Restaurant Review: Grill'd

Link: www.grilld.com.au
Cuisine: Healthy burgers, salads,
Overall Impression: 7/10

The Grill’d chain seems to be taking over Melbourne and it is easy to see why.

Catering for people who love burgers but feel bad when they have them (I can certainly identify with this!), Grill’d is a burger chain that serves delicious and most importantly, healthy burgers.

 They also have a nice range of salads that are really healthy.

What a brilliant concept!

Locations:
 

Restaurant reviews: Persimmon and Kri Kri Greek Restaurant (Christmas functions)

Persimmon

Phone: 03 8620 2434
Location: NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Link: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/visit/places-to-eat/persimmon
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 7/10

It’s the first week of December but Christmas celebrations have started as early as mid-November for me. The first one was a cocktail party at Persimmon at NGV. 

As far as function finger food went it was brilliant. The night featured an array of delicious items including freshly-shucked oysters served with Japanese seaweed salad, perfectly battered calamari and lovely desserts including the above pictured raspberry soufflé. What a great start to the festive season!

Kri Kri Mezethopoleion

Phone: 03 9639 3444
Location: 41 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Link: www.krikri.com.au/
Cuisine: Greek
Overall Impression: 7/10

Named after the Cretan mountain goat found on the island of Crete in Greece, Kri Kri celebrates Greek cuisine with authentic and fresh food in a relaxed environment.

Mixed Dips - Varied dips

Piperies Xithantes - Marinated roasted peppers

We had their “Dinner Banquet #1”. 

Saganaki - Grilled Kefalograviera cheese with lemon

Octopothi - Chargrilled octopus

Giganthes - Lima beans braised with tomato and onion

Calamari Lemonato - Deep fried lemon marinated calamari

Loukanika - Grilled spicy pork and orange sausage

Patates Sto Fourno - Oven baked potatoes with lemon and oregano

Elleniki Salata - Greek salad

Keftethes - Chargrilled meatballs

Kotopoulo Scaras - Chargrilled chicken skewers

Dessert

It was the perfect casual Christmas venue. Everyone was very pleased with the food – everything tasted fresh, authentic and was flavoursome. The servings were incredibly generous - most of us struggled getting out of our seats after our meal! The waitstaff were polite and helpful (although the service was a tad slow).

Restaurant Review: Don Don [South Melbourne]

Location: 5 Bank Street, South Melbourne
Phone: 03 9696 6682
Cuisine: Japanese, Asian
Overall Impression: 7/10 

After being around forever, Don Don is still very cheap and still very tasty!


The service is super quick and the staff are always friendly. I always love getting takeaway when I can’t be bothered cooking at home.

Bar Review: The Lui Bar

Location: Level 55, Rialto Melbourne, VIC 3000
Phone: 03 9691 3888
Link: http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/the-lui-bar
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Bar
Overall Impression: 6/10

It was James’ final day at our work place (OWP). He was moving on to greater opportunities and just a tad too happy about leaving for our liking. Slightly annoyed but also sad that he was leaving, Frank and I decided to reminisce his time at OWP by having a drink at Lui Bar.

We arrived at the Vue de Monde reception, located on the ground floor of the Rialto and expressed our interest in going up to the Lui Bar. Fifty five floors later, we found ourselves at the bar. The fittings are very modern but in the harsh light of day (the Melbourne summer 7pm being akin to the Melbourne winter 2pm), the gold and silver furnishings appeared almost tacky. The famous “clouds” that hovered over the bar looked like dull plastic instead of a funky cloud-like effect.

I can picture how this would look post sun-set though. It would have been incredible.

You can’t argue with the unobstructed view - spectacular.

The pop-up cocktail menu features a wonderful array of interesting concoctions as well as classics, all with beautiful pictures to match.

Complimentary nibbles

James, Frank and I were pleased by the cocktails and drinks we were served at the Lui Bar and we all found the service to be of a high standard. I would certainly recommend paying the Lui Bar a visit for a late night cocktail rendezvous or pre-dinner drinks - just make sure the sun has set or is about to for maximum enjoyment.

