Eat. @ Red Cup Cafe

1124 Maroondah Hwy, Box Hill 3128 ph (03) 9899 1893

Look at that Sunshine! Yep, a good day to look for yummy food!

Next stop on our search for cafes outside of the CBD and inner 'burbs that serve great brunches and decent coffees is this unexpected gem, just down the road from the shopping precinct around Box Hill train station.  Box Hill is much more famous for its Asian Cuisine and cheap eats, but this deceptively spacious cafe just down the road offers up some surprisingly "inner suburb" fare.  

The front of the cafe was packed with weekend brunchers when Hubby and I rocked up with Bubs having an early nap in the pram. (Yes to uninterrupted brunch date!)  It felt like we were at one of my favourite cafes around Hawthorn or Fitzroy.   We were shown to the back room which housed about 6 or so tables and it was actually a very pleasant area to dine in, with plenty of room for prams and high chairs.  

Hubby and I both had a mocha each ($4.2).  A surprisingly nice mocha with a good balance of chocolate and coffee.   They do serve large sized coffees for 50c more, but I've never understood the concept of having a more dilute coffee for the sake of volume, especially since the balance of each of the components in a cup of coffee can make such a big difference to its taste.

We decided to share a serve of their Eggs Benedict ($18.5).  Rough cut bacon on toast is the twist here.  Quite nice in contrast to the usual delicate ham. The Hollandaise was quite nice and tangy.

The yolk was sweet and gooey. Yum!

Hubby was going to have the Bubble and Squeak but in the end we just shared the Benedict as I had my eye set on the Sticky Date Pudding ($8.5).  Despite (and because of) going to the gym that morning, having a large breakfast AND an indulgent dessert at 11am was probably not going anywhere but my hips.  And I'm so very glad we had this as it was an excellent Sticky Date Pudding, as judged by my self-professed Sticky Date Connoisseur Hubby.  It's a pretty decently sized serve for the price, and is perfect for sharing.  Our Waiter Dude told us that when he had the day off on his birthday last week, he came back to work to have THIS as he enjoyed the treat so much.

I know that lots of people complain about the cost of the coffee, and the food IS quite pricey for a suburban cafe.  But for us, this is really quite a nice cafe that is closer to home, so the cost of the petrol saved balances out the higher prices.  We'll definitely be back for the Sticky Date Pudding!

Toilets - Yes

Highchair - Yes

Eat. @ Simon's Peiking Duck Restaurant

197B Middleborough Rd, Box Hill South 3128 ph : (03) 9898 5944

In need of another dose of duck in the suburbs, we recently had a big family dinner out at Simon's, the famed duck-slicing ninja restaurateur who used to be behind Old Kingdom before retiring, then re-emerging in this little strip mall in the 'burbs.  

There are 2 seatings, at 6pm and 8pm, and like other specialty duck restaurants they will ask you how many ducks you would require for the night at the time of booking.  We've been told that on average you would share one duck between two adult diners.  The duck menu choices of A ($55) and B ($63) only differ based on your choice of noodles that are served after the main Peking duck event.  

The kids were totally entertained by Simon flipping pancakes onto their plates.   The pancakes were super thin and more delicious than the ones found at the average Chinese restaurant.  Simon belted out instructions on how the Peking duck should be wrapped and chastised us when it was done wrongly, in a way only an Asian Chef can get away with!

The ducks were all perfectly cooked, yielding good sized slices with light and crispy skin and succulent meat.  We ordered 4 ducks to feed 8 adults and 2 kids, finding that the quality was consistent and there was certainly plenty to go around.  

If you're still hungry after the Peking duck is gone, you can fill up with duck noodles and soup.  These were nothing to write home about, but that's not what you come to Simon's for.  The menu also had a list of the usual suspects of dishes available at your local Chinese place, but looking around us no one else ordered anything  but duck, duck and more duck!

Similar to both Old Kingdom and Little Beijing House, you're here for the sole purpose of eating yummy duck, and not for the ambiance, service or a lingering chat over desserts, nor for a place for the kids to roam and play after dinner.  However, I DO prefer this place to the other two in terms of food and access. (We had 2 kids and 3 toddlers amongst us who occupied 2 highchairs and we even manged a pram in the corner for the sleeping baby).  Simon gave us the duck carcasses to take home for my mother-in-law to make stock, which made the duck go even further.  

Eat.Play.Shop. says - Excellent duck in the 'burbs.  Need to book and visit the ATM prior as they are Cash Only. 

Highchair - yes (I'd mention you need this at booking)

Toilets - yes

Eat. @ Shanghai 1930

959 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill  ph : (03) 9899 8666

Situated on the busy corner of Whitehorse Rd and Station St in chinese restaurant competitive Box Hill, Shanghai 1930 occupies the building that previously housed the Post-Chiang Cafe.  Serving up Shanghai Cuisine to the locals, it is often necessary to book a table in this busy eatery.  We've been here a few times having dinner with family and friends, sharing a table full of the Shanghai Cuisine loved by its founder "Shao Meng".

The food is generally pretty good.  As we've only been here in a big group, dishes are ordered and placed on the lazy susan for sharing.  Most dishes are fairly authentic and of a good standard.  The standout for us is probably the Steamed Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).  Hubby actually prefers these to the ones at Hu Tong. 

My other favourite is the Double Flavour Prawns.  The prawns are crisp, and the eggplant soaks up the beautiful chilli vinegar, and the whole dish is very moreish and goes a long way with a bowl of rice.

Double Flavor Prawns
(Prawns sautéed in a Chilli Vinegar Sauce with Egg Plant )

The kids like the Crispy Noodles, and also the "Mock Crab" made from egg white and fish, which I think originated from chefs wanting to recreate crab meat on the menu when none is available.  It's served with a yolk and a splash of dark vinegar.  It's again quite good with some rice. 

Crispy Noodle with Beef

Mock Crab

I've included pictures of other dishes we've sampled here.  (Taken over a few visits - we didn't eat all this at once!)

Nanjing Salty Duck

Lamb Cutlet Country Style

Stewed Pork Knuckle

Stir Fried Scallops (with ginger and snow peas)

And some traditional Red Bean Fried Pancake for dessert to finish off.

Red Bean Fried Pancake

The service can be quite variable.  The first time we were there they were fantastic - fast service, friendly staff, accommodating with the pram and extra cutlery required for the kids.  Another time we had sloppy service with distracted waiters, and we were told they had run out of rice (a Chinese restaurant with no rice!!!) 

The Shanghai 1930 website states that they are "an ideal place for a romantic dinner for two, a business lunch, a special celebration or just a gathering of family and friends."   While most of that is true, a dinner for two would probably not be so romantic given the inherent high level of ambient noise that is normal for most chinese restaurants.  All the better for eating out with kids though!


Eat.Play.Shop. Recommends - the Xiao Long Bao and the Double Flavour Prawns
Give it a Miss - if you've got kids that like to roam after eating.  It's a fairly tight restaurant and there's no place or toys for entertainment, so they pretty much have to stay seated throughout. 

Toilets - Yes
Highchairs - Yes, Ikea type