Two kings
353 Centre Rd, Bentleigh VIC 3204
+61 (03) 9557 5777
7:00am - 4:30pm daily
+61 (03) 9557 5777
7:00am - 4:30pm daily
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Located on busy Centre Road, Two Kings is a MUST visit Café in Bentleigh. What impressed us about Two Kings Café? Everything! From the moment you are greeted by one of their fabulous waiters to the delicious food prepared by classically trained Head Chef and co-owner Eddie and his team, Two Kings was the full restaurant experience in a café style setting.
The service is friendly and the passion that exudes from Jochem co- owner of Two Kings is infectious. With Jochem looking after front of house and Head Chef Eddie in charge of the kitchen Two Kings has hit the winning formula.
The usual hot drinks of choice for 4 TBs was ordered, large flat white, hot latte, extra hot hot chocolate and a chai latte. We are fussy about our hot drinks and these stood up to our pickiness!
We also sampled one of the freshly made juices that Two Kings make - Dragons blood juice. Made with beetroot, carrot, ginger, apple and orange this super healthy juice is also super tasty and perfect for those wintery days to build up your immune system.
It is not often that we cannot come to a consensus decision on what dishes we are going to try but with so many menu options that appealed, we found it difficult to narrow it down to four. We finally decided on two breakfast dishes The Smoked Salmon and the Pancake special and two dishes from the lunch menu, the housemade gnocchi and the Burger special.
The Smoked Salmon beetroot cream, hash browns, asparagus with a poached egg was pretty on the plate and matched in its taste. The standout was the beetroot cream which complimented the smoked salmon and yes one travel buddie was caught mopping up every bit of this cream off the plate with their finger!
The philosophy behind the cooking at Two Kings is that of restaurant quality, at café prices. The lunch menu perfectly represents this philosophy. The Venison Burger was packed with flavour and the venison patty was gamey and delicious. Simply topped with cheese and served with crispy sweet potato chips, this would definitely satisfy your burger cravings.
The housemade gnocchi may just have been the favourite dish of the day but ever so slightly as it was a tough call as all 4 dishes were amazing. Eddie let us in on the secret cooking technique of the potatoes that makes this gnocchi one of the best we have tried. We would tell you but it’s a secret and why attempt cooking it when Two Kings do it so well for you. The rich red wine braised ragu was melt in your mouth gorgeous with mushroom spinach and a hint of truffle oïl.
We really could not go past the Pancake special after Eddie let us sample his freshly churned cinnamon ice-cream which accompanies this dish along with stewed rhubarb. One of the 4 Travel Buddies likened these pancakes to golden syrup dumplings in texture and was transported back to their childhood. Although a breakfast dish the dessert like quality made it the perfect way to end a fantastic meal.
Thank you to Jochem and Eddie for their hospitality and scrumptious meals. A shout out also to our waitress Katerina whose service was outstanding.
And if you thought we were kidding about how good this place is one of the 4 Travel Buddies went back a few days later to try out the porridge and the Kings
Burger. And yes these two choices confirmed that when in Bentleigh, Two Kings should be your first choice for breakfast lunch and brunch.
The service is friendly and the passion that exudes from Jochem co- owner of Two Kings is infectious. With Jochem looking after front of house and Head Chef Eddie in charge of the kitchen Two Kings has hit the winning formula.
The usual hot drinks of choice for 4 TBs was ordered, large flat white, hot latte, extra hot hot chocolate and a chai latte. We are fussy about our hot drinks and these stood up to our pickiness!
We also sampled one of the freshly made juices that Two Kings make - Dragons blood juice. Made with beetroot, carrot, ginger, apple and orange this super healthy juice is also super tasty and perfect for those wintery days to build up your immune system.
It is not often that we cannot come to a consensus decision on what dishes we are going to try but with so many menu options that appealed, we found it difficult to narrow it down to four. We finally decided on two breakfast dishes The Smoked Salmon and the Pancake special and two dishes from the lunch menu, the housemade gnocchi and the Burger special.
The Smoked Salmon beetroot cream, hash browns, asparagus with a poached egg was pretty on the plate and matched in its taste. The standout was the beetroot cream which complimented the smoked salmon and yes one travel buddie was caught mopping up every bit of this cream off the plate with their finger!
The philosophy behind the cooking at Two Kings is that of restaurant quality, at café prices. The lunch menu perfectly represents this philosophy. The Venison Burger was packed with flavour and the venison patty was gamey and delicious. Simply topped with cheese and served with crispy sweet potato chips, this would definitely satisfy your burger cravings.
The housemade gnocchi may just have been the favourite dish of the day but ever so slightly as it was a tough call as all 4 dishes were amazing. Eddie let us in on the secret cooking technique of the potatoes that makes this gnocchi one of the best we have tried. We would tell you but it’s a secret and why attempt cooking it when Two Kings do it so well for you. The rich red wine braised ragu was melt in your mouth gorgeous with mushroom spinach and a hint of truffle oïl.
We really could not go past the Pancake special after Eddie let us sample his freshly churned cinnamon ice-cream which accompanies this dish along with stewed rhubarb. One of the 4 Travel Buddies likened these pancakes to golden syrup dumplings in texture and was transported back to their childhood. Although a breakfast dish the dessert like quality made it the perfect way to end a fantastic meal.
Thank you to Jochem and Eddie for their hospitality and scrumptious meals. A shout out also to our waitress Katerina whose service was outstanding.
And if you thought we were kidding about how good this place is one of the 4 Travel Buddies went back a few days later to try out the porridge and the Kings
Burger. And yes these two choices confirmed that when in Bentleigh, Two Kings should be your first choice for breakfast lunch and brunch.
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honey cafe
299 Toorak Road, Shop 109, Level 2 Como Centre, South Yarra, Melbourne Australia
+61 3 9826 2323
Monday to Friday
www.honeycafe.com.au
+61 3 9826 2323
Monday to Friday
www.honeycafe.com.au
Located in the Como Centre at South Yarra, make sure you pop in and enjoy the warm hospitality from the staff at Honey Café. Honey Café has been serving up a café style menu for three years, and with new owners taking over July, 2016 expect to see exciting changes to the menu.
On the second level of the Como Centre, Honey Café has a homely feel with its sunny bright yellow interior and luminous interior flower mural on one wall. Yellow is likened to happiness, creating an uplifting feeling of sunshine and warmth and sprinkle in a good helping of good old fashion customer service and you have a vibrant café.
Serving up an All Day Breakfast (always a winner with 4 Travel Buddies) and lunch from midday to 2:30pm week days you can see why this café is popular with Como Centre and surrounding business office clientele. Along with a set menu they offer daily specials (hot soups in Winter), healthy takeaway options and sweet treats from the glass counter.
Shh don’t tell… but hidden inside this delicious smoothie is a ton of healthy vitamins. Fans of mango and smoothies we couldn’t go past trying the Mango Deluxe Mango. This tropical-flavoured fruit smoothie was sweet, creamy and refreshing on the palate. A perfect breakfast option to start your day or just a refreshing drink on its own or with a meal. We can’t stop raving about this smoothie.
Our other healthy fresh smoothie was the Alkaliser. In a glass handle jar this green smoothie is packed with avocado, mint, ginger, honey, coconut cream and spirulina. An acquired taste and a little of the bitter side after trying the Mango Deluxe Mango, the Alkaliser is the complete superfood smoothie. The rich green colour of the smoothie comes from the Spirulina and if you can get past the colour and taste, a daily dose of this smoothie is meant to boost energy and vitality.
Settling on a mixture of breakfast and lunch we tried the Superfood Avocado Smash, Honey Famous Club and Thai Fish Cakes.
On the second level of the Como Centre, Honey Café has a homely feel with its sunny bright yellow interior and luminous interior flower mural on one wall. Yellow is likened to happiness, creating an uplifting feeling of sunshine and warmth and sprinkle in a good helping of good old fashion customer service and you have a vibrant café.
Serving up an All Day Breakfast (always a winner with 4 Travel Buddies) and lunch from midday to 2:30pm week days you can see why this café is popular with Como Centre and surrounding business office clientele. Along with a set menu they offer daily specials (hot soups in Winter), healthy takeaway options and sweet treats from the glass counter.
Shh don’t tell… but hidden inside this delicious smoothie is a ton of healthy vitamins. Fans of mango and smoothies we couldn’t go past trying the Mango Deluxe Mango. This tropical-flavoured fruit smoothie was sweet, creamy and refreshing on the palate. A perfect breakfast option to start your day or just a refreshing drink on its own or with a meal. We can’t stop raving about this smoothie.
Our other healthy fresh smoothie was the Alkaliser. In a glass handle jar this green smoothie is packed with avocado, mint, ginger, honey, coconut cream and spirulina. An acquired taste and a little of the bitter side after trying the Mango Deluxe Mango, the Alkaliser is the complete superfood smoothie. The rich green colour of the smoothie comes from the Spirulina and if you can get past the colour and taste, a daily dose of this smoothie is meant to boost energy and vitality.
Settling on a mixture of breakfast and lunch we tried the Superfood Avocado Smash, Honey Famous Club and Thai Fish Cakes.
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A healthy brekkie dish the Superfood Avocado Smash had a perfectly poached egg on top of the smashed minted avocado and marinated Danish Feta. Scattered around the plate was pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, black currants and a wedge of lemon. The smooth Danish Feta enhanced the chunky texture of the avocado and a mouth-full with the nuts and seeds took this dish to a whole new level satisfying your taste buds.
Loads of establishments create their own signature dish, and we couldn’t go past trying the Honey Famous Club. Consisting of three fresh slices of bread this triple sandwich left us a little underwhelmed. Reading it on the menu we anticipated this dish being the winner of our dining experience with the combination of chicken, cranberry sauce, bacon, avocado, cos lettuce and tomato. The chicken was tender, the bacon ever so slightly cooked and the cranberry sauce was hidden by the lettuce. The cranberry sauce would’ve been better paired with the chicken to give it flavour. There is an art to making a sandwich and by strategically layering and pairing the ingredients correctly it has the potential to change the Honey Famous Club too mouth-watering. We need to mention this dish is served with super crunchy shoestring chips.
Finishing with the Thai Fish Cakes we were super impressed with the garnish salad. This crunchy salad with mixed bean shoots, mixed Asian herbs, crushed peanuts and crispy shallots was spot on for texture and taste and the dressing had a lovely tang to it. Hidden underneath the salad was 3 perfectly round firm tender white fish cakes. Well-seasoned with a crispy coating and bouncy texture these fish cakes were a delight. Adding another layer to the fish cakes was the dipping sauce of roasted chilli mayo. This rich and creamy mayo will knock you for six with the bold flavour and is a perfect complement for the fish cakes.
On street parking around the Como Centre is 1 or 2 hours. You can easily enjoy a couple of hours sitting at Honey Café between shopping, before or after the movies so be sure to park in a car park to avoid a parking fine. Currently open week days, Honey Café is looking to add Saturday trading in the near future.
Thank you to Tracy and her friendly team at Honey Café for a fabulous dining experience. 4 Travel Buddies look forward to visiting again soon to try more dishes from the menu.
Loads of establishments create their own signature dish, and we couldn’t go past trying the Honey Famous Club. Consisting of three fresh slices of bread this triple sandwich left us a little underwhelmed. Reading it on the menu we anticipated this dish being the winner of our dining experience with the combination of chicken, cranberry sauce, bacon, avocado, cos lettuce and tomato. The chicken was tender, the bacon ever so slightly cooked and the cranberry sauce was hidden by the lettuce. The cranberry sauce would’ve been better paired with the chicken to give it flavour. There is an art to making a sandwich and by strategically layering and pairing the ingredients correctly it has the potential to change the Honey Famous Club too mouth-watering. We need to mention this dish is served with super crunchy shoestring chips.
Finishing with the Thai Fish Cakes we were super impressed with the garnish salad. This crunchy salad with mixed bean shoots, mixed Asian herbs, crushed peanuts and crispy shallots was spot on for texture and taste and the dressing had a lovely tang to it. Hidden underneath the salad was 3 perfectly round firm tender white fish cakes. Well-seasoned with a crispy coating and bouncy texture these fish cakes were a delight. Adding another layer to the fish cakes was the dipping sauce of roasted chilli mayo. This rich and creamy mayo will knock you for six with the bold flavour and is a perfect complement for the fish cakes.
On street parking around the Como Centre is 1 or 2 hours. You can easily enjoy a couple of hours sitting at Honey Café between shopping, before or after the movies so be sure to park in a car park to avoid a parking fine. Currently open week days, Honey Café is looking to add Saturday trading in the near future.
Thank you to Tracy and her friendly team at Honey Café for a fabulous dining experience. 4 Travel Buddies look forward to visiting again soon to try more dishes from the menu.
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Mediterraneo chargrill restaurant
116 Bridport Street Albert Park Melbourne Australia
+61 3 9690 5155
Tuesday to Sunday
www.mediterraneo.com.au
+61 3 9690 5155
Tuesday to Sunday
www.mediterraneo.com.au
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Regulars to the Albert Park area we were amazed that we had not dined at Mediterraneo Chargrill Restaurant which has been operating on Bridport Street for close to 14 years. Focusing on Mediterranean cuisine from countries around the Mediterranean Sea which geographical area broadly follows the distribution of the olive tree, the food is most distinctive features is olive oil. The Mediterranean region spans a wide variety of cultures with distinct cuisines; Mediterraneo Chargrill fuses these flavours, focusing on healthy clean and gluten free meals.
Sonia and Michael owners of Mediterraneo Chargrill were our hosts for the evening and we must say they were first class. We watched them open the door for each and every diner and it was refreshing to see that quality customer service is still alive and well.
Dishes were handpicked from the menu for our visit and they did not disappoint. Sonia who is a qualified sommelier perfectly chose two wines to complement our meals. The 2012 Shiraz from Carlei Wines, an organic winery in the Beaconsfield area along with a Pinot Grigio from Quealy Winemakers hailing from the Mornington Peninsular. For those of you that are wine connoisseurs Mediterraneo has over 300 different wines in their cellar and was award 2 glasses in the Wine Traveller Awards.
Sonia and Michael owners of Mediterraneo Chargrill were our hosts for the evening and we must say they were first class. We watched them open the door for each and every diner and it was refreshing to see that quality customer service is still alive and well.
Dishes were handpicked from the menu for our visit and they did not disappoint. Sonia who is a qualified sommelier perfectly chose two wines to complement our meals. The 2012 Shiraz from Carlei Wines, an organic winery in the Beaconsfield area along with a Pinot Grigio from Quealy Winemakers hailing from the Mornington Peninsular. For those of you that are wine connoisseurs Mediterraneo has over 300 different wines in their cellar and was award 2 glasses in the Wine Traveller Awards.
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The food is fresh and is not pre-prepared. Michael, a trained chef who created the menu explained the philosophy of their cooking style. There are no marinades on the meat, the flavours are enhanced by the olive oil. The only gluten on the menu is the bread which is served with olive oil, balsamic and warm olives.
Entrée’s started with the Chorizo al Vino Bianco, which has a Spanish influence. The chorizo slices are served in a sizzling pan with tomato, shallot and white wine. The flavours are vibrant and the chorizo moorish. We couldn’t resist dipping our bread into the sauce left in the pan as it was so good.
All the seafood on the menu is from our Australian shores. The calamari, stuffed with barramundi and prawns was gorgeous, tender and flavoursome. And that Balkan style potato salad…WOW!
We were also spoilt with two more seafood entrees, Garlic Prawns and Chargrilled Scallops. The Garlic Prawns, sizzling in olive oil, garlic, parsley and a sprinkling of chilli were plump and infused in garlicy goodness. The Char grilled scallops wrapped in pancetta were succulent and our health conscious Travel Buddie was loving the grana padano, pear and rocket salad that the scallops were served on.
Entrée’s started with the Chorizo al Vino Bianco, which has a Spanish influence. The chorizo slices are served in a sizzling pan with tomato, shallot and white wine. The flavours are vibrant and the chorizo moorish. We couldn’t resist dipping our bread into the sauce left in the pan as it was so good.
All the seafood on the menu is from our Australian shores. The calamari, stuffed with barramundi and prawns was gorgeous, tender and flavoursome. And that Balkan style potato salad…WOW!
We were also spoilt with two more seafood entrees, Garlic Prawns and Chargrilled Scallops. The Garlic Prawns, sizzling in olive oil, garlic, parsley and a sprinkling of chilli were plump and infused in garlicy goodness. The Char grilled scallops wrapped in pancetta were succulent and our health conscious Travel Buddie was loving the grana padano, pear and rocket salad that the scallops were served on.
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Our main meals can only be described as char grilled awesomeness. The Black Angus Beef Porterhouse is aged for a minimum of 28 days, and we took Sonia’s advice and had it cooked medium rare. This quality piece of meat is served on rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes and a side of red wine jus. There was also two types of mustard and horseradish cream if you felt you needed to add anything but take our word for it the meat speaks for itself.
The char grilled Seafood Kebab was served on paella rice and steamed vegetables, but the homemade sauce which resembled a tartare is what brought this dish to life.
Now don’t get us wrong all the dishes were delicious in their own unique way but the two dishes that had us talking for days later was the Cevapcici and the Pork loin. Both dishes very different to each other but what they had in common was their char grill base.
The Mediterraneo Cevapcici is based on a Balkan recipe and uses Wagyu beef to make the skinless sausages. It is served the traditional way char grilled with Spanish onion and a red pepper relish known as ajvar. The joy on Michaels’ face when he explained their cooking methods of the Cevapcici makes you appreciate this dish so much more.
Bela Vesalica, is the house special apple and hickory smoked char grilled pork. Sitting on top of what can only be described as one of the most tantalising sauces we have ever tasted consisting of roasted parsnip and sautéed portabella mushrooms.
One of our Travel Buddie is not a salad fan, however the Mediterranean ‘Shopska’ salad with grated Bulgarian fetta was one that had her hooked. The freshness of the cucumber and tomato with the smoothness of the sheep’s milk feta was so scrumptious. We also had a Garden Salad with fresh avocado and balsamic dressing, Char grilled Mediterranean vegetables and fries accompanying our main meals..
The char grilled Seafood Kebab was served on paella rice and steamed vegetables, but the homemade sauce which resembled a tartare is what brought this dish to life.
Now don’t get us wrong all the dishes were delicious in their own unique way but the two dishes that had us talking for days later was the Cevapcici and the Pork loin. Both dishes very different to each other but what they had in common was their char grill base.
The Mediterraneo Cevapcici is based on a Balkan recipe and uses Wagyu beef to make the skinless sausages. It is served the traditional way char grilled with Spanish onion and a red pepper relish known as ajvar. The joy on Michaels’ face when he explained their cooking methods of the Cevapcici makes you appreciate this dish so much more.
Bela Vesalica, is the house special apple and hickory smoked char grilled pork. Sitting on top of what can only be described as one of the most tantalising sauces we have ever tasted consisting of roasted parsnip and sautéed portabella mushrooms.
One of our Travel Buddie is not a salad fan, however the Mediterranean ‘Shopska’ salad with grated Bulgarian fetta was one that had her hooked. The freshness of the cucumber and tomato with the smoothness of the sheep’s milk feta was so scrumptious. We also had a Garden Salad with fresh avocado and balsamic dressing, Char grilled Mediterranean vegetables and fries accompanying our main meals..
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Before dessert Michael took us on a tour of the restaurant. With three dining areas, the street front seating area is spacious with a laid back feel. Exquisite artwork adorns the walls of the restaurant and the courtyard is perfect for a function or a lazy Sunday afternoon of wining and dining.
The upstairs dining room is stylishly decorated and the vast wine collection is proudly on display along the wall in a magnificent wine rack. On our way back to our table Michael took us into the kitchen and showed us the grill where all the magic happens. What was refreshing about both Michael and Sonia was their unabashed honestly and to take us into the kitchen showed that the proudness in what they have created with Mediterraneo.
After such an amazing meal we wondered whether we could fit in dessert but when we laid eyes on the sweet treats we knew we definitely could. The traditionally made French-style Crêpe Suzette, really captivated one of the Travel Buddies. The light pancakes cooked in a caramel orange butter sauce, flambé with Cognac and Grand Marnier and served with vanilla bean ice-cream made us wonder why the crepe do not appear in more dessert menus.
The go to dessert for our Gen Y Travel Buddie is always the Crème Brûlée, and she loved this one. The custard underneath the crispy caramelised sugar was set to perfection, the only complaint was that there wasn’t enough of the velvety custard.
We also indulged in the Chocolate flourless almond cake with Belgian chocolate grenache and double chocolate ice cream. The cake reminded us of a traditional European torte and that ice cream did see one of the Travel Buddies scooping every last drop out of the dish.
The standout dessert has to be the Lemon Lime Panna Cotta with poached pear, berry coulis and the mind blowing almond brittle. The combination of the silky smooth panna cotta and the crunchiness of the almond brittle was so sublime we will definitely be going back to have a whole one to ourselves.
Thank you to the generous Michael and Sonia for their hospitality and a very memorable gastronomic experience. We will definitely be back to try the Pork Belly special on the menu every Sunday lunch.
The upstairs dining room is stylishly decorated and the vast wine collection is proudly on display along the wall in a magnificent wine rack. On our way back to our table Michael took us into the kitchen and showed us the grill where all the magic happens. What was refreshing about both Michael and Sonia was their unabashed honestly and to take us into the kitchen showed that the proudness in what they have created with Mediterraneo.
After such an amazing meal we wondered whether we could fit in dessert but when we laid eyes on the sweet treats we knew we definitely could. The traditionally made French-style Crêpe Suzette, really captivated one of the Travel Buddies. The light pancakes cooked in a caramel orange butter sauce, flambé with Cognac and Grand Marnier and served with vanilla bean ice-cream made us wonder why the crepe do not appear in more dessert menus.
The go to dessert for our Gen Y Travel Buddie is always the Crème Brûlée, and she loved this one. The custard underneath the crispy caramelised sugar was set to perfection, the only complaint was that there wasn’t enough of the velvety custard.
We also indulged in the Chocolate flourless almond cake with Belgian chocolate grenache and double chocolate ice cream. The cake reminded us of a traditional European torte and that ice cream did see one of the Travel Buddies scooping every last drop out of the dish.
The standout dessert has to be the Lemon Lime Panna Cotta with poached pear, berry coulis and the mind blowing almond brittle. The combination of the silky smooth panna cotta and the crunchiness of the almond brittle was so sublime we will definitely be going back to have a whole one to ourselves.
Thank you to the generous Michael and Sonia for their hospitality and a very memorable gastronomic experience. We will definitely be back to try the Pork Belly special on the menu every Sunday lunch.
