Emilia reviews a modern Taiwanese/Japanese restaurant in South Melbourne
Click PLAY to hear Emilia’s full review on 3AW Breakfast.
Sitting behind the Arts Centre, off St Kilda road for the last 20 years is a modern Taiwanese / Japanese restaurant well known to locals but completely unknown otherwise. No social media or even a website (although they do have a booking system that gets a workout) to be seen and yet they pack out for lunch Tuesday to Saturday and dinner stays busy. In that time they’ve been servicing locals, office workers, show-goers and above all of that it appears they’ve been collecting knick knacks. Black and white family pictures sit next to kitch clocks, signs and even a sporting plaque.
The name, Peko Peko reflects this same playfulness- it’s a childish slang in Japanese meaning “feeling peckish”. I learnt about Peko Peko from a friend who works in one of the nearby offices. She and her colleagues have spent many a birthday, project-closing, anniversary at one of their tables. Thanks to their welcoming service, laid back attitude and the balance of Taiwanese food being not too spicy or salty making it hugely accessible to the Boomer all the way to the GenZ in any office (or family for that matter).
Taiwanese food is located somewhere adjacent to Chinese food but there’s a Japanese influence from their 50 year occupation of Taiwan which you see reflected in the fried chicken, bento boxes, katsu pork, miso soup and teriyaki chicken.
Swanning in and out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron I saw the owner’s Mum who is responsible for the flavours, heart and authenticity of the flavours.
We asked the waitress what her favourite dish was, we were easily convinced to try the Ma Ma Custard Fried Chicken – Twice crumbed custard milk fried chicken with a sweet chilli mayo over the top. The crunch is unreal but is complemented by the sweetness of the mayo.
I was surprised that one of my favourite dishes came in the form of a dish I’ve never tried before which was broccoli, tossed with stir-fried egg and chicken mince and topped with egg floss. It would be quick to whip up, so simple but so moreish and they aptly call it “The Staff Meal”.
Other stand outs came in the form of simple but delightful dishes too like Chili Peanut Wontons- pork and prawn wontons topped with a mildly spicy peanut sauce. It leaves you dragging each wonton through the sauce, trying to sop up as much as you can in each fold. Also at the recommendation of our waitress we got the Sausage Fried Rice; Taiwanese sausage has a chewier, juicier and sweeter taste compared to other sausages and they top the generous serving with tonkatsu sauce.
I battled two beef dishes against each other in Bang Bang Beef and Ginger Beef but there was no clear winner. Both were entirely inoffensive; if you like crispy and sticky go for the Bang Bang but if you prefer a saucier, stir fry kind of dish Ginger Beef is your winner.
Another surprising favourite which skyrocketed to number one after the first bite was the Taiwanese custard pancake. Get it with the vanilla ice cream rather than the matcha advertised on the menu and dig your fork into the crispy, disk-like outside of the ‘pancake’ until you get to the custardy middle. I liked that the custard and batter became one in the middle rather than the custard oozing out. If I urge you to try anything new on this menu, this is easily the best crowd pleaser.
We could’ve done without the Oyster and Takoyaki croquettes and other than that my only other criticism is that despite the food coming out quickly once we ordered, we did have to work hard to catch eyes for service at times and we waited toward the end of our meal to have our plates cleared or even staff to come over so we could get dessert.
It’s licensed with a small but mighty selection of wines, beer and Japanese plum wine. The serving sizes were, on average, big and were all around the $20 mark making it super affordable. I have given you fair warning that the locals won’t like me sharing this place so make sure to book if you’re heading down to make sure you won’t have to wait. It was so delightful, in a time where iconic hospitality venues are wearing the cost-of-living crisis so heavily to see a local haunt pumping, making great food and still being affordable for the customer living the same crisis.
Peko Peko
190 Wells St
South Melbourne