Phone: (03) 9663 4759
Time: around 10pm (they're open for dinner only from 5.30pm until about 2.30am)
Price: Reasonable (bowls of congee is approx $7, but it feels you up)
Cuisine Type: Chinese
What got dished out:
I only ever go here for one thing and one thing only and that is congee. I have to say I have tried lots of other places in and around the city to get congee (only because I couldn't be bothered waiting around for a seat at Supper Inn) only to be disappointed. Supper Inn is in fact an institution having been around for years and years. It's probably one of the best places around for late night supper. I wouldn't recommend it for anything else other than congee. Seriously if you're there for Chinese cuisine, Supper Inn does an average job at it, you can get better elsewhere.
To be honest, I am not an avid fan of having so much ginger in my congee,
only because I really dislike ginger. It reminds me of my childhood of being forced to eat ginger whenever I had a cold. However, only at Supper Inn would I ever overlook the whole excess ginger factor and eat it, (instead of the usual: pick- yucky stuff out- of bowl method).My usual pick is generally the chicken congee because I only ever play it safe. (i know I'm so boring), once I ventured out and picked the chicken congee with abalone. A lot of my friends have tried "fish" congee and "century egg" congee. Unfortunately I'm not that much of a huge fan of fish and I really can't eat egg that looks like the same colour as off-meat.
The congee itself is light and easy to eat. I hate it when congee is too salty or too thick because it makes the whole experience so bleh, not only that congee isn't the only thing I order.
I once had some cousins come down from Sydney who had ordered Pippies in XO sauce and got me hooked on it. I've ALWAYS had congee from Supper Inn with their Pippies, mainly because they make it sooo damn nice.
One of my biggest complaints about the pippies generally is that they're really small. They generally look under grown stuff, stuff you buy from the blackmarket type thing. If they're not small then the servings are generally too small(the kind you get when you fine dine). Seriously at one stage, I was starting to think that Supper Inn were short changing us because each time I went there on 3 consecutive weeks, the servings got smaller and smaller and smaller...On this occasion, they really did surprise us because the pippies were huge, like on steroids huge. The sauce obviously magnificient, normally I put a spoonful of the sauce into my bowl of congee (hence why I love the fact that their congee isn't so overpowering in taste as if it were, you wouldn't be able to mix it, yet you could eat it without adding anything else).
Of course eating congee without chinese donuts is kinda wrong. So we always order a dish of this. Now if you're here for the fresh kind, then you're going to be disappointed. I mean seriously this is a restaurant not a bakery, and you're here for dinner not breakfast. Personally I'm not really fussed, I only order them because they're great with the Pippies. I leave them to be drenched by the XO sauce and then add them to my congee. Most times I just eat them without putting it in the congee.
Seriously these are the only 3 dishes that I ever order, I have a friend who orders peking duck (wrong place to get them) or oysters etc. But like I said, Supper Inn is only known for it's congee and things to be eaten with congee.
The prices are somewhat reasonable. From memory the bowl of congee is like $7 bucks, it's quite reasonable as it's an average size bowl and can easily fill you up. The pippies is about $15ish and the chinese donuts are like $2.50. I can't remember the actual prices, maybe next time when I go, I'll update it.
I'm terrible with pricing, mainly because there's no real need to remember it after days since you've eaten there. *sheesh*
My thoughts:
I've been going to Supper Inn for years, I can't remember who introduced me to the place but it's the one place that even at 10pm on a Wednesday night, I'd be more than happy to get changed out of my pj's just for some congee, especially on a wintry Melbourne night. Don't be surprised to go there and having to find yourself lining up for ages just to get a table. Generally you have to wait along the staircase, and then have to subject yourself to diners who have already eaten make comments of how awesome it is, whilst you're extremely hungry and having the need to pass out because you need food NOW (yes that's happen to me a few times), of course those types of comments don't make the wait any better.
They have a downstairs and an upstairs, but for some reason I've found the food upstairs to be a little bit better, the menu's the same and I'm sure it comes out of the same kitchen but the quality is a tad different. I don't know, I still can't put my finger on it yet. Maybe one day I'll have it all worked out.
