Stir-fried pipis and $1 congee: New late-night Thai joint brings Bangkok's Chinatown to Melbourne

The Age

09-07-2025

Though Yaowarat is a great place for a group, there are plenty of single-dish meals too. I'd happily slide in by myself for pad Thai, comforting pork bone soup or pad see ew, stir-fried flat rice noodles in soy-based sauce licked with the smoky char of the wok.
There's a Melbourne-style freedom to some items. I was disarmed and charmed by a salad that includes both raw and cooked prawns, tossed in a hot, tart fermented fish dressing. It riffs on goong chae nam pla, a traditional raw prawn dish that's adjacent to ceviche, and a cooked prawn salad with herbs. You get the bouncy sweetness of the cooked shellfish, and the jelly-like stickiness of the raw. As a staffer tells me later, the idea is to meld seen-it-before comfort and adventure into one scintillating salad.
Yaowarat is alcohol-free but a liquor licence is pending. Meanwhile, there's purple butterfly-pea lemonade, Thai milk tea and lychee soda, among other quenchers. Beers and cocktails will be an improvement for sure, especially as Yaowarat is styling itself as a late-night place for prawns, pipis, pomfret and pork. No matter the beverages, this is a cool addition to Melbourne's laneway lairs.
Three more laneway finds to try
Saadi at Sunda
Modern Indian cooking is one of the most exciting trends in Australian dining and pop-up concept Saadi is at the forefront. Good Food's Young Chef of the Year Saavni Krishnan and previous Young Chef finalist Aditya Suresh are cooking winter dishes such as comforting dal khichdi made with local red lentils and served with pumpkin fritter and Brussels sprouts. On until July 26.
18 Punch Lane, Melbourne, instagram.com/saadi_melbourne
Pecks Road
Tucked down Manchester Lane, this new doughnut and sandwich deli has a realistic approach to sugar-laden treats. Owner and chef Albin Lawang is also a personal trainer and thinks both fitness and indulgence have their place in a happy, balanced life. That must be why I'm happy to balance one of their ube (purple yam) brioche scrolls in my hand on its way to my mouth. Also in Caroline Springs.
The Moat
Hidden beneath the State Library, Moat is easy to miss even though it's been here since 2011. The Italian menu is homely and honest, with antipasti such as eggplant and provolone balls and main courses of slow-roasted lamb shoulder. Wednesday is gnocchi night, with a choice of three dishes, salad and wine for $40.