 7767
Photos:
- Queue
- Roasted Salmon Skin sushi roll, Soft Shell Crab sushi roll, Salmon and Avocado sushi roll, Miso Soup
Thanks to tummyrumbles' review of Concorde Crepes, I had to try it, especially since I had noticed that the crepes at Aix Creperie just isn't the same any more since Maurice Manno left it.
This creperie didn't disappoint. The crepes were good and the fillings being a good mix of traditional, eg. lemon and sugar AUD5, to the inventive Peking Duck (peking duck, cucumber, baby cos lettuce and hoisin AUD12.90). The only quibble being that this is primarily a takeaway place with one a bar and 4 stools to perch on.
We decided on a Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe, very similar to an Banana, Ricotta and Honey Crepe from Aix Creperie. The crepe was nice and chewy, but a little thick. The ricotta filling was very smooth.
Concorde Crepes
Cnr Elizabeth St and Little Bourke St
(outside GPO)
Reviews:
- Concorde Crepes- tummyrumbles'
- Concorde Crepes - threethousand.com.au
- Concorde Creperie - GluttonyGluttony
Photos:
- On the grill - Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe
- Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe - AUD7.90
mmm... I definitely need to try these.
Look at how many eggs they use :)
Update 2008.12.10:
Thanks to tummyrumbles' review of Concorde Crepes, I had to try it, especially since I had noticed that the crepes at Aix Creperie just isn't the same any more since Maurice Manno left it.
This creperie didn't disappoint. The crepes were good and the fillings being a good mix of traditional, eg. lemon and sugar AUD5, to the inventive Peking Duck (peking duck, cucumber, baby cos lettuce and hoisin AUD12.90). The only quibble being that this is primarily a takeaway place with one a bar and 4 stools to perch on.
We decided on a Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe, very similar to an Banana, Ricotta and Honey Crepe from Aix Creperie. The crepe was nice and chewy, but a little thick. The ricotta filling was very smooth.
Concorde Crepes
Cnr Elizabeth St and Little Bourke St
(outside GPO)
Melbourne's GPO
(03) 9663 0066
350 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Reviews:
- Concorde Crepes- tummyrumbles'
- Concorde Crepes - threethousand.com.au
- Concorde Creperie - GluttonyGluttony
Photos:
- On the grill - Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe
- Banana, Ricotta, Almond, Maple Syrup Crepe - AUD7.90
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
Melbourne's famous GPO was almost lost completely several years ago when fire destroyed the beautiful Postal Hall. Recently this grand Melbourne landmark, which was built in stages from 1859, was restored and converted into an upmarket retail fashion centre with new cafes and bars.
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
Tonkotsu Ramen - Winter Special - Kenzan GPO AUD14
---
At a quarter past 12 on Friday, Kenzan is already nearly fully packed. I order my Winter Special of Tonkotsu Ramen and grab a table to wait for Julia. Julia arrives soon after, and orders a few sushi rolls and miso soup.
We've always loved the sushi rolls at Kenzan, especially since the nori seaweed sheets are packed separately, ensuring a fresh crunchy sushi when you put it all together. Julia got our favourite soft shell crab. yum! We also try a roasted salmon skin sushi which was good too.
Eventually, my Tonkotsu Ramen arrives and it looks amd smells great! The soup is not as milky nor as garlicky as some, but it is flavourful pork bone soup. Very good, better than the Chasu Ramen, which was good.
Kenzan At GPO
Shop 28g / 350 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9663 7767
Reviews:
- Kenzan at GPO - VisitVictoria.com
Photos:
- Queue
- Roasted Salmon Skin sushi roll, Soft Shell Crab sushi roll, Salmon and Avocado sushi roll, Miso Soup
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
Spicy Tantan Ramen on a hot Summer's day!
The minced beef made the miso soup extra rich and tasty. Not bad at all!
I love the superb soft boiled egg with the yolk still gooey too :)
The sushi is good as always here. The fact that a Japanese man in the suit ordered his sushi in Japanese is testament enough. The rice is always nicely vinegared and the fillings are well thought out and flavoursome, and yummy!
Kenzan At GPO
Shop 28g, 350 Bourke St Melbourne 3000
(03) 9663 7767
Photos:
- Tantan Ramen - ~AUD16
- Spider Crab Roll, Dragon Roll, Salmon and Avocado Rol ~AUD4.50, AUD4.10, AUD3.50
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
I think I got too excited that a new Japanese ramen shop has opened in Melbourne, and right in the middle of town in the GPO shopping centre.
Touting itself as "Melbourne's Tastiest Japanese Noodles", the place was quiet in comparison to Kenzan GPO next door, where there were Japanese ladies dining, compared to mostly Aussies and Asians at Ramen-ya.
I ordered their specialty, Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu soup. First impressions were good. The soup was indeed milky and rich, but I didn't detect the garlicky overtones that I love in a Tonkotsu soup. No matter, a quick sprinkle of pepper helped. At least the pepper was fresh.
The best part was the Charshu pork. It was good flavoursome belly pork with streaky fat that melts in your mouth. It can't beat the charshu in Japan, which is stronger tasting, even a little gamey, but, we're not in Japan.
I was curious why, in addition to chilli oil and Japanese shichimi 7-spiced chilli, there was a pot of vinegary chilli paste that looked like sambal oelek with shichimi. It didn't go well with noodles :)
Speaking of noodles, the sign claims that they are authentic ramen, made from scratch to a traditional Japanese recipe. A pity, that they were not as smooth, nor as chewy as a good ramen should be. I prefer the ramen at Momotaro, also house-made from scratch. Ajisen Ramen probably uses commercially made noodles that were better.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would. It is Tonkotsu Ramen after all, and for under AUD10!
Ramen Ya
03.9654.5838
Shop 25G Melbourne's GPO
350 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000
info@ramenya.com.au
Photos:
- Charshu Pork Ramen with Tonkotsu Soup - AUD9.80
- Decor
Too hot to go out for lunch on a Friday, so while other's grabbed KFC, roast duck from Pacific BBQ or sushi from Kenzan GPO, I went around the corner to Concord Creperie for a nice crepe.
Concorde Creperie
Cnr Elizabeth St and Little Bourke St
(outside GPO)
Reviews:
- Concorde Crepes- tummyrumbles'
- www.threethousand.com.au/eat-drink/concorde-crepes/
- Concorde Creperie - GluttonyGluttony
Photos:
- Prosciutto, Grilled Asparagus, Parmesan, Rocquette and Lemon Crepe