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food truck festival - coburg drive in
155 Newlands Road, Coburg, Victoria, Australia
1300 555 400
5:00pm (gates open) 7:00pm (first movie session)
www.villagecinemas.com.au
*refer to villagecinemas.com.au for session times
1300 555 400
5:00pm (gates open) 7:00pm (first movie session)
www.villagecinemas.com.au
*refer to villagecinemas.com.au for session times
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Big fans of the food truck revolution that hit Melbourne just over twelve months ago, 4TBs headed back to where it all began for us at the Coburg Drive-in. Adding three new food truck vendors to our growing list, we have now tried over 80 different food trucks to date!
With Spring nearly upon us, it’s a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the atmosphere of a Food Truck Festival at the Coburg Drive. A first timer, a regular or if you haven’t been in a while, it’s well worth checking out to see how much the Food Truck Festival has grown.
Our first stop was Snagga’s Healthy Sausages. We have been wanting to try Snagga’s since October 2015 when we saw them trading at the Pop Culture, Caroline Springs. Selling out early that day, we knew we had to get in early to not miss out this time! And boy are we glad we tried one of Corey’s authentic, healthy and freshly made sausages. We indulged in a Snagga Benedict with pork shoulder sausage, diced bacon, cracked free range egg and chives served in a fresh brioche roll topped with baby spinach and hollandaise sauce. No other words can describe this sausage than WOW! We can’t wait to try a burger next time and other sausages including wagyu, lamb, chicken and vegie. We look forward to taking a drive down the Princess Freeway to Geelong to check out Snagga’s Healthy Sausages at their brand new Geelong CBD Store. Keep an eye out for Corey’s van around Melbourne too.
We have tried a couple of dishes from Vango before, but couldn’t go past trying their special of the day Prawn Dumplings. The dumplings were absolutely delicious and the wrappers translucent and not gluggy making these tasty light Asian style dumpling finger-licking good. The perfect accompaniment to the silky prawn dumpling was the schezuan chilli sauce. A real treat for spice lovers, this spicy fusion sauce with whole peppercorns put your mouth on fire. Although mind-blowing hot for us, it didn’t stop us from eating them all!
If you haven’t heard about the other revolution hitting Melbourne over the past twelve months, you have been living under a rock! Nutella is a chocolate spread and the key ingredient is hazelnuts. Like millions of people around the world, 4 Travel Buddies are addicted to Nutella.
Nuts-about-tella is right up our alley as we slowly make our way through their menu. Splashing out we went to Nutella heaven with Nutella ice-cream, a Nutella Coconut donut and Nutella Hot Chocolate. Nuts-about-tella’s homemade Nutella ice-creamy blend really is smooth and addictive. Who doesn’t love ice-cream?
This gourmet ice-cream is not for the faint hearted who aren’t sweet tooths. This creamy thick smooth chocolate treat is a cross between ice-cream and the texture of a mousse without the air bubbles. So much goodness on a spoon this wickedly Nutella ice-cream is denser than ice-cream and oh so good. The best Hot Chocolate EVER! This nice hot steamy cup of creamy Hot Nutella Chocolate was a luxurious texture and had an intense chocolate hazelnut flavour. The donut was fresh and soft and filled with loads of Nutella and dusted with Coconut.
Another first was STKBB (St Kilda Burger Bar). We tried the famous The Grosvenor burger with a hand pressed beef pattie made from 100% certified Angus, streaky bacon, shed sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. A juicy pattie, ample filling and toasted bun created a memorable burger experience. We look forward to trying other burgers from the menu.
Our final stop and another first was Brazilian Street Food. We enjoyed a scrumptious main of 3 meats slow cooked in a churrascaria oven. Our plate had Picanha (Rump Steak), Frango (Chicken Breast with Bacon Pieces), Calabresa (Pork Sausage), a fresh garden salad and chips. Mouth-watering charcoal BBQ smoky flavour, the steak and chicken was super juicy with flavours sealed in the meat. The Pork Sausage had spicy flavour characteristics of a Chorizo and the fresh salad was fresh seasonal produce and not pre-made. Our combo deal also came with a mild salsa and chips. Those chips were so damn good that we ordered an additional side of chips because they were seasoned to perfection.
Keep an eye out on villagecinemas.com /Food Truck Festival for future trading dates. Might see you there.
With Spring nearly upon us, it’s a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the atmosphere of a Food Truck Festival at the Coburg Drive. A first timer, a regular or if you haven’t been in a while, it’s well worth checking out to see how much the Food Truck Festival has grown.
Our first stop was Snagga’s Healthy Sausages. We have been wanting to try Snagga’s since October 2015 when we saw them trading at the Pop Culture, Caroline Springs. Selling out early that day, we knew we had to get in early to not miss out this time! And boy are we glad we tried one of Corey’s authentic, healthy and freshly made sausages. We indulged in a Snagga Benedict with pork shoulder sausage, diced bacon, cracked free range egg and chives served in a fresh brioche roll topped with baby spinach and hollandaise sauce. No other words can describe this sausage than WOW! We can’t wait to try a burger next time and other sausages including wagyu, lamb, chicken and vegie. We look forward to taking a drive down the Princess Freeway to Geelong to check out Snagga’s Healthy Sausages at their brand new Geelong CBD Store. Keep an eye out for Corey’s van around Melbourne too.
We have tried a couple of dishes from Vango before, but couldn’t go past trying their special of the day Prawn Dumplings. The dumplings were absolutely delicious and the wrappers translucent and not gluggy making these tasty light Asian style dumpling finger-licking good. The perfect accompaniment to the silky prawn dumpling was the schezuan chilli sauce. A real treat for spice lovers, this spicy fusion sauce with whole peppercorns put your mouth on fire. Although mind-blowing hot for us, it didn’t stop us from eating them all!
If you haven’t heard about the other revolution hitting Melbourne over the past twelve months, you have been living under a rock! Nutella is a chocolate spread and the key ingredient is hazelnuts. Like millions of people around the world, 4 Travel Buddies are addicted to Nutella.
Nuts-about-tella is right up our alley as we slowly make our way through their menu. Splashing out we went to Nutella heaven with Nutella ice-cream, a Nutella Coconut donut and Nutella Hot Chocolate. Nuts-about-tella’s homemade Nutella ice-creamy blend really is smooth and addictive. Who doesn’t love ice-cream?
This gourmet ice-cream is not for the faint hearted who aren’t sweet tooths. This creamy thick smooth chocolate treat is a cross between ice-cream and the texture of a mousse without the air bubbles. So much goodness on a spoon this wickedly Nutella ice-cream is denser than ice-cream and oh so good. The best Hot Chocolate EVER! This nice hot steamy cup of creamy Hot Nutella Chocolate was a luxurious texture and had an intense chocolate hazelnut flavour. The donut was fresh and soft and filled with loads of Nutella and dusted with Coconut.
Another first was STKBB (St Kilda Burger Bar). We tried the famous The Grosvenor burger with a hand pressed beef pattie made from 100% certified Angus, streaky bacon, shed sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. A juicy pattie, ample filling and toasted bun created a memorable burger experience. We look forward to trying other burgers from the menu.
Our final stop and another first was Brazilian Street Food. We enjoyed a scrumptious main of 3 meats slow cooked in a churrascaria oven. Our plate had Picanha (Rump Steak), Frango (Chicken Breast with Bacon Pieces), Calabresa (Pork Sausage), a fresh garden salad and chips. Mouth-watering charcoal BBQ smoky flavour, the steak and chicken was super juicy with flavours sealed in the meat. The Pork Sausage had spicy flavour characteristics of a Chorizo and the fresh salad was fresh seasonal produce and not pre-made. Our combo deal also came with a mild salsa and chips. Those chips were so damn good that we ordered an additional side of chips because they were seasoned to perfection.
Keep an eye out on villagecinemas.com /Food Truck Festival for future trading dates. Might see you there.
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fandango
97 Errol St, North Melbourne VIC 3051
+61 (03) 9329 0693
Tuesday – Friday 7:30am – 3:00pm
Saturday 8.30am – 3:00pm
Sunday 9:00am – 2:00pm
www.fandangocafe.com.au
+61 (03) 9329 0693
Tuesday – Friday 7:30am – 3:00pm
Saturday 8.30am – 3:00pm
Sunday 9:00am – 2:00pm
www.fandangocafe.com.au
We never need an excuse to head over to Fandango on Errol Street in North Melbourne but on Sunday 28th August, we were drawing the winner of our joint competition with Fandango for an $80 voucher for up to 4 people to enjoy breakfast at our favourite café in North Melbourne.
With so many cafes to choose from on Errol Street we love the intimacy of the indoor seating area and that Fandango have nothing to hide as you walk past the kitchen to enjoy the light filled courtyard. As we sat in the enclosed courtyard we are reminded once again that Sunday mornings really are all about delicious brunch and good company.
With the usual drinks of choice ordered, a large flat white, an extra hot latte, a soy hot chocolate and an extra extra hot hot chocolate – yes we are “those” picky drinks people, we were ready for some brunch action!
On this visit to Fandango we couldn’t go past the two specials, the Chilli Scrambled Eggs and the Corn Fritters. The contrast of the silky scrambled eggs infused with sliced chillies left us wanting more; in fact we really should have ordered a serve each instead of sharing one!
The Corn Fritters were thick and dense and reminded us of a pancake in texture rather than a fritter. They were topped with an avocado and tomato salsa and two poached eggs. Although catering for the vegetarians we felt bacon or even smoked salmon would have been a good accompaniment to finish off this dish.
With so many cafes to choose from on Errol Street we love the intimacy of the indoor seating area and that Fandango have nothing to hide as you walk past the kitchen to enjoy the light filled courtyard. As we sat in the enclosed courtyard we are reminded once again that Sunday mornings really are all about delicious brunch and good company.
With the usual drinks of choice ordered, a large flat white, an extra hot latte, a soy hot chocolate and an extra extra hot hot chocolate – yes we are “those” picky drinks people, we were ready for some brunch action!
On this visit to Fandango we couldn’t go past the two specials, the Chilli Scrambled Eggs and the Corn Fritters. The contrast of the silky scrambled eggs infused with sliced chillies left us wanting more; in fact we really should have ordered a serve each instead of sharing one!
The Corn Fritters were thick and dense and reminded us of a pancake in texture rather than a fritter. They were topped with an avocado and tomato salsa and two poached eggs. Although catering for the vegetarians we felt bacon or even smoked salmon would have been a good accompaniment to finish off this dish.
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Now as you all know one of the Travel Buddies always hones in on the “healthy” option on any menu. So it was no surprise when the Bircher Muesli was picked. Creamy in texture with coconut, apple and apricot flavours all bursting through this one did not let their taste buds down. Garnished with rhubarb, a dollop of Labne (Greek yoghurt) and fresh strawberries it must of been to their liking as there may have been some liking of the bowl….
Sunday brunch without the Avo Smash really isn’t Sunday brunch. The avocado and feta combination smothered on a thick slice of sourdough is brought to life with a subtle hint of lemon juice, poached eggs perched on top and tying this dish all together is some seriously good pesto. Of course we added a side of bacon because we are carnivores at heart. This was voted the favourite dish of the morning by 3 of the 4 Travel Buddies and will definitely be ordered again on our next visit.
A huge thank you to Matt for his warm hospitality and collaborating with 4 Travel Buddies in running the competition for all of our social media followers. We really don’t need an excuse so no doubt we will be back at Fandango real soon..
Sunday brunch without the Avo Smash really isn’t Sunday brunch. The avocado and feta combination smothered on a thick slice of sourdough is brought to life with a subtle hint of lemon juice, poached eggs perched on top and tying this dish all together is some seriously good pesto. Of course we added a side of bacon because we are carnivores at heart. This was voted the favourite dish of the morning by 3 of the 4 Travel Buddies and will definitely be ordered again on our next visit.
A huge thank you to Matt for his warm hospitality and collaborating with 4 Travel Buddies in running the competition for all of our social media followers. We really don’t need an excuse so no doubt we will be back at Fandango real soon..
qpo café restaurant & events
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There’s no better way to kick off a dining experience than with a crowd-pleasing antipasto platter. The Antipasto platter board was a hit with 4 Travel Buddies. A good balance of fresh fetta squares, gorgeous fresh produce including Kalamata olives, cured meats of chorizo and prosciutto, arancini balls, lightly fried calamari and a smooth, creamy and delicious capsicum dip all served with warm Turkish bread. This antipasto served up an array of colours, texture and flavours and would be a satisfying light meal if you weren’t looking to over indulge.
4 Travel Buddies enjoy ordering a cross section of dishes and we hit the mark with our choices. For the health conscious looking for gluten free, high in protein and a low GI meal, the Smoked salmon salad is the way to go. The simplicity of the salad and the combination of flavours and texture elevated this dish to star status. A fresh summery salad packed with quiona, kale, lentils, charred corn, mixed seeds, baby beets, pomegranate, fetta and a garlic lemon dressing this salad has gone down as a memorable one. The charred corn was spot on taking on the maximum flavour and sweetness when charred and the ruby red arils (pomegranate seeds) added the pop of colour. The dressing in a perfect match for the dish, however we would’ve preferred a little more tang, zesty zing and a another splash of dressing over the salad. Subtle and not bold, this light dish tastes amazing.
Intrigued by the Prosciutto & pear pizza with chilli flakes we had to order one to see why this pizza is a hit on QPO’s menu. A mix of both sweet and savoury components, this unusual pizza was so delicious and full of flavour. The creative pizza topping with a touch of double brie, fresh rocket, thin slices of prosciutto and pear, and a drizzle of honey was so delicious and full of flavour that it didn’t last long on the plate.
The Prawn risotto was delicious. The al dente rice, silky creamy texture of the risotto sauce, baby spinach and cherry tomatoes worked well together adding the full body flavour to the dish. The prawns were a bright orange colour, not over cooked adding the glam to the dish whilst remaining succulent and locking in the delicious sea taste.
Rounding out our dishes was the Braised lamb shank with creamy mashed potato. The hearty medley of root vegetables and tender lamb falling apart reminds us of our childhood days and Sunday night dinners on cold Winter days. 4TBs love their carbs and potatoes in any form are always put under the microscope. The mashed potato missed the mark on the rich creaminess of a fluffy and smooth mash, but this mash was good for soaking up the excess liquid. Although there was ample liquid, it lacked the spice-infused taste we enjoy.
Open 7 days a week and serving breakfast till 5:00pm, QPO ticks loads of boxes with an extensive menu, friendly service and great location. A shout out to our super friendly waiter Ben who was super knowledgeable on the extensive menu. Thank you to the Managers, Tony and Jessica for allowing 4 Travel Buddies to write a review about our dining experience. We can’t wait to return again to try dessert and dishes from the breakfast menu.
4 Travel Buddies enjoy ordering a cross section of dishes and we hit the mark with our choices. For the health conscious looking for gluten free, high in protein and a low GI meal, the Smoked salmon salad is the way to go. The simplicity of the salad and the combination of flavours and texture elevated this dish to star status. A fresh summery salad packed with quiona, kale, lentils, charred corn, mixed seeds, baby beets, pomegranate, fetta and a garlic lemon dressing this salad has gone down as a memorable one. The charred corn was spot on taking on the maximum flavour and sweetness when charred and the ruby red arils (pomegranate seeds) added the pop of colour. The dressing in a perfect match for the dish, however we would’ve preferred a little more tang, zesty zing and a another splash of dressing over the salad. Subtle and not bold, this light dish tastes amazing.
Intrigued by the Prosciutto & pear pizza with chilli flakes we had to order one to see why this pizza is a hit on QPO’s menu. A mix of both sweet and savoury components, this unusual pizza was so delicious and full of flavour. The creative pizza topping with a touch of double brie, fresh rocket, thin slices of prosciutto and pear, and a drizzle of honey was so delicious and full of flavour that it didn’t last long on the plate.
The Prawn risotto was delicious. The al dente rice, silky creamy texture of the risotto sauce, baby spinach and cherry tomatoes worked well together adding the full body flavour to the dish. The prawns were a bright orange colour, not over cooked adding the glam to the dish whilst remaining succulent and locking in the delicious sea taste.
Rounding out our dishes was the Braised lamb shank with creamy mashed potato. The hearty medley of root vegetables and tender lamb falling apart reminds us of our childhood days and Sunday night dinners on cold Winter days. 4TBs love their carbs and potatoes in any form are always put under the microscope. The mashed potato missed the mark on the rich creaminess of a fluffy and smooth mash, but this mash was good for soaking up the excess liquid. Although there was ample liquid, it lacked the spice-infused taste we enjoy.
Open 7 days a week and serving breakfast till 5:00pm, QPO ticks loads of boxes with an extensive menu, friendly service and great location. A shout out to our super friendly waiter Ben who was super knowledgeable on the extensive menu. Thank you to the Managers, Tony and Jessica for allowing 4 Travel Buddies to write a review about our dining experience. We can’t wait to return again to try dessert and dishes from the breakfast menu.
Mama Bear
526 Racecourse Rd, Flemington VIC 3031
+61 (03) 9376 0386
Monday – Friday 7am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday 8am – 4pm
www.mamabearcafe.com.au
+61 (03) 9376 0386
Monday – Friday 7am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday 8am – 4pm
www.mamabearcafe.com.au
When you think of Flemington you think of a racecourse but you should be thinking of Mama Bear Café. Set in an old blacksmith factory this café still has the feel from a time gone by but with food that is modern and oh so good!
4 Travel Buddies love our Sunday brunch catch ups and Mama Bear did not make us regret venturing out on a cold and rainy Melbourne Sunday morning.
First up drinks. You could go with the regular coffee offerings or indulge as we did in one of the drink specials. We couldn’t go past the Peanut Butter Shake Your Mama Milkshake served with whipped cream, peanuts, and coffee beans. For the Travel Buddie that was nursing a cold the Hot Toddy was just what the doctor ordered! A cocktail of scotch whisky with a strong citrus flavour infused with lemons, honey and ginger. This drink is not for the faint hearted and will knock that Winter bug right out of you.
We always struggle to narrow our choices down to 4 dishes and Mama Bear didn’t make it easy with plenty of options on their menu plus a great specials board.
4 Travel Buddies love our Sunday brunch catch ups and Mama Bear did not make us regret venturing out on a cold and rainy Melbourne Sunday morning.
First up drinks. You could go with the regular coffee offerings or indulge as we did in one of the drink specials. We couldn’t go past the Peanut Butter Shake Your Mama Milkshake served with whipped cream, peanuts, and coffee beans. For the Travel Buddie that was nursing a cold the Hot Toddy was just what the doctor ordered! A cocktail of scotch whisky with a strong citrus flavour infused with lemons, honey and ginger. This drink is not for the faint hearted and will knock that Winter bug right out of you.
We always struggle to narrow our choices down to 4 dishes and Mama Bear didn’t make it easy with plenty of options on their menu plus a great specials board.
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Our friendly waiter suggested the Breakfast Bruschetta with a side of haloumi and he was spot on with this dish. The mushrooms were flavoursome and the goats curd was oh so creamy.
The Savoury French Toast with Virginia ham, gruyere, spring onion, fried egg and a homemade tomato relish was something a little different that we hadn’t come across at other cafes. What sets Mama Bear ahead of the rest is they are not afraid to mix it up! This combination of flavours kept us intrigued and going back for more.
The only male Travel Buddie is a BIG pork belly fan and the Pork Belly Scrambled Eggs was definitely the winner for him. The slow roasted pork belly was the perfect mixture of crispy and melt in your mouth with the caramelised onions, chilli, scallions, fennel and pomegranate salad complimenting the pork belly. We won’t lie there was a race on for who was going to eat the last mouth full.
We finished off with a sweet treat of Pancakes, berries maple syrup and ice-cream. This was the perfect way to balance out the three savoury dishes and finish off a fabulous Sunday brunch.
Family friendly with indoor and outdoor seating, Mama Bear has something for everyone. We will definitely venture back when the days start warming up and the stable doors are open.
The Savoury French Toast with Virginia ham, gruyere, spring onion, fried egg and a homemade tomato relish was something a little different that we hadn’t come across at other cafes. What sets Mama Bear ahead of the rest is they are not afraid to mix it up! This combination of flavours kept us intrigued and going back for more.
The only male Travel Buddie is a BIG pork belly fan and the Pork Belly Scrambled Eggs was definitely the winner for him. The slow roasted pork belly was the perfect mixture of crispy and melt in your mouth with the caramelised onions, chilli, scallions, fennel and pomegranate salad complimenting the pork belly. We won’t lie there was a race on for who was going to eat the last mouth full.
We finished off with a sweet treat of Pancakes, berries maple syrup and ice-cream. This was the perfect way to balance out the three savoury dishes and finish off a fabulous Sunday brunch.
Family friendly with indoor and outdoor seating, Mama Bear has something for everyone. We will definitely venture back when the days start warming up and the stable doors are open.
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1889 Cucina Povera
The inspiration for this Italian restaurant comes from owner, Paul’s passion for his heritage and growing up with a woodfire pizza oven in the backyard of his childhood family home.
A small rural farming property outside of Melbourne is the engine room for 1889 Cucina Povera. The organic farm produces a large percentage of the ingredients that go into making the freshest dishes. Organically-grown vegetables include peppers, eggplants, zucchini and tomatoes which last season made 450 bottles of passata (tomato sauce) and is used throughout the year. The sauce in its rawest form is uncooked puree tomatoes bottled and preserved forming the base for their pasta dishes. Free range eggs are also sourced from the farm and easily identifiable with the darker yoke in the Carbonara, the special pasta of the day, giving this dish a rich yellow colour.
We started with a small snacking bowl of Lupini beans. These high fibre yellow legume seeds have been preserved in salty brine and are oh so delicious. We learnt the art of eating these little delights; you take a lupini bean in your fingers and bite part way through the top part of the bean to break open the tough skin. You squeeze gently while holding the bean and pop the outer skin. Discard the skin and enjoy the bean! After trying one Lupini bean we couldn’t stop; we had two servings.
To start we tried the Affettati misti with imported and local Italian salumi. Served on a wooden serving board the freshly cut Italian imported meats were just irresistible. The pink colour of the meats attested to the freshness of the cut. It doesn’t get any fresher than this! Mini fried dough pockets accompanied the meats taking it to a whole new level of deliciousness.
The Pepe e patate fritte is a dish served up with fried peppers, potatoes, onions and served with fresh ciabatta. Although 4TB prefer our vegetables a little crunchy, the soft vegetables were moreish enticing us back for more. The combination of the flavours sets this dish above all vegetable dishes we have tried.