The other thing... if you go to Supper Inn expecting some kind of decent service, then obviously you're going to the wrong place. You're not paying for service, granted they don't bark at you but they can sometimes borderline as rude. These guys are quick to give you the bill, understandably they've got people lining up wanting a seat so the quicker they get you to eat, the quicker they can get you to get out.
I once remember commenting on how none of the staff really smile, they all look so serious, it's kinda like they're all heading to a funeral and someone forgot to tell you. I also remember another time when these same waiters tried to smile, it was so forceful that I actually preferred the serious look.
Oh... and the decor... let me tell you, in the years that I've gone (almost 10 years now I think), literally NOTHING has changed. It's kinda like the owners got so self absorbed at being so popular and producing good food (okay just the congee) that they thought "change the furniture? what the hell for" =]
The place looks hella tired, while most places look lavish with nicer tables and chairs and awesome things to look at whilst you eat, at Supper Inn tired looking furniture and decor is where it's at. I mean the staff match the decor and frankly why change? especially when the whole thing works so well.
One thing I've noticed over the years... is that when it comes to the bill, the waiters always give you a whole BUNCH of change, I guess in hopes that you'd leave all the poo change for tips. I know... so blardy DODGY!
Now let's be frank about this, we don't live in America. Tipping is not compulsory, therefore tipping would only occur when exceptional customer service is given, however seeing that these guys wouldn't even know the first thing about customer service, come on, it would almost kill someone for a smile, I sure ain't tipping.
Yes I know they come take my order, and bring out the food, but that's what waiters are paid to do. I'm not going to "pay" someone extra for them just doing their job, that's what employers do. Tipping should be thanking them for going above and beyond. Of course not everybody sees it this way but that's just my view point.
I know one things for sure, even with or without the customer service, and old decor, the foods great. It's consisent and has been for 10 years+. I know I'd still be going back and if you live in Melbourne and haven't been... you really need to crawl out of your rock and try the damn place out. You seriously don't know what on Earth you're missing out on
They have a downstairs and an upstairs, but for some reason I've found the food upstairs to be a little bit better, the menu's the same and I'm sure it comes out of the same kitchen but the quality is a tad different. I don't know, I still can't put my finger on it yet. Maybe one day I'll have it all worked out.
The other thing... if you go to Supper Inn expecting some kind of decent service, then obviously you're going to the wrong place. You're not paying for service, granted they don't bark at you but they can sometimes borderline as rude. These guys are quick to give you the bill, understandably they've got people lining up wanting a seat so the quicker they get you to eat, the quicker they can get you to get out.
I once remember commenting on how none of the staff really smile, they all look so serious, it's kinda like they're all heading to a funeral and someone forgot to tell you. I also remember another time when these same waiters tried to smile, it was so forceful that I actually preferred the serious look.
Oh... and the decor... let me tell you, in the years that I've gone (almost 10 years now I think), literally NOTHING has changed. It's kinda like the owners got so self absorbed at being so popular and producing good food (okay just the congee) that they thought "change the furniture? what the hell for" =]
The place looks hella tired, while most places look lavish with nicer tables and chairs and awesome things to look at whilst you eat, at Supper Inn tired looking furniture and decor is where it's at. I mean the staff match the decor and frankly why change? especially when the whole thing works so well.
One thing I've noticed over the years... is that when it comes to the bill, the waiters always give you a whole BUNCH of change, I guess in hopes that you'd leave all the poo change for tips. I know... so blardy DODGY!
Now let's be frank about this, we don't live in America. Tipping is not compulsory, therefore tipping would only occur when exceptional customer service is given, however seeing that these guys wouldn't even know the first thing about customer service, come on, it would almost kill someone for a smile, I sure ain't tipping.
Yes I know they come take my order, and bring out the food, but that's what waiters are paid to do. I'm not going to "pay" someone extra for them just doing their job, that's what employers do. Tipping should be thanking them for going above and beyond. Of course not everybody sees it this way but that's just my view point.
I know one things for sure, even with or without the customer service, and old decor, the foods great. It's consisent and has been for 10 years+. I know I'd still be going back and if you live in Melbourne and haven't been... you really need to crawl out of your rock and try the damn place out. You seriously don't know what on Earth you're missing out on
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