Longsong/Longrain

Nothing beats this double act in Melbourne’s theatre-land, with Longsong and Longrain in the CBD.

Longsong Melbourne’s baby octopus with dried olive and chilli and, right, duck heart with horseradish sticks.

40-44 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

[phone] longsong.com.au

[phone] longrain.com

Nothing beats this double act in Melbourne’s theatre-land.

Downstairs, ever reliable Longrain keeps putting a modern spin on “hot, sour, salty and sweet” fare from South East Asia. Upstairs, golden lantern-lit Longsong supplies “moonshine, music and merriment” around share dishes licked by fire.

Chef Nik Page sends out delectable sticks of spiced lamb and sticky pork cooked over charcoal, just as his predecessors did, but Longsong’s latest menu bends more towards Thailand.

A salad of charcoal squid and naem (fermented pork sausage) is turbo-charged with heat while smoked ox tongue, under a thatch of finely shredded leek, burns with salted chilli butter. A jackfruit ice-cream sandwich with coconut candy will cool you down. So will one of Longsong’s creative cocktails, mixed by switched-on staff.

Still yearning for betel leaf snacks, caramelised pork hock and jasmine rice? Then, it’s down those steps to Longrain.

Must-eat dish: Salad of charcoal squid, naem, Chinese celery, yam (Longsong); caramelised pork hock, five spice and chilli vinegar (Longrain)

Cuisine: Modern Thai and South East Asian

Chef: Nik Page (Longsong), Chaowarat Arté Assavakavinvong (Longrain)

Price: $$

Bookings: Yes

BYO: No

Open: Dinner Tues-Sat (Longsong), dinner daily (Longrain)

Instagram: @longsongmelbourne, @longrainrestaurant