A small rural farming property outside of Melbourne is the engine room for 1889 Cucina Povera. The organic farm produces a large percentage of the ingredients that go into making the freshest dishes. Organically-grown vegetables include peppers, eggplants, zucchini and tomatoes which last season made 450 bottles of passata (tomato sauce) and is used throughout the year. The sauce in its rawest form is uncooked puree tomatoes bottled and preserved forming the base for their pasta dishes. Free range eggs are also sourced from the farm and easily identifiable with the darker yoke in the Carbonara, the special pasta of the day, giving this dish a rich yellow colour.
We started with a small snacking bowl of Lupini beans. These high fibre yellow legume seeds have been preserved in salty brine and are oh so delicious. We learnt the art of eating these little delights; you take a lupini bean in your fingers and bite part way through the top part of the bean to break open the tough skin. You squeeze gently while holding the bean and pop the outer skin. Discard the skin and enjoy the bean! After trying one Lupini bean we couldn’t stop; we had two servings.
To start we tried the Affettati misti with imported and local Italian salumi. Served on a wooden serving board the freshly cut Italian imported meats were just irresistible. The pink colour of the meats attested to the freshness of the cut. It doesn’t get any fresher than this! Mini fried dough pockets accompanied the meats taking it to a whole new level of deliciousness.
The Pepe e patate fritte is a dish served up with fried peppers, potatoes, onions and served with fresh ciabatta. Although 4TB prefer our vegetables a little crunchy, the soft vegetables were moreish enticing us back for more. The combination of the flavours sets this dish above all vegetable dishes we have tried.
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Our biggest weakness is carbs and you can’t go to an Italian restaurant without trying a pasta or pizza. We enjoyed the pasta of the day, traditional Spaghetti alla carbonara. A classic dish with a silky texture, this was simple and delightful having three basic ingredients of free range eggs, pecorino cheese and pancetta (a twist on bacon) to intensify the flavour. The diced salty cured pancetta was pink in colour indicating the freshness of the cut and when spiked with fresh cracked black pepper this pasta dish warmed the soul. The homemade spaghetti was perfecto; al dente and thoroughly coated in the egg mixture and luxuriously creamy cheese clinging to the pasta.
We learnt about the art of pizza bases and got to experience a world of difference between a good pizza dough and a perfect one. WOW! We just love this traditional classical pizza base and were surprised that after enjoying a couple of slices we didn’t have a bloated or full feeling. Fresh from the oven the Porco Cane with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, pork fennel sausage and sautéed bell peppers combination was irresistible.
To balance the carbs we tried the Insalata; a simple and fresh Italian salad arranged in a perfect art form with rocket on the bottom, pear overlapping each other in a round circle and sprinkled with the pine nuts, shaved parmigiano and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. This nutritious salad is satisfying enough to have as a main course if you aren't super hungry.
We finished with a White chocolate calzoncino served with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice-cream. The tasty big puffed calzone pocket didn't disappoint. Let's face it, it's what is in the calzone that counts and this crispy crust pocket was absolutely delicious with the filling of melted white chocolate. It made our eyes roll back in our head with pleasure and we devoured it in record time!
We cannot stop raving about our dining experience at 1889 Cucina Povera, the service was outstanding and the food was lip smacking. Be sure to make a reservation to avoid disappointment and remember 1889 Cucina Povera is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed Monday’s.
A huge thank you to Paul and Laura for your warm hospitality and allowing 4 Travel Buddies to write a food review. We can't wait to visit again soon and enjoy other pasta and pizza dishes.
We learnt about the art of pizza bases and got to experience a world of difference between a good pizza dough and a perfect one. WOW! We just love this traditional classical pizza base and were surprised that after enjoying a couple of slices we didn’t have a bloated or full feeling. Fresh from the oven the Porco Cane with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, pork fennel sausage and sautéed bell peppers combination was irresistible.
To balance the carbs we tried the Insalata; a simple and fresh Italian salad arranged in a perfect art form with rocket on the bottom, pear overlapping each other in a round circle and sprinkled with the pine nuts, shaved parmigiano and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. This nutritious salad is satisfying enough to have as a main course if you aren't super hungry.
We finished with a White chocolate calzoncino served with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice-cream. The tasty big puffed calzone pocket didn't disappoint. Let's face it, it's what is in the calzone that counts and this crispy crust pocket was absolutely delicious with the filling of melted white chocolate. It made our eyes roll back in our head with pleasure and we devoured it in record time!
We cannot stop raving about our dining experience at 1889 Cucina Povera, the service was outstanding and the food was lip smacking. Be sure to make a reservation to avoid disappointment and remember 1889 Cucina Povera is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed Monday’s.
A huge thank you to Paul and Laura for your warm hospitality and allowing 4 Travel Buddies to write a food review. We can't wait to visit again soon and enjoy other pasta and pizza dishes.
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day of the dead
129 Fitzroy Street St Kilda
+61 3 9376 0386
Wednesday – Sunday 6pm until Late
http://www.dayofthedeadstkilda.com/
+61 3 9376 0386
Wednesday – Sunday 6pm until Late
http://www.dayofthedeadstkilda.com/
Cocktails, Mexican food, eclectic décor, fab tunes and great service….Day of the Dead has it all!
Taken from the festival that commemorates the way the Mexican and Hispanic communities of South America remember the dead; the Day of the Dead pay homage to what hospitality use to be. It focuses on the roles within a restaurant/bar and that is service, presentation and creating fabulous memories within an establishment is what it is all about. This is evident by friendship and great team spirit demonstrated by those that work there.
Operating for just over two and a half years with happy hour every day from 6pm til 10pm. We took full advantage of this indulging in Espresso Martinis and Ciders that the Day of the Dead creates in partnership with a local brewery.
Let’s get to the food because to be honest it has to be some of the best Mexican fusion food we have had. We were treated to handpicked dishes just for us and they did not disappoint.
First up were the Flautus, hand rolled puff pastry cigars, filled with capsicum, black beans, cheese and jalapeños. There are not enough adjectives to describe how good these are. We would be underselling them to call them fabulously delicious! And the balsamic reduction drizzled on the plate was too much for one of the 4 Travel Buddies who nearly licked the plate clean. The fresh guacamole and sour cream was the perfect accompaniment.
Next up was the Day of the Dead House Salad of seasoned spicy chicken, on mixed lettuce with black beans, capsicum, corn and ricotta cheese. Bringing this salad together was the balsamic which really needs to be tasted as it is amazing. A definite for those who love to eat a tasty salad, but looking for the lower calories.
When eating Mexican food one of our 4 Travel Buddies is a Quesadillas addict and Day of the Dead quesadillas are top notch. They are cheesy, and the corn tortillas are house made with a side serve of guacamole and pico de gallo.
Our final dish was the Pollo Encacahtuado. Saffron rice reminiscent of paella pact with flavour chicken, capsicum and onions. The twist on this dish is the satay sauce giving it a slightly Asian feel.
We finished off this sensational meal by soaking up the ambience, listening to some fine tunes being sung and sampling the Churros which were light and sugary with chocolate sauce we wanted to eat by itself with a spoon.
The mood lighting, red draped curtains as well as all the handmade furniture and artwork all add to the experience that is the Day of the Dead. There is live music Thursday and Sunday.
A special shout out to Jacob, Scotty and Frenchy our amazing bar and waiting staff on the night.
A great bar atmosphere where the staff are more like your friends and the food is the show stopper, Day of the Dead is a must for any occasion.
Taken from the festival that commemorates the way the Mexican and Hispanic communities of South America remember the dead; the Day of the Dead pay homage to what hospitality use to be. It focuses on the roles within a restaurant/bar and that is service, presentation and creating fabulous memories within an establishment is what it is all about. This is evident by friendship and great team spirit demonstrated by those that work there.
Operating for just over two and a half years with happy hour every day from 6pm til 10pm. We took full advantage of this indulging in Espresso Martinis and Ciders that the Day of the Dead creates in partnership with a local brewery.
Let’s get to the food because to be honest it has to be some of the best Mexican fusion food we have had. We were treated to handpicked dishes just for us and they did not disappoint.
First up were the Flautus, hand rolled puff pastry cigars, filled with capsicum, black beans, cheese and jalapeños. There are not enough adjectives to describe how good these are. We would be underselling them to call them fabulously delicious! And the balsamic reduction drizzled on the plate was too much for one of the 4 Travel Buddies who nearly licked the plate clean. The fresh guacamole and sour cream was the perfect accompaniment.
Next up was the Day of the Dead House Salad of seasoned spicy chicken, on mixed lettuce with black beans, capsicum, corn and ricotta cheese. Bringing this salad together was the balsamic which really needs to be tasted as it is amazing. A definite for those who love to eat a tasty salad, but looking for the lower calories.
When eating Mexican food one of our 4 Travel Buddies is a Quesadillas addict and Day of the Dead quesadillas are top notch. They are cheesy, and the corn tortillas are house made with a side serve of guacamole and pico de gallo.
Our final dish was the Pollo Encacahtuado. Saffron rice reminiscent of paella pact with flavour chicken, capsicum and onions. The twist on this dish is the satay sauce giving it a slightly Asian feel.
We finished off this sensational meal by soaking up the ambience, listening to some fine tunes being sung and sampling the Churros which were light and sugary with chocolate sauce we wanted to eat by itself with a spoon.
The mood lighting, red draped curtains as well as all the handmade furniture and artwork all add to the experience that is the Day of the Dead. There is live music Thursday and Sunday.
A special shout out to Jacob, Scotty and Frenchy our amazing bar and waiting staff on the night.
A great bar atmosphere where the staff are more like your friends and the food is the show stopper, Day of the Dead is a must for any occasion.
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When eating Mexican food one of our 4 Travel Buddies is a Quesadillas addict and Day of the Dead quesadillas are top notch. They are cheesy, and the corn tortillas are house made with a side serve of guacamole and pico de gallo.
Our final dish was the Pollo Encacahtuado. Saffron rice reminiscent of paella pact with flavour chicken, capsicum and onions. The twist on this dish is the satay sauce giving it a slightly Asian feel.
We finished off this sensational meal by soaking up the ambience, listening to some fine tunes being sung and sampling the Churros which were light and sugary with chocolate sauce we wanted to eat by itself with a spoon.
The mood lighting, red draped curtains as well as all the handmade furniture and artwork all add to the experience that is the Day of the Dead. There is live music Thursday and Sunday.
A special shout out to Jacob, Scotty and Frenchy our amazing bar and waiting staff on the night.
A great bar atmosphere where the staff are more like your friends and the food is the show stopper, Day of the Dead is a must for any occasion.
Our final dish was the Pollo Encacahtuado. Saffron rice reminiscent of paella pact with flavour chicken, capsicum and onions. The twist on this dish is the satay sauce giving it a slightly Asian feel.
We finished off this sensational meal by soaking up the ambience, listening to some fine tunes being sung and sampling the Churros which were light and sugary with chocolate sauce we wanted to eat by itself with a spoon.
The mood lighting, red draped curtains as well as all the handmade furniture and artwork all add to the experience that is the Day of the Dead. There is live music Thursday and Sunday.
A special shout out to Jacob, Scotty and Frenchy our amazing bar and waiting staff on the night.
A great bar atmosphere where the staff are more like your friends and the food is the show stopper, Day of the Dead is a must for any occasion.
juno & may
662 Burke Road, Camberwell, Victoria
+61 3 8840 8006
Sunday & Monday 9am to 4pm
Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 10.30pm
www.junoandmay.com
+61 3 8840 8006
Sunday & Monday 9am to 4pm
Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 10.30pm
www.junoandmay.com
With Winter now upon us in Melbourne, some of us relish in the cooler weather while other Melbournians prefer to hibernate for the Winter and not venture out. 4 Travel Buddies struggle with the cooler weather, but we are so glad we ventured out to Juno & May in Camberwell.
Juno & May is relatively new to the scene on Bourke Road, only opening in September, 2015. From the minute you walk in there is a trendy vibe with ample seating including booths and bench seating. The heater is cranked up and you can enjoy the beautiful designed space tying the history of how the Juno & May name came about with the story written on the wall and a photo on the back of the menu tying the family history together.
Some may say the lighting needs to be dimmer, but we love the fact you don’t have to pull out your iPhone and use the torch app to read the menu! The staff are super friendly and down to earth creating that relaxed casual dining feeling. 4TBs can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed the atmosphere they have created at Juno & May.
OMG, OMG, OMG we have hit a hat trick! We couldn’t fault the fresh and contemporary Street Food, Large Plates and Sweets; all bang on for taste, seasoning, and flavours incorporating modern Australian cuisine with influences from Europe and Asia. No need for food envy here with Juno & May specialising in the concept of shared food. You get to enjoy sampling of all the dishes you order.
We started with Street Food of chicken and shitake mushroom Dim Sim and Buttermilk fried chicken with chipotle mayo. Juno & May’s take on the Dim Sim was amazing and so refreshing with the combination flavours of ginger, garlic, kaffir lime, sriracha chilli and crushed peanuts on crispy fresh lettuce cups. The fried chicken was succulent and the coating is better than the 11 secret herbs and spices recipe! Rounding out our appetizers we ordered a small plate of Roasted cauliflower as our vegetable. This dish surprised us all as the usually boring cauliflower can be an impressive dish by adding some green wheat salad, almonds, barberries, fresh mint, sunflower seeds and a spoonful of yoghurt.
Juno & May is relatively new to the scene on Bourke Road, only opening in September, 2015. From the minute you walk in there is a trendy vibe with ample seating including booths and bench seating. The heater is cranked up and you can enjoy the beautiful designed space tying the history of how the Juno & May name came about with the story written on the wall and a photo on the back of the menu tying the family history together.
Some may say the lighting needs to be dimmer, but we love the fact you don’t have to pull out your iPhone and use the torch app to read the menu! The staff are super friendly and down to earth creating that relaxed casual dining feeling. 4TBs can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed the atmosphere they have created at Juno & May.
OMG, OMG, OMG we have hit a hat trick! We couldn’t fault the fresh and contemporary Street Food, Large Plates and Sweets; all bang on for taste, seasoning, and flavours incorporating modern Australian cuisine with influences from Europe and Asia. No need for food envy here with Juno & May specialising in the concept of shared food. You get to enjoy sampling of all the dishes you order.
We started with Street Food of chicken and shitake mushroom Dim Sim and Buttermilk fried chicken with chipotle mayo. Juno & May’s take on the Dim Sim was amazing and so refreshing with the combination flavours of ginger, garlic, kaffir lime, sriracha chilli and crushed peanuts on crispy fresh lettuce cups. The fried chicken was succulent and the coating is better than the 11 secret herbs and spices recipe! Rounding out our appetizers we ordered a small plate of Roasted cauliflower as our vegetable. This dish surprised us all as the usually boring cauliflower can be an impressive dish by adding some green wheat salad, almonds, barberries, fresh mint, sunflower seeds and a spoonful of yoghurt.
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There was no clear cut winner in the stakes of the large plates. We enjoyed the 8 hour slow roasted lamb shoulder curry, Char grilled 16 hour beef short ribs and the fish of the day, NZ Harpupka fillet.
An ultimate Winter meal with hearty roast vegetables, couscous, almonds, raisins & yoghurt, the lamb shoulder was so tender it simply melted in your mouth. This dish was absolutely delicious with the curry doing all the work of bringing the large chunks of zucchini, carrots and pumpkin and other ingredients together to create an explosion in your mouth.
No steak knife required for the beef ribs with the meat falling off the bone. The marinade had infused through succulent beef and the char grill outer marinate was crusty and sticky. Similar to a pesto the Chimichurri was super tasty and the perfect accompaniment for the ribs. The showstopper was the house mash with the intensely flavoured chimichurri infusing into the mash taking an otherwise smooth house mash to a whole new level.
An ultimate Winter meal with hearty roast vegetables, couscous, almonds, raisins & yoghurt, the lamb shoulder was so tender it simply melted in your mouth. This dish was absolutely delicious with the curry doing all the work of bringing the large chunks of zucchini, carrots and pumpkin and other ingredients together to create an explosion in your mouth.
No steak knife required for the beef ribs with the meat falling off the bone. The marinade had infused through succulent beef and the char grill outer marinate was crusty and sticky. Similar to a pesto the Chimichurri was super tasty and the perfect accompaniment for the ribs. The showstopper was the house mash with the intensely flavoured chimichurri infusing into the mash taking an otherwise smooth house mash to a whole new level.
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Our final large plate dish was the NZ Harpupka fillet with crispy skinned prawns, mussels, chilli garlic and fish broth bubble pasta chilli mayo crouton. The flavourful broth was tasty, hot and the seafood was super fresh and lean white fish fillet wasn't over powering.
Finishing with Sweets we couldn’t go past trying Henry’s favourite chocolate soft-centred pudding and Eton Mess. We were in a sweet tooths heaven and again 4TBs just couldn’t pick a favourite.
Eton Mess is a simple and classic old-school dessert served in a glass with spoonful layers of meringue cookies, fresh strawberries and blueberries and whipped cream. The crunchy meringue cookies were light, airy, sweet, crispy and melted in your mouth with the whipped cream; a texture match made in heaven! An absolute delicious, scrumptious and indulgent dessert.
We can't stop raving about Henry's chocolate soft-centred pudding. The edges of the pudding were set and the soft oozing chocolate centre which wasn't too rich was to die for. It paired nicely with the English toffee and vanilla bean ice-cream. Accompanying our sweets we enjoyed perfect brews of Hot Chocolate (extra hot!), Flat White and a Chai Latte.
We’ll be back to try the breakfast and lunch menu. We just can’t stop raving about Juno & May.
Thank you to Cathy and Henry for allowing 4 Travel Buddies to sample some amazing dishes and a shout out to our amazing waiter Ted who's service passion for hospitality is infectious and matched the quality of the food.
Finishing with Sweets we couldn’t go past trying Henry’s favourite chocolate soft-centred pudding and Eton Mess. We were in a sweet tooths heaven and again 4TBs just couldn’t pick a favourite.
Eton Mess is a simple and classic old-school dessert served in a glass with spoonful layers of meringue cookies, fresh strawberries and blueberries and whipped cream. The crunchy meringue cookies were light, airy, sweet, crispy and melted in your mouth with the whipped cream; a texture match made in heaven! An absolute delicious, scrumptious and indulgent dessert.
We can't stop raving about Henry's chocolate soft-centred pudding. The edges of the pudding were set and the soft oozing chocolate centre which wasn't too rich was to die for. It paired nicely with the English toffee and vanilla bean ice-cream. Accompanying our sweets we enjoyed perfect brews of Hot Chocolate (extra hot!), Flat White and a Chai Latte.
We’ll be back to try the breakfast and lunch menu. We just can’t stop raving about Juno & May.
Thank you to Cathy and Henry for allowing 4 Travel Buddies to sample some amazing dishes and a shout out to our amazing waiter Ted who's service passion for hospitality is infectious and matched the quality of the food.
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novotel Melbourne
Buffet Breakfast
285 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley, Victoria
+61 3 856 2345
www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2068-novotel-melbourne-glen-waverley
+61 3 856 2345
www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2068-novotel-melbourne-glen-waverley
We have to say that we have become quite fussy when it comes to buffet breakfasts having travelled extensively through Asia where we have experienced some mind blowing buffet breakfasts.
How does The Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley’s buffet breakfast stack up…..well let’s start from when we are greeted at the entrance of the restaurant and our coffee and egg orders are taken. We ordered our usual Latte, Flat White and two Hot Chocolates (extra hot). It can always be a bit hit and miss with hotel coffees and we do have a couple of coffee snobs in the group however our faith was restored.
You also have the choice of ordering your eggs. We went with the Eggs Benedict to share between the 4 of us as we knew we would be once again over indulging on what treats the buffet had on offer. This Egg Benedict combined all the flavours, from the perfectly poached eggs, wilted spinach, bacon and a hollandaise sauce that tied all the ingredients together making this a very tasty dish.
There were the usual suspects at the buffet. Scrambled and poached eggs, bacon, baked beans, hash browns and a multitude of bread choices. A stand out for one of the 4 Travel Buddies was the crumpets. He was heard saying it was one of the best crumpets he had tasted. We also like that there were both chicken and beef sausages to accommodate dietary requirements for those who need an alternative to bacon.
There was no shortage of pastries and baked goods on offer. The danishes were crisp on the outside and light and buttery when you bit into them. The muffins were fresh and there was no skimping on the ingredients of chocolate and fruit.
There was plenty of options for the health conscious amongst us with chia pudding topped with apricot coulis, and wide selection of fruit.
So what sets this breakfast buffet apart from all the others? Two things, one the pancake machine. Yes a pancake machine! You press the button and in three minutes you have warm fluffy pancakes. There were plenty of topping options available from Nutella, jams, lemon sugar and the list goes on.
And the second thing…that was the tea station with beautiful tea pots and a selection of six teas.
How does The Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley’s buffet breakfast stack up…..well let’s start from when we are greeted at the entrance of the restaurant and our coffee and egg orders are taken. We ordered our usual Latte, Flat White and two Hot Chocolates (extra hot). It can always be a bit hit and miss with hotel coffees and we do have a couple of coffee snobs in the group however our faith was restored.
You also have the choice of ordering your eggs. We went with the Eggs Benedict to share between the 4 of us as we knew we would be once again over indulging on what treats the buffet had on offer. This Egg Benedict combined all the flavours, from the perfectly poached eggs, wilted spinach, bacon and a hollandaise sauce that tied all the ingredients together making this a very tasty dish.
There were the usual suspects at the buffet. Scrambled and poached eggs, bacon, baked beans, hash browns and a multitude of bread choices. A stand out for one of the 4 Travel Buddies was the crumpets. He was heard saying it was one of the best crumpets he had tasted. We also like that there were both chicken and beef sausages to accommodate dietary requirements for those who need an alternative to bacon.
There was no shortage of pastries and baked goods on offer. The danishes were crisp on the outside and light and buttery when you bit into them. The muffins were fresh and there was no skimping on the ingredients of chocolate and fruit.
There was plenty of options for the health conscious amongst us with chia pudding topped with apricot coulis, and wide selection of fruit.
So what sets this breakfast buffet apart from all the others? Two things, one the pancake machine. Yes a pancake machine! You press the button and in three minutes you have warm fluffy pancakes. There were plenty of topping options available from Nutella, jams, lemon sugar and the list goes on.
And the second thing…that was the tea station with beautiful tea pots and a selection of six teas.
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The Butchers Bench
285 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley, Victoria
+61 3 856 2345
www.accorhotels.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/NovotelMelbourneGlenWaverley/
Instagram: novotelmelbourneglenwaverley
+61 3 856 2345
www.accorhotels.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/NovotelMelbourneGlenWaverley/
Instagram: novotelmelbourneglenwaverley
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Recently launching, 4 Travel Buddies had the pleasure of dining at The Butchers Bench formerly known as Infusion at The Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley. We enjoyed a variety of dishes from the starters, mains and desserts list and look forward to visiting again to try the other dishes from the menu.
