‘Niübi’ is a slang term for ‘fucking awesome’ in Mandarin. It’s a word that’s become popularised by Chinese youths on social media, and it has been bestowed upon Team Rassassy's Chinatown’s pan-Asian fusion venue. The four-storey space it occupies at 11 Heffernan Lane has housed a string of Chinese restaurants from 1894 onwards and even went up in flames when Wing Loong inhabited the space in 2010.
It’s evident upon arriving at this edifice that it’s targeted at a millennial demographic that are all for the ‘gram.
Natural light illuminates the fit-out designed by T-A Square (Superhiro, Kurimu the Glen, Gotcha Tea). Blush pink chairs and cherry red ceilings resemble a make-up palette, puppy-shaped ice melts slowly into milk teas, and covers of modern-day pop songs play over the speakers.
Developed by chef Iven Foo, the menu draws upon his Malaysian heritage and cheffing stints in Thailand and Singapore. That’s where the fusion aspect comes in.
This might also be the only venue in Melbourne to offer a dedicated Yakult section on the drinks list. There are three to choose from, and the strawberry flavour works well with the king of probiotic drinks. Fresh strawberries are muddled with ice and served with Yakult in a mason jar. As the waiter explains, “This aids digestion and works well to cut through the richness of the food”.
The menu is better shared so you can take advantage of its more premium offerings, and seafood is the standout here. Foo’s playful fish and chippery interpretation of prawn toast comes complete with a fake newspaper article wedged under the toast. A Thai take on tartare sauce has spikes of lemongrass to cut through the sweetness, while a butterflied prawn is battered in golden, salted egg yolk over a bed of toast, its umami flavours complemented by the sauce. A tiny garnish of curly parsley is isolated on the edge of the plate, and the dish is equal parts farce and creative.
Waiters stand at tables separating noodles from mud crab as patrons slurp up the fruits of their labour with chopsticks.
Then it’s time for the big Southeast Asian guns to come out. Lobster arrives dismantled in a creamy buttermilk broth in a black clay pot. Curry leaves swim around with flecks of curry oil that creep into and flavour the crustacean’s legs. A little saucer of condensed milk accompanies the dish but only subdues its complexity. Claw crackers and lobster forks provide fingers with some respite, but after a while our textured beige serviette need to be replaced, and wet wipes are at the ready.
We break apart deep-fried, golden mantou with our hands and dip the buns into the gravy. The little pillowy buns have a crisp outer layer and resemble the comforting, brightly coloured food you would spot in a Studio Ghibli film.
Most of the table’s real estate is now acquired and the person covering ‘Never Be the Same’ by Camila Cabello has hit an unusually high note, and a piscine smell makes it clear the fish head curry has arrived. We lift the lid on the clay pot to find a deep golden curry with chunks of eggplant, fried morsels of fish (bone-in, of course) and cumulous-like tofu puffs swaddled in a coconut gravy. Its thick, pungent gravy is spiked with tamarind and is a nod to Foo’s Malaysian roots. It’s best eaten with steamed white rice, but it works just as well with the mantou.
A word to the wise: take a group with you if you don’t plan to leave laden down with plastic containers full of leftovers. Overall, the food might seem disconnected from the overarching ethos at Niübi, but it proves itself to be one of the few fusion experiences that hits the nail on the pan-Asian head.