Restaurant Review: The Deanery

Location: 13 Bligh Place, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9629 5599
Link: thedeanery.com.au
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 7/10

With an extensive wine list that you can be assured has been cellared appropriately, The Deanery has quite the reputation as a wine bar. 

Jamon Serrano

House made pork & chicken sausage, apple risotto

The food served is also of a very good standard. 

Chargrilled octopus, calamari, saffron potato, chorizo

Half roast duck, baked potato, burnt orange sauce

With Robin Wickens (Interlude) as head chef, the menu features well-executed Modern Australian fare. 

Passionfruit Bombe Alaska

Keeping with the wine-theme, the dining room feels like an old cellar – dimly lit, wooden furniture and exposed bulb lamps. 

The Deanery is an all-rounder, boasting both a solid wine and food menu which also happens to be very well priced. The service is equally as impressive. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable. 

Making Christmas a Highpoint

Our Christmas celebrations started early this year.

With two of our closest friends planning an overseas trip over the Christmas period, we decided to have an extra early Christmas dinner with them last weekend.

Roast turkey

Roast potatoes

Roast pumpkin, Meredith goats cheese & rocket salad

Chocolate mousse with brandied berries

Gastrology were invited by Jess from MANGO to visit Highpoint’s new Fresh Food Market and were generously provided with a $50 voucher to use at the Fresh Food Market and a $25 voucher to use at Melbourne Fresh Meats which we put to good use (along with quite a few extra dollars from our own hip pocket) to purchase all our Christmas dinner ingredients.

Thankfully the dinner was a huge success. We were very pleased with the quality of the produce from both the Fresh Food Market and Melbourne Fresh Meats. Here are the recipes we used to prepare our Christmas dinner. They are all very simple and easy to follow. Enjoy!

Recipe: Roast pumpkin, Meredith goats cheese & rocket salad

Ingredients

• ¼ pumpkin (from the Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market)
• 6 'squares' of Meredith goats cheese in extra virgin olive oil (from Go Vita)
• 200 grams of rocket (from the Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market)
• 1 small red onion (from the Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market)
• 2 tablespoon good quality extra virgin olive oil (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• 1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius.
2. Place chopped pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar until combined and season to taste.
5. Very thinly slice the red onion.
6. In a large bowl toss the pumpkin, sliced red onion, rocket and crumbled goats cheese together gently. Drizzle with the dressing.

Recipe: Roast turkey and gravy

Ingredients

• Roast turkey (7.5kg turkey from Melbourne Fresh Meats)
• Butter (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• Corn starch
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

We bought a fresh turkey that was ready to cook. So all we did was lightly brush the turkey skin with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and pop it into the oven, following the instructions on the pack.

For the gravy, we saved the turkey juices and turned it into a lovely gravy by reducing the liquid in a pot and adding rosemary, a spoonful of butter, dissolving one tablespoon of corn starch and lastly, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Roasted potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 kg chat potatoes (from the Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market)
• 3 sprigs rosemary (from the Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market)
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius.
2. Remove leaves from the rosemary sprigs and chop finely.
3. Place chopped potatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper, add rosemary sprigs, drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden.

Recipe: Chocolate mousse with brandied berries

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 20g butter (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• 3 organic eggs, separated (from Yes It's Fresh Deli)
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 cup (250ml) pouring (single) cream
• Berries (from the Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market)
• Brandy
• Icing sugar

Instructions

We used Donna Hay's chocolate mousse recipe. 

The recipe says that it is for 2 people but when we doubled it for our party of four, it was far too much! I would recommend halving this recipe for two, or using it as is for four.

Instead of the raspberries that Donna Hay uses in her recipe, we served the chocolate mousse with brandied berries which were very easy to prepare. We mixed icing sugar and brandy to taste, then allowed the berries to soak in this mixture for about 4 hours.

