Magic Mountain Saloon

Is this Melbourne's most magical transformation? Late on a steamy Saturday night, DJs tag team, the room is heaving, and the conversation swells and crashes like waves. Just a few hours later, the sun beams handsomely through tall windows, everything gleams and you can converse in whispers.

It's a rare creature that can morph from party monster to bright-eyed darling in mere hours, but maybe that's the enchanted power of Magic Mountain. This place is, variously and vigorously, an old pub, a Thai restaurant, a cocktail bar, a hangout for curries or coffee, and a Tardis-like two-storey pile that wants to fill you up with food and fun.

At busy times, you'll see people pop their heads in, hee-haw at the hemlines and huzzah and reel themselves straight out again. Others perch at the angled marble bar then wonder how they're going to balance handbag and sense of dignity. But most folks slink in, chow down and get loud.

Chef Karen Batson's light-hearted, big-flavoured menu is a happy dance through Thai flavours. There are common threads with her other party-hard Thai kitchens (Cookie, Colonel Tan's), but this carte is more like a steakhouse's, with wood-grilled meats backed up by appetisers and salads. Batson loves over-delivering, so there are wokked dishes, curries and noodles, too.

Funky grills include chilli pepper steak and prawns with apple and lemongrass salad. Must-eat pork ribs are sticky with appealing sour undertones. Veal stir-fry wasn't the strongest dish: the meat was fibrous and the eggplant squeaky and undercooked.

Betel leaves piled with smoked trout, young coconut and pomelo (a grapefruit-like citrus) were so fresh and delicious they erased all sins.

Crepe cake layered with tea-flavoured cream is an impressive – though very sweet – dessert.

Service is stoic and upbeat, even more impressive given the hoo-ha.

After a serious mop-down, Magic Mountain reopens with one of Melbourne's most interesting breakfast menus.

Roti is slathered with almond butter and grilled banana; grated daikon becomes a zingy hash brown – it's topped with a tangle of exotic mushrooms and chilli; and ginger scrambled eggs with tea-smoked trout are zappy and satisfying, served with fluffy doorstops of white bread.

Magic Mountain is sorcery at its tasty peak, whether you want a side order of party with your pork belly or like to partner coffee with congee. Pick your moment and climb in.

Rating: Three and a half stars (out of five)