Absolutely Famished

Sunny's Pizza - Aireys Inlet - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 20:00:00 +0000

As mentioned in my previous post, the selection of eateries in the picturesque town of Airey's Inlet is rather limited.
On one rather rain-soaked bedraggled evening that neither of us wanted to venture out of our warm cave to search for food, we decided to order some pizza for a quick pick up.

Pot Luck - $15.50.

After a quick look on Urbanspoon I decided to try the much recommended Pot Luck which consists of tomato, rosemary, garlic, roasted potatoes, cherry tomatoes, pepper, parmesan and sea salt.
I was THRILLED with this pizza. It was absolutely delicious The potatoes were perfectly tender and it had the right balance between salty and sweet. I have since ordered it every single time we have gone back down to Airey's. I don't even wish to try any other vegetarian pizza on offer.

Weekend at Gazza's- $17
Mango chutney, sweet chilli chicken, cashews, red onion and tzatziki

Mr.M was also very happy with his choice - full of flavour.

Chocolate and hazelnut calzone - $9.50

When we ordered this the first time it was everything you want a dessert calzone to be - the filling was unctuous chocolate delight. It was so incredibly delicious we ordered two the second night, however they couldn't have been more different. We thought perhaps they had been overcooked and the chocolate had seized so we rang Sunny's and asked if they could make another two However these were the same. We asked them why they were different and they told us they were using a new mixture which included a cake mixture We have since tried them again and unfortunately it was once again, like the second mixtures - bland, not very chocolatey, lumpy. Such a shame.

We can't comment on the service as we have never dined in. But be warned that whatever they estimate for pick up, add another 5-10minutes on top.

Sunny's Pizza has become our favourite eatery in Airey's Inlet so far and the only one we have repeatedly gone back to. It's not just good pizza for Airey's, it's good pizza full stop.

Freestone's Roadhaven - Airey's Inlet - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:23:00 +0000

Airey's Inlet is a quaint but wonderfully picturesque coastal town located between Angelsea and Lorne on Great Ocean Road. It's most distinguishing landmark is the stunning Split Point Lighthouse. It is also a stone's throw away from our favourite beach in Fairhaven.
During the sweltering heat of Summer we head down to this tiny town, teeming with wildlife and charm, and throw ourselves into the crashing waves until we are cooled and refreshed. In terms of restaurants at which to refuel, there are only a handful of choices.
The one that stands out most would be Freestone's Roadhaven.
It's not often you see an American Style diner, swathed in turquoise blue and accented with shiny chrome. At the front they have their Malt Shop specialising in milkshakes, towards the back you pass the quite extensive collection of vintage cars as well as a few jukeboxes and movie memorabilia. Upstairs is where the diner is located. Upon entering, feet moving along a black and white checkered floor you are greeted by waitresses right out of American films with their signature diner dresses. Model cars line the walls and towards the back you have the option of dining on their balcony overlooking the peaceful inlet.

We only ordered a few items, they are as follows.

Buffalo chicken wings - $9

Mr.M enjoyed this.

Malt Shake

Mr.M loved this.

Painkallac Salad - spinach, pine nuts, pear, goats cheese, with lemon mayo - $12

D thought this was OK.

Chocolate Brownie

This was disappointing. It tasted old and needed much more cocoa flavour.

The service was quite slow. And unlike the detailed decor, the food was sadly, average at best. Perhaps we allowed ourselves to get a little too excited at the prospect of having a great American Diner experience, or perhaps diner food is only meant to be ho-hum and if so, we did indeed have an authentic experience.
That being said, there aren't many options in Airey's Inlet to dine for dinner, so we will most likely return, if only for a Malt Shake.

Small Town Bakery - Kew East - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:28:00 +0000

One sunny afternoon, on my way to visit the husband at work, I spotted a new addition to the High St shopping strip. With a wooden picket fence and neon yellow chairs it grabbed my interest enough to warrant a peek. Their window was filled with beautiful rustic loaves of organic bread which I am always on the lookout for, and to have it so close to the spouse's workplace made me jump with glee. (Inside they have a bread schedule to let you know what loaves are coming up)
Looking at those delectable loaves made my tummy rumble so I decided to pop in. The space itself is quite tiny but wonderfully decorated. The first detail that caught my eye were the cheerful bouquets of billy buttons which are a personal favourite flower of mine.
The colour scheme is natural with bright yellow accents and plenty of rustic wood and old-school chalk boards. The display case is the center of attention and filled with quality-looking items that are labelled with the cutest pegged and twined tags.
Behind the counter are large wooden boxes filled with supplies such as free-range eggs, scales and juices.
The packaging is right up my alley - I wrap all my gifts in brown paper so I loved the small cardboard boxes for the salads and the brown paper and serviettes the other items come in; simple but stylish.
They also have a record player, which on my first visit was filling the air with the music of the Jazz great, Miles Davis and on my second visit a selection of cool funk from the 70s.

