Stefan Blair (@goodfknmorning)
Jensen Ackles, pho & a hot 15 in the sauna
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Stefan Blair is a musician and recording engineer from Melbourne. He is one half of the band Good Morning, and co-operator of York Street Recorders in Fitzroy North.
Where do you live most of the year?
Melbourne!
What do you look for in a restaurant when you walk in?
I don’t have particularly high standards when it comes to decor, however an absence of fluorescent lighting is always a good thing! The scent of a wood-fire grill is a plus. I also like being able to somewhat see or hear what’s happening in the kitchen. Not necessarily open-kitchen style, but a table with enough of a vantage point to feel the chaos emanating from inside. Also no sterile function centre type table cloths/furnishings, you know the type.
Maybe I’ve got higher standards than I thought..
What is your final meal?
Roast chicken, potatoes, a deep deep gravy, and some tangy iceberg lettuce on the side. A few bottles of wine and a nice ripe mango for desert.
3 guests for dinner, dead or alive?
My friends Ina Garten, Jensen Ackles & Denham Sadler. I reckon the 3 of us would have a really fun time together.
Stefan’s Taste Maker Guide
Breakfast: Pho Hung, Preston
Order: Most days of the week I’m not a huge breakfast person. I like to pound 3 or 4 espressos and just sorta get on with it, ya know? However, on those days when I wake up with my tummy rumbling, Pho Hung is usually where I’ll go. Rare beef pho and a trio of beverages (white iced coffee, fresh OJ, and a fresh lemon soda) will sort you right out, a true liquid breakfast.
Coffee: The cafe at NARC (Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre)
Order: Typically I’m making my own brew at home. Plus I’ve always got a pot of filter on the go at the studio. I do however love to go take a dip in the morning at my local pool, and sometimes after a hot 15 in the sauna you just gotta treat yourself to a little double espresso over ice from the cafe in the foyer.
Lunch: Gai Wong, North Melbourne
Order: I don’t trek over to North Melbourne all that much, but if I do it’s probably because I felt like going to Gai Wong. They make the most delicious Hainese chicken rice I’ve ever had. The set comes with some poached chicken, rice, a chilli sauce, a spring onion & ginger sauce, and a cup of their chicken broth. It’s the perfect meal in both portion size and flavour. Sometimes I’ll ask to buy a container of the broth to take home if I’m feeling confident.
Special dinner: Bar Olo, Fitzroy
This sweet little Italian spot sits right in the middle of that nasty stretch on Nicholson St between Johnston and Alexandra Pde, however once you’re inside, you’d hardly know that’s where you were situated. Everything here is delicious. The food is a rotating menu of small plates I guess, the ones we all love to mock, but also love to consume. One time I had a duck and mushroom ragu and some oysters, another time I had fritto misto and tuna crudo. The cocktails are really yummy too. One time I had a few too many cocktails so I can’t remember the names of them, but definitely try the mezcal cocktail with cherries(?), so good I had to have 5.
Casual dinner: Radio Springs Hotel, Lyonville, Victoria
Order: Considering how often I eat at pubs I felt that I had to include at least one on this list. I was living in a town called Blackwood a few years ago and this strange pub became our go-to in the area. It’s got all your pub classics at classic pub prices, but the space itself is quite unique. They have many nooks in which to find a hidden little table, a tiny but beautiful front bar where the bar tenders wear suits and pour perfect pints of Guinness. I’ve never stayed there but the accomodation looks awesome, the pub is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and they even have a cinema there. If you park your car in Trentham there’s a nice track through the bush that’ll take you about an hours walk and lead you to the front door of the pub, what a lovely way to spend a day. Oh! There’s also no phone reception there! Winner.
Special shoutouts
Lương Ký Mì Gia - District 3, Saigon - This place might be home to my favourite bowl of food in the world. A friend and I stumbled in here a few years ago after a few hours walking around and ordered the special duck noodle soup, and now anytime I find myself in Saigon I will eat here 4 or 5 times if I can. I’m sure all the other menu items are really good too, but I can never go past the duck soup. Just try the soup, it’s really good I promise.
Daichan - Studio City, Los Angeles - When I first moved to LA I was living in the valley and stumbled across this place because I was looking for a cheap feed near my house. Usually I find dining in America quite overwhelming. I find the service quite overbearing, and it’s quite hard to find quality produce and ingredients being served at a restaurant that doesn’t come at a huge premium. Daichan is sort of the antithesis to that. The food is Japanese homestyle cooking I guess? It’s fresh and delicious, and there’s something for everyone. Beautiful sashimi, delicious soups and curries, and the vibe is bang on, plus you can go for a meal here and pay under $30, which feels near impossible in LA most of the time.
Pho Chu The - Richmond, Melbourne - For many years I lived in Richmond and this would’ve taken the spot up above as my go-to breakfast spot. It’s only due to convenience that I’ll now frequent Preston for a pho. This placed closed down for a few years during the pandemic and I was scared they were done forever. When they reopened, I believe at the end of 2022(?) I was their first customer back, so I feel a real kinship with the place. The previous owners son has now taken the reigns, and the food is just as delicious and the vibes are just as high. They only do bowls of pho and the broth is super deep, enjoy.
Recoin, 11th eme Paris - I only just ate here for the first time last night with a few friends, shoutout Shaad for the tip. Really, really delicious food. I had scallops that tasted like passionfruit, mushrooms that tasted like roast chicken and chocolate cake with mezcal sorbet, the whole thing was bonkers. Had a couple really yummy wine recommends from the staff and left feeling kind of high, what a treat.
Congee Village, Manhattan, NYC - Anytime I spend an extended period in New York I inevitably end up feeling a little exhausted. Whenever that time strikes my remedy is to pick up a few comforting bowls of congee from Congee Village, jump on the train and take them to my friend Jesse’s apartment and eat congee in bed and watch movies.
