BaBa Chef Kew — Restaurant in Melbourne

Papa Chef Kew East Review on 30/1/2025

My friend is so crazy over bouncy fish balls that he is willing to drive tens of kilometre to satisfy his craving.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, my wife and I had the honor of joining him and his wife for an unforgettable gastronomic escapade. The sun was shining, and the drive was pleasant as we embarked on our mission to taste the flavour of the new year.

Upon arriving at our destination, we eagerly studied the menu.nThe smiling boss came to our table to introduce the specials of the day. We had our hearts set on savouring those exquisite fish ball noodles, and nothing else would do.

To our dismay, the fish balls were nowhere to be found on this auspicious day! The boss, however, highly recommended the Lobster Noodles. And in the words of Professor Julius Sumner Miller, "Why is it so?" — we knew we were in for a surprise.

The surprises did not stop there. The usual lunchtime discounted prices were not applicable, and each plate of Lobster Noodles came with an additional $10 price tag. What started as a simple lunch soon transformed into a lavish New Year celebration feast.

We ordered a seaweed soup and a seafood vegetable dish to accompany the main event. When the Lobster Noodles finally arrived at our table, the sacrificial lobsters were swimming in a brilliant crimson-coloured soup, presumably symbolising good luck in Chinese tradition. Though we found it a bit over-the-top, it certainly made a striking but unnessary presentation!

The seaweed soup, unfortunately, was rather bland and lacked the authentic seaweed flavour we had hoped for. Thankfully, the vegetable dish was a redeeming factor and did not disappoint.

This dining experience was a rare extravagance for us. As we reflected on the meal, we could not help but feel that it was a promising start to the Year of the Snake. The extra expense seemed to be a good omen, hinting at prosperity and abundance for the year ahead! And there you have it, a sensationalized recount of a culinary adventure that turned a simple quest for fish balls into an epic New Year...

You know that feeling when you want to root for the underdog? That’s me walking into Baba Chef. The place looks promising, nice setup, good energy, smells like someone’s auntie who really knows her wok hei. I sat down thinking, yes lah, hidden gem vibes incoming.

But alas, from the first bite, the dream started wobbling like overcooked calamari. The technique is there, you can tell the chef once trained under the gods of wok tossing, but somewhere along the way, the ingredients got lost in the frozen tundra of the restaurant’s freezer. Everything, from the sweet and sour pork to the wat tan hor to the fish fillet curry laksa, tasted like it had been preserved since the Ming Dynasty.

It’s like watching a technically perfect dance routine performed in slow motion, impressive yet emotionless. The texture? A symphony of rubber bands. Especially the seafood. The prawns looked back at me like, we’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe.

To be fair, the thicker spiced curries almost redeemed the experience. When the sauce is strong enough, it hides the trauma. You get that fleeting moment of “oh hey, not bad” before the chewiness returns like a jump scare.

So yes, Baba Chef, not entirely hopeless. You can taste the effort, you can sense the skill. But until someone liberates those ingredients from the icy abyss, the dishes will keep tasting like a flashback...

Walking into Baba Chef in Kew feels like going to a friend’s place for dinner: tables set close, lively chatter, and the air full of wok aroma. The cooking leans Malaysian–Hakka, with lots of homestyle stir‑fries, claypots and sauces. Portions are meant for sharing and the prices are reasonable for Kew.

A few quick stir‑fries showed the kitchen’s control of heat. The prawns were done well—springy, not overcooked—with the Singapore chili version landing a neat sweet‑spicy balance. The sizzling tofu is an old‑school number with a thicker, glossy sauce that’s great over rice.

The headliner is the curry fish head. The broth is rich with coconut and lemongrass, a gentle heat, and vegetables that drink up the sauce. The fish tastes fresh, with gelatine around the cheeks—hard to stop spooning it up.

The braised pork belly is solid too: thick slices that are soft and melty, coated in a soy‑sweet sauce that isn’t overly salty—perfect with rice. If I had a quibble, some dishes run on the bold side, so those who prefer lighter flavours might want a simple veg to balance things out.

Overall it’s a comfortable spot to bring family and friends—familiar dishes, consistent flavours, fair pricing. I’d come back; the curry fish head and pork belly are repeat orders, and I’d happily explore more of the Hakka...