Uni Boom Boom – The Overview…
Food: Birds nest rose tea, Birds nest milk tea, Uni cup, Baked Cheese Rice, Foie Gras, Birds nest dessert
Ratings:
Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 4.5/5
The details…
Setting many Australian firsts, Uni Boom Boom offer the unique combination of sea urchin and edible birds nests (yes, actual birds nests, you read that right). The tradition of eating birds nests dates back to the Ming Dynasty (15th Century). Admiral Ching Ho and his crew became stranded without food on a Malay island. They discovered birds nests on the cliffs and ate them to combat their hunger and soon found they feltenergetic and had also regained health. This led to the birds nests being considered a superior food, and synonymous with wellness in China. The nests come from the Collocalia bird, a small swift type bird. Once their young are old enough to leave the nest, the birds no longer use them. It’s at this point they are carefully harvested and used to create many edible delicacies.
Particularly from the front, Uni Boom Boom has somewhat of a factory feel – and we drove straight past it without spotting it. Inside they’ve done a great job of converting the area into a casual eatery. The relaxing background music and gorgeous light fittings give a pleasant ambience and it’s an interesting, must visit for any adventurous foodie. Uni Boom Boom developed as a way to best show off their products. Being Australian first for many of the products they supply, they’re keen to open up people’s eyes to the many ways they can be enjoyed. We sampled the birds nest rose tea, the uni cup (sea urchin, blue fin tuna designed for Melbourne cup day), cheese risotto and foie gras. Realising that their product paired well with seafood there’s an abundance of this on the menu and the overall feel is a quirky Japanese based cuisine.
The uni cup is a great way to start your meal. It’s like a mini bento box in a cup and is a nice way to gently sample the sea urchin to gauge your thoughts. Initially it looks as though it should be spongy and honestly it doesn’t look the most appealing. Eating it reveals a texture similar to that of sashimi, but less slimy. It’s got a strong, yet pleasant fishy/seaweed taste. It’s kind of the pate of seafood – you wouldn’t pair it with another strong flavour and it’s not something you need an abundance of on the plate, but it’s pleasant and enjoyable. Paired with the blue fine tuna and the rice it works nicely. The soft flavour of the tuna and the neutral rice perfectly pull back the strong flavour and allow Uni Boom Boom’s key product to shine.
Both mains looked lovely and each had a variety of ingredients that featured a range of colours and textures. I loved how all the dishes are plated differently and there’s considerable thought put into it. The baked cheese, topped with unagi took an Asian speciality dish we’ve tried before, but mixed it confidently with some top quality sea food. The unagi just gives a little pop of flavour to the smooth cheesy rice, and the tamago, seaweed salad and tobiko provided a nice range of taste and texture experiences. It was great to see so much thought but into a dish which lacked any of their signature items and really shows the care at attention Uni Boom Boom are putting into their eatery.
Now, I never imagined I’d ever be eating Foie Gras with chopsticks in my lifetime, and that has to be one to tick off the bucket list. It tastes exactly as you’d expect: soft, rich and meaty. It’s pate in solid form. Again packed with rice underneath and topped with mixed mushroom, scrambled egg and grilled uni. The rice and scrambled egg, as well as making it a filling dish (surprisingly so) really neutralise the strong flavours from the proteins. It was a brave, unique combo, but it totally did it’s job!
Finally we finished up with, as the team at Uni Boom Boom described it – “a dessert fit for an emperor”. A rich, chocolate lava cake sat at the centre of a platter, which almost resembled a school science experiment – yet much prettier and much tastier. The chocolate cake was delicious and decadent – a perfect fit for this luxury food experience. The lychee tea was refreshing with subtle floral hints.
Throughout our meal we also tried several of the birds nest teas including the rose tea and the milk tea. The tea has an almost glutinous texture – and if you’re not a fan of your orange juice with bits in, it might be a bit of an acquired taste. As a avid bubble tea fan, I loved it. They were refined and refreshing. All of the teas we tried had a pleasant sweetness, without being sugary and given all of the apparent health benefits of this special product, I’d happily drink a cup or two every day.
Uni Boom Boom is popular despite being a bit difficult to find, and filled up nicely while we were there. Don’t be tricked by either its location or appearance to think that you are in for an affordable eat, or mass produced, low quality dishes. It’s a unique, creative eatery, with sensitive thoughtful dishes. Almost all of their ingredients are top shelf. It shows off their product range well and while it’s unlikely to become your go to every single Friday due to the unusual products on offer, it’s a must try at least once for everyone. For many, you’ll get hooked on the creativity and be planning what you want to try next before you’ve even left.
Everything else…
Website: https://www.pacificseaurchin.com.au/uniboomboom.html
Address: 63 Myrtle Street, Glen Waverley
Opening Times:
Mon 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Tue 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Wed 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Thu 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Fri 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Sat 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Sun 12pm to 3pm and 5:30pm to 9pm
Parking: Being a little out of the way, you’ll have no trouble parking on the street outside.
Getting here on PT: The 623 bus stops at the end of Myrtle Street, alternatively, it’s walkable down Waverley Road from any of the Springvale Road bus routes.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Uni Boom Boom, Glen Waverley. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a restaurant won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.