mamachau.

Asian tacos? What? When a friend mentioned Mamachau and their concept, bells start ringing in my head.  Combine that with enticing photos from various social media outlets and Mamachau was the next must-try on my list.  Next to Obun Chef on the corner of King William Street and Pirie Street, it's not too hard to spot with its brightly lit-up sign and colourful outside seating.

They have several kinds of foods available: the Asian tacos called 'baos', cold rolls, rice bowls and salad bowls.  They also have several pre-packaged sides like the edemame beans and lotus chips (below) as well as a variety of drinks, including lychee juice and chrysanthemum tea.

Lotus Chips: $3.50

I love lotus root in soup, but having them deep-fried was a first for me.  Crunch, crunch, crunch is an apt description of what they taste like, along with a heavy seasoning of salt, pepper and other spices.  They're not particularly filling but it's definitely more interesting than your old Smiths crisps and minus the oiliness.

KFC bao: Asian slaw, kimchi mayonnaise & deep-fried chicken ($3.50)

So the 'taco' (bao) is actually a piece of soft, sweet-ish bread with your choice of ingredients inside. The KFC chicken was not too bad.  It wasn't as crunchy as I expected it to be but did have some flavour it without being overwhelmed by the other ingredients.  The Asian slaw was fresh, crunchy and plentiful.  The kimchi mayonnaise didn't really have much of a kimchi taste to it.  It was actually slightly sweet, which is strange because I was expecting a sour and fermented taste.

Tofu bao: Asian slaw, kimchi mayonnaise & deep-fried tofu ($3.50)

A very similar taste to the KFC bao, but with tofu instead.  

Pork Belly bao: pickles, nuts & spring onion ($3.50)

This is the one you have to try, especially if you love pork belly.  I could rave on and on about the pork, but I won't.  Let's just say it was amazing.  Incredibly soft and tender, the pork pretty much melts in your mouth and had just the right amount of flavour.  The pickles worked nicely with the pork, adding in a slightly sour and salty flavour to the sweetness.

Cheap, fairly filling, delicious and super quick - what more could you ask for? The bread was probably some of the softest bread I've ever eaten, and I would come back here just for their pork belly, whether it be in a bao or a rice bowl.