REVIEW: AUNTY FRANKLEE, MELBOURNE CBD
Much like my mum, my aunts also rule the kitchen and will always put out quite the delicious feed. But there's one aunty that Melburnians need to take note of and that's Aunty Franklee. You can count on the Melbourne CBD eatery to deliver a tasty and traditional Malaysian spread.
While playing a large role, it's not just the food alone that defines the warm and memorable dining experience at Aunty Franklee but also the friendly service and little details like the hand-sketched wall art and postcard menus. The same care and attention is also applied to the dish preparation side of things, culminating in flavoursome combinations that wow the taste buds.
Popular dishes include the signature bak kut teh and always the crowd favourite, char kuey teow. Bah-kut-teh translates to meat, bone, tea; describing all the key components of the dish where some form of meat off the bone is slow-cooked in broth comprising of tea, spices and herbs (Aunty Franklee's version features 23 different herbs). It's a dish that I have rarely encountered here in Melbourne. I did try a spoonful of the broth and while it wasn't quite love at first bite, I could see how the earthy and rich aromas of the broth could grow to tickle one's fancy, especially when paired with tasty components including slow cooked meats, ribs, belly, tofu, shitake and enoki mushrooms.
Love at first bite did however apply to my order of the beef ribs. The menu promised fall off the bone ribs, and the real deal certainly delivered. The amount of flavour captured in the ribs was sensationally abundant and really highlighted the natural flavour of the beef. The accompanying rice and sides helped balance out the bombardment of flavouring for the beef while making minor flavour contributions that further accentuated the overall flavour palate.
This tasty stroll down memory lane has me salivating over the beef ribs all over again... meaning it's high time I visit my favourite Malaysian aunty again. I wonder what other tasty treats she has up her sleeves?
Pear and white wood - slow brewed with goji berries, dried longan and dates.
Old fashioned bak kut teh.
Char kuey teow.
Meet the Bakars grill - beef ribs.
Aunty Franklee
205 Russell St,
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000.
(03) 9650 4336
Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Aunty Franklee. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.