Enough about the interior - unto the food!

Roast Beef with Dijon Mayonnaise, Rocket and Caramelised Onion - $7

Mr.M enjoyed this. He also wants to mention their Beef Empanada which comes with a delicious tomato chutney.

Quinoa, lentil, bean, rocket and veggie salad - $7

This is the second time I have purchased this salad. It is light yet filling with earthiness from the lentils, nuttiness from the quinoa, freshness from the herbs and sweetness from the diced veg. I have to also mention their Broccoli, cranberry and sunflower seed salad which I buy whenever it's available - it's delicious.

Dream bar - $5

With a name like that expectations are made, luckily for this little rustic beauty it was tremendously dreamy. The meringue like crust gives way to a gloriously fudgey chocolate center speckled with walnut pieces and chewy coconut which sits atop a crumbly base. I am incredibly smitten with anything that consists of cocoa-y gooeyness and so I am already thinking of heading back tomorrow to purchase another of these bars (ok, make that 2...).
Highly recommend to any sweet tooths. I have also tried their scones which were generous portions and delicious.

Lemon Bar - $5

I adore lemon bars, but so far none that I have purchased have truly satisfied my criteria until today. The ratio of lemon curd to shortbread base is spot on. The crust is akin to a creme brulee and cracks beneath your teeth to reveal a lusciously decadent filling that melds the right amount of tartness to sweetness. Another repeat purchase for sure.

Their selection of food is good quality, diverse and reasonably priced (I have noticed so many cafe sandwiches these days priced at $10!). I have also tried their vegetarian smashed avocado roll and the bread itself was so incredibly soft with the slightest hint of sweetness, and I am not even a bread person! They also have vegan empanadas as well as salads so even vegans are catered for.

With both of my sweet picks being so successful I am eager to try more of their desserts, especially the single origin chocolate brownie - drool...

With friendly service, delicious, affordable and interesting food, not to mention great music, you can't go wrong with a visit to Small Town Bakery.

Estelle Bar and Kitchen - Northcote - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:39:00 +0000

Mr.M and I found ourselves with a babysitter and 1.5hours to ourselves. Naturally, we set straight about to finding a restaurant to glutton the time away.
Mr.M felt like some Modern Australian so after a quick search on Urbanspoon I stumbled upon a restaurant in a suburb that to be honest with you, wouldn't have even registered on my radar to dine in. Seeing so many rave reviews we thought we couldn't lose, and as luck would have it we snagged a seat at the bar.

The restaurant itself is very intimate, the smallest of spaces, dimly lit with patterned walls and a wooden bar. Mr.M remarked that the tiled wall reminded him of a public bathroom though. We informed our waitress that we only had 1.5hours to spare and what courses could we fit in that time, she remarked that they could definitely do 7 in that time frame, but I was dubious and decided to play it safe with the 5 courses for $70., which was fortunate as we ended up leaving 10 minutes late.

We started off with some appetisers:

Jerusalem artichoke with Persian feta
This was my favourite of the trio.
Fake chicken skin with yoghurt
This was quite oily and a strong acrid overtone.
Pickled rockmelon
Mr.M enjoyed this one the most. It was quite fresh and light.

Aviation cocktail - gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice.

Mr.M thoroughly enjoyed this cocktail, even if he did find it a touch strong.

Leek, fennel and olive

This was pleasant, the olive paste was the starring element and brought the subtler leek and fennel flavours together.

Eggplant, soy and sesame

I was incredibly hungry and yet I had to force myself to finish it - the seawood and salt factor was too overwhelming for me, it wasn't balanced.

Heirloom tomatoes and fior di latte

This was nice enough but nothing flash, middle of the road tomato salad and consomme.

Green apple and coffee

Mr.M enjoyed this.

