Sheng Wang has only been in Melbourne for six days, and he’s already eaten at Soi 38 three times. Which is not to say he’s unadventurous. When the LA-based comedian sits down to dinner after his Sunday night show at the Melbourne Town Hall, he’s down to try anything on the menu.

Wang, who’s here for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF), found out about the Thai street-food spot after a fan reached out on Instagram with Melbourne food recommendations. At Soi 38, Wang’s already tried the signature boat noodles, lobster noodles, and tom yum. “I’ve loved the food here,” he says, “so I’m excited to find out what this dinner’s like.”

A love of food is something Wang shares with one of his biggest supporters, comedy superstar Ali Wong. Wong took Wang on tour with her last year and even directed his first Netflix special, Sweet and Juicy. Unlike Wong’s two Netflix specials, the hilarious and often crass Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, Wang’s is a show you can watch with your children or parents in the same room and not worry it’ll get uncomfortably raunchy just as they sit down.

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While Wang’s career is definitely taking off, he’s far from an overnight success – the Taiwanese American son of immigrants has been on the comedy circuit for 20 years and spent four years in the writers’ room of Fresh off the Boat, a TV comedy about an Asian-American family that debuted in 2015 and was the first network sitcom centred around an Asian-American family in about 20 years.

“I’ve been very patient, I’m not a very aggressive person,” Wang says of his career. This calm and considered temperament comes across both on and off stage.

His set are less storytelling-focused and more about short, concise, contained packages. His comedy explores his Taiwanese American identity matter-of-factly and without being overtly political. He never plays into stereotypes. “When I started I was like, ‘I’m not doing that. Do no harm. Don’t perpetuate. Don’t lean into the hurt. Don’t surrender or capitulate to the audience’s expectations. Don’t do what you think they think is funny. Demand to be seen as a person.’”

He became well-known back in 2018 for a bit on Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams's comedy showcase, Two Dope Queens, in which he jokes about the all too #relatable woes of finding yourself with an abundance of ripe avocados. This kind of exploration of the basic, everyday parts of life are the basis of his comedic material today. Things as seemingly mundane as making the bed or eating berries for the antioxidants – performed in Wang's signature humble, almost deadpan, style – are highlights of his Headliners set in Melbourne.

“Life has highlights, but the majority of the time it’s very uneventful,” he says. “I think it’s important to appreciate all those times that are mostly normal.”

If you're not sure who to see at MICF, Headliners might be the perfect ticket, with 15 minute sets by a group that offers a near-perfect taste of the American comedy scene right now. Performing alongside Wang is alt-comedy royalty Patti Harrison (Shrill, The Lost City); Academy Award-nominated twins, The Lucas Brothers (Judas and the Black Messiah, 22 Jump Street); and Brooklyn comic Shalewa Sharpe.

Now – back to the menu at Soi 38. We decide on kung chae nahm pla (raw black tiger prawns with chilli and flying fish roe); scallop ceviche with mint and salmon roe; tum pu (papaya salad with salted crab); deep-fried pork neck; and something called the Ultimate Bowl (instant noodles in tom yum soup with prawns, scallops, crispy pork, minced pork and egg yolks). And two bottles of Singha.

“We don’t have a big vegetable moment, but I think we have enough food,” I say to Wang. “I mean, I ate vegetables before I came,” he replies.

Those vegetables came from the Carlton Farmers Marker, which Wang visited on Saturday morning. “I’ve been doing some weird cooking today,” he says. Staying on Russell Street means he’s been able to explore Chinatown and has quickly become a fan of David’s Hot Pot on La Trobe Street. The other night he got a hotpot to take away and found himself with a decent amount of leftover broth.

“I took all that stuff I got from the farmers market, I chopped it up, and then I just put it in a pot and I poured that broth [in] and I [added] a lot of water,” he says. “I watered down the broth to make it last – but also, that [broth was] restaurant-strength. You know, you don’t eat like that when you’re at home. You don’t put that much oil. You don’t put that much salt. So I basically doubled the volume of water, and it’s perfect.”

Since his Netflix special aired in 2022, Wang's been recognised more frequently in public – he says he’s experienced an uptick in selfie requests. But he hasn't headlined any shows since it came out, and is uncertain how much demand has changed. His goal is not to reach the kind of stratospheric levels of fame that some of his fellow comics, including Ali Wong, have experienced, but simply the ability to make a good living doing comedy: successful enough that he can comfortably say no to opportunities that don't feel right, and take his family on vacation without worrying about the cost.

When we finish eating, we politely argue about who should take home the leftovers. I lose, which means as Wang heads down Collins Street to meet up with a comedy friend, I walk to Flinders Street Station with a takeaway container filled with leftover noodles in hand.

Sheng Wang is appearing in the Headliners showcase of American comedians at Melbourne International Comedy Festival every night through April 9 at Melbourne Town Hall. His special, Sweet and Juicy *is now streaming on Netflix.*

comedyfestival.com.au

This article was updated on Sunday April 9 to correct that Carlton Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays, not Sundays.