Event Review: Taste of Melbourne

Taste of Melbourne is a food festival that celebrates Melbourne's culinary scene. This year, Taste of Melbourne was held in Albert Park for the first time at the beautiful lakeside location, Pelican Lawn. A number of Melbourne restaurants participated, offering tapas sized dishes for visitors to buy and try.

Albert Street Food & Wine “Minted Mermaid” – pea & mint soup, smoked salmon & apple $10

We started our Taste of Melbourne journey with a very creamy "Minted Mermaid" from Albert Street Food & Wine. The chilled soup was thick, decadent and had beautiful flavours.

Albert Street Food & Wine - Duck brik, peach and ginger chutney $12

 The Aylesbury - Dorper Lamb Ribs, Pea and Mint $6

One of our favourite dishes was the lamb ribs from The Aylesbury which had big Mediterranean flavours and were delectably juicy and tender, with a perfectly crisp layer of skin.

Movida - Pinchitos Morunos, Chargrilled Moorish Lamb skewers $8

Movida's lamb skewers were perfectly cooked - deliciously charred on the outside and perfectly pink on the inside. They were, as described, incredibly moorish. 

Malaysian Kitchen cooking demonstration

The Atlantic - Tempura Soft Shell Crab with jalapeno and ponzu $10

Another highlight of our evening were these beautiful morsels of tempura soft shell crab from The Atlantic. The batter was light and not greasy. The crab tasted fresh and juicy!

 Libertine - Smoked venison, beetroot & horseradish $12

The folks behind the Libertine stall were incredibly friendly - it was great to see that their high standard of customer service extended beyond the restaurant!

And the smoked venison did not disappoint. There was a lovely balance of flavours between the salty slices of smoked venison and the slight tartness of the beetroot. The horseradish brought a wasabi-like kick to the dish. It was lovely.

Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar - Salt bush lamb shoulder, peas and mint $8

 Mr Hive's lamb shoulder was deliciously tender and tasty.

 

1 Cocktail + 2 tastes $8

The cocktails from Radii Restaurant & Bar (Park Hyatt) which were accompanied by moreish canapes were most impressive.

Gundowring ice cream $2 for 2 cones

And soon it was time for dessert.

The Botanical - Yuzu cloud, coconut pearl, guava sorbet $6

This was the best dessert we had at Taste of Melbourne. The luxurious coconut milk contrasted spectacularly with the tartness from the guava sorbet and the yuzu brought a lovely chewy textural element to the dish.

The Point - Baked organic quark cheesecake, hazelnut crumb and raspberry $6

Mahjong - Steamed BBQ pork buns $6 

We ended our time at Taste of Melbourne with a supper classic, Char Siu Bao from Mahjong. Unfortunately, the buns were slightly dry but thankfully the sweet and salty barbecued pork filling was enjoyable to eat.

Entry tickets courtesy of Nuffnang

All in all, Taste of Melbourne is an interesting experience. While I would not describe that experience as being one that could replace dining at one of the exhibiting restaurants, it can certainly give you an idea of what a restaurant has to offer and most importantly, can be a really fun day out with family and friends.

Restaurant Review: Locale (De Bortoli Winery and Restaurant)

Location: De Bortoli Yarra Valley, Pinnacle Lane, Dixons Creek
Phone: 03 5965 2271
Link: debortoli.com.au
Cuisine: Italian, Coffee
Overall Impression: 9/10

The weather is warming up and plants are blossoming, revealing their gorgeous springtime colour. While the Yarra Valley is beautiful all year round, spring is a brilliant time to visit. Many inspiring private gardens open to the public and the National Rhododendron Gardens’ Spring Floral Display is in full bloom. In addition to the stunning scenery, J and I love the Yarra Valley for its beautiful food and, of course, spectacular wine.

But from all of the wonderful food on offer, there is only one Yarra Valley restaurant that has truly captured our hearts - Locale (the restaurant attached to the De Bortoli winery in Dixons Creek).