Zucchini

I enjoyed this. The little 70s orange droplets (I cant remember what the flavour was) were delicious and kicked everything up a notch.

Sher Wagyu, burnt onion and horseradish

Mr.M's favourite dish of the night.

Sour cream, pumpkin and salted caramel

I feel like there must be something wrong with me, because contrary to all the reviews I have read, I did NOT like this at all. For me, it was reminiscent of soggy bread. There was no flavour that spoke to me and the textures were unappetising. It is probably one of the least delicious desserts I have ever had. I honestly don't know why so many other customers liked it...

Perhaps I walked in with too empty a belly because after their 5 courses I felt as though I had only eaten a standard entree. Their portion sizes are quite small, even for degustation.
The service was also slow with our empty plates remaining before us for 15 minutes each time.
I do want to say though that our bartender was fabulous, and on more than one occasion it was he who alerted our waitress to remove our finished plates and ended up bringing us the bill.
With dining out being a rare occurrence for us now, I don't think we shall be returning.

Trocadero - Southbank - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:54:00 +0000

The moment I heard of this restaurant and peeped at their menu I was chomping at the bit to make a visit and fill my belly.

Trocadero is situated within the Art Center at Hammer Hall. Perfectly positioned on the banks of the Yarra facing the iconic Flinders street station and federation sqaure. With your meal you also get a view. The decor is relaxed but polished with a dark, neutral colour theme. The staff are dressed in t-shirts but the patrons were a mix of casual and dressy. Trocadero sites itself as a bar-slash-brasserie, practically open all day with quick-bites for the pre-theatre crowd.

We arrived on a gloriously sunny Thursday evening and ordered the following:

The evening started with a bag of complimentary bread which Mr.M devoured.

Berkshire pork cacciatore and venison calbrese salami - $15

cooked potatoes, truffle aioli, pecorino $11

I ordered this as my entree. The potatoes were probably a touch overdone for me, and I was hoping for more of a truffle or cheese flavour, they were surprisingly mild. Mr.M on the other hand, ADORED them - but he is a 'potato chip' fiend.

zucchini risotto with black truffle

This was a special, and I regret not ordering the onion risotto instead. The consistency was a touch watery for me, and with the zucchini as the main flavour component it was all rather bland. Even the generous shavings of truffle didn't help punch up the flavour.

beef, chipotle pepper and quinoa sausage, chickpea fries, harissa $28

Mr.M asked our waitress what she thought was their best main dish, and this is what she suggested. At first Mr.M was a little hesitant to order sausages and fries, but after he tried some he changed his mind. The chips were delicious although Mr.M hoped there had been more. The sausages were so incredibly juicy that Mr.M exclaimed they should come with a warning in case someone pierce it and be squirted in the face. It was a touch spicy but overall Mr.M enjoyed it.

caramel cooked cream, pear, popcorn crumble, chocolate $17

The chatter about this dish was assaulting me from all sides - so needless to say my expectations were quite high. It looked scrumptious and very generous, I tend to find some desserts tiny so was incredibly pleased with the portion serve. However, I barely finished half. As many have said, it is decadently rich. As someone who is sadly dairy-intolerant, the cooked cream part was just too much for me to handle. What I loved most about this dish though was the popcorn crumble in its salty deliciousness and the sticky caramel - caramel popcorn is a favourite of mine, and this dessert was what caramel popcorn would be if it reached enlightenment Despite the fact that my body wouldn't allow me to eat it all, I would order it again and perhaps eat more topping, less cooked cream. It truly was delicious.

chocolate pudding, milk toffee ice cream $17

Mr.M ordered this was and incredibly happy with it. The chocolate fondant had a glorious ooze and exquisite cocoa richness. Desserts were definitely the stars of our evening.

The staff were friendly and the food was wonderful. We will definitely be returning.

Persimmon - NGV - Melbourne - reivew

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 04:57:00 +0000

We find ourselves fluttering to Persimmon rather often due to the fabulous food, fantastic service and relaxing garden-setting. We thought it long overdue for a visit.

As usual the staff were attentive and friendly. Upon glancing at the menu we saw that the dishes had taken on a more Asian twist and that the regular chocolate fondant was no longer on the dessert menu. We asked the waiter whether Terry was trying some new things to be told that he was no longer working at Persimmon and that there was a new chef, Gabriel Martin at the helm. At the time the website still listed Terry as the chef (tsk,tsk NGV) but the menu suddenly made sense to us. And despite the fact that we would no longer be able to sample our favourite chef's food, we were excited to try the new menu.

