Cupcake Central | Rice Workshop (Emporium)
Cupcake Central
Level 2, Dining Hall
Melbourne Central
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Website
So it appears cops no longer have doughnuts and coffee during their breaks. They have cupcakes!
That’s what Fatbee and I surmised one afternoon after we devoured a bit of sweetness here. Our intended destination was a movie screening of X-Men: Days of Future Past, but rather than fork out oodles of cash for mediocre popcorn and coke, we went the daintier and more colourful route… ha!
It has become a bit of a ritual now, catching up on our dating days… buying movie vouchers ($10 Optus voucher… because: #azn) and then us watching a matinee on our off days. After all, the city is but a 15 minute walk from Fatbee’s home, plus the newly opened Muji and Uniqlo (at last!!) are located so enticingly nearby at Emporium next door. All the things you could ever want wrapped in the comfort of the warm indoors away from the Winters cold.
… so aunty!
Peanut Butter & Jelly | Coco Pandan $4ea
And that’s how we ended up here that afternoon. I decided to mention this place because on my previous visit (also just before a movie: Spiderman), I was pretty blown away by the difference when you’re eating fresh cupcakes as opposed to end-of-the-day or refrigerated cupcakes.
The selections we picked today were also pretty good, with the coco pandan coming out as the winner with its light sweetness and subtle fragrance of pandan. It reminded me of Asian-style cakes and sweets, and the frosting reminded me of a creamy version of kaya (coconut jam). The peanut butter and jelly cupcake was rich and moist, but I’d enjoy it more if the cake itself had peanut butter in it rather than only on the frosting.
I’ve never been a fan of cupcakes as they’re normally too sweet. But eating the fresh cupcakes from this little stall in Melbourne Central has changed my mind.
After our movie, we strolled over to Emporium for a bit of retail therapy. I was a little bit shocked that the sweater size that fits me in Uniqlo (a Japanese brand) is… XS!! Is the whole world getting plumpy?
I also must say Emporium looks a lot like shopping malls in Singapore… incredibly bright, white, gleaming and full of glass. It can feel a bit sterile compared to our older, darker malls, lane ways and high streets in Melbourne, but I must say I like walking around in this refreshing brightness.
Rice Workshop (Emporium)
3-020 Emporium Foodcourt
321 Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Website
It was around 7pm when the shops were about to close, and it made for a very good time to pop into Emporium’s third floor food court where everything’s pretty quiet and peaceful. A bit of a change from the bustly and frigid mayhem outside.
Pork Katsu Curry R7.9
Golden deep fried crumbed pork schnitzel, topped with our signature Japanese curry sauce
Ontama Teriyaki R7.9
Teriyaki Chicken topped with soft boiled egg
We decided to check out Rice Workshop, where previously the queues in their Little Bourke St branch were a bit too busy for us to brave it. I liked the branding and the succinct little menu of one-dish-meals served in a bowl. And it reminded me of Don Don, where the price tag’s generally below $8.
Fatbee’s pork katsu curry don was pretty decent for what it is, but he commented that he preferred the Japanese curry sauce at Don Don. I personally thought the katsu could’ve been a little more succulent.
I had the classic Teriyaki don with the added touch of an oozy half boiled egg to top it off. Once again, it was a good offering, but I also preferred the Teriyaki chicken at Don Don simply because it’s so delightfully chargrilled there. All that said, I swooned a bit from the soft boiled egg spreading all over my rice.
There are heaps of other awesome vendors at this food court such as Charlie & Co. Burgers, I Love Pho, Jimmy Grants and EARL Canteen. So you can bet that I’ll be reopening another episode of ‘The Emporium Files’ in the near future!