The dining area is spacious, elegant and exudes an air of calm. The wide windows allow the sun to trickle in and present magical views out to the De Bortoli vineyard and the broader Yarra Ranges. The sense of true Italian hospitality is palpable, echoed in the modern Italian menu prepared using high quality, fresh ingredients which are often locally sourced. The service is always friendly and efficient.

A special mention must be given to the wonderful head waiter Tony, who is always warm and
welcoming.

Bread

One of the things J and I look forward to when we visit De Bortoli is their bread. Whilst this may seem like a strange point of focus in a restaurant review, the bread is absolutely moreish. Fresh, fluffy and moist, it is almost cake-like in texture and is coated in a layer of salty polenta. In our opinion, it is by far the most delicious bread served at any restaurant. J could be quite happy eating just the bread for lunch, dipped in some beautiful extra virgin olive oil.

As usual, each dish was cooked perfectly. 

Pan seared scallops with pea crush and local Yarra Valley black truffle

Our scallops were plump, perfectly seared and tasted sweet and fresh. 

Parmesan and potato gnocchi with pork sausage, saffron, tomato and chilli

The gnocchi was divine and obviously made with love. As with all good gnocchi, it was soft and pillow-like, providing an ideal canvas for the intense flavour of the pork sausages and saffron. 

Pan fried dory fillet with black venere rice, broccolini, cime di rapa, fresh chilli, garlic and biodynamic olive oil

The fish skin was beautifully crisp and the flesh was deliciously moist and tender – perfectly cooked. 

Oven roasted pork belly with Italian style lentils, baby spinach and apple and rosemary chutney 

The pork belly was tender throughout and topped with a delicious layer of crispy crackling. 

Milawa free range chicken, pan roasted aromatic spices, sautéed potatoes and cavalo nero

The chicken dish was hearty and once again, cooked perfectly. 

affogato con zeppole - vanilla gelato & italian doughnuts served with de bortoli black noble 

The affogato dessert was outstanding. We were given a whole bottle of De Bortoli black noble and told to help ourselves! The Vanilla gelato was rich and indulgent and paired beautifully with the doughnuts that were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. This is one of the best versions of an affogato we have come across. 

Biscotti and coffee were, as always, a perfect end to the meal. 

Every now and then a restaurant manages to capture a place in your heart. Locale is such a place. More than just the high quality of the food and wines on offer, Locale transports you to another world where all of the stresses of modern, city living evaporate and life is a lot simpler. Despite having eaten at Locale countless times already, it continues to draw us back time and again and has rightfully claimed a spot in our favourite restaurants of all time.

Restaurant Review: Di Palma's

Location: 688 High Street, Kew East
Phone: 03 9859 8999
Link: dipalmas.com.au
Cuisine: Italian, Pizza
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Di Palma’s serves hearty and affordable Italian fare at two locations (Hawthorn and East Kew). One of the few family-friendly restaurants with white table cloths, it has become a regular place for my family when we dine out for a lazy Sunday lunch with all the kids. They have a children’s menu that comes with free ice cream that the children are always excited about and for the adults, the menu ranges from wood-fired pizzas to pastas and also includes a good variety of mains.

We are consistently pleased with the standard of food on offer. It is consistently cooked well and uses fresh ingredients.

What we like most about Di Palma’s is the brilliant service. The staff always make us feel welcome and the children are always well taken care of. The homely, yet modern ambience means we can always have a relaxing time with the family. There is also a BYO policy (corkage charge $9 per bottle) which is great for when you want to enjoy a special bottle with your meal.

Cafe Review: Clement Coffee Roasters

Location: Stall 89, Market St, South Melbourne
Phone: 0410 377 813
Link: clementcoffee.com
Cuisine: Coffee
Overall Impression: 7/10

Hipsters should hurry over to Clement before it becomes officially cool.