We started with the Turkish cheesy garlic bread which was soft and infused with the perfect amount of garlic. We wanted to order another round but knew we had only just begun our dining experience and had more starters, mains and desserts to get through.
The 2 day marinated smoky beef ribs with Jack Daniel whisky sour mash sauce was cooked to perfection; the meat was tender, succulent and easily separated from the bone with a fork . The thick Jack Daniel sauce delivered the sticky and subtle sweetness and is a perfect compliment for this dish.
4TBs were blown away with the Crispy calamari. The crispy outside with Szechuan ground spice seasoning took this dish to a whole new level. The minimalist approach and tender calamari was spot on.
When you can't decide on a seafood or meat dish then Surf + Turf New York Steak with sautéed prawns and crab is the way to go! The shoe string chips were salted to perfection.
Marinating for 48 hours in apple cider brine the free range Pork Rib Eye on the bone was moist and full of flavour. The roasted onion in the caramelised apple compote was a little over powering.
Crispy coated southern style fried chicken – with juicy drum and breast pieces was served with honey glazed corn cob that you could sink your teeth into.
We couldn't go past ordering the Bombe Alaska after seeing it being delivered to a table near us. A real show stopper, this stunning dessert is a spectacular show; check out our video of the meringue flaming on our Facebook page. The massive feast of sponge, berries, chocolate ice-cream with chocolate flakes & toasted meringue are a perfect pairing and meringue peaks were light and airy.
Deconstructed brownie + salted caramel is a chocolate treat like no other. The silky smooth raspberry coulis was a delicious thick sauce and the perfect accompaniment for this chocolatey delight.
What a way to finish our dining experience with the Apple + rhubarb crumble and vanilla bean ice-cream. This dessert was so damn good that we all wanted to have the last mouthful. This dessert is perfect for the colder months and a perfect addition to the new restaurant. The tartness of the rhubarb and soft juicy apple was balanced well with the sweet crumble topping. That crumble was perfection on its own with its sweet buttery taste.
Thank you to Andrew, Lara and the team at Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley for the opportunity to try the new menu at The Butchers Bench. A shout out to our delightful and very helpful waiter Evan who provided suggestions on what we should try from the new menu and spruiking the craft beers on offer from the bar.
We started with the Turkish cheesy garlic bread which was soft and infused with the perfect amount of garlic. We wanted to order another round but knew we had only just begun our dining experience and had more starters, mains and desserts to get through.
The 2 day marinated smoky beef ribs with Jack Daniel whisky sour mash sauce was cooked to perfection; the meat was tender, succulent and easily separated from the bone with a fork . The thick Jack Daniel sauce delivered the sticky and subtle sweetness and is a perfect compliment for this dish.
4TBs were blown away with the Crispy calamari. The crispy outside with Szechuan ground spice seasoning took this dish to a whole new level. The minimalist approach and tender calamari was spot on.
When you can't decide on a seafood or meat dish then Surf + Turf New York Steak with sautéed prawns and crab is the way to go! The shoe string chips were salted to perfection.
Marinating for 48 hours in apple cider brine the free range Pork Rib Eye on the bone was moist and full of flavour. The roasted onion in the caramelised apple compote was a little over powering.
Crispy coated southern style fried chicken – with juicy drum and breast pieces was served with honey glazed corn cob that you could sink your teeth into.
We couldn't go past ordering the Bombe Alaska after seeing it being delivered to a table near us. A real show stopper, this stunning dessert is a spectacular show; check out our video of the meringue flaming on our Facebook page. The massive feast of sponge, berries, chocolate ice-cream with chocolate flakes & toasted meringue are a perfect pairing and meringue peaks were light and airy.
Deconstructed brownie + salted caramel is a chocolate treat like no other. The silky smooth raspberry coulis was a delicious thick sauce and the perfect accompaniment for this chocolatey delight.
What a way to finish our dining experience with the Apple + rhubarb crumble and vanilla bean ice-cream. This dessert was so damn good that we all wanted to have the last mouthful. This dessert is perfect for the colder months and a perfect addition to the new restaurant. The tartness of the rhubarb and soft juicy apple was balanced well with the sweet crumble topping. That crumble was perfection on its own with its sweet buttery taste.
Thank you to Andrew, Lara and the team at Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley for the opportunity to try the new menu at The Butchers Bench. A shout out to our delightful and very helpful waiter Evan who provided suggestions on what we should try from the new menu and spruiking the craft beers on offer from the bar.
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Ma brown
111 Bourke Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
+61 3 9663-3141
+61 3 9663-3141
Family means the world and when your grandparents heritage is both Hong Kong and Malaysian you infuse these culinary delights to create your own twist.
This quaint little eatery is tucked away in a little laneway in the Australia Post office building on the corner of Exhibition and Bourke Streets. Don't get confused with Mabrown in Balwyn which has been an institution for over 20 years, Mabrown CBD has been around 3 years and is the baby of the family and carries the same dishes.
4 Travel Buddies couldn't go past trying Mabrown's famous signature dish, the quail. Quail is a small ground-nesting game bird not requiring a lot of cooking and can be tough and dry if overcooked. Two 4TBs have fond memories of eating roast quail in their childhood days, but never deep fried quail. Wow... what a perfect dish.
Mabrown source their quail from the Yarra Valley and these delicate, petitie, lean birds define rustic cooking and we devoured both serves of spicy and non spicy Deep Fried Quail. The quail meat was succulent, moist and cooked to perfection with a sticky marinade and was not hot spicy that burnt your mouth but a lovely sweet spicy and topped with a capsicum and tomato salsa.
You get to use your fingers as quail are fiddly with heaps of bones and when you have finished licking the marinade from your fingers you can wash your hands at the purposely built wash basin at the end of the service bench.
This quaint little eatery is tucked away in a little laneway in the Australia Post office building on the corner of Exhibition and Bourke Streets. Don't get confused with Mabrown in Balwyn which has been an institution for over 20 years, Mabrown CBD has been around 3 years and is the baby of the family and carries the same dishes.
4 Travel Buddies couldn't go past trying Mabrown's famous signature dish, the quail. Quail is a small ground-nesting game bird not requiring a lot of cooking and can be tough and dry if overcooked. Two 4TBs have fond memories of eating roast quail in their childhood days, but never deep fried quail. Wow... what a perfect dish.
Mabrown source their quail from the Yarra Valley and these delicate, petitie, lean birds define rustic cooking and we devoured both serves of spicy and non spicy Deep Fried Quail. The quail meat was succulent, moist and cooked to perfection with a sticky marinade and was not hot spicy that burnt your mouth but a lovely sweet spicy and topped with a capsicum and tomato salsa.
You get to use your fingers as quail are fiddly with heaps of bones and when you have finished licking the marinade from your fingers you can wash your hands at the purposely built wash basin at the end of the service bench.
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The Salt & Pepper Calamari had a super thin crispy layer on the outside giving a wonderful crunch as you took a bite of the tender calamari. We were blown away with the crispy golden calamari that was fried to perfection and not greasy at all. The thinly coasted seasoning sealed in the flavour and we couldn’t stop at one piece. The dish was perfectly paired with a salsa of spring onions, capsicum, chilli and lettuce leaves.
We tried the Mongolian Beef and was not disappoint with the thin slices of tender beef and ample vegetables saturated in a delicious sauce. This dish was bursting with flavours and that hot plate sizzled for ages after being delivered to our table. Check out the video on our Facebook page (4 Travel Buddies).
To accompany our main dishes we ordered Nasi Goreng. There are many versions of Nasi Goreng and this one didn't skip a beat with the addition of mussels and fish cakes.
A huge thank you to the chef for allowing us to enjoy the culinary delights of Mabrown CBD and spending time with us during a very busy Saturday night service. A special mention to the waiters who looked after us and didn’t stop for a breather to ensure all customers were attended too. We can’t wait to come back soon to try other dishes from the extensive menu.
We tried the Mongolian Beef and was not disappoint with the thin slices of tender beef and ample vegetables saturated in a delicious sauce. This dish was bursting with flavours and that hot plate sizzled for ages after being delivered to our table. Check out the video on our Facebook page (4 Travel Buddies).
To accompany our main dishes we ordered Nasi Goreng. There are many versions of Nasi Goreng and this one didn't skip a beat with the addition of mussels and fish cakes.
A huge thank you to the chef for allowing us to enjoy the culinary delights of Mabrown CBD and spending time with us during a very busy Saturday night service. A special mention to the waiters who looked after us and didn’t stop for a breather to ensure all customers were attended too. We can’t wait to come back soon to try other dishes from the extensive menu.
café threon0ne2one
421 Bridge Road Richmond VIC 3121
+619429 4409
www.threeone2one.com.au
Mon - Fri 11am - 9pm
Sat - Sun 8am - 9pm
+619429 4409
www.threeone2one.com.au
Mon - Fri 11am - 9pm
Sat - Sun 8am - 9pm
We last visited Café ThreeOne 2 One in September 2015 and they have shaken things up in the last 6 months. The menu has had a major make over focusing now on burgers and shakes and we love it!
Breakfast is still served on the weekends from 8am but as we were there on a Wednesday evening it was our job to give thoose burgers and shakes a good work out.
We started with the shakes and really we should have divided our visit up one for shakes and one for burgers, but like true foodies we made sure no shake or burger was left on the table!
The Peanut Butter Brittle Shake made with banana, peanut butter, milk, honey frangelico and taking some of us back to our childhood a couple of Arnotts Shortbread Finger biscuits. This shake really is a warm up to the next two….
The Tango Pretzel Shake could be a dessert all on its own. With chocolate and hazelnut sauce, strawberries, vanilla ice-cream, Nutella and pretzels stuck all around the top of the glass balancing the sweet salt and savoury of this shake. It is topped with a big chunck of chocolate cake which we saved as a sweet treat after we had indulged in burgers.
And finally why have one Triple Orgasm when you can have two. This shake which doubles as an ice-cream dessert consists of Nutella, peanut butter, OREO, strawberries, banana, vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, Smarties with chocolate ice-cream in a wafle cone stuck on the top. Now let’s be honest if you are going to name something a Triple Orgasm you better be able to back it up…. and back it up this shake sure did.
Now you could just go to Three One 2 One for their shakes and be totally satisfied, but those burgers were calling our names… actually they were screaming out to us and they were worth every mouthful.
Breakfast is still served on the weekends from 8am but as we were there on a Wednesday evening it was our job to give thoose burgers and shakes a good work out.
We started with the shakes and really we should have divided our visit up one for shakes and one for burgers, but like true foodies we made sure no shake or burger was left on the table!
The Peanut Butter Brittle Shake made with banana, peanut butter, milk, honey frangelico and taking some of us back to our childhood a couple of Arnotts Shortbread Finger biscuits. This shake really is a warm up to the next two….
The Tango Pretzel Shake could be a dessert all on its own. With chocolate and hazelnut sauce, strawberries, vanilla ice-cream, Nutella and pretzels stuck all around the top of the glass balancing the sweet salt and savoury of this shake. It is topped with a big chunck of chocolate cake which we saved as a sweet treat after we had indulged in burgers.
And finally why have one Triple Orgasm when you can have two. This shake which doubles as an ice-cream dessert consists of Nutella, peanut butter, OREO, strawberries, banana, vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, Smarties with chocolate ice-cream in a wafle cone stuck on the top. Now let’s be honest if you are going to name something a Triple Orgasm you better be able to back it up…. and back it up this shake sure did.
Now you could just go to Three One 2 One for their shakes and be totally satisfied, but those burgers were calling our names… actually they were screaming out to us and they were worth every mouthful.
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We had tasted The Ghetto Burger on our last visit and it was even better than we remembered it. The two beef patties melt in your mouth goodness and that cheese is seriously awesome. Get In My Belly Burger lived up to its name and did not last long. The slow cooked pork is perfecly complimented with the green apple slices. This burger is an explosion of flavours in your mouth and if it wasn’t for us already stuffed to the brim we would have wanted another one. Our third choice of burger is the amptly named Grilled Heaven Burger. This is a burger for those who prefer to go the chicken burger option. Still tasty but was surpassed by the other burgers.
Without a doubt the hands down favourite for all 4 Travel Buddies was the Kick Ass Mac n' Cheese. And boy did it kick our ass. Once again the patties melt in your mouth, the double cheese is amazeball and the star of the burger that mac n' cheese oozing fully of cheesy brilliance. We wanted more but the we hadn't worn our stretchy pants and so sadly we had to stop at one.
A big shout out to our two waitresses on the night who were awesome and showed so much passionate about the food and shakes, it was infectous.
There are plenty more shakes and burgers on the menu that we didn’t try which means we will definitely be going back to Three One 2 One ASAP!!!
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OHSSO Korean street food
28 Hardware Lane, Melbourne Victoria 3000
+61 3 9043-1203
Monday - Sunday
11.30am - 2.30pm
5.30pm - 1.00am
+61 3 9043-1203
Monday - Sunday
11.30am - 2.30pm
5.30pm - 1.00am
Running between Bourke Street and Little Bourke Streets, Hardware Lane is a popular small lane in Melbourne CBD, lined with tiny cafes and restaurants. This cute little restaurant has only been on the scene a year and is making a name for itself as the place to dine if you are after authentic Korean street food.
As first timers to trying Korean food, we were excited for our taste buds to experience the explosion of flavours, spices and unusual textures of Korean ingredients. Traditional Korean dish are always served with a side of staples including kimchi based dipping sauces or vegetables.
Forget the Colonel Sanders KFC Popcorn Chicken and try OHSOO’s Boneless Fried Chicken accompanied with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce, pickled fishcakes and chopped up white radish. These bite sized chicken pieces were tender and crispy with a lovely seasoning; not too spicy! Let’s just say the basket of fried chicken didn’t last long and it was a standoff for who was going to have the last piece.
We were intrigued by the Chive Pancake ingredients of chives, chilli, vegetables, mussels and calamari. A healthy choice, this savoury pancake was another winner on the table with not one piece of the large pancake left on the dinner size plate. A thin and slightly crispy pancake loaded with vegetables, the non lover of mussels couldn’t even taste the mussels in the pancake. Best way to eat this pancake is to break bits off with your fingers or use chop sticks to rip it and dip in the soy sauce.
Ensuring a variety of seafood and meat dishes we ordered the Beef Brisket & Bean Sprouts. An unusual dish with too many bean sprouts to chew through and not enough of the tender shredded beef strips for our liking. Sitting in a small amount of broth, this dish wasn’t as spicy as the other dishes.
The Fish Cake Soup is served in a small deep cast iron pot and sits on a portable gas stove to keep it warm. Jammed packed with an assortment of different fish cakes with texture similar to firm tofu, one 4TB enjoyed the tasty broth and was super excited when she stumbled across pipis (edible saltwater clams) amongst all the fish cakes.
As first timers to trying Korean food, we were excited for our taste buds to experience the explosion of flavours, spices and unusual textures of Korean ingredients. Traditional Korean dish are always served with a side of staples including kimchi based dipping sauces or vegetables.
Forget the Colonel Sanders KFC Popcorn Chicken and try OHSOO’s Boneless Fried Chicken accompanied with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce, pickled fishcakes and chopped up white radish. These bite sized chicken pieces were tender and crispy with a lovely seasoning; not too spicy! Let’s just say the basket of fried chicken didn’t last long and it was a standoff for who was going to have the last piece.
We were intrigued by the Chive Pancake ingredients of chives, chilli, vegetables, mussels and calamari. A healthy choice, this savoury pancake was another winner on the table with not one piece of the large pancake left on the dinner size plate. A thin and slightly crispy pancake loaded with vegetables, the non lover of mussels couldn’t even taste the mussels in the pancake. Best way to eat this pancake is to break bits off with your fingers or use chop sticks to rip it and dip in the soy sauce.
Ensuring a variety of seafood and meat dishes we ordered the Beef Brisket & Bean Sprouts. An unusual dish with too many bean sprouts to chew through and not enough of the tender shredded beef strips for our liking. Sitting in a small amount of broth, this dish wasn’t as spicy as the other dishes.
The Fish Cake Soup is served in a small deep cast iron pot and sits on a portable gas stove to keep it warm. Jammed packed with an assortment of different fish cakes with texture similar to firm tofu, one 4TB enjoyed the tasty broth and was super excited when she stumbled across pipis (edible saltwater clams) amongst all the fish cakes.
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Spicy Octopus was the hottest dish on the table and one we couldn’t get through as it was too hot for our taste buds; and is one of the mildest spicy dishes on the menu! So yes, trying this dish raised our body temperature and in turn our body was trying to cool itself by sweating; thank god for napkins to wipe the forehead.
A novelty dish and a tasty one at that, was the Do It Yourself (DIY) Rice Balls. A little fun and very popular amongst diners this dish requires you to put a glove on and mix the ingredients yourself and roll them into a ball; ironically DIY Rice Balls. All the elements of a sushi roll with rice, fish eggs, mayonnaise and shredded seaweed even the fussiest one of 4TBs who isn’t a fan of sushi enjoyed the Rice Balls.
A popular little haunt, you may have to wait for a table, but not too long of a wait. With dine in or takeaway service, OHSSO serves up quick $10 lunch specials for the corporate clientele weekdays and by night the little servery is busy selling small cups of Korean street food to walk through traffic and night club goers until 1:00am Monday-Thursday and 2:00am on Friday and Saturday.
For food lovers who like ordering freshly made dishes providing temperature hot food served to your table and all things spicy this is your place. Must tries are the Boneless Fried Chicken, Chive Pancake and DYI Rice Balls.
Thank you to Minh for the invitation and taking the time to share his passion of Korean food and OHSSO’s journey to where it is today during a very busy service; we appreciated your time and cultural insights.
A novelty dish and a tasty one at that, was the Do It Yourself (DIY) Rice Balls. A little fun and very popular amongst diners this dish requires you to put a glove on and mix the ingredients yourself and roll them into a ball; ironically DIY Rice Balls. All the elements of a sushi roll with rice, fish eggs, mayonnaise and shredded seaweed even the fussiest one of 4TBs who isn’t a fan of sushi enjoyed the Rice Balls.
A popular little haunt, you may have to wait for a table, but not too long of a wait. With dine in or takeaway service, OHSSO serves up quick $10 lunch specials for the corporate clientele weekdays and by night the little servery is busy selling small cups of Korean street food to walk through traffic and night club goers until 1:00am Monday-Thursday and 2:00am on Friday and Saturday.
For food lovers who like ordering freshly made dishes providing temperature hot food served to your table and all things spicy this is your place. Must tries are the Boneless Fried Chicken, Chive Pancake and DYI Rice Balls.
Thank you to Minh for the invitation and taking the time to share his passion of Korean food and OHSSO’s journey to where it is today during a very busy service; we appreciated your time and cultural insights.
The parlor
40 Weatherall Road, Beaumaris VIC 3193
+61 (03) 9515-4514
Monday & Tuesday 7:30am -5:00pm
Wednesday to Saturday 7.30pm - 11:00pm
Sunday 8:30am -5:00pm
+61 (03) 9515-4514
Monday & Tuesday 7:30am -5:00pm
Wednesday to Saturday 7.30pm - 11:00pm
Sunday 8:30am -5:00pm
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On a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon we were treated to a fabulous lunch at The Parlor in Beaumaris. Opposite the Cheltenham golf course and set along a leafy suburban street, The Parlour is a busy eatery that serves breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and dinner Wednesday to Saturday.
We were seated at the large white share table where we had a prime view of the kitchen. Above us hung an amazing feature light which needs to be seen. The décor eclectic and white has that feeling of home with little touches of a desk area and photographs of the staff on the bookshelf amongst cookbooks.
Tamar, part owner of The Parlor suggested we try the Housemade Gnocchi, Roast Chicken salad, The Parlor Tasting Platter and the Corn fritters. Unfortunately the Gnocchi was sold out as we only arrived at 3pm. Instead the chef, who is trained in Italian cooking, prepared the Pappardelle with beet ragu for us.
The Parlor Tasting Platter is huge and we were spoilt with choice. There were mushroom croquettes, cured salmon, prosciutto, calamari, salami, broccoli, beetroot dip, chicken and hands down our favourite without a doubt the pork belly, which was tender with the perfect amount of crackle. A serve of warm crusty bread accompanied the tasting platter.
The crispy Corn Fritters were crispy and the relish was sweet and contrasted well with the avocado. If you are heading to The Parlor for breakfast then a poached egg would complement this dish well.
Now there are 2 Travel Buddies who are not that fond of salad but even they fell in love this Roast Chicken salad. Could it have been the little red grapes, or the fetta or was it that succulent chicken. Who knows? What we do know is that THIS chicken salad goes down as one of our all time favourites.
What words could do justice to just how good the Pappardelle with beef ragu? None really! It was AMAZEBALLs. The homemade sauce was lick your lips delish. The beef was melt in your mouth and the pasta cooked to perfection.
So our favourites? Well once again we were divided but I guess that’s what happens when you have the 4 of us around a table of food! Three out of the 4 Travel Buddies could not go past the pasta with the homemade pasta sauce and beef ragu. Roast Chicken salad was difficult to top for the other Travel Buddie. And of course an honourable mention to The Parlor Tasting Platter.
It would be remiss of us not to give a shout out to the staff. The café was busy and the service was faultless. You could tell the staff enjoyed working here.
Thank you to Tamar, Bonni and the team at The Parlor for the opportunity to sample dishes from the breakfast and lunch menu.
We will definitely return to try out the gnocchi and the dinner menu. There is also live music every Friday evening which means we will be back soon!
We were seated at the large white share table where we had a prime view of the kitchen. Above us hung an amazing feature light which needs to be seen. The décor eclectic and white has that feeling of home with little touches of a desk area and photographs of the staff on the bookshelf amongst cookbooks.
Tamar, part owner of The Parlor suggested we try the Housemade Gnocchi, Roast Chicken salad, The Parlor Tasting Platter and the Corn fritters. Unfortunately the Gnocchi was sold out as we only arrived at 3pm. Instead the chef, who is trained in Italian cooking, prepared the Pappardelle with beet ragu for us.
The Parlor Tasting Platter is huge and we were spoilt with choice. There were mushroom croquettes, cured salmon, prosciutto, calamari, salami, broccoli, beetroot dip, chicken and hands down our favourite without a doubt the pork belly, which was tender with the perfect amount of crackle. A serve of warm crusty bread accompanied the tasting platter.
