Jojo Little Kitchen (Melbourne)

It has been a busy period for me lately so it took me a long while before I could make time to come down to try this place out! Jojo's little kitchen is a chain store from Malaysia that sells different combinations of Pan Mee but they are most known for their chilli Pan Mee. Pan Mee (板面) is a popular Hakka dish in Malaysia, a combination of homemade noodles cooked in anchovy, pork and shiitake broth with some vegetables. To me, Pan Mee is the perfect bowl of comfort noodles you can have on a cold chilly night in Melbourne.

Pictured above are:

(Left)

Jojo's Pork (Soup) with Thick Noodles $13.90

(Right)

Jojo's Lat Jiu Pan Mee with Thick Noodles $13.50

THE MENU

With 12 different combinations of Pan Mee available on their menu, it's always hard to make a decision yourself!! Well, unless you have 11 other friends to go with you and you are willing to wait for a big table.

PRICING

Whilst Jojo's Little Kitchen Pan Mee prices are pretty average for Melbourne (about the same price as a bowl of ramen), it can be quite expensive for someone who eats it frequently in Malaysia. Extra charges for their famous chilli ($1/small container) and most of the add-ons/changes applies as well which can be quite frustrating for some individuals. 

However, that being said, the Pan Mee is the most authentic version you'd probably be able to find in Melbourne so I'd definitely be willing to head to Jojo again. 

(Please feel free to holla at me if you know somewhere else with amazing pan mee/asian food). 

FLAVOUR REVIEW

Jojo's Pork (Soup) with Thick Noodles $13.90

Portion size was good and their soup is jammed pack with flavours of pork and anchovies. I went with the thick noodles which is the usual Pan Mee type I reckon? Or it is the one I am used to ordering at hawker centres in Asia. The only flaw I had with this was that I found the soup a tad bit salty so I couldn't finish it. 

Rating: 9/10✩ 

Jojo's Lat Jiu Pan Mee with Thick Noodles $13.50

Portion size was also good and despite it being a dry version, the homemade chilli was flavourful and had a good depth of flavours. I am unsure if they reduced the spicy level of their chilli because I felt that it needed more punch in it. 

Rating: 9.5/10✩

Another point I wanted to add was usually Pan Mee is served with shiitake mushrooms as well but there was none in both bowls of noodles. However, I am not fussy about this so this is really just an FYI. 

VERDICT

Overall I think Jojo's Little Kitchen is doing a great job at bringing the flavours of authentic Pan Mee all the way to Australia and I'd definitely come back for another bowl soon. Service was quick and staff were friendly and helpful. The stall is pretty small and can probably sit a max of 40 customers (from memory) in the stall and another 20 outside probably? Be prepared to queue if you are heading there at peak hours of service!

Jojo's Little Kitchen Australia

120 A'beckett Street, Melbourne

Australia 3000

F45 (Melbourne) Review

A few weeks ago, I signed up for a FREE trial at the world famous F45 gym where celebrity fitness classes were conducted. A little bit of background of myself: I have been building my stamina/cardio/fitness level for the past 6 months and I can confidently say that I can run for 5-10mins straight on the treadmill now -- WHICH IS A BIG STEP FOR ME TO BE HONEST. 

Thinking that I'm such a #fitspo now, I confidently went for the class with a close friend and ... lets just say things didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. 

CLASS STRUCTURE

The trainers guide you through the warm ups and students are more than welcome to stay to join warm down (stretching) at the end of each session. Classes consists of cardio, resistance or a combination of both. Typically, there will be ≥ 18 stations and depending on the routine for that day, each station will be repeated 2-4 times. Each station will be about 30-40 seconds each with a 10 second rest time in between. Stations are also usually grouped up, about 4-5 in a group and you rotate within a section and then move on to other groups. 

You can find the details to their workout programs here. 

Took this photo from their Instagram page just to illustrate better on what I was going to talk about next. One screen on the wall will show you (continuously) exactly what workout to do and for which station and the other screen will show you the countdown time, when to rest and when to head to the next station or the next group of stations. 

CLASS SCHEDULE

Monday - Fridays:

Saturdays:

Sundays: Not open.

WHAT I LIKED

☑ Perfect for fat burning

☑ Very clean and does not reek of sweat - but this could differ from outlets?

☑ Workout routine always changes (great because I get bored easily)

☑ Slightly idiot proof because of the screens running constantly to guide you. (I only say slightly 

    because I got confused hahaha)

☑ The community - Everyone is so welcoming, friendly and helpful!

☑ Easy to book classes

☑ Joining a franchise outlet that is opened by a particular person/group/team will allow you to attend 

     classes at all the other outlets under them (e.g., F45 Chinatown is under the same contractor as 

     F45 Fitzroy if I'm not wrong!)

☑ Trainers (at F45 Chinatown)

☑ A great variety of equipment

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

☒ Cost: $60/week 

☒ Number of shower rooms - this could differ from each outlet!

☒ Gym time slots. F45 mainly accommodates to the working class group, not so much to busy 

    science students like myself that also works on a shift-to-shift basis. 

☒ Too intense & overwhelming for an intermediate-beginner. 

☒ Easy to cheat during workouts

☒ Only 2 trainers per session = lack of focus on training due to class sizes

☒ Not a typical gym so I don't think you can just rock up to use their weights/TRX etc. 

☒ Warm up was only 2 minutes max (or felt like it).

CONCLUSION

Whilst there were more pros than cons that I experienced during the 1 week, I think F45 is not suitable for me at my current stage. As someone who is still trying to work to improve her fitness level instead of only maintaining it, I think gyms that run smaller classes will be suitable for me. Currently, I need a trainer that pushes me hard and notices when I am slacking (which I tend to do unfortunately). However, F45 will definitely be something I consider when my fitness level has improved further! I definitely recommend anyone who heard about the F45 hype to give it a try and don't be afraid to take it slow during the workouts. The trainers at F45 are absolutely amazing and will guide you through your workout if they notice you are struggling. 

I would love to hear some of your experiences at F45 (wherever you are) and any recommendations you think will be best suited for me!