Long Macchiato

With coffee this good, it is no wonder that this incredibly tiny fit-out is quickly gaining momentum with its growing fan base.

My long macchiato was very well made with a thick layer of dense crema that had been slightly tainted with the perfect hint of milk foam, covering a deeply flavoured long coffee.

With staff as friendly as the one pictured above and the brilliant standard of coffee, I can assure you that this visit is certainly the first of many to come.

Review: Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio

Location: 647 Chapel Street, South Yarra,
Phone: 03 9827 7060
Link: burchandpurchese.com
Cuisine: Desserts/Ice Cream
Overall Impression: 6/10

We arrived at Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio (B&P) filled with excitement and anticipation. J and I had been looking forward to relaxing with cups of tea and some sweet treats. When we arrived, it became apparent that B&P was not at all what we had expected. B&P is not a "cafe" in any sense of the word but instead, as its name suggests, a sweet studio offering a spectacular array of sugary delights (including tubs of ice cream) to take away. Annoyed at myself for assuming it was a cafe, we decided to buy a couple of treats to take home and enjoy with a pot of earl grey I had blended myself courtesy of Mr. Twinnings.

J and I each picked a dessert (which was an arduous task given the tiers and tiers of endless selections on display). Our selections were carefully placed in a box and soon we were home-bound.

Smoked White Choc, Coffee, Aniseed, Lemon

Smoked white choc cream/ crunchy almond meringue/ coffee buttercream/ coffee sponge/ aniseed syrup/ brownie sponge/ lemon curd/ dehydrated choc rock

We both found the dessert as a whole a tad too sweet for our liking and the use of such a variety of flavours and textures slightly confusing. That said, I enjoyed each 'layer' individually very much, I just wasn't entirely convinced by the flavour combinations when eaten together. That said, this cake was incredibly complex. There were so many elements to this dessert and each element was executed perfectly.

Gin & Tonic

Gin & tonic jelly/ juniper berry crumb/ lime curd/ gin caviar/ lime jelly/ lime & white chocolate mousse/ brilliant white chocolate velvet spray/ lime streusel

Although again, just a touch too sweet for our flavour profile, we enjoyed this dessert. It looked spectacular in that clear cylindrical tube and each layer complemented the next. It truly encapsulated "gin & tonic" in the sweetest manner. And again each element was perfectly executed. The gin and tonic jelly was full of flavour and had a brilliant tanginess. The 'gin caviar' was perfectly cooked sago that had lovely flavours of gin immersed in it and the lime and white chocolate mousse brought a lovely calming balance to the aptly tang of the lime.

Darren Purchese's technical abilities, creativity and flair are clear for all to see in this lovely sweet studio. The flavour combinations are far from conventional and certainly pushes boundaries. The presentation of the sweets and the service is faultless. It is certainly worth a visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Restaurant Reviews: Pho Hung Vuong 2 | Thanh Phong

Pho Hung Vuong 2
Location: 150 Victoria Street, Richmond
Phone: 03 9428 8680
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Overall Impression: 7/10

Beef Pho

Pho Huong Vuong 2 is a little eatery along the Vietnamese food oasis, Victoria Street in Richmond. As a regular visitor, I have found their Beef Pho to be particularly impressive. The broth boasts rich and intense flavours and it is consistently served with generous slivers of tender beef.

Pork and prawn rice paper rolls

Chicken and beef pho

Although there are quite a few options for pho in the area there are a few things that ensure my repeated visit - the staff are warm and helpful, they offer three serving sizes for their pho (small, regular and large) and the use of fresh ingredients.

Thanh Phong
Location: 240 Victoria Street, Richmond
Phone: 03 9427 7429
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Very reasonably priced food and great variety. The Vietnamese pancakes are popular and well-made.

Restaurant Review: Dead Man Espresso

Location: 35 Market Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9686 2255
Link: deadmanespresso.com.au
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 7/10

South Melbourne is quite the coffee paradise. You have St. Ali, Chez Dre and of course Dead Man Espresso.

