Ms. G's

NileGuide Expert Says:

The trick with the mini banh mi of crisp pork belly is not to order too many, which is hard because it ticks every box on the palate. And some you didn't even know existed.

Address:

Phone:

8313 1000

Description:

Forget whatever preconceptions you had about Asian food, or Asian decor. Ms. G's, like the iPhone, changes everything. The kitchen starts in the basement and there's a bar in the attic. In between is a four-story New York style walk up complete with grungy graffiti, beer crates used for seats, pop art graphics and a ceiling of jam jars.
Food-wise, it's as if chefs Dan Hong and Jowett Yu (ex Lotus) have collected bits of what Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China do best, and created a menu (and venue) full of innovation and sophistication.
To wit; the mini banh mi of crisp pork belly ($6 each). The trick with this starter is not to order too many, which is hard because it ticks every box on the palate. And some you didn't even know about. A bite-size burger of chicken liver parfait, spicy mayo, braised pork belly and pickled vegetables.
Then there's the ceviche of Aoraki king salmon, jalepeno puree, with Tiger's milk, or "Buddha's delight" - a vegetarian salad of julienned seaweed, tofu and black rice vinegar jelly. For mine though, the egg noodles with XO sauce, braised duck and soft poached egg ($18) topped the lot.
Cocktails come packaged (sealed with a straw in panda-print containers) or unpackaged. Beer is mostly from Asia and there are five Japanese sakes too.
The problem with Ms. G's (and I didn't get the MSG pun until it was pointed out) is that having dared stretch Asian food this far, how do you ever return to the humble suburban Chinese restaurant? It's a dilemma I'm happy to wrestle with, as long as Ms. G's is around.

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