Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe
620 Collins St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
03 9620 9548
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I haven’t officially said it, but I’m sorry NIKONians, I’ve defected to CANON. With the help of PixelAnt (and a few dodgy bargaining tricks up our sleeves), I managed to get a good price on a new camera from the other playing field, yaaaay! But worry not, the lovely old NIKON that has seen me through so many countries and so many dishes (including mooncakes, pineapple tarts and wondrous degustations) will still have a home: mum’s taking it so that she can start diving into the realm of dSLRs.
Tuna onigiri.
I was still playing around with this camera when I ate here with fakegf that very Saturday evening after I bought it. First of all, it’s a huge ass thing… very conspicuous to everyone. I felt a bit overkill taking photos of this onigiri with something so cumbersome.
I was still playing around with this camera when I ate here with fakegf that very Saturday evening after I bought it. First of all, it’s a huge ass thing… very conspicuous to everyone. I felt a bit overkill taking photos of this onigiri with something so cumbersome.
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I think this dish that we shared cost about $4-5. Quite delightful, actually… a little Westernised with carrots and other sweet things inside, but still nice. For fakegf, she said the soy sauce served in those little takeaway fish-shaped containers spoiled the dish for her. Lol, now WHO’S the one being all snobby about food? :p
Gammodoki prawn burger $9.50
Our own home-made tofu burger (tofu, beans, carrot, onion, oats, egg, sake, sesame & ginger) topped with prawns, served on a Turkish bread roll with mixed salad and choice of teriyaki/sesame/chilli sauce.
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To tell the truth, I think my good ol’ entry-level NIKON would’ve taken this pic equally well. Is it a case of “it’s the singer not the song?”. :D Fakgf had the tofu burger here once before and loved it, hence this visit recommendation. This time, she went with the prawn burger and she chose chilli sauce to go with it. This burger was spot on satisfying to her, no complaints! You can see from the ingredients list, it’s again a little Westernised, but they seem to do it in a way that tastes good. You see? Fakegf and I aren’t necessarily the authenticity nazis that everybody thinks we are!
Daigo’s home made miso soup (add $2)
Daigo’s home made miso soup (add $2) .
The top-down picture of the miso soup is the one photo here that looked like it came from a new camera. Loved the sharpness and detail. Unfortunately, while the soup itself did taste nice and homemade indeed, I found it a little strange that they had carrot and potato inside, making it sweet. When it comes to miso soup, I prefer if they go old school. I want to see tofu cubes, Asian mushrooms and seaweed.
The top-down picture of the miso soup is the one photo here that looked like it came from a new camera. Loved the sharpness and detail. Unfortunately, while the soup itself did taste nice and homemade indeed, I found it a little strange that they had carrot and potato inside, making it sweet. When it comes to miso soup, I prefer if they go old school. I want to see tofu cubes, Asian mushrooms and seaweed.
Gyuzara $8.90
Thinly sliced beef served with soy, mirin, sake, konbu, onion, ginger broth. Severed with rice and salad.
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The weird miso soup aside, my main dish was a winner. Looking at its ingredients, it looked promising. And when it came, yes, the flavours really hit the spot. Loved how there’s lots of brothy mirin infused sauce below… it mixed so well with the rice. I was mighty satisfied! And I’m sorry the photos for this dish came out a bit ‘meh’…
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I like it here… food’s good albeit a little Westernised, but the tweaking went in a good direction. And bottom line is: it’s cheap, easy and you leave satisfied!
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The weird miso soup aside, my main dish was a winner. Looking at its ingredients, it looked promising. And when it came, yes, the flavours really hit the spot. Loved how there’s lots of brothy mirin infused sauce below… it mixed so well with the rice. I was mighty satisfied! And I’m sorry the photos for this dish came out a bit ‘meh’…
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I like it here… food’s good albeit a little Westernised, but the tweaking went in a good direction. And bottom line is: it’s cheap, easy and you leave satisfied!
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Meanwhile, for the photography enthusiasts amongst you, I’d recently had a NIKON vs CANON photo shoot-off at Wood Spoon Kitchen. And while we’re at it, my post on Singapore, a conversation in pictures, illustrates how even an iPhone’s Instagram shots can convey a nice ‘mood’ to the pictures. I’m starting to find balance between using both the fancy-big dSLRs and my trusty ol’ iPhone for food photos.
I’m with you on the MISO front!!! I think I should consider upgrading my photo taking capabilities … but I’m still extremely self consicous.
Well… you’ve seen me at work… so at least take solace in the fact that you’re NEVER going to be as shameless as me. :p
This place looks great!!! That tofu and prawn burger!!!!!!!!!! Oh, so many places to eat at in the city and so little stomach space. I will check these guys out soon for sure.
Lauren aka Ms Baklover recently posted..Maples Cafe, Footscray CBD
I went last year, it was cheap and decent indeed. Happy playing around with the new camera! I use a Canon too, only a point-and-shoot though.
leaf (the indolent cook) recently posted..Back of House: The World by Jeff Martin, at Gould Galleries
Thank you, aside for its ridiculously large size, I’m very much in love with this new camera. :)
Teehee snobby J!
Hannah recently posted..March Bits and Bobs: Pancakes, Asian Sweets, and Advice We All Desperately Need
Nooooooo bad Nikon defector :P I love purple peanuts! I really should walk up that way more often during lunchtime but it’s always so jam packed!
msihua recently posted..MFWF 2012 Express Lunch: The Atlantic @ Crown Casino, Melbourne
As the owner of PPJC..thanks for the review.
As a Nikon user, well..errr..Nikon is the best :)
ps..re miso soup:
According to Japanese custom, the solid ingredients of miso soup are chosen to reflect the seasons and to provide contrasts of color, texture, and flavor.
Thus vegie and tofu, and strongly flavored ingredient are mixed with a delicately flavored ingredients. Ingredients that float, such as wakame seaweed, and ingredients that sink, such as potatoes, are also combined.
Other ingredients can include mushrooms, potatoes, seaweed, onion, shrimp, fish, and grated or sliced daikon.
c you soon.
:)
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it’s very interesting to know indeed!
LOL Its funny my friends always feel so guilty when they move from the NIkon to the Canon and vice versa :) YAY! new camera means even BETTER photos :D
Looks like a great place to have lunch but i’m surprised that the miso soup was kinda weird…cuz i always thought it was easy to make cuz they usually just use the paste? Doesn’t matter at least you enjoyed the rest of the meal ~
Daisy@Nevertoosweet recently posted..Multiple Courses – Teppanyaki
[...] other bloggers have reviewed Purple Peanuts – it’s quite the popular place! Fatboo visited and liked it; Naturopathic Eats found it hit and miss, interestingly one of the misses was the salads which I [...]