J and I were there on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. Their usual lunch menu is replaced by an all-day breakfast one on weekends.

I haven’t had an eggy breakfast in a while so I was very egg-cited (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) to see that although it was well past 1pm, I could still get an egg-cellent (ok, that’s the last of it) meal.

I had beautifully poached free range eggs on toast and J had a chorizo, gruyere and guindilla pepper toastie.

Both were simple, straight to the point and enjoyable.

As expected the coffee was of a very high standard. Not surprising given they do pride themselves in sourcing top quality beans.

Dead Man Espresso is hardly dead. It is bustling, vibrant and perfect for a lazy afternoon over a good cup of coffee.

Highpoint has launched its fresh food market with a feast of free entertainment!

On Thursday 18 October, Highpoint Shopping Centre centre unveiled the much-anticipated first stage of its $300 million development: the launch of it’s new Fresh Food Market and Eco Mall.

Highpoint has been celebrating the launch with a week packed full of foodie entertainment including cooking demonstrations with renowned Melbourne chefs, food tours introducing Highpoint customers to the array of new retailers, foodie sample bags and lots of family entertainment. The celebrations continue until Wednesday, the 31st of October - so be quick!

EVENT:         Launch of Highpoint’s new Fresh Food Market & Eco Mall

WHAT:         Free cooking demonstrations, giveaways and family entertainment

WHERE:       Level 2, Fresh Food Market, Highpoint Shopping Centre

WHEN:         Until Wednesday, the 31st of October

J and I headed down to Highpoint to hunt down the ingredients we needed for our early Christmas celebration.

Highpoint Fruit & Vegetable Market

The Fresh Food Market includes a very large Woolworths and 15 speciality fresh food retailers including Highpoint Fruit and Vegetable Market, Melbourne Fresh Meats, Fish Pier, Yahweh Asian Grocery, Yes It’s Fresh Deli, Tasti D-Lite and more.

Apart from all the fresh produce and foodie delights, there is also a new Eco Mall that opened in conjunction with the fresh food precinct that features a range of children’s wear, services and general merchandise retailers including PharmaSave Pharmacy, Purebaby, Ollie’s Place, Chef King and Daiso.

J and I easily found everything we needed- from free range eggs at Yes It's Fresh Deli to Meredith Goats Cheese from Go Vita.

Our star ingredient, a 7.5kg turkey came from Melbourne Fresh Meats.

Melbourne Fresh Meats

Jasper Coffee

After ticking all the items off our ingredients list, we had a relaxing coffee at Jasper (also located in the Fresh Food Market).

And we were ready to start cooking!

Restaurant Review: Pei Modern (Bar)

Location: 45 Collins Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9654 8545
Link: peimodern.com.au
Cuisine:Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch, Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 7/10

Only 19 more sleeps until I finally dine at Mark Best’s Marque in Sydney. My excitement levels have raised quite a few notches now that I have had a quick taste of what the culinary genius Mark Best has to offer in the form of Pei Modern. 

After our S.A.T.C. lunch at Mamasita, KM, BB, Alice and I decided we needed some coffee and sweet treats. Pei Modern is conveniently located a mere seconds away from Mamasita, so we decided to get our caffeine and sugar fix there.

The result of a collaboration between Mark Best and the two MoViDa men, David Mackintosh and Peter Bartholomew, Pei Modern is a modern gastropub with a relaxed and modern ambience. The curved timber ceiling and the minimalistic designs make this space both comfortable and elegant. 

 

Sauternes Custard and Crostoli

Blueberry Danish

Caramel Slice

Anzac cookie

Latte

Soy Latte

Long Macchiato

 

 

What we received was brilliant service, top notch coffee and lovely sweet treats. The Sauternes Custard and Crostoli was the highlight of our visit. The custard was silky smooth and had the perfect level of sweetness from the bitter caramel and the crostoli was beautifully crisp. I cannot wait for a return visit to indulge in the restaurant menu.