The crispy Corn Fritters were crispy and the relish was sweet and contrasted well with the avocado. If you are heading to The Parlor for breakfast then a poached egg would complement this dish well.
Now there are 2 Travel Buddies who are not that fond of salad but even they fell in love this Roast Chicken salad. Could it have been the little red grapes, or the fetta or was it that succulent chicken. Who knows? What we do know is that THIS chicken salad goes down as one of our all time favourites.
What words could do justice to just how good the Pappardelle with beef ragu? None really! It was AMAZEBALLs. The homemade sauce was lick your lips delish. The beef was melt in your mouth and the pasta cooked to perfection.
So our favourites? Well once again we were divided but I guess that’s what happens when you have the 4 of us around a table of food! Three out of the 4 Travel Buddies could not go past the pasta with the homemade pasta sauce and beef ragu. Roast Chicken salad was difficult to top for the other Travel Buddie. And of course an honourable mention to The Parlor Tasting Platter.
It would be remiss of us not to give a shout out to the staff. The café was busy and the service was faultless. You could tell the staff enjoyed working here.
Thank you to Tamar, Bonni and the team at The Parlor for the opportunity to sample dishes from the breakfast and lunch menu.
We will definitely return to try out the gnocchi and the dinner menu. There is also live music every Friday evening which means we will be back soon!
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the old cop shop
160 Bell St, Coburg VIC 3058
9350 5955
Monday & Tuesday 7am to 4pm
Wednesday to Sunday 7am to 11pm
9350 5955
Monday & Tuesday 7am to 4pm
Wednesday to Sunday 7am to 11pm
As the name suggests this establishment use to be The Old Police Station in Coburg which opened back in 1929 but had sat vacant for the last 10 years. Now converted into a restaurant the décor still contains some of the structural and furnishings that were in the Old Cop Shop.
In the up and coming café suburb of Coburg The Old Cop Shop serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Divided into 3 eating areas with floorboard and high ceilings making the restaurant very echoey and at times so noisy you can not hear the person sitting next to you when they speak.
With a great tapas menu as well as plenty of choices for something more substantial , 4 Travel Buddies chose the Saganaki, Salt and Pepper Calamari, Meatballs and Antipasto platter from the tapas menu along with the Old Cop Shop Burger.
As readers will know we love a good saganaki and this one did not disappoint. The meatballs were delicious and it is always good when pork and beef mince are combined. The salt and pepper calamari served with aioli was tender and not chewy which we loved.
The star of the night was the Antipasto platter containing cured meats, cheese, marinated olives, white anchovies, cheese and bread. There was plenty to choose from and we were definitely not left hungry.
Now Melbourne is going through a burger craze and the Old Cop Shop Burger should not be written out as a contender. With cheddar cheese pickles lettuce tomato onion jam and chipotle mayo on a brioche bun this burger definitely satisfied the burger connoisseurs amongst us.
In the up and coming café suburb of Coburg The Old Cop Shop serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Divided into 3 eating areas with floorboard and high ceilings making the restaurant very echoey and at times so noisy you can not hear the person sitting next to you when they speak.
With a great tapas menu as well as plenty of choices for something more substantial , 4 Travel Buddies chose the Saganaki, Salt and Pepper Calamari, Meatballs and Antipasto platter from the tapas menu along with the Old Cop Shop Burger.
As readers will know we love a good saganaki and this one did not disappoint. The meatballs were delicious and it is always good when pork and beef mince are combined. The salt and pepper calamari served with aioli was tender and not chewy which we loved.
The star of the night was the Antipasto platter containing cured meats, cheese, marinated olives, white anchovies, cheese and bread. There was plenty to choose from and we were definitely not left hungry.
Now Melbourne is going through a burger craze and the Old Cop Shop Burger should not be written out as a contender. With cheddar cheese pickles lettuce tomato onion jam and chipotle mayo on a brioche bun this burger definitely satisfied the burger connoisseurs amongst us.
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We finished off the night sharing three desserts. The Chocolate Tart was rich but softened by the raspberry coulis and cream. An aesthetically pleasing BB Banana Stack consisting of layers of sweet pistachio filo pastry, caramel and banana mousse topped with Persian fairy floss did divide us in opinion. And lastly the Vanila Panna Cotta was deliciously creamy. As always we all had our favourites which meant there wasn’t a clear winner!
Overall the food was fabulous however the acoustics inside detracted from the dining experience. We think next time we will try out their breakfast menu in the courtyard.
Overall the food was fabulous however the acoustics inside detracted from the dining experience. We think next time we will try out their breakfast menu in the courtyard.
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George jones eatery
15C Pascoe Street, Pacoe Vale
+61 3 9304 2917
www.georgejones.com.au
+61 3 9304 2917
www.georgejones.com.au
Last weekend 4 Travel Buddies enjoyed brunch at the newest eatery in Pascoe Vale. George Jones opened its doors on 4th February 2016 and even though they were only open for ten days it was packed to the rafters. The interior of the café is beautifully decorated and seats a large number of people. There is also plenty of outdoor street side seating.
174 years in the making George Jones is named after the first shopkeeper in Coburg in 1841. Open seven days a week from 7am, George Jones serves breakfast and lunch. We ordered off the breakfast menu however one of the 4 Travel Buddies was disappointed that we were too early for the burger menu which is served from 11.30am, oh well there is always next time!
Our brunch choices were the bacon benedict, citrus cured salmon, the buttermilk hotcake stack and the egg and bacon roll. Our favourite well that was a bone of contention amongst the 4 of us as we all had a different favourite.
Let start with the bacon benedict. The potato hash was delicious the bacon cooked perfectly (although we did want more) and that hollandaise was spot on. The caramelised onion gave this dish the extra oomph.
The citrus cured salmon was moist and tender served with the most amazing croquettes and a soft poached egg.
Now every café has an egg and bacon roll but not everyone has the smoked relish that George Jones puts on their focaccia. This would have to be one of the best bacon and egg rolls we have had in recent outings.
And it wouldn’t be a 4 Travel Buddies brunch outing without the pancakes. The buttermilk hotcakes served with raspberry compote, lemon curd, fruit salad, pistachios and vanilla bean ice cream was a favourite with the sweet tooth amongst us. We love a good lemon curd and this one did not disappoint.
We will be back soon and after 11.30am to try the burger menu as they all look mouth watering!
Thank you Paul for fitting us in even though seats were at premium on Sunday morning.
174 years in the making George Jones is named after the first shopkeeper in Coburg in 1841. Open seven days a week from 7am, George Jones serves breakfast and lunch. We ordered off the breakfast menu however one of the 4 Travel Buddies was disappointed that we were too early for the burger menu which is served from 11.30am, oh well there is always next time!
Our brunch choices were the bacon benedict, citrus cured salmon, the buttermilk hotcake stack and the egg and bacon roll. Our favourite well that was a bone of contention amongst the 4 of us as we all had a different favourite.
Let start with the bacon benedict. The potato hash was delicious the bacon cooked perfectly (although we did want more) and that hollandaise was spot on. The caramelised onion gave this dish the extra oomph.
The citrus cured salmon was moist and tender served with the most amazing croquettes and a soft poached egg.
Now every café has an egg and bacon roll but not everyone has the smoked relish that George Jones puts on their focaccia. This would have to be one of the best bacon and egg rolls we have had in recent outings.
And it wouldn’t be a 4 Travel Buddies brunch outing without the pancakes. The buttermilk hotcakes served with raspberry compote, lemon curd, fruit salad, pistachios and vanilla bean ice cream was a favourite with the sweet tooth amongst us. We love a good lemon curd and this one did not disappoint.
We will be back soon and after 11.30am to try the burger menu as they all look mouth watering!
Thank you Paul for fitting us in even though seats were at premium on Sunday morning.
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Fandango
97 Errol Street, North Melbourne
+61 3 9329 0693
www.fandangocafe.com.au
+61 3 9329 0693
www.fandangocafe.com.au
4 Travel Buddies want to share North Melbourne's best kept secret, Fandango.
Spoilt for cafe choices in Errol Street, North Melbourne, Fandango sets itself apart from the pack as it offers generous sized servings and reasonably priced meals all set in a cozy setting. The added bonus is breakfast is served ALL day! Nothing says 'weekend' like eating brekky on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Fandango won’t be just North Melbourne’s secret anymore!
The menu may not be extensive, but what’s on offer will be sure to please the most fussy of eaters, with toast, Bircher Muesli, Eggs on Toast and a couple of other favourites including Egg and Bacon Sandwich.
4TBs couldn’t resist trying the Pancakes and French Toast which stood out as our must tries of the day, and Matt (Fandango’s owner) suggested we try the Curried Eggs and Beetroot Eggs.
The flair and presentation of the pancakes were served up with honeyed cream cheese, roasted rhubarb, pickled strawberries complimented with maple syrup. Absolutely delicious with the hint of vanilla extract in the pancake mix, 4TBS devoured 3 pancakes in record time.
A classic breakfast favourite French Toast is always a winner when served with bacon, cinnamon baked apple, maple butter and maple syrup. Not dripping in egg wash, the bread was delicious and the baked apple had a slight crunch to it; simply a perfect dish.
You must try the Curried Eggs with Indian spiced chickpeas, brinjal pickle, minty yoghurt labne, warm roti and fried eggs. WOW, WOW, WOW this dish packs a punch with spicy flavours and is a lovely healthy option. The roti was some of the best we have tried; crispy, flaky and the perfect accompaniment to soak up the sauce.
Our last dish was the Beetroot Eggs with 2 poached eggs, beetroot & Bulgarian fetta relish with spinach on sourdough toast. The salty and creamy texture of the fetta was balanced with the sweetness of the beetroot relish. The relish, pickle and chutney found in Fandango dishes are home-made with love and sold in the cafe.
There are three different small spaces to eat, you can enjoy the scenery sitting at a table outdoor on Errol Street, inside the cafe or the quaint brick courtyard area out back amongst the potted plants. Whichever setting you decide on you will receive top notch service, table service second-to-none with waitresses regularly checking in to see everything is ok. Super impressed with not only repeating your order back, but also reconfirming your order when delivering your meals.
4TBs can't wait to visit again soon to try the lunch menu and enjoy another coffee or three.
Thank you to Matt and the team at Fandango for the opportunity to sample dishes from the breakfast menu.
Spoilt for cafe choices in Errol Street, North Melbourne, Fandango sets itself apart from the pack as it offers generous sized servings and reasonably priced meals all set in a cozy setting. The added bonus is breakfast is served ALL day! Nothing says 'weekend' like eating brekky on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Fandango won’t be just North Melbourne’s secret anymore!
The menu may not be extensive, but what’s on offer will be sure to please the most fussy of eaters, with toast, Bircher Muesli, Eggs on Toast and a couple of other favourites including Egg and Bacon Sandwich.
4TBs couldn’t resist trying the Pancakes and French Toast which stood out as our must tries of the day, and Matt (Fandango’s owner) suggested we try the Curried Eggs and Beetroot Eggs.
The flair and presentation of the pancakes were served up with honeyed cream cheese, roasted rhubarb, pickled strawberries complimented with maple syrup. Absolutely delicious with the hint of vanilla extract in the pancake mix, 4TBS devoured 3 pancakes in record time.
A classic breakfast favourite French Toast is always a winner when served with bacon, cinnamon baked apple, maple butter and maple syrup. Not dripping in egg wash, the bread was delicious and the baked apple had a slight crunch to it; simply a perfect dish.
You must try the Curried Eggs with Indian spiced chickpeas, brinjal pickle, minty yoghurt labne, warm roti and fried eggs. WOW, WOW, WOW this dish packs a punch with spicy flavours and is a lovely healthy option. The roti was some of the best we have tried; crispy, flaky and the perfect accompaniment to soak up the sauce.
Our last dish was the Beetroot Eggs with 2 poached eggs, beetroot & Bulgarian fetta relish with spinach on sourdough toast. The salty and creamy texture of the fetta was balanced with the sweetness of the beetroot relish. The relish, pickle and chutney found in Fandango dishes are home-made with love and sold in the cafe.
There are three different small spaces to eat, you can enjoy the scenery sitting at a table outdoor on Errol Street, inside the cafe or the quaint brick courtyard area out back amongst the potted plants. Whichever setting you decide on you will receive top notch service, table service second-to-none with waitresses regularly checking in to see everything is ok. Super impressed with not only repeating your order back, but also reconfirming your order when delivering your meals.
4TBs can't wait to visit again soon to try the lunch menu and enjoy another coffee or three.
Thank you to Matt and the team at Fandango for the opportunity to sample dishes from the breakfast menu.
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wings of glory
253 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
P) +61 3 8589 3088
www.wingsofglory.com.au
P) +61 3 8589 3088
www.wingsofglory.com.au
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What happens when you combine wings and beer? You get Wings of Glory, a fabulous little eatery in the heart of South Melbourne.
There is an art to eating at Wings of Glory and if you follow the 6 steps you will create your own perfect meal. First you chose your combo, otherwise known as what you will be eating. Four piece, six piece, ten piece or the wrap. Then you choose your wings. On offer there are regular wings, boneless wings and vegetarian wings. No guessing we skipped on the vegetarian option. But we went with 2 serves of the original glory wings and 2 serves of the boneless wings. |
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]The next step is to choose the flavour to put on your wings. Now if you like your food HOT then the “Some like it hot” wings are for you. Those of us that like it spicy really enjoyed these. And if you are up for the challenge then the “Fury Wings” challenge is where it is at. If you can down 12 super hot wings in under 4 minutes you will have the glory of your photo being up on the wall as a Fury Warrior. Although one of the 4 Travel Buddies talked big she shied away from the challenge.
We also had the Cajun Cho, Bees Knees Honey and the most popular flavour amongst the 4 Travel Buddies the Lemon Pepper. Special shout out has to go to the Bees Knees Honey which was dripping off those wings!
Step Four is the choice between chips or salad, and this is where we have to say we were chips chips and more chips. The fresh hand cut chips has to be some of the best chips we have had. We love, love, loved them!! We had to ask our host Jennifer how they are made because they were sooooo good. Unfortunately, we will have to keep that secret to ourselves so we suggest heading down to Wings of Glory and trying a serve or 10!
We also had the Cajun Cho, Bees Knees Honey and the most popular flavour amongst the 4 Travel Buddies the Lemon Pepper. Special shout out has to go to the Bees Knees Honey which was dripping off those wings!
Step Four is the choice between chips or salad, and this is where we have to say we were chips chips and more chips. The fresh hand cut chips has to be some of the best chips we have had. We love, love, loved them!! We had to ask our host Jennifer how they are made because they were sooooo good. Unfortunately, we will have to keep that secret to ourselves so we suggest heading down to Wings of Glory and trying a serve or 10!
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The fifth step is the seasoning for your chips. Your choices are Original, Salt and Vinegar, Nacho Cheese, Tangy Lemon, Sour Cream & Chives and BBQ. Now we have had differences of opinions before amongst the 4 Travel Buddies but these chip seasonings really divided us, as we all had our favourite.
The final step is choosing your dip; Ranch, Blue Cheese and Honey Mustard. A favourite of two of the 4 Travel Buddies is a good Blue Cheese dip and this one did not disappoint.
As we were there at lunchtime we went for the Lick Pier ginger beer but we will definitely returned at dinner time to enjoy a couple of beers that they have on tap.
We finished off with a couple of Ice Cream Dogs. This is ice cream with a choice of 4 different toppings in a toasted hot dog bun. We shared the Honeycomb and Oreo which was a mistake because we should of had one each as they were just what we needed after those spicy savoury wing goodness.
Thanks to Jennifer and the team at Wings of Glory for a great afternoon.
The final step is choosing your dip; Ranch, Blue Cheese and Honey Mustard. A favourite of two of the 4 Travel Buddies is a good Blue Cheese dip and this one did not disappoint.
As we were there at lunchtime we went for the Lick Pier ginger beer but we will definitely returned at dinner time to enjoy a couple of beers that they have on tap.
We finished off with a couple of Ice Cream Dogs. This is ice cream with a choice of 4 different toppings in a toasted hot dog bun. We shared the Honeycomb and Oreo which was a mistake because we should of had one each as they were just what we needed after those spicy savoury wing goodness.
Thanks to Jennifer and the team at Wings of Glory for a great afternoon.
Sweet forbidden journey
There is no denying Renee's obsession for all things 'food truck' and passion for 'sweets'.
4TBs had the pleasure of meeting Renee at the Food Truck Festival - Coburg Drive-in several months ago, sampling delicious sweet treats. It's hard to select just one dessert when there are so many to choose from. You can't stop at one bite with so many amazing treats.
After taking a couple of years away from the hospitality industry Renee was drawn back in, to fulfil a dream and seen a gap for a dessert food truck specialising in all things sweet.
It took a couple of years to come up with the right name and Sweet Forbidden Journey was fitting given 'sweets' are the core of the business, most people see sweets as 'forbidden' food and it's a 'journey' to reach Renee's food truck. Months of searching for the right mobile food truck, Renee settled on a half renovated caravan and with the help of her Dad, Kevin finished fitting it out over a six month period. Along with choosing the right colours and signage, Sweet Forbidden Journey was up and running by March, 2015.
With 10 1/2 years industry experience as a pastry chef, Renee's enthusiasm for producing dainty, divine, addictive, mouth-watering, extraordinary, petit, pleasurable, scrumptious and sinful desserts will leave you wanting more. It's hard to believe Renee isn't a foodie with all the irresistible treats she makes from her kitchen.
Homemade with love, Sweet Forbidden Journey stocks a wide range of old-fashioned, traditional sweets. There's a sweet treat to suit every taste bud with loads of delicious vegan and gluten-free treats and allergy/intolerant friendly sweets with no eggs or nuts. Stocking some 16 treats including Baklava, Chocolate Crackles, Honey Joys, Rocky Road, Chinita desserts (deconstructed dessert in a jar), ice-cream and hot/cold drinks it's hard to walk away. The scrolls are freshly baked every day and Renee's Mum is chief taste tester as Renee is all sweet-toothed out! 4TBs melt-in-your-mouth moment goes to the Honeycomb Ice-cream Sandwich.
New to Sweet Forbidden Journey is the facility to use EPTOS allowing you to indulge a little more than you had originally attended to buy! Also keep an eye out for a new menu coming soon including refreshment and a kids menu.
Downtime for Renee is enjoying time with her two Jack Russell dogs and travelling a mile to visit and sample other food trucks at events/festivals around Melbourne. Renee loves the family environment the food truck community provides and the support amongst the group.
Renee's tips for anyone looking to start a food truck is to enjoy the journey and not stress. You may get disheartened, but keep pushing through the barriers and never give up your dreams. Despite all Renee's challenges faced with council permits, it didn't deter her dream of operating a food truck.
Sweet Forbidden Journey is available for hire and bookings providing favourite sweet treats at your next event; clientele includes private functions, work events, weddings, festivals, and school fetes to name a few. Renee loves it when clients finds her dessert food truck on social media portals to cater for their various events including an international customer seeking Sweet Forbidden Journey to cater for a wedding in Docklands, Victoria and a vegan wedding in Geelong, Victoria.
Thank you to Renee for allowing 4TBs to write a feature article on your business.
4TBs had the pleasure of meeting Renee at the Food Truck Festival - Coburg Drive-in several months ago, sampling delicious sweet treats. It's hard to select just one dessert when there are so many to choose from. You can't stop at one bite with so many amazing treats.
After taking a couple of years away from the hospitality industry Renee was drawn back in, to fulfil a dream and seen a gap for a dessert food truck specialising in all things sweet.
It took a couple of years to come up with the right name and Sweet Forbidden Journey was fitting given 'sweets' are the core of the business, most people see sweets as 'forbidden' food and it's a 'journey' to reach Renee's food truck. Months of searching for the right mobile food truck, Renee settled on a half renovated caravan and with the help of her Dad, Kevin finished fitting it out over a six month period. Along with choosing the right colours and signage, Sweet Forbidden Journey was up and running by March, 2015.
With 10 1/2 years industry experience as a pastry chef, Renee's enthusiasm for producing dainty, divine, addictive, mouth-watering, extraordinary, petit, pleasurable, scrumptious and sinful desserts will leave you wanting more. It's hard to believe Renee isn't a foodie with all the irresistible treats she makes from her kitchen.
Homemade with love, Sweet Forbidden Journey stocks a wide range of old-fashioned, traditional sweets. There's a sweet treat to suit every taste bud with loads of delicious vegan and gluten-free treats and allergy/intolerant friendly sweets with no eggs or nuts. Stocking some 16 treats including Baklava, Chocolate Crackles, Honey Joys, Rocky Road, Chinita desserts (deconstructed dessert in a jar), ice-cream and hot/cold drinks it's hard to walk away. The scrolls are freshly baked every day and Renee's Mum is chief taste tester as Renee is all sweet-toothed out! 4TBs melt-in-your-mouth moment goes to the Honeycomb Ice-cream Sandwich.
New to Sweet Forbidden Journey is the facility to use EPTOS allowing you to indulge a little more than you had originally attended to buy! Also keep an eye out for a new menu coming soon including refreshment and a kids menu.
Downtime for Renee is enjoying time with her two Jack Russell dogs and travelling a mile to visit and sample other food trucks at events/festivals around Melbourne. Renee loves the family environment the food truck community provides and the support amongst the group.
Renee's tips for anyone looking to start a food truck is to enjoy the journey and not stress. You may get disheartened, but keep pushing through the barriers and never give up your dreams. Despite all Renee's challenges faced with council permits, it didn't deter her dream of operating a food truck.
Sweet Forbidden Journey is available for hire and bookings providing favourite sweet treats at your next event; clientele includes private functions, work events, weddings, festivals, and school fetes to name a few. Renee loves it when clients finds her dessert food truck on social media portals to cater for their various events including an international customer seeking Sweet Forbidden Journey to cater for a wedding in Docklands, Victoria and a vegan wedding in Geelong, Victoria.
Thank you to Renee for allowing 4TBs to write a feature article on your business.
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the pier
1 Bay Street Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
A couple of weekends ago we dined at The Pier in Port Melbourne. Located opposite the beach this restaurant / bar provides a beautiful view of the sunset whilst enjoying a few cocktails and a bite to eat.
When we were first seated out waitress did not appear to be enjoying her job all that much but after one of the 4 Travel Buddies asked her about her day she soon brightened up and the service improved!
Two mocktails, a cocktail special and a limonata were all delivered separately...once again the service went down hill.
We decided to start with the buffalo chicken ribs with ranch sauce whilst we continued to peruse the menu. We were expecting the spiciness of what is known as the buffalo coating on the chicken but at best it was a bland tomato sauce and the wings had no crunch all we could see was saggy white chicken skin. We are not sure which ranch they went to for the sauce but it tasted a lot like a very very bland tartare sauce...we began to lose all hope for this dining experience.
