Young Love Mess Hall is yet another new kid on along William Street in Northbridge. The last thing I remember being there was a Malaysian restaurant. The place has been renovated into a hip new restaurant and bar. While there are a few booths, small sized tables and bar-style high table/chairs, the most prominent seating arrangement is the mess hall style long communal table. I love the hanging garden from the ceiling and walkway, it’s a nice contrast to the off black coloured walls. I liked how they kept the round archway which separates the bar area from the other dining area. It reminds me that the restaurant has some Asian influence to it.
The food and drinks menu is relatively small but appealing. I would describe it as contemporary fusion Asian food. I’m not normally a fan of fusion food, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good and interesting combinations of flavours. The food is made for sharing, smalls, mains and sweets. We were the first to arrive for lunch on the dot at 12noon. After some recommendations from our friendly waiter we decided on a few main dishes to share.
The Crispy Cuttlefish with Butternut Hommus ($17) was just as it’s described. The battered was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and it went very well with the hommus. The sliced zucchini added a freshness to the dish.
The Wartime Salad ($14) contained crunchy potato pieces, grilled corn and slices of mandarin.
Last but not least, the Mac n Pork ($18). It’s basically a mac and cheese pasta dish, topped with sliced Asian style roast pork and crunchy pork crackle. It sounded like a strange combination of flavours when I first heard of it from the waiter, but surprisingly it worked quite well together.
Young Love Mess Hall opens every day from 12noon, closing up at 11pm or 12 midnight depending on the day of the week. It makes for a great place for catching up at odd hours. The wait staff were friendly and almost too attentive with attempts to ask how our meal was going, or to clear our plates. Overall, I enjoyed the food, the flavours and the ambience. I wouldn’t mind trying it in the future for dinner if and when the menu expands or changes.
Thanks for stopping by today.
J.
Leave a Reply