For a west-sider like myself, getting to Glen Waverley requires a bit of a trek. Especially via public transport. AND especially when there happens to be bus replacements on the Glenny train line, making the journey all the more arduous. However just one bite of Masizzim’s crabmeat and fish roe rice ball more than made up for this. Heck, I’d do it all over again, bus replacements and all, just for this dish alone but more on this in just a tick.

It’s been a while since I last visited The Glen, but it looks like the centre has been keeping busy with redevelopment and add-ons. Fairly new to the scene is an open air dining precinct that launched a few months ago in August, bringing with it goodies like the first Australian Masizzim branch. The popular Korean restaurant chain specialises in galbi jjim or braised, premium-quality meat stew, with options around the selection of meat, accompanying noodle type, heat level and add ons. Needless to say, ordering one of these stews was a-must, and we opted for the spicy (level one) beef stew with chewy glass noodles. This dish exuded home comfort heartiness, was incredibly flavoursome and the beef ribs delivered juicy and succulent tenderness as anticipated. But the star in my eyes, or according to my taste buds, was the crabmeat & fish roe rice ball. A mini-DIY project that involved gloving ourselves before mixing and rolling the contents (rice blend, mayo, crabmeat, roe, nori, kimchi, chilli and sesame seeds) into an absolutely mouth-watering delicious rice ball. Onigiri on steroids with amped up flavouring for lack of a better description. Better yet, why waste precious time rolling? Just mix and dig in with a spoon. You’re welcome.

Other menu items like the cheesy kimchi pancake and pork bibimbap were also faultlessly executed and left quite a tasty impression, but didn’t quite reach the supremely high bar set by the rice balls. It’s hard to beat the best. Our meal ended on yet another tasty note with a favourite when it comes to Korean desserts: a creamy and refreshing bingsu. We chose the smaller, single serve of the mango and cheese (cake) bingsu to share - the cheesecake bites added another layer of decadence - tasty in small doses but increasingly rich with each encounter, so we definitely lucked out opting for the smaller serving.

Spicy beef stew - with chewy glass noodles, topped with topokki, mushrooms and spring onion.

Crabmeat & fish roe rice ball - with mixed rice, mayo, fried kimchi, seaweed crumbs, chilli and sesame seeds.

Tomato, cheese & kimchi pan fried Korean pancake // Stir fried soy pork hot stone pot bibimbap.

Mango & cheese bingsu (single serve) - delicate milk snowflakes covered with chunks of juicy mango and cheesecake, topped with vanilla ice cream.

Masizzim

The Glen Shopping Centre,

235 Springvale Rd,

Glen Waverley, Victoria, 3150.

https://www.masizzim.com.au/

Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Masizzim. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.