By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
THERE seems to be a sudden appetite for hipster in Springvale.
Alex Vuong and chef John Liu had a gut feel that their youthful ‘Italian-Australian’ burger restaurant Cultural Commons would be a breath of fresh air among a glut of Vietnamese and Chinese eateries.
“We’re getting a lot of people saying they’ve been waiting for a long time for something like this in their neighbourhood,” Mr Vuong said.
The hit dish has been the soft-shell crab burgers served with beer-battered chips and aioli.
More than 1500 have been devoured since the restaurant opened in February.
It’s a lighter meal than a beef patty and is a revelation for diners who are used to prying apart crab shells, Mr Vuong said.
The 180-gram grass-fed-beef burgers have also been a popular choice.
“We just got into this at the right time – burgers are starting to pick up in the food industry,” Mr Vuong said.
Mr Vuong had learnt the trade at his parents’ Chinese-style roast duck and pork restaurant.
When it closed in 2013, Mr Vuong and Mr Liu leapt at the chance of starting afresh on the same premises.
“It’s very modern and hipstery for Springvale – we wanted to target the younger crowd,” Mr Vuong said.
“I realised Springvale is changing very dramatically and there’s a shortage of Western food. There needed to be more variety.”
He said his parents Tong and Connie, who had run successful eateries in Victoria Street and Springvale, were initially sceptical of the ‘fusion’ venture.
“They didn’t know which audience we were targeting. Now they’re all smiles.”
Cultural Commons at 12 Queens Avenue, Springvale, is open from 11am to 10pm from Tuesday to Friday and 9am to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Phone 8555 2343.
