Sho thing

There’s that famous saying: “Don’t try this at home.” Having witnessed master chef Pin Tan giving a noodle-making demonstration at Crown Melbourne’s new Sho Noodle Bar, I’m quite happy to forget any aspirations I might have had to give it a go.

He managed to turn a pretty ordinary looking lump of flour and water dough into multiple long noodle strands in the time it would have taken me to put on my apron and limber up my fingers.

Clearly it’s all in the technique – the stretching and spinning and pulling.

Pin Tan had an engrossed audience last night – a gathering of Melbourne food bloggers. It was my first encounter with most of them so it was a good opportunity to put faces to names and introduce ourselves over a tea brewed for us by a kung fu tea master who later brandished a teapot with a metre-long spout and showed us tricks never attempted at granny’s tea parties.


The new restaurant on the main floor at Crown Casino features a large shiny open kitchen and we had ringside seats to watch a steady stream of dishes being whipped up for us.


There was a dim sum selection followed by roasts – duck, char siu pork and a beautifully moist soya chicken.

Crayfish waiting to be fried in the wok

Wok-fried crayfish followed with honey chilli and spring onion – the cray a little dry to my taste.


The deep-fried baby barramundi with chilli oyster sauce and coriander had a good balance of crisp and succulent.

Beef rendang

There was a slightly chewy Malaysian-style beef rendang, then wok-fried chicken with dried chilli and some welcome wok-fried kailin with garlic. The savoury dishes concluded with char kway teow with prawns and slices of Chinese sausage, just as I was beginning to wonder if we were going to sample any noodles.


A trio of mango desserts, embellished with lychee, ended the meal.

I did enjoy the teas which were served throughthroughout, along with wines. In particular, the premium Pu’Er tea, aged for 35 years, was excellent. Pu’Er tea needs a minimum of five years to mature, becoming smoother and more balanced with age. It is said to aid digestion and reduce cholesterol. Considering this was a fairly large meal, I’d say the tea’s digestive properties are not exaggerated. I will certainly be lured back to the tea salon.

While the restaurants and cinemas draw me to the Crown complex, rather than the casino, Sho Noodle Bar will undoubtedly appeal to gamers just beyond the lounge and dining tables. It’s a good place to drop in for a snack as well as for a more substantial meal.

Pin Tan gives his demonstrations twice a night at 6 and 9.