If you know the 4 Travel Buddies you will know we like to share our meals. So we decided on the slow roasted lamb tacos, the seafood risotto and the Vietnamese salad.
Lets start with the dish of the night - The Vietnamese Salad. The marinated eye fillet was beautifully cooked and adding to the flavour was the mint and coriander. The carrots, bean shoots and roasted peanuts added the crunch topping this dish off perfectly. All 4 Travel Buddies agreed the dining experience was redeemed with this dish alone.
The slow roasted lamb tacos lacked a bit of oomph. The lamb was overcooked. The tzatziki tasted more like plain yoghurt and the chilli salsa seemed to be missing the chilli.
Our final dish was the seafood risotto. Our happy waitress sold this dish to us by saying it has "a lot" of seafood. There appeared to be a difference of opinion on what constitutes "a lot". We were divided in our opinion of this dish, Three out of the 4 Travel Buddies enjoyed it , The jury is still out on this one for the fourth Travel Buddie.
We waited a while for any dessert menus to be even mentioned let alone arrive at our table. We were living in hope that dessert was their thing. We chose the salted caramel apple crumble and the crème brulee. The crème brulee had the wow factor as it was served all lit up which resulted in the once firm brulee being runny. The crumble was a crumble....
So lets finish on a positive this is a fabulous location with great views of the bay.
When we were first seated out waitress did not appear to be enjoying her job all that much but after one of the 4 Travel Buddies asked her about her day she soon brightened up and the service improved!
Two mocktails, a cocktail special and a limonata were all delivered separately...once again the service went down hill.
We decided to start with the buffalo chicken ribs with ranch sauce whilst we continued to peruse the menu. We were expecting the spiciness of what is known as the buffalo coating on the chicken but at best it was a bland tomato sauce and the wings had no crunch all we could see was saggy white chicken skin. We are not sure which ranch they went to for the sauce but it tasted a lot like a very very bland tartare sauce...we began to lose all hope for this dining experience.
If you know the 4 Travel Buddies you will know we like to share our meals. So we decided on the slow roasted lamb tacos, the seafood risotto and the Vietnamese salad.
Lets start with the dish of the night - The Vietnamese Salad. The marinated eye fillet was beautifully cooked and adding to the flavour was the mint and coriander. The carrots, bean shoots and roasted peanuts added the crunch topping this dish off perfectly. All 4 Travel Buddies agreed the dining experience was redeemed with this dish alone.
The slow roasted lamb tacos lacked a bit of oomph. The lamb was overcooked. The tzatziki tasted more like plain yoghurt and the chilli salsa seemed to be missing the chilli.
Our final dish was the seafood risotto. Our happy waitress sold this dish to us by saying it has "a lot" of seafood. There appeared to be a difference of opinion on what constitutes "a lot". We were divided in our opinion of this dish, Three out of the 4 Travel Buddies enjoyed it , The jury is still out on this one for the fourth Travel Buddie.
We waited a while for any dessert menus to be even mentioned let alone arrive at our table. We were living in hope that dessert was their thing. We chose the salted caramel apple crumble and the crème brulee. The crème brulee had the wow factor as it was served all lit up which resulted in the once firm brulee being runny. The crumble was a crumble....
So lets finish on a positive this is a fabulous location with great views of the bay.
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Girl with the gris gris
Level 1, 18 Market Lane, Melbourne, Australia
If you are looking for a trendy restaurant in Melbourne's CBD, then look no further than Girl with The Gris Gris. Located off the famous China Town precent and tucked away down Market Lane you may walk straight past unless you look for the restaurant sign and a menu board outside a red door. Opening the door you look up to a dimly lit long narrow staircase.
You are certainly in for a unique dining experience with Louisiana Head Chef Chris, serving up real New Orleans cuisine right here in Melbourne. With a relaxed vibe early evening, the venue has a more lively atmosphere as Ding Dong Lounge (attached to Girl with the Gris Gris) kicks up a notch with music. We dined here during Happy Hour menu 5:30pm to 7:00pm and left before it got too loud!
Nothing beats shared plates; unless you fall in love with a dish and don't want to share.
The Gumbo with chicken and sausage soup served with rice was unlike anything we have ever tried before. The warm soup was well seasoned and the 'heat' of cayenne added a punch making you go back for more, even after the 'heat' was burning inside our mouth. If you like heavily seasoned dishes, we highly recommend the Gumbo.
Visually an unattractive dish the Jambalaya Cajun black rice with chicken and andouille sausage was spicy, had an amazing mix of strong flavours and great textures; there was plenty of sausage and chicken pieces mixed through the black rice. Known as forbidden rice, don't discount this dish as black rice has more health benefits than blueberries!
If you are a seafood lover, make sure you order the Seared Sea Scallops. Served with watermelon jalapeño broth and Creole Caponata, the Scallops were delectable. Every mouth-watering mouthful was one to savour.
4TBs couldn't go past ordering the Cochon of pulled pork with Louisiana BBQ sauce, jalapeño, corn bread, cracklin, pickles fried onion and melted cherry tomato gastrique. A master piece creation this dish knocked our socks off with its tender pork melting in our mouth.
Feeling guilty we ordered a side of Maque Choux as our 'vegetable' to accompany our mains! A braised corn dish with goat cheese stuffed zucchini flowers in a tempura batter was nice, but certainly didn't stack up against the bold flavours in the main dishes.
Finishing with an Ice-cream Sandwich dessert we were divided on taste. With a house made peanut butter, banana ice-cream between graham crackers, caramel, caramelized bananas and honey was a mash-up of flavours that was sickly after a couple of mouthfuls. The caramelized banana was exquisite though with the golden brown coating and slight crunch in your mouth.
Great service, attentive waiters and combining two of our loves eating and music; this is the place to be. The dim red lighting added a quirky ambience to this small dining space, as you can see from the photos taken.
In close proximity to theatre shows, Girl with the Gris Gris is a popular eatery, so make sure you reserve yourself a table.
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Mistys diner
765 Gilbert Road, Reservoir, Victoria
On Halloween we thought what better dinning experience to have but at an All American Diner. We took the trip out to the Reservoir restaurant which opened in 2002. There is also a Misty's Diner in Prahran.
Decked out in all the ghoulish and ghostly décor for Halloween we are now seeing pop up all over Melbourne, Misty's Diner had it all. Diners were turning up in their Halloween costumes and the staff were providing the trick or treat fun!
The menu is extensive and we were conflicted as there was so much we wanted to try but we had to think of our waistline. We chose the Deputy Dog, the Double Whammy Burger and the Wet Fries N Gravy.
The doubly whammy burger consisted of American cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, 2 beef patties, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo & smokey bbq sauce . All the ingredients combined well the only disappointment was that the beef patties were over cooked and a little chewy.
The Deputy Dog with 24hr pulled pork, onions, nacho cheese, smokey bbq sauce was on point and made us wish we hadn't shared it between the 4 of us. The pulled pork melted in your mouth and that nacho cheese was to die for.
But the real winner of the night was the wet fries n gravy, The combination of shoestring fries topped with baked cheese and gravy was on point and there was some squabbling by grown adults on who would be eating the last of it.
We also sampled an American float, an Oreo and Mocha thickshake and an Oreo and White Chocolate thickshake. No complaints on any of these beverages, but with all the extravagant milkshakes going around these days it was nice to enjoy a good old fashioned thickshake that wasn't a meal.
Overall we would definitely recommend Misty's Diner for that All American dinning experience.
Decked out in all the ghoulish and ghostly décor for Halloween we are now seeing pop up all over Melbourne, Misty's Diner had it all. Diners were turning up in their Halloween costumes and the staff were providing the trick or treat fun!
The menu is extensive and we were conflicted as there was so much we wanted to try but we had to think of our waistline. We chose the Deputy Dog, the Double Whammy Burger and the Wet Fries N Gravy.
The doubly whammy burger consisted of American cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, 2 beef patties, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo & smokey bbq sauce . All the ingredients combined well the only disappointment was that the beef patties were over cooked and a little chewy.
The Deputy Dog with 24hr pulled pork, onions, nacho cheese, smokey bbq sauce was on point and made us wish we hadn't shared it between the 4 of us. The pulled pork melted in your mouth and that nacho cheese was to die for.
But the real winner of the night was the wet fries n gravy, The combination of shoestring fries topped with baked cheese and gravy was on point and there was some squabbling by grown adults on who would be eating the last of it.
We also sampled an American float, an Oreo and Mocha thickshake and an Oreo and White Chocolate thickshake. No complaints on any of these beverages, but with all the extravagant milkshakes going around these days it was nice to enjoy a good old fashioned thickshake that wasn't a meal.
Overall we would definitely recommend Misty's Diner for that All American dinning experience.
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Crossroad Kitchen
5/100 Furlong Road Cairnlea Victoria, Australia
9:00am - 3:00pm Thursday - Sunday (Western breakfast)
9:00am - 3:00pm and 5:00pm - 10:00pm 7 days a week (Chinese & Western lunch and dinner)
9:00am - 3:00pm Thursday - Sunday (Western breakfast)
9:00am - 3:00pm and 5:00pm - 10:00pm 7 days a week (Chinese & Western lunch and dinner)
A little gem hidden in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. Only 25km from the CBD and easy access from the Western Ring Road, Crossroad Kitchen in Cairnlea is a delight.
We were welcomed with a friendly smile by our waitress and throughout our dining experience promptly attended too; our drinks regularly topped up, asked if were enjoying our meals and when we would like our next course called away.
The decor is fresh with a relaxing feel, comfy lounge chairs, bench seating with cushions and 80's music playing softly in the background. Crossroad Kitchen also offer Western breakfast (Thursday - Sunday), $12.90 Chinese lunch specials and private dining for small functions or conferences 7 days a week.
We started with Yum Cha dishes including Pan Fried Pork and Shark Fin dumpling, Pork Spare Ribs and Peking Duck. The spicy hot ribs were the stand out of the Yum Cha dishes enticing you back for seconds and thirds.
We ordered two mains including the Pad Thai Chicken and Bangkok Cashew Beef with vegetables. Couldn't pick a fault with either of these dishes; they were spectacular and temperature hot. The plum sugar added the subtle sweetness to the noodles, the chicken had a hint of spiciness and the tofu added the texture to the Pad Thai Chicken. We loved the idea of the generous serving of crushed cashews on the side of the dish and both dishes didn't skip on the meat. The tender and vibrant flavours of the Bangkok Cashew Beef was spot on. Fork-tender strips of beef with crunchy vegetables made for a lovely dish.
At first glance the rice looked like it was going to be gluggy, but instead tantalising us with the light, fluffy rice grains. Although the Coconut Rice was lukewarm, it was a delicious creamy rice to accompany our mains.
To finish our dining experience we indulged in a popular Thai dessert, Trio-coloured Balls soaked in a sweet coconut milk sauce and weren't disappointed.
Bang on for flavoursome dishes, price and service; you won't be disappointed. We couldn't fault any of the delicious dishes we tried, but if we were to be picky the dough case on the pork dumplings was too gluggy for our liking.
Thank you to Keith Wong, owner of Crossroad Kitchen for the invitation to sample some of the amazing dishes. Can't wait to visit again soon to try other dishes from the menu.
We were welcomed with a friendly smile by our waitress and throughout our dining experience promptly attended too; our drinks regularly topped up, asked if were enjoying our meals and when we would like our next course called away.
The decor is fresh with a relaxing feel, comfy lounge chairs, bench seating with cushions and 80's music playing softly in the background. Crossroad Kitchen also offer Western breakfast (Thursday - Sunday), $12.90 Chinese lunch specials and private dining for small functions or conferences 7 days a week.
We started with Yum Cha dishes including Pan Fried Pork and Shark Fin dumpling, Pork Spare Ribs and Peking Duck. The spicy hot ribs were the stand out of the Yum Cha dishes enticing you back for seconds and thirds.
We ordered two mains including the Pad Thai Chicken and Bangkok Cashew Beef with vegetables. Couldn't pick a fault with either of these dishes; they were spectacular and temperature hot. The plum sugar added the subtle sweetness to the noodles, the chicken had a hint of spiciness and the tofu added the texture to the Pad Thai Chicken. We loved the idea of the generous serving of crushed cashews on the side of the dish and both dishes didn't skip on the meat. The tender and vibrant flavours of the Bangkok Cashew Beef was spot on. Fork-tender strips of beef with crunchy vegetables made for a lovely dish.
At first glance the rice looked like it was going to be gluggy, but instead tantalising us with the light, fluffy rice grains. Although the Coconut Rice was lukewarm, it was a delicious creamy rice to accompany our mains.
To finish our dining experience we indulged in a popular Thai dessert, Trio-coloured Balls soaked in a sweet coconut milk sauce and weren't disappointed.
Bang on for flavoursome dishes, price and service; you won't be disappointed. We couldn't fault any of the delicious dishes we tried, but if we were to be picky the dough case on the pork dumplings was too gluggy for our liking.
Thank you to Keith Wong, owner of Crossroad Kitchen for the invitation to sample some of the amazing dishes. Can't wait to visit again soon to try other dishes from the menu.
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sliding doors
55 Fletcher Street, Essendon VIC 3040
Like the 1998 movie name sake Sliding Doors staring Gwyneth Paltrow, the premises formally known as Great Expectations took a new direction and became Sliding Doors in 2014. New owners, same premises with a fresh look and a new menu showing a Federation-era house converted into a lovely restaurant can dramatically change based on things playing out differently.
A wine menu dedicated to an extensive wine list and other refreshments including beers, soft drinks, cocktails and aperitifs is larger than the food menu offering several starters, mains and dessert options.
For the starters we enjoyed a Trio of Bruschetta of tomato basil, prosciutto/roasted pepper and a bocconcini/salmon. The lightly toasted bread and topping combinations were enjoyed by all and we all agreed the bocconcini/salmon was the standout amongst the trio of bruschetta. The Tapas Plate with prosciutto, olives, haloumi, croutes, smoked eggplant purée and pickled squid had mixed reviews. The thin crumb and hint of spice on the squid was a perfect combination. the smoked eggplant purée didn't seduce all 4TBs, but the olives were a winner with the rich, tangy, salty taste on the palate.
Big fans of pork dishes we ordered the Pork Belly slow braised with pan seared scallops, sweet potato purée, red onion relish, char grilled zucchini, crackle, red currant jus and apple slaw. Such a shame the pork wasn't soft, succulent and tender like a slow braised dish should be. It was a little tough. The sweet potato purée and apple slaw were consultations with the silky purée and apple slaw bringing the crunch that we missed on the crispy rind. The crackle stick was salty, delicious and noisy as we broke it; one wasn't enough to share.
We finished our dining experience with two delicious specials from the board. A Seafood Platter with chunky homemade chips, a small salad, prawns, fish and the freshest mussels we have had in a long time. They smelt so good that you could taste the salt of the ocean transporting you to day dreaming you are sitting at the beach, sand between toes and feeling the cool breeze coming off the ocean. The Chicken Breast was oh so tender for such a large thick breast piece. The potato rosti was crispy on the outside with a hint of starchy flavour and texture but was soft and melted in your mouth.
The restaurant was fully booked on the Saturday night 4TBs dined here. We left feeling very satisfied with the meals and service. What's not to love about meals coming out on warm plates and the construction of dishes showcasing the Chefs creative flare and true passion.
A wine menu dedicated to an extensive wine list and other refreshments including beers, soft drinks, cocktails and aperitifs is larger than the food menu offering several starters, mains and dessert options.
For the starters we enjoyed a Trio of Bruschetta of tomato basil, prosciutto/roasted pepper and a bocconcini/salmon. The lightly toasted bread and topping combinations were enjoyed by all and we all agreed the bocconcini/salmon was the standout amongst the trio of bruschetta. The Tapas Plate with prosciutto, olives, haloumi, croutes, smoked eggplant purée and pickled squid had mixed reviews. The thin crumb and hint of spice on the squid was a perfect combination. the smoked eggplant purée didn't seduce all 4TBs, but the olives were a winner with the rich, tangy, salty taste on the palate.
Big fans of pork dishes we ordered the Pork Belly slow braised with pan seared scallops, sweet potato purée, red onion relish, char grilled zucchini, crackle, red currant jus and apple slaw. Such a shame the pork wasn't soft, succulent and tender like a slow braised dish should be. It was a little tough. The sweet potato purée and apple slaw were consultations with the silky purée and apple slaw bringing the crunch that we missed on the crispy rind. The crackle stick was salty, delicious and noisy as we broke it; one wasn't enough to share.
We finished our dining experience with two delicious specials from the board. A Seafood Platter with chunky homemade chips, a small salad, prawns, fish and the freshest mussels we have had in a long time. They smelt so good that you could taste the salt of the ocean transporting you to day dreaming you are sitting at the beach, sand between toes and feeling the cool breeze coming off the ocean. The Chicken Breast was oh so tender for such a large thick breast piece. The potato rosti was crispy on the outside with a hint of starchy flavour and texture but was soft and melted in your mouth.
The restaurant was fully booked on the Saturday night 4TBs dined here. We left feeling very satisfied with the meals and service. What's not to love about meals coming out on warm plates and the construction of dishes showcasing the Chefs creative flare and true passion.
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the food truck park
518 High Street Preston Melbourne
Open Hours: Friday 5pm to 10.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 12pm to 10.30pm
Open Hours: Friday 5pm to 10.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 12pm to 10.30pm
What a fabulous idea! The Food Truck Park has setup in High Street Preston for an extended period of time.
We visited on opening night on 11th September and we were not disappointed. There were ten food trucks offering a great variety of savoury options as well as dessert selections which pleased the sweet tooth amongst us.
The venue is well set out considering they managed to move into it in two days. Plenty of room for the kids to run around and nice wooden furniture for diners to sit and enjoy the food on offer.
First up was Pasta Face Truck where we tried the deep fried mac and cheese, The crumb on the outside of these were amazeballs!
The pizzas from Happy Campers Pizzas were on point and the nutella and banana pizza caused a little bit of an argument over who was going to have the last piece.
Greek Street food never disappoints and we once again had to have the feta fries and pork souvlaki. The team on this truck are really friendly considering how busy they were.
We had never eaten from Nuoc Mamas and they definitely impressed us. Especially the pork belly and bacon roll. If you get the chance definitely order this dish.
Unfortunately we did not get to eat from every truck on this occasion (yes we have done so in the past!) but that is only because we have already tried the fantastic food from Big Cook Truck, Senor BBQ and Mama There Goes That Van.
We finished off with hazelnut and vanilla gelato from Billy Van Creamy. Even though the Melbourne temperature did drop to 12 degrees this gelato made us forget we were even cold.
On the way out we could not resist but take home a six pack of the Donutella Nutella Donuts. We would be lying if all six donuts made it home but they did provide for a pleasant drive!
We visited on opening night on 11th September and we were not disappointed. There were ten food trucks offering a great variety of savoury options as well as dessert selections which pleased the sweet tooth amongst us.
The venue is well set out considering they managed to move into it in two days. Plenty of room for the kids to run around and nice wooden furniture for diners to sit and enjoy the food on offer.
First up was Pasta Face Truck where we tried the deep fried mac and cheese, The crumb on the outside of these were amazeballs!
The pizzas from Happy Campers Pizzas were on point and the nutella and banana pizza caused a little bit of an argument over who was going to have the last piece.
Greek Street food never disappoints and we once again had to have the feta fries and pork souvlaki. The team on this truck are really friendly considering how busy they were.
We had never eaten from Nuoc Mamas and they definitely impressed us. Especially the pork belly and bacon roll. If you get the chance definitely order this dish.
Unfortunately we did not get to eat from every truck on this occasion (yes we have done so in the past!) but that is only because we have already tried the fantastic food from Big Cook Truck, Senor BBQ and Mama There Goes That Van.
We finished off with hazelnut and vanilla gelato from Billy Van Creamy. Even though the Melbourne temperature did drop to 12 degrees this gelato made us forget we were even cold.
On the way out we could not resist but take home a six pack of the Donutella Nutella Donuts. We would be lying if all six donuts made it home but they did provide for a pleasant drive!
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Café Three one 2 One
424 Bridge Road, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
When you start brunch off with a drink named DOH! HEART ATTACK, you know its going to be oh so delicious.
Café Three One 2 One is on Bridge Road Richmond and is what brunching on a Sunday is meant to be.
Coffee is always a good start to a Sunday morning especially when we have lost an hours sleep for daylight savings. The coffee was full flavoured and hit the spot for those of us who may have over indulged on Saturday evening.
The health freak amongst us opted for a Julians Cold Pressed Juice, the Super Green. It consisted of kiwi, kale, orange, coconut water, broccoli sprouts, spirulina and spinach. That's our veggies done for the day and it didn't even feel like we were being healthy because it tasted so good!
But lets get to the that Spiked Shake. The DOH! Heart Attack would have to be one of the craziest and delicious shakes we have tasted. Coffee, caramel dressing, choc chip, Baileys and to top it all off a homemade nutella donut. If this sounds good then just imagine that explosion in our mouths.
We chose three items from the new menu, we wanted to order more but refer to the shake and that was a meal in itself. The French Brioche was light and the berry coulis, cinnamon sugar, vanilla labne, maple syrup and poached pear complimented it well. Of course we opted to add bacon which gave us that savoury to balance the sweet.
Our second choice from the breakfast menu was the Benedict rosti with slow braised ham hock poached eggs and cherry tomato hollandaise. We are very fussy about hollandaise and this one was on point.
And for our final choice which was the standout for all of us was the Ghetto Burger, because lets be honest there is a little ghetto in all 4 of us! The two beef patties melted in our mouth and that cheddar cheese was AMAZE BALLS!
Thank you to Café Three One 2 One for the invite to try your new menu. We will be back before Summer is over as there was plenty on the menu that we still need to indulge in.
Café Three One 2 One is on Bridge Road Richmond and is what brunching on a Sunday is meant to be.
Coffee is always a good start to a Sunday morning especially when we have lost an hours sleep for daylight savings. The coffee was full flavoured and hit the spot for those of us who may have over indulged on Saturday evening.
The health freak amongst us opted for a Julians Cold Pressed Juice, the Super Green. It consisted of kiwi, kale, orange, coconut water, broccoli sprouts, spirulina and spinach. That's our veggies done for the day and it didn't even feel like we were being healthy because it tasted so good!
But lets get to the that Spiked Shake. The DOH! Heart Attack would have to be one of the craziest and delicious shakes we have tasted. Coffee, caramel dressing, choc chip, Baileys and to top it all off a homemade nutella donut. If this sounds good then just imagine that explosion in our mouths.