Restaurant Review: Mamak

Location: 366 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9670 3137
Link: mamak.com.au
Cuisine: Malaysian
Overall Impression: 7/10

From the same people behind Mamak in Sydney (Chatswood and Chinatown), Mamak Melbourne is finally here.

Waiting in line filled with anticipation, I peer through the glass window where the cooks are on display stretching the glossy roti dough.

The menu boasts a good variety of Malaysian hawker style dishes.

Roti Telur (egg roti)

Roti Canai (the original roti)

Ayam Berempah (bite-size chicken pieces stir-fried with whole spices)

Nasi Lemak dengan sambal udang (coconut rice accompanied by sambal, peanuts, crispy anchovies, cucumber, hard-boiled egg and sambal prawn).

Roti kaya (roti filled with a traditional spread made from pandan and coconut)

Cendol (Starch noodles made from fresh pandan leaves, with gula-melaka syrup, coconut milk and shaved ice)

Roti pisang (roti filled with freshly sliced bananas)

We were all very impressed with the quality of the offerings. Every dish tasted incredibly authentic. As expected, the roti was expertly prepared - beautifully crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Our taste buds had been transported to the streets of Kuala Lumpur! We cannot wait to return.

 



Restaurant Review: Mamasita

Location: Level 1, 11 Collins Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9650 3821
Link:  mamasita.com.au
Cuisine: Mexican
Overall Impression: 7/10

Mamasita needs no introduction. Its increasing popularity is clear for all to see. With their no booking policy (all groups of less than 8 people are on a walk in basis), avid fans are willing to wait for up to 2 hours to indulge in their delicious Mexican fare. 

BB, Alice, KM and I headed down to Mamasita for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and were lucky enough to be immediately seated (albeit at the bar) but promptly offered a table only a few moments later – an offer we graciously accepted. BB mentioned that this was the first time she had ever been seated in less than 45 minutes (so we were off to a good start!).

The menu encourages sharing and features a variety of Mexican delights like platters of braised meat, beans, tacos, quesadillas and tostadas (all of which are gluten free). 

Esquites de maíz  

Sautéed sweet corn, epazote, chilli & lime 

We decided to start our meal with the popular Esquites de maíz.

We then ordered as many different tacos as we could handle.

As expected, the famous Mamasita corn was a delight to indulge in. Beautifully charred, it has beautiful flavour from the sheep’s cheese, a lively kick from the chilli and paprika and the perfect dash of acidity 

from fresh lime.

 

We had ordered every taco on the menu and we enjoyed them all! Our favourites were the de Lengua y Cachete (braised ox tongue & cheek, pickled vegetable and ghost chilli mayo) and the de Camarones (marinated prawns, red chilli and chipotle almond salsa).

BB, Alice and I had been looking for a fourth member for our S.A.T.C. group and it suddenly occurred to us during our lunch that our fourth member was staring us in the face. It was always going to be KM. We decided that the fact that he is male would not stop us from welcoming him into our group. And so, it was decided. KM would be our Charlotte York Goldenblatt.

The drinks menu offers a selection of tequila (that are 100% agave), mescal, wines, beers and cocktails from Mexico and other regions of Central America, South America and Spain. 

Aguas fresca – traditional refreshing fruit drinks - Horchata

 Jarritos – Mexican ‘naturally flavoured’ Sodas Guayaba – sparkling Guava 

Leading the way for the authentic taco/tostada, Mamasita has played a key role in satisfying Melbourne’s lust for both authentic and modern Mexican food. Gone is the perception that the American-take on Mexican cuisine is the norm. 

Mamasita is a testament to the fact that Mexican food is best enjoyed when it remains true to traditional cooking methods and flavours.