Mr.M and Miss Dor elected to try the Market 4 course menu - $45 per person.
As usual, the meal began with the complimentary bread and butter, always a nice selection.

heirloom tomato salad, tomato beurre blanc, tomato dust

Both Mr.M and Miss Dor enjoyed this dish.

salmon vermincelli, prawn, carrot oil

This was Mr.M's favourite dish of the menu.

aged beef porterhouse, bean cassoulet, red wine jus

Miss Dor enjoyed this dish but Mr.M did found it too strong in taste.

chocolate and mint tart,chocolate sorbet

Both Mr.M and Miss Dor enjoyed this tart.

I had the following two dishes: Folded lasagna, purple artichoke,parmesan foam - $24

This was delicious. The pasta was well cooked and the parmesan foam added a delicious saltiness. I ate every morsel.

Chocolate waves, salted caramel, chocolate mousse, chocolate sorbet - $19

A really lovely and generous dessert. The salted caramel had the perfect amount of saltiness to compliment the rich sorbet and sweet mousse.

The chef may have changed, but the food is still lovely enough to warrant repeat returns. The prices, however, are more expensive then they were previously, for instance the desserts have gone from $14 up to $17-19. That being said it is still value for money.

Xocolatl Artisan Chocolates - Kew East- review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 04:54:00 +0000

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

― Charles M. Schulz

I could inhale and consume mountains of glorious chocolate every single day and never get sick of it. NEVER. Because of my addiction I have tried every type of artisan chocolate shop out there, but it was a little store on Maling Road that finally ended my search.
I don't know what has taken me so long to write this post as Xocolatl as been my favourite chocolate shop for YEARS. It is rather rude of me not to have shared my treasure. Please forgive me.

Every month, my three beautiful best friends and I would meet there rain, hail or in blistering heat to order some hot chocolates and a few small pieces (they ordered a few, I would order an entire box, naturally).

Not only did I find my favourite individual chocolates, I also found my favourite hot chocolate - luscious, THICK, and flavoured with exotic rose and heady spices - heaven I tell you!!!

Ever since my hubby relocated his business to High St Kew East, their Kew store has since become my local haunt; I go every week to get myself a box of nine (and that's showing restraint) lovingly crafted chocolates. I have sampled every single flavour they have, but to keep it short, I shall inform you of the ones I would buy over and over again - my most beloved.

I must start with my personal number 1 - the Rose Caramel (pictured above right in the middle).

the following below are also extremely delicious - you have been warned.

Popcorn caramel
Rose, lychee and strawberry
Apricot Gianduja
Tendre Praline
Cardamom
Lavender
Cinnamon
Salted caramel
Coconut
Creme Brulee
Sesame
Lime

They change flavours regularly and have such a diverse variety,from the more common raspberry truffle or praline to the most unusual such as:

Goat cheese and peach
Elvis (peanut butter and banana, another flavour much favoured by me).
Basil and champagne
Smoked olive oil
Strawberry Shortbread
the list goes on!

Do yourself a favour and head down to their Canterbury or Kew East shop and taste heaven in a morsel.

They have their Christmas editions currently in stock with everything from Christmas Tree printed chocolates to large Santas and even Babushkas!

Lil Boy Blue - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 03:54:00 +0000

I might be in the dark as to what's popped up in the greater Melbourne area, but when it comes to my local hood (Boroondara) I spot a new restaurant whilst driving like an eagle spots a tasty mouse.
And it was on a trip down to Leo's in Kew that I spotted this little gem.

As soon as I got home, I googled it, checked their menu (most important) and their opening hours. And what a lucky day for me that they are pretty much open all hours, very handy when you have an irregular napper for a kid.

So off we sauntered for a 5pm dinner on a Saturday with some familia, a baby and a cucumber (baby's pacifier, or so we hoped).

Our familia had some trouble spotting the cafe whilst driving, so do keep a lookout.
The interior is lovely with some very prominent shag-like carpeting squares on the wall. Whilst I thought they complimented the decor, my 14month old had a panic attack like no other and shrieked with fear whenever she looked up at them. To avoid this I had to sit her in my lap instead of the offered high chair, luckily I was on one of their benