Wok Noodle revisted

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Shop 1/92 Charles St, Seddon. Phone: 9689 9475

Wok Noodle, the newish Malaysian arrival in our very own neighbourhood, appears to be prosperping.

Certainly, it’s fed a lot of people since our first visit there.

Our second visit confirms our view that this is an asset for the area.

If you’re after funky, adventurous Malaysian fare, you’ll likely be disappointed. There’s little by way of rough edges or edginess to be found here.

Our two second-time-round meals do have a bit of a middle-of-the-road feel about them, but that’s just right sometimes, too.

My standard curry laksa ($10.50) has all the essential bits and pieces, including three medium prawn tails, sliced chicken and a couple of slices of eggplant. Along with the rest, they swim happily in a rich, somewhat syrupy gravy of only mild spiciness.

Bennie loves his Hainan chicken rice ($11.50).

The chook is boned, the rice OK and there are three accompanying condiments – a sticky soy sauce, a very mild chilli sauce and another of the sambal variety. He’s a growing 10-year-old whose appetite is also growing and who has played his first ever game of rugby union that very morning – so he scarfs the lot, no problem.

We are used to having a bowl of clear broth served as part of his dish. One is provided when we make inquiries – it’s very good – and we are not charged for it. Whether others can swing such treatment we know not, as that fare appears on the menu as an entree.

Check out Deb’s review of Wok Noodle, and comments, at Bear Head Soup.

Bennie’s team – the mighty Footscray under-10s – won; he perpetrated some fearsome tackles and was instrumental in one of his team’s tries.

Given his parental national heritage, if he fails to make the All Blacks he can always play for the Wallabies.

All India Curry Company

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9/73 Point Cook Rd, Point Cook. Phone: 8360 9229

Pulling into a parking spot of the small and rather nondescript shopping precinct, I take my bearings.

It’s a mixed bag.

Bottle shop, convenience store, Indian grocery and so on.

A fish and chip shop that sells kebabs.

A kebab shop that does pizzas.

I’m headed, though, for All India Curry Company, a sister place to the one in Maribyrnong Rd, Ascot Vale.

It’s a very sleepy Friday lunch hours and I’m the only customer.

The place comes across as your basic, tidy suburban eatery.

I resist the temptations offered by a sign in the window advertising chole bhature for $7, going instead for onion bhaji (spelt bhujia here) and a vego thali.

The onions are smaller, less crunchy and more chewy than I’ve been enjoying lately, but I really like them anyway. They go down beaut with the tangy tamarind water and creamy raita that accompany, and are a cool bargain at $3.50.

There’s more than enough raita left over to double as a support act for my thali ($11).


This appears, at first blush, to be a rather dull affair, but happily it tastes better than it looks.

The loser, for me, is the pumpkin masala. Formative years spent gagging on pumpkin various ways is a significant hurdle to enjoying any dish made with that vegetable, even if the sweetish mash served here is not unpleasant.

The aloo palak is a handy mix of spud in a creamy spinach gravy; it has a nice smoky flavour.

The dal is a little dry for my tastes, but goes down a treat anyway.

The single chapati is fresh and pliable and likewise disappears with relish.

The regular dish prices at All India appear to be very reasonable – vegetable mains at about $8, meat mains a tick under $10, half a tandoori chook for $8.50.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, from 5pm, the star is a $12.50 all-you-can-eat buffet, that comprises six mains, rice, naan or roti, pickle and raita.

Seems like a pretty good deal!

If this place was closer to home, we’d be regulars.

The All India Curry Company website is here.

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