We chose three items from the new menu, we wanted to order more but refer to the shake and that was a meal in itself. The French Brioche was light and the berry coulis, cinnamon sugar, vanilla labne, maple syrup and poached pear complimented it well. Of course we opted to add bacon which gave us that savoury to balance the sweet.
Our second choice from the breakfast menu was the Benedict rosti with slow braised ham hock poached eggs and cherry tomato hollandaise. We are very fussy about hollandaise and this one was on point.
And for our final choice which was the standout for all of us was the Ghetto Burger, because lets be honest there is a little ghetto in all 4 of us! The two beef patties melted in our mouth and that cheddar cheese was AMAZE BALLS!
Thank you to Café Three One 2 One for the invite to try your new menu. We will be back before Summer is over as there was plenty on the menu that we still need to indulge in.
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Bahari
The Hellenic Palate
In a Greek food coma heaven...
Master Chef television series 2 contestant Phillip and his friend Stell are the brains behind Bahari. With an ever changing menu as well as your standard Greek staples on offer you will never get bored when eating at Bahari.
4TBs will certainly return to try the culinary delights with the new Summer menu around the corner.
We kicked off our lazy Sunday lunch with an amazing array of dips including taramasalata, eggplant and the traditional tzatziki accompanied with homemade pita. If you are a cheese lover, you will jump at the opportunity to try the smoked haloumi with molasses and pomegranate, so good and hard to share with fellow diners. Other entrée delights included the smooth and luscious cured tuna with capers and octopus on flava.
The slow roasted goat and lamb shoulder were nothing short of perfection! The unbelievably delicious meat fell away from the bone enticing you back again and again. Accompanying the mains were roasted potatoes and parsnips, and a Cretan salad of tomatoes, caper, feta, olives, peppers, tomato, red onion and cucumber on top of dakos .
You can not leave without trying the amazing desserts, We pushed through the pain barrier of fullness and were not disappointed. The halva ice cream, galaktoboureko, and a twist on the traditional cheesecake served in a jar was nothing short of brilliant. The stand out of the desserts was the Greek favourite of baklava. OMG the rich sticky, sweet pastry filled with finely chopped cashews and pistachios was oh so good. You will find it hard to stop at one mouthful.
We were invited as guests of #zomatomeetup to enjoy traditional Greek food but not as we know it!
Master Chef television series 2 contestant Phillip and his friend Stell are the brains behind Bahari. With an ever changing menu as well as your standard Greek staples on offer you will never get bored when eating at Bahari.
4TBs will certainly return to try the culinary delights with the new Summer menu around the corner.
We kicked off our lazy Sunday lunch with an amazing array of dips including taramasalata, eggplant and the traditional tzatziki accompanied with homemade pita. If you are a cheese lover, you will jump at the opportunity to try the smoked haloumi with molasses and pomegranate, so good and hard to share with fellow diners. Other entrée delights included the smooth and luscious cured tuna with capers and octopus on flava.
The slow roasted goat and lamb shoulder were nothing short of perfection! The unbelievably delicious meat fell away from the bone enticing you back again and again. Accompanying the mains were roasted potatoes and parsnips, and a Cretan salad of tomatoes, caper, feta, olives, peppers, tomato, red onion and cucumber on top of dakos .
You can not leave without trying the amazing desserts, We pushed through the pain barrier of fullness and were not disappointed. The halva ice cream, galaktoboureko, and a twist on the traditional cheesecake served in a jar was nothing short of brilliant. The stand out of the desserts was the Greek favourite of baklava. OMG the rich sticky, sweet pastry filled with finely chopped cashews and pistachios was oh so good. You will find it hard to stop at one mouthful.
We were invited as guests of #zomatomeetup to enjoy traditional Greek food but not as we know it!
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Scarfo - restaurant revolution
Nothing better than spending one of the first sunny days at the end of a long Melbourne winter than in St Kilda. It was the final day of the Scarfo Restaurant which is competing in the Restaurant Revolution Show on Channel 7.
We had to wait outside until exactly 12pm as the rules of the competition do not allow any patrons entering the restaurant any earlier. A friendly Maz welcomed us all outside to the final day of trading. Each dining party was taken into the restaurant separately to be seated.
There was one cameraman and sound person that were taping along with two others that were obviously watching from a camera elsewhere and would appear to do random questioning of diners. Although sometimes a little off putting having the feeling of being watched it did not detract of our dining experience.
After ordering, complimentary bread was delivered to our table along with dipping oil. The bread was delicious the same could not be said about the dipping oil. It was bitter and detracted from the scrumptious bread.
We ordered 2 items from the small bites section, the ravioli with burnt butter and the arancini balls. Both dishes were winners with all 4 Travel Buddies. The burnt butter and ravioli cooked to perfection, and the vinegary sauce drizzled over the arancini balls made us want to dip our bread into it!!
For mains we shared the wallaby shank with chickpea pasta and the roast duck ragu risotto with truffles. Along with three choices from the sides menu of triple cooked potatoes, meatballs and chilli greens.
It appeared we all had our likes and dislikes when it came to these choices. A clear favourite with all 4 Travel Buddies was the triple cooked potatoes. Some dishes tasted very salty especially the chilli greens with not a lot of chilli.
The duck and wallaby received mixed reviews but more positive than negative.
Dessert choices were easy, the bombolini (Italian donuts) and the parfait with chocolate sauce. The bombolini were perfect and the pistachio crunch took it to the next level. The parfait for its appearance should have rocked our socks but the chocolate sauce tasted like a supermarket bought product.
Overall it was a very nice dining experience and Maz and her waiting staff were fabulous. It was a pity Nathan was sick on the last day.
Sacrfo is open tonight for its final service - look out for us on Channel 7 in the next few weeks!!!
We had to wait outside until exactly 12pm as the rules of the competition do not allow any patrons entering the restaurant any earlier. A friendly Maz welcomed us all outside to the final day of trading. Each dining party was taken into the restaurant separately to be seated.
There was one cameraman and sound person that were taping along with two others that were obviously watching from a camera elsewhere and would appear to do random questioning of diners. Although sometimes a little off putting having the feeling of being watched it did not detract of our dining experience.
After ordering, complimentary bread was delivered to our table along with dipping oil. The bread was delicious the same could not be said about the dipping oil. It was bitter and detracted from the scrumptious bread.
We ordered 2 items from the small bites section, the ravioli with burnt butter and the arancini balls. Both dishes were winners with all 4 Travel Buddies. The burnt butter and ravioli cooked to perfection, and the vinegary sauce drizzled over the arancini balls made us want to dip our bread into it!!
For mains we shared the wallaby shank with chickpea pasta and the roast duck ragu risotto with truffles. Along with three choices from the sides menu of triple cooked potatoes, meatballs and chilli greens.
It appeared we all had our likes and dislikes when it came to these choices. A clear favourite with all 4 Travel Buddies was the triple cooked potatoes. Some dishes tasted very salty especially the chilli greens with not a lot of chilli.
The duck and wallaby received mixed reviews but more positive than negative.
Dessert choices were easy, the bombolini (Italian donuts) and the parfait with chocolate sauce. The bombolini were perfect and the pistachio crunch took it to the next level. The parfait for its appearance should have rocked our socks but the chocolate sauce tasted like a supermarket bought product.
Overall it was a very nice dining experience and Maz and her waiting staff were fabulous. It was a pity Nathan was sick on the last day.
Sacrfo is open tonight for its final service - look out for us on Channel 7 in the next few weeks!!!
Seamstress
113 Lonsdale Street Melbourne
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We braved the cold winter and ventured into the City to have dinner at Seamstress. Was it worth leaving our central heating and the couch?
We would have to say yes for the food but the service left us wondering why....? The service staff got off to a rocky start from the beginning and really did not improve. Only one waiter was allowed to seat us and so we had to wait until they were available! There appeared to be only one waiter that was doing all the work whilst the other waiter and waitress appeared to be there only for their looks. There was an extensive wine list as well as quite a few cocktails on offer. Our non alcoholic dinner guest was offered a couple of mocktail options not on the menu. On the food front - AMAZING!!! We chose the yellow seafood curry, the Singapore soft shell crab, pan seared scallops, beef shin and pork belly. The beef melted in your mouth and we loved the deep fried cauliflower. The soft shell crab was beautifully cooked however the chilli sauce did not come close to what we have enjoyed in Singapore. The big winners was the curry and pork belly and an honourable mention has to go to the curry sauce. Desserts were very pretty on the plate and very pleasing on the palate. We shared the brownie and the fig pudding. The chocolate mousse that accompanied the brownie outshone all the other dessert items. Overall we would definitely go back to Seamstress for their delicious food, however their service really needs a MAJOR improvement. |
MS Fishers
Ripponlea Estate, Hotham Street ,Elsternwick, Victoria
Ms Fisher, Fashion and food a winning combination!
As avid fans of the author Kerry Greenwood and the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries it was a must-see exhibition for us. Seeing the glamorous 1920s costumes and props close-up kept us spell bound as we meandered through the incredible Ripponlea mansion which was an excellent back drop for the exhibition.
To see outfits worn by both Ms Fisher [Essie Davies] and Detective Jack Robinson [Nathan Page] brought it alive for us! Then going upstairs it was amazing to go behind the scenes and understand just how the spectacular costumes were made.
And so much fun given the opportunity to design our own costumes!
Our final stop upstairs was to view the breathtaking jewels and accessories....how we wish we could live in 20s and wear these amazing clothes and jewellery! Oh well, a we can dream!.
We then headed over to the Wardlow Tea Rooms where we were greeted and served by a delightful young English waitress, visiting Melbourne. She explained the delicacies on offer but we could not go past the quaint and aptly named ‘Away with the Fairies’ afternoon tea selection. This was a selection of Dainty treats for the sweet-of-tooth. One Travel Buddy opted for Aunt Prudence’s Devonshire tea which consisted of Scones with raspberry jam and clotted cream served with Ms Butler’s Infallible Breakfast Tea.
We happily shared our treats which can be called an ‘elegant sufficiency’!
We finished the sublime afternoon by soaking up the lovely late afternoon in Melbourne’s winter sunshine in the grounds discussing what our favourite costume was ..... No time left to wander through the gorgeous Ripponlea gardens but we left with a promise to return!
As avid fans of the author Kerry Greenwood and the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries it was a must-see exhibition for us. Seeing the glamorous 1920s costumes and props close-up kept us spell bound as we meandered through the incredible Ripponlea mansion which was an excellent back drop for the exhibition.
To see outfits worn by both Ms Fisher [Essie Davies] and Detective Jack Robinson [Nathan Page] brought it alive for us! Then going upstairs it was amazing to go behind the scenes and understand just how the spectacular costumes were made.
And so much fun given the opportunity to design our own costumes!
Our final stop upstairs was to view the breathtaking jewels and accessories....how we wish we could live in 20s and wear these amazing clothes and jewellery! Oh well, a we can dream!.
We then headed over to the Wardlow Tea Rooms where we were greeted and served by a delightful young English waitress, visiting Melbourne. She explained the delicacies on offer but we could not go past the quaint and aptly named ‘Away with the Fairies’ afternoon tea selection. This was a selection of Dainty treats for the sweet-of-tooth. One Travel Buddy opted for Aunt Prudence’s Devonshire tea which consisted of Scones with raspberry jam and clotted cream served with Ms Butler’s Infallible Breakfast Tea.
We happily shared our treats which can be called an ‘elegant sufficiency’!
We finished the sublime afternoon by soaking up the lovely late afternoon in Melbourne’s winter sunshine in the grounds discussing what our favourite costume was ..... No time left to wander through the gorgeous Ripponlea gardens but we left with a promise to return!
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fancy nance
Daly Street South Yarra, Victoria
Returning from the bliss of Bali, High Tea at Fancy Nance made the Melbourne winter bearable.
After experiencing the disappointment of the Mad Hatter High Tea at the W Hotel in Seminyak, Fancy Nance reignited our love of all things Zumbo and his tasty treats.
The High Tea options at Fancy Nance range from $45 to $65, depending on the portion size you choose being either 6 or 11 items. They also provide for wheat intolerances with their gluten free options as well as a vegetarian option.
The visual display of each course was matched by the taste!
There were three standouts of the day. Our favourite was the meatball, which were perfectly cooked accompanied with a delicious chilli sauce, and topped with delicate hand cut potato chips.
The second standout was the red velvet chocolate macaroon, this was a choux pastry with a fruity tart cream centre which was also served with a small traditional macaroon and the added chocolate surprise of milo.
The third standout was the deconstructed apple crumble, it was a delicious sour apple with a dollop of cream with a side of crumble biscuit and marshmallow with an amazing foam with a tangy base of passionfruit.
The only disappointment was the mini pork burger which was very cold and unappealing.
An honourable mention has to go to the scones. Especially the pairing of the capsicum jam and a creamy Italian ricotta which made a nice change to the usual sweetness of a fruity jam.
After experiencing the disappointment of the Mad Hatter High Tea at the W Hotel in Seminyak, Fancy Nance reignited our love of all things Zumbo and his tasty treats.
The High Tea options at Fancy Nance range from $45 to $65, depending on the portion size you choose being either 6 or 11 items. They also provide for wheat intolerances with their gluten free options as well as a vegetarian option.
The visual display of each course was matched by the taste!
There were three standouts of the day. Our favourite was the meatball, which were perfectly cooked accompanied with a delicious chilli sauce, and topped with delicate hand cut potato chips.
The second standout was the red velvet chocolate macaroon, this was a choux pastry with a fruity tart cream centre which was also served with a small traditional macaroon and the added chocolate surprise of milo.
The third standout was the deconstructed apple crumble, it was a delicious sour apple with a dollop of cream with a side of crumble biscuit and marshmallow with an amazing foam with a tangy base of passionfruit.
The only disappointment was the mini pork burger which was very cold and unappealing.
An honourable mention has to go to the scones. Especially the pairing of the capsicum jam and a creamy Italian ricotta which made a nice change to the usual sweetness of a fruity jam.
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high tea at chataeu yering
42 Melba Highway, Yering, Victoria
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4TBs travel far and wide to experience the elegance of a traditional High Tea having experienced several High Teas in Melbourne's CBD and on our most recent trip to Bali at Biku, Seminyak.
The first Sunday of Winter 2015, 4TBs drove an hour to the Yarra Valley to experience the famous Sunday High Tea at Eleonore's restaurant located within the Chateau Yering Hotel. Arriving on a cold and wet day we made the mad dash from the car park to the Hotel entrance as the rain bucketed down. On entering the establishment we were greeted warmly by the Hotel staff who kindly took our umbrellas and welcomed us showing us to the Eleonore's restaurant. Walking through the guest lounge room to the main dining room you got a sense of old world charm and sophistication with plush rich colour armchairs, open fireplace with mantel shelf, paintings with wide gold frames, crisp white walls and floor to ceiling French windows. Upon being seated at our table we notice several empty tables near the windows overlooking the lush green grounds and in the distance the hills of the Yarra Valley. It was a shame we were seated in the middle of the room and didn't get the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the unobstructed view through the beautiful architectural floor to ceiling windows. Thankfully we were seated in close proximity to windows leading to the kitchen area as the restaurant lighting was dim. Our table was set with a crisp white table cloth, napkin, cutlery and glassware fit for the Queen. It was disappointing the table was missing a centre piece to bring the stark table setting to life. We started with a glass of French Champagne with our savoury treats arriving shortly after on a rectangle white serving plate. We enjoyed a Chicken Ribbon Sandwich, Pesto and Basil leave Pinwheel, bite size mushroom cups with 3 cheeses and a Pesto and Tomato Tart with caramelised onion and feta. By far the stand out was the mushroom cups; although an unusual choice for a savoury High Tea option. The elegance of the High Tea missed the mark when our pies also arrived on a rectangular white serving plate. We had a warm Beef and Guinness Pie and Cauliflower and Leek Pie served with a delicious spicy chutney. Had the pies been a little hotter it would have compensated for the lack in presentation of the 8 pies being plonked on the plate; there wasn't even a garnish. The 3 tier plate finally made an appearance when our sweet treats arrived with two large bowls; one with whipped cream and the other with a berry compote. The top tier plate had Raspberry Friands with whipped cream and freeze dry raspberries as a decoration. The middle tier was the scones which looked more like mini damper than large tall scones with structure. The bottom tier was packed with Chai macaroons, Lemon Meringue Tart and Strawberry, Passionfruit and Raspberry Entremets. There was no stand out sweet treat that we all thoroughly enjoyed. I was the only one to eat my Strawberry, Passionfruit and Raspberry Entremet; my dining partners thought it was too tart. The Lemon Meringue Tart was nice but could've had more of a citrus punch to it and the freeze dry raspberry let down the Raspberry Friand. A fresh raspberry could've had more of a punch to the sweet treat than the dehydrated raspberry. 4TBs were looking forward to indulging in the decadent High Tea at Chateau Yering Historic House but left feeling disappointed. With lush rich red brocade drapes, gold thread and fringe Eleanor's restaurant has the makings of a charming atmosphere to experience a High Tea and enjoy the backdrop of the Yarra Valley. unfortunately the unique statement of the presentation of the food was a let down. When you think High Tea you Envisage the elegance of scrumptious savoury and decadent sweet treats presented on glam tier plates; not served on white rectangle serving plates with white napkins covering the plate. |
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the food truck festival at Coburg drive in
155 Newlands Road Coburg, Victoria, Australia
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Opening in
1965 Coburg Drive-ins still bring the crowds with their loyal patronage today
with the added draw card of children under 12 years of age admitted free. Open
7 nights a week, Australia's largest drive-in with 3 screens hasn't changed
much with the 1950s inspired Diner still serving popcorn and burgers. The
biggest change over the years would be the way you listen to the movies with no
more wires or speakers and movie goers now tuning into FM radio. The poles for
the old speakers are still there today to keep the old characteristics and
charm and act as a guide for car parking.
In its second year The Food Truck Festival at the Coburg Drive-in is on again this Winter giving the opportunity for mobile food vendors to show case their foodie skills. We attended as guests of the Australian Mobile Food Vendors Group (AMFVG) on the second night in June of the Winter session. There is still plenty of time for you to brave the cooler nights and venture to Coburg Drive-in and check out The Food Truck Festival whilst seeing the latest movie on the 3rd week of the month in July and August on a Wednesday or Thursday night. With gates opening at 5:00pm there was a huge congregation of hungry customers lining up two deep at the 9 different mobile food vendors when we arrived at 6:30pm. There was something for all taste buds and the wait of 10-15 minutes was well worth it when you tucked into your meals. With heaps of outdoor bench style seating, patio heaters scattered around and a shipping container converted into semi enclosed seating, Nova FM brought the music and activities with the opportunity of instant prizes to be won including food vouchers and Village movie tickets. To kick start our evening and warm our bellies we tucked into a delicious Beef Pie with mash potato and gravy from the Gourmet Pie. You seriously can't go wrong with this Winter warmer; beautiful tender pulled beef, crispy pastry and lovely mash and gravy. Being drawn to the unique polished aluminium trailer which delivered a statement amongst other mobile food vendors, our next culinary delight was none other than pizza. With the catchy name of Happy Camper at one point during the evening it was not so much happy camper with the staff exchanging verbal words of anger amongst each other for all to hear. We tried the Hot Salami pizza of tomato, mozzarella, hot salami and red onion topped with olives. Oh my god we had gone to pizza heaven and could've easily tried another one, but restrained ourselves as there was still plenty of mobile food trucks calling our name. Next stop was Speedy Gonzales offering tacos, burritos and chips. We just couldn't resist so we tried all three and were not disappointed. We couldn't decide which taco or burrito to have so we tried both the grilled chicken and beef. The burritos were stuffed with ample fillings of cheese, onion, rice, salsa and ranch sauce these burritos packed a mild spicy punch and nearly got the better of us. We were determined to eat every last mouthful of these freshly made burritos; we eventually won the battle. The tacos of cheese, lettuce, salsa and sour cream hit the mark with the crunchy taco and awesome filling. We couldn't leave Speedy Gonzales without trying their seasoned Mexican style hot chips. Seriously the best hot chips in Melbourne. Mad pork rib fans we had to try the Gorilla Thriller Pork Ribs from Gorilla Grill. These ribs certainly didn't disappoint with there marinated overnight American style marinated slow cooked ribs, finished on the grill. These are seriously delicious and worth the wait. Accompanied with a grilled corn, the freshest slaw we have ever had and a tangy Mayo this dish was the highlight of our main meals. We couldn't leave without for-filling our sweet tooth cravings. All night we had been eyeing off the famous DoNutella donuts from Manny's Donut Cafe. Donuts and Nutella are two of our favourite sweet treats and combining our two loves together put us in DoNutella heaven. Last, but not least was our sweet fix from Sweet Forbidden Journey. With so many amazing treats on offer we decided on the Chinitas of Silk Road and Pink Horizon. Renee the delightful owner of Sweet Forbidden Journey was very generous providing 4TBs with a takeaway box of mixed treats including a Chocolate Scroll, Chocolate Crackle, Honey Joy and 4 delicious Baklavas. Let's just say they didn't make it home! We also got to try Renee's Hot Chocolate which certainly hit the spot on the cool Winters evening. We can't wait to see Sweet Forbidden Journey again so we can try all the other treats we missed out on including the Honeycomb Ice-cream Sandwich which sounds amazing. Unfortunately we missed trying 3 of the 9 mobile food vendors. A great evening had by all as we all rolled to the car! We seriously couldn't fit another thing in. But alas there is still another 4 sessions of The Food Truck Park Coburg Drive-in and we will be back to try the 3 mobile food vendors we missed (Greek Street Food, Sliders on Tyres and Bibim Bap). If you haven't been to the Drive-ins in a while, we highly recommend going during The Food Truck Park nights for a memorable movie experience. Movie ticket prices are reasonable in comparison to the cinemas and the variety of mobile food vendors changing during the Winter sessions you are sure to stumble across amazing culinary skills and delicious food at reasonable prices. With the popularity and success of these types of events pop up all over Melbourne both during the day and in the evenings we look forward to seeing the revolution of more people getting outdoors to enjoy the atmosphere and good feel vibe these events bring to the community. Keep an eye out for upcoming events (The Food Truck Park) on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages. |
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The Deck Brighton
212 Bay Street, Brighton VIC 3186
Going for brunch has to be one of our favourite things to do with friends on a Sunday. Our choice this week was The Deck in Bay Road Brighton.
The restaurant is nicely presented with ample room for a large crowd. Each table had fresh flowers which was a pleasing to the eye but not so good for one of our party that suffers from hay fever.
The coffees and hot chocolate were luke warm at best and even when we asked for them to be HOT they came out at just a drinkable heat.