Restaurant Review: Tai Pan

Location: 239 Blackburn Road, Doncaster
Phone: 03 9841 9977
Link: taipanrestaurant.com.au
Cuisine:  Chinese, Yum Cha
Overall Impression: 7/10

Tai Pan Restaurant is my favourite place for Yum Cha. They dish up a brilliant array of Hong Kong Stlye Yum Cha items including all-time favourites like Har Gow and Sieu Mai. Satisfying locals in the Eastern suburbs for almost 20 years, I'm glad to say that the quality of their offerings is as high as ever.

Their delicious dim sums are beautifully made and are always packed full of flavour, generous and fresh. 

While you certainly pay a slight premium on the Yum Cha items at Tai Pan, it is certainly worth the extra dollars. The service is of a consistently good standard and it is certainly serves a brilliant Yum Cha.

Cafe Review: Xocolatl Artisan Chocolates and Cafe

Location: 11 Strathalbyn Street, Kew East and 123 Maling Road, Cantebury
Phone: 03 9857 0971 and 03 9836 3100
Link: http://www.xocolatl.com.au/
Cuisine: Desserts, Coffee
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Xocolatl (pronounced SHO-ko-la-TL) Artisan Chocolates and Cafe is a cosy eatery dedicated to the cacao bean. 

Long macchiato

Their indulgent handcrafted chocolates are unique and a joy to eat. 

Chocolate and caramel slice

They is a lovely range of desserts, chocolates and drinks on the menu (many of which are naturally gluten free) that will satisfy any chocoholic or sweet tooth! 

Walnut tart

Chilli hot chocolate

The ambience is lovely and elegant and the service is friendly which makes this beautiful little café a wonderful place for a lazy Sunday afternoon over some sweet treats.

  

Restaurant Review: Maha Restaurant

Location: 21 Bond Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9629 5900
Link: mahabg.com.au 
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Overall Impression: 8/10

L loves Middle Eastern food, so during our recent lunch catch up, I suggested Maha. 

 

Maha serves Mediterranean inspired Middle Eastern cuisine that boasts bold flavour combinations that retain authentic characteristics.

The ambience is great. There is a distinct ‘Arabian night’ theme in the furnishings and fabrics used and it makes the whole dining experience a little mysterious.

Having dined at the restaurant a couple of years ago and really enjoying the experience, I was excited to try their bar menu.

 

I decided to email the restaurant about the bar express soufra. I received a prompt reply from the very helpful Reservation Coordinator, Sian who kindly provided me with details in relation to the soufra. I was also informed that the restaurant was currently a part of the Look, Stop, Taste event.

 

The Maha offering (which was priced at a bargain $15 per person) was designed to be a quick 45 minute lunch. I promptly made a booking as the menu was absolutely perfect given our time constraints. 

2011 Wanderer Rose from the Yarra Valley

 

To our delight, the menu did not disappoint!

Turkish bread

Corn fed chicken tagine, broken egg, corn bread, saffron, iranian figs, sucuk soil 

 

We each had the corn fed chicken tagine, broken egg, corn bread, saffron, Iranian figs, sucuk soil. We both expected the tagine to arrive to the table served in a tagine pot, with its conical cover. Instead, what we received was a beautiful work of art that looked nothing like what we had expected.

The dish was delicious.

 

Owner and chef, Shane Delia’s background in classical French cuisine is apparent in the technicality of the dish. The morsels of chicken were butter-tender. The tagine had deep and complex flavours from the use of spices. The grittiness of the corn bread brought an interesting textural element to the dish and was an excellent canvas for the delectable chicken and the sauce. The Iranian figs brought the right hint of sweetness and the dehydrated sucuk (which is a traditional Turkish sausage) added a lovely savouriness to the dish. It was a beautiful.

Hot Chocolate

The meal ended on a sweet note with a very tall glass of hot chocolate.

 

Whether you’re at Maha for a quick lunch at the bar or an indulgent 8 course degustation at the restaurant, you will be well taken care of. The service we received was outstanding. Every staff member was incredibly hospitable and accommodating. Maha is certainly deserving of all the accolades it has received.