November 22, 2025
Back in Melbourne, we had a little errand to run in Reservoir, and it was a nice excuse to visit My Asian Neighbour for a sunny daylight-savings dinner. This venue is cheery and sprawling, with indoor seating, a courtyard bar, and astroturfed street-side outdoor seating - we picked the latter. The Indonesian menu is extensive, with lots of well-marked vegan and gluten-free options.
My digestive system was still a little delicate, and I decided that the Gado Gado ($25) might be safest option. 'Safe' couldn't get more joyful than this bright bowl of contrasting colour and textures - the classic hard-boiled egg, potatoes, green beans, bean sprouts and tofu were layered with satay sauce, a snowstorm of crushed garlic crackers, and a generous drizzle of sweet dark soy sauce.
Michael's no-holds-barred Nasi Campur Banquet ($35) was an even greater sight to behold, with a corn fritter, a tempe fritter, deep-fried eggplant, a trail of rich rendang curry, a medley of fresh veges, garlic crackers and a bowl of dark sweet soy sauce all clamouring around a hefty mound of rice. Only the sambal was really fiery, so it was possible to measure out the heat to taste.
The staff were a mixture of experienced and efficient with new and eager-to-learn. We weren't left wanting... unless you mean wanting the stomach space for dessert. I've got my eye on the pandan pancake for next time.
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My Asian Neighbour
760 Plenty Rd, Reservoir
9470 5481
Accessibility: In short, a bit chaotic. There's a lip on the door and a crowded-looking interior (we didn't explore far). Outdoors there's a medium-density mixture of high tables with backless stools and regular-height, not-so-sturdy tables with those pinchy metal chairs (booo). We ordered at our table and paid at a regular-height counter inside. We didn't visit the toilets.
Have bookmarked this - looks really good and I need more tempeh in my life! I really fancy the banquet plate that Michael had which seems manageable with the spiciness!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will love it if you can get the spice levels right! The weather and light are not quite so good for the outdoor seating now but there's indoor seating too, which we haven't tried.
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