We chose four items off the breakfast menu. The Full Deck, had poached eggs (a little under cooked for one of my dining partners),bacon, grilled tomato, mushrooms hash browns (which were definitely not made but bought) homemade baked beans and the standout on the plate was a pork and fennel sausage. We asked for a side of hollandaise and we really should not of as it was curdled and all we could taste was vinegar.
Our second choice was the deck wrap. A simple dish of bacon eggs cheese and tomato relish wrapped in a soft tortilla which did not disappoint. It was to be served with avocado and homemade baked beans but as you can see from the photograph the beans were not served until we enquire about them.
The stand out dish for me was the Asian Style Chilli Eggs. The flavour of scrambled eggs mixed with the Korean Chilli, pork belly lardon, brocolini and spring onions were amazing and the crunch of the homemade prawn crackers topped this dish off. Unfortunately it did state on the menu shitake mushrooms which were no where to be seen on the plate but did not take away from this dish. The punch of this brunch was definitely these eggs!
Our final selection was the Buttermilk Hotcakes. It promised honey scented mascarpone but no honey was tasted. The hotcakes were floury and bland combined with the tarte berry compote this dish was a major let down.
One of my dining companions ordered the Raw Almond and Berry Smoothie from the Smoothie menu which was fresh and delicious. There are also great fresh juice options such as the Detox and Flu fighter along with the usual suspects of milkshakes, soft drinks and a tea selection.
The Deck caters for all tastes and dietary requirements with Paleo, Vegetarian and gluten free options available.
Overall the deck was more hit than miss.
Clover & Rye
410 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC 3121
We dined at Clover & Rye with several girlfriends for
Sunday brunch, and we are keen to dine here again to soak up the atmosphere for an
evening meal.
This place ticks all the boxes for us when it comes to friendly waiters with a smile, prompt service, reasonably priced tucker and quirky surrounds. Clover & Rye has a feeling of country meets urban restaurant feel with a touch of glam.
From the minute we arrived we were welcomed with a friendly smile, shown to our table and promptly asked if we would like a drink whilst we waited for the others to arrive. Before we knew it our drinks had arrived and our dining experience was off to a great start. our waiter even suggested his favourite dish as one girlfriend was indecisive about which meal to pick from the menu.
There is a variety of breakfast options and all reasonably prices. I ordered Egg Benedict with sautéed spinach and hollandaise (a favourite of mine) which was served on a toasted bagel. Although the bagel was a nice twist to the traditional Eggs Benedict, l was a little disappointed the hollandaise sauce wasn’t creamy and the ham was thick slices.
There was no complaints from my girlfriends who orders the Pumpkin Eggs with caramelised butternut pumpkin, sautéed spinach, pumpkin kernels on sourdough and the Buttermilk Pancakes topped with banana, walnuts and house made butterscotch sauce.
During our 2 hour dining experience not only were we greeted with a friendly smile by our waiter, our table was cleared quickly, our water glasses were topped up and he regularly checked on us to see if we were happy with our meals and if we would like another drink.
Overall, l was impressed and will happily return to Clover & Rye to taste other dishes from the menu. I'm keen to book the private dining room to enjoy the atmosphere of the super large dining table (seats up to 20 guests); elegantly decorated with a large chandelier over the centre of the table, an oversized mirror and finished with black painted walls creating a mood of glamorous.
This place ticks all the boxes for us when it comes to friendly waiters with a smile, prompt service, reasonably priced tucker and quirky surrounds. Clover & Rye has a feeling of country meets urban restaurant feel with a touch of glam.
From the minute we arrived we were welcomed with a friendly smile, shown to our table and promptly asked if we would like a drink whilst we waited for the others to arrive. Before we knew it our drinks had arrived and our dining experience was off to a great start. our waiter even suggested his favourite dish as one girlfriend was indecisive about which meal to pick from the menu.
There is a variety of breakfast options and all reasonably prices. I ordered Egg Benedict with sautéed spinach and hollandaise (a favourite of mine) which was served on a toasted bagel. Although the bagel was a nice twist to the traditional Eggs Benedict, l was a little disappointed the hollandaise sauce wasn’t creamy and the ham was thick slices.
There was no complaints from my girlfriends who orders the Pumpkin Eggs with caramelised butternut pumpkin, sautéed spinach, pumpkin kernels on sourdough and the Buttermilk Pancakes topped with banana, walnuts and house made butterscotch sauce.
During our 2 hour dining experience not only were we greeted with a friendly smile by our waiter, our table was cleared quickly, our water glasses were topped up and he regularly checked on us to see if we were happy with our meals and if we would like another drink.
Overall, l was impressed and will happily return to Clover & Rye to taste other dishes from the menu. I'm keen to book the private dining room to enjoy the atmosphere of the super large dining table (seats up to 20 guests); elegantly decorated with a large chandelier over the centre of the table, an oversized mirror and finished with black painted walls creating a mood of glamorous.
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Kalimera Souvlaki Art
41 Chester Street, Oakleigh VIC 3166
Kalimera was recommended to us by a Greek friend and she said it is the ”true Greek Souva”. We had always believed that souvlakis were made with lamb but that has become our interpretation as a true Greek souvlaki is made with pork.
Every time we have been to Kalimera the quality is the same – superb! The pork gyros is tasty and succulent. On this visit we ordered a pork souvlaki, a dip platter that came with chargrilled pita and the chicken and pork platter.
The souvlakis are just the right size. Usually after eating a souvlaki you feel bloated and greasy, not with the Kalimera souvlakis. The pita is homemade with the perfect combination of crunch and doughiness. In the pita is tomato onion gyros pork and the kalimera special sauce. What tops it off is a handful of French fries! The gyros platters are an open souvlaki but with a of pork and chicken.
The dips platter consisted of Tzatziki, Eggplant, Spicy cheese, Taramalata and Kalimer dip. There is plenty of dip so I suggest ordering an additional serving of pita because the one is just not enough for all the dip.
The décor is simple and the colourful window frames hanging on the walls gives you the feeling that you are in Greece.
The only complaint I have with Kalimera are the large round tables which take up way too much room for a restaurant that is so popular they should be making more use of their space. You often have to wait for a table due to the fantastic food but believe us it is well worth the wait.
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Kaddy's Café
8 High Street, Kyneton VIC 3144
Weekends are a time to relax
and enjoy the fruits of a hard weeks work. What better way to enjoy a Saturday
morning than going for a drive and experience some good old country food. I and
my dining partner headed off to the busy township of Kyneton located 88km from
Melbourne's CBD.
Arriving at our destination Kaddy's Cafe, the sun was shining and groups of locals talking on the footpath. From the first minute of entry into the café we were greeted by the friendly staff who made you feel welcome. Even the proprietor took time out from the kitchen to stop by for a chat; not many owners would do that.
The café is located on High Street close to Mollison Street and situated amongst other eateries, clothing, homeware and antique shops. Walking into the cafe has a real sense of rustic country feel with wooden decor and a free standing wood fire that would be ideal to relax and feel the warmth and cosiness on a cold or raining day. To add to the charm and charisma the cafe also sells a variety of coloured Salt and Pepper wall clocks to keep you on time for your next engagement.
The atmosphere was a casual relaxing country feel with locals engaging in conversation with other locals as they walked in. The proprietor also engaged in banter with the locals and took interest in where tourists had travelled from and what they had planned for the day. The cafe also has a function room available that can also be opened to cater for more diners.
We ordered a Latte and a Hot Chocolate to begin with. Our drinks arrived quickly but were unfortunately lukewarm.
The Big Breakfast plate come packed with two poached eggs, two pieces of toast, two cooked tomatoes, baked beans, bacon, a hash brown, spinach and mushrooms served with a side dish of Hollandaise sauce. On first appearance the meal looked so delicious l couldn't wait to dig in; the only let down was the moderately warm baked beans. The hero of the dish was the Hollandaise sauce; OMG it stacks up with one of the best Hollandaise sauces I've had to date. It was opaque, smooth and creamy compared to past experiences where the sauce has been overpowered by the vinegar and lost the true rich flavour of an egg yolk based sauce. Value for money
The delicious buttery Croissant was truly a delight. As we cut the croissant the melted cheese oozed out onto the plate.
To end on a sweet note we ordered Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Berries and Ice Cream. The pancakes were of the same size and thickness creating a visual appearances of two light and fluffy golden pancakes. Had the berries been a berry coulis and not whole berries this would've of top of the great pancakes. It was a good way to end our breakfast.
Kaddy's Cafe also offers a variety of homemade goodies including cakes, focaccia's with various fillings, gluten free options, pies, a lasagne, tarts, sausage rolls, quiche, frittatas, soups of the day and baked potatoes.
Overall we really enjoyed our dining experience at Kaddy's Cafe. A passionate owner who prides herself on friendly customer service and engaging staff hits the mark for a country dining experience. Great service and fresh quality ingredients equals great food that warms your heart and fill your belly.
Arriving at our destination Kaddy's Cafe, the sun was shining and groups of locals talking on the footpath. From the first minute of entry into the café we were greeted by the friendly staff who made you feel welcome. Even the proprietor took time out from the kitchen to stop by for a chat; not many owners would do that.
The café is located on High Street close to Mollison Street and situated amongst other eateries, clothing, homeware and antique shops. Walking into the cafe has a real sense of rustic country feel with wooden decor and a free standing wood fire that would be ideal to relax and feel the warmth and cosiness on a cold or raining day. To add to the charm and charisma the cafe also sells a variety of coloured Salt and Pepper wall clocks to keep you on time for your next engagement.
The atmosphere was a casual relaxing country feel with locals engaging in conversation with other locals as they walked in. The proprietor also engaged in banter with the locals and took interest in where tourists had travelled from and what they had planned for the day. The cafe also has a function room available that can also be opened to cater for more diners.
We ordered a Latte and a Hot Chocolate to begin with. Our drinks arrived quickly but were unfortunately lukewarm.
The Big Breakfast plate come packed with two poached eggs, two pieces of toast, two cooked tomatoes, baked beans, bacon, a hash brown, spinach and mushrooms served with a side dish of Hollandaise sauce. On first appearance the meal looked so delicious l couldn't wait to dig in; the only let down was the moderately warm baked beans. The hero of the dish was the Hollandaise sauce; OMG it stacks up with one of the best Hollandaise sauces I've had to date. It was opaque, smooth and creamy compared to past experiences where the sauce has been overpowered by the vinegar and lost the true rich flavour of an egg yolk based sauce. Value for money
The delicious buttery Croissant was truly a delight. As we cut the croissant the melted cheese oozed out onto the plate.
To end on a sweet note we ordered Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Berries and Ice Cream. The pancakes were of the same size and thickness creating a visual appearances of two light and fluffy golden pancakes. Had the berries been a berry coulis and not whole berries this would've of top of the great pancakes. It was a good way to end our breakfast.
Kaddy's Cafe also offers a variety of homemade goodies including cakes, focaccia's with various fillings, gluten free options, pies, a lasagne, tarts, sausage rolls, quiche, frittatas, soups of the day and baked potatoes.
Overall we really enjoyed our dining experience at Kaddy's Cafe. A passionate owner who prides herself on friendly customer service and engaging staff hits the mark for a country dining experience. Great service and fresh quality ingredients equals great food that warms your heart and fill your belly.
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aussie steak 'n' burgers
12-16 New Quay Promenade, Docklands VIC 3000
4 Travel Buddies dined at Aussie Steak 'N' Burger on a Sunday night and
we all left feeling full and satisfied.
From the get go the waiter was friendly and seated us in a window booth overlooking the New Quay precedence. We had time to look over the menu and were not rushed in making our decision.
The menu has a large variety of dishes to choose from including entree, salad, burger, chicken, rib, pasta, taste of ocean, sides, dessert and for the meat lovers steak with a choice of sauces and toppers. We ordered:
Entree
Cheese Chips; chunky chips topped with crispy bacon, garlic ranch sauce and grilled Mozzarella cheese. As a hot chip fan l rate these chips and could've eaten the bowl by myself.
Garlic Bread is an old favourite and it certainly didn't disappoint with the lightly toasted bread and spread of garlic.
Ba-kransky was another great dish with grilled kransky wrapped in bacon, served on a bed of rocket salad and chilli mayo. As a fan of kransky l thoroughly enjoyed the take on wrapping it in bacon with the extra spice of the mayo.
Three of the dining partners had never tried crocodile before, so we braved it and tried the Croc & Roo Skewers served with tomatoes and chilli chutney. As a lover of medium done kangaroo, the spicy kangaroo skewers were a little over cooked for my liking. Not knowing what to expect of crocodile meat, l thought it would've had more flavour given it was grilled in a house marinate. The meat was also chewy and not tender
Main
From the main menu we order a selection of dishes including chicken, pork and seafood. Both chicken dishes were large cuts of breast meat marinated and cooked to perfection; moist and no dry and over cooked. The Chicken Oscar was topped with whole tiger king prawns, avocado and béarnaise sauce and with the Chicken Breast was accompanied by a sautéed mushroom sauce.
The half rack of Pork Ribs was a decent size meal basted in a marinade and cooked well with the meat falling of the bone. The disappointment of the evening was the Calamari Rings which were lightly crumbed and served with chunky chips and chilli mayo. The calamari was tough and the salad was bland with no flavour.
Dessert
I don't have a real sugar tooth, but l did enjoy sampling these desserts.
The Sticky Date Pudding wasn't light and fluffy and missed the mark as we didn't finish it. A house baked pudding topped with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream on the side it lacked the butterscotch taste and the pudding was very dense.
The Brownie was a hit with 2 of my business partners who have a very sweet tooth. The very rich warm chocolate brownie was topped with a thick chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream on the side. I found this dish to be super rich. This dish came with marshmallows which weren't mentioned on the menu!
To finish off our dessert gestation we had the Ice Cream Sundae; three scopes of vanilla ice cream topped with roasted almonds, strawberries, marshmallow skewers and your choice of strawberry or chocolate topping. We went with the chocolate topping of course! Although l enjoyed the Sunday, it was disappointing that it was missing the marshmallow skewers.
Overall good food and drinks, causal and relaxing atmosphere. Staff did make you feel welcome and there was a large range of dishes to choose from. I would definitely go back to try other dishes from the menu. Within walking distance to Etihad stadium, Aussie Steak 'N' Burger is a great location to have a bite to eat before or after a game (Australia Football League, Cricket) or a music concert. The restaurant is also in close proximity to Harbour Town shopping centre and the Southern Cross Wheel.
From the get go the waiter was friendly and seated us in a window booth overlooking the New Quay precedence. We had time to look over the menu and were not rushed in making our decision.
The menu has a large variety of dishes to choose from including entree, salad, burger, chicken, rib, pasta, taste of ocean, sides, dessert and for the meat lovers steak with a choice of sauces and toppers. We ordered:
Entree
Cheese Chips; chunky chips topped with crispy bacon, garlic ranch sauce and grilled Mozzarella cheese. As a hot chip fan l rate these chips and could've eaten the bowl by myself.
Garlic Bread is an old favourite and it certainly didn't disappoint with the lightly toasted bread and spread of garlic.
Ba-kransky was another great dish with grilled kransky wrapped in bacon, served on a bed of rocket salad and chilli mayo. As a fan of kransky l thoroughly enjoyed the take on wrapping it in bacon with the extra spice of the mayo.
Three of the dining partners had never tried crocodile before, so we braved it and tried the Croc & Roo Skewers served with tomatoes and chilli chutney. As a lover of medium done kangaroo, the spicy kangaroo skewers were a little over cooked for my liking. Not knowing what to expect of crocodile meat, l thought it would've had more flavour given it was grilled in a house marinate. The meat was also chewy and not tender
Main
From the main menu we order a selection of dishes including chicken, pork and seafood. Both chicken dishes were large cuts of breast meat marinated and cooked to perfection; moist and no dry and over cooked. The Chicken Oscar was topped with whole tiger king prawns, avocado and béarnaise sauce and with the Chicken Breast was accompanied by a sautéed mushroom sauce.
The half rack of Pork Ribs was a decent size meal basted in a marinade and cooked well with the meat falling of the bone. The disappointment of the evening was the Calamari Rings which were lightly crumbed and served with chunky chips and chilli mayo. The calamari was tough and the salad was bland with no flavour.
Dessert
I don't have a real sugar tooth, but l did enjoy sampling these desserts.
The Sticky Date Pudding wasn't light and fluffy and missed the mark as we didn't finish it. A house baked pudding topped with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream on the side it lacked the butterscotch taste and the pudding was very dense.
The Brownie was a hit with 2 of my business partners who have a very sweet tooth. The very rich warm chocolate brownie was topped with a thick chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream on the side. I found this dish to be super rich. This dish came with marshmallows which weren't mentioned on the menu!
To finish off our dessert gestation we had the Ice Cream Sundae; three scopes of vanilla ice cream topped with roasted almonds, strawberries, marshmallow skewers and your choice of strawberry or chocolate topping. We went with the chocolate topping of course! Although l enjoyed the Sunday, it was disappointing that it was missing the marshmallow skewers.
Overall good food and drinks, causal and relaxing atmosphere. Staff did make you feel welcome and there was a large range of dishes to choose from. I would definitely go back to try other dishes from the menu. Within walking distance to Etihad stadium, Aussie Steak 'N' Burger is a great location to have a bite to eat before or after a game (Australia Football League, Cricket) or a music concert. The restaurant is also in close proximity to Harbour Town shopping centre and the Southern Cross Wheel.
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Paladarr
7 Rowe Street, Alphington VIC
We dined at Paladarr on a Saturday night and left feeling blah! Their website advises diners to book in advance to avoid disappointment. We had high expectations of a great evening ahead, but left feeling underwhelmed by the whole experience.
The service got off to a great start with our friendly waiter showing us to our table and asking us if we would like a drink. From there the service was all downhill and left us feeling very frustrated at the lack of customer service. We noticed that once the restaurant started getting busy and all the tables in the main dining area filled, the service to the back dining area was at a snail pace and dining guests became invisible.
We had multiple waiters serve us during the evening adding to the confusion of what we had already ordered. We continually had to ask for our glass of water to be refilled and the plates were cleared from the table at a less than satisfactory pace.
Our friendly waiter who showed us to our table upon arriving suggested we order 3 dishes from each section to share and enjoy sampling a variety of dishes. We ordered from the A La Carte menu on his recommendation:
Lighter (entrée)
The Seared prawns had great flavours with a mix of ginger, lemongrass, coriander, spring onion, chilli, lemon juice and fish sauce; certainly a dish that could be enjoyed on its own as a main meal.
The Beef Salad was finely sliced beef tossed in a zesty Issan marinade with traditional Thai herbs. The marinaded lacked in flavours and didn't help give it the zesty taste we were expecting.
Southern Thai chicken thigh fillets satay with a side of classic homemade peanut sauce. The sauce packed a punch with its crunchy peanuts and thick flavoursome peanut aroma. Another great dish to have as a main serving.
More Substantial (main)
Pork belly is a favourite dish of ,ours and this dish didn't disappoint with its stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and chilli, and slices seared in hot rice bran oil. You had to hunt through the Chinese broccoli to find the pork belly slices; more pork belly would've been good. We didn't want to share this dish!
‘The Three Kings ‘ was lightly battered prawns, calamari and rockling fillets stir-fried in chilli jam and oyster sauce with seasonal vegetables and cashew nuts. There was an abundance of cashew nuts and only 2 prawns to share between 3 dining guests; l missed out on trying the prawn :(
The Diced lamb in sweet Penang curry with holy basil, pumpkin and sweet potato (great curry with tender lamb)
Steam rice (gluggy)
The biggest let downs were the Steamed Rice and Roti. The rice was gluggy and the roti was like eating doughy bread and not the traditional flaky crisp roti normally fluffy on the inside.
Something Sweet (Dessert)
To finish off our evening we had the Classic Lemon Tart serviced with ice-cream. Unfortunately the only good thing about this dessert was the ice cream. The lemon curb had split on the top, the case was soggy, not crunchy giving the impression it was brought and not homemade.
Overall, we are not sure what the fuss is about this Thai restaurant; I’ve certainly had better. I am keen to attend a Thai Cooking Class and learn how to cook authentic Thai food!
The service got off to a great start with our friendly waiter showing us to our table and asking us if we would like a drink. From there the service was all downhill and left us feeling very frustrated at the lack of customer service. We noticed that once the restaurant started getting busy and all the tables in the main dining area filled, the service to the back dining area was at a snail pace and dining guests became invisible.
We had multiple waiters serve us during the evening adding to the confusion of what we had already ordered. We continually had to ask for our glass of water to be refilled and the plates were cleared from the table at a less than satisfactory pace.
Our friendly waiter who showed us to our table upon arriving suggested we order 3 dishes from each section to share and enjoy sampling a variety of dishes. We ordered from the A La Carte menu on his recommendation:
Lighter (entrée)
The Seared prawns had great flavours with a mix of ginger, lemongrass, coriander, spring onion, chilli, lemon juice and fish sauce; certainly a dish that could be enjoyed on its own as a main meal.
The Beef Salad was finely sliced beef tossed in a zesty Issan marinade with traditional Thai herbs. The marinaded lacked in flavours and didn't help give it the zesty taste we were expecting.
Southern Thai chicken thigh fillets satay with a side of classic homemade peanut sauce. The sauce packed a punch with its crunchy peanuts and thick flavoursome peanut aroma. Another great dish to have as a main serving.
More Substantial (main)
Pork belly is a favourite dish of ,ours and this dish didn't disappoint with its stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and chilli, and slices seared in hot rice bran oil. You had to hunt through the Chinese broccoli to find the pork belly slices; more pork belly would've been good. We didn't want to share this dish!
‘The Three Kings ‘ was lightly battered prawns, calamari and rockling fillets stir-fried in chilli jam and oyster sauce with seasonal vegetables and cashew nuts. There was an abundance of cashew nuts and only 2 prawns to share between 3 dining guests; l missed out on trying the prawn :(
The Diced lamb in sweet Penang curry with holy basil, pumpkin and sweet potato (great curry with tender lamb)
Steam rice (gluggy)
The biggest let downs were the Steamed Rice and Roti. The rice was gluggy and the roti was like eating doughy bread and not the traditional flaky crisp roti normally fluffy on the inside.
Something Sweet (Dessert)
To finish off our evening we had the Classic Lemon Tart serviced with ice-cream. Unfortunately the only good thing about this dessert was the ice cream. The lemon curb had split on the top, the case was soggy, not crunchy giving the impression it was brought and not homemade.
Overall, we are not sure what the fuss is about this Thai restaurant; I’ve certainly had better. I am keen to attend a Thai Cooking Class and learn how to cook authentic Thai food!
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