06 May Middle Fish, Carlton

Middle Fish is only a few doors down from Seven Seeds on Berkeley Street; an area mostly made up of commercial buildings and what appear to be warehouses. It seems a somewhat unlikely location for a restaurant and it’s grey facade is easy to miss, however, on entering we found ourselves in a completely different place. Its warm and casual interior design was incredibly inviting. We ordered a couple of dishes to share amongst the group and awaited our much anticipated feast.

The fish cake was smooth, with a strong lemongrass flavour and hints of other herbs and spices. I haven’t actually had Thai fish cake before and its texture sort of reminded me a little of Malaysian otak otak.

Next up was the chicken satay. Being more subtle than most other satay sauces I’ve had, I quite enjoyed this version.

Prawn Crackers

When I ordered the pork belly, for some reason I missed the word ‘chilli’, so it was quite a bit spicier than expected. On first appearance it looked like a simple dish to make, but the Chinese broccoli was well seasoned and tasty, and the pork belly was not overly fatty.

Chicken Green Curry – Fragrant Bangkok-style Curry with Boneless Chicken

Massaman Curry – Dark Ox Cheek Curry with Peanuts & Fried Shallots

We also tried some of their Thai green curry and massaman curry.

Khanom Jeen Nam Ya – Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Curry Fish Broth

Served in a DIY fashion, the different elements of the khanom jeen nam ya were served separately. I quite liked this idea, as it kept the crab from going soggy, and allowed us to add as much (or as little) broth as we wished. I appreciated the latter benefit because the broth had prominent coconut milk flavour and I don’t take well to too much coconut milk. With smooth noodles, a flavoursome curry fish broth, and crispy soft shell crab that added a nice textural contrast, this was one of my favourites of the night.

The group was pleasantly surprised with the food at Middle Fish, with a few declaring it amongst the best Thai restaurants they’ve been to in Melbourne so far. Given its close proximity to uni, I’m sure it will not be our last visit here.

Middle Fish
122-128 Berkeley St
Carlton, VIC, 3053
(03) 9348 1704
http://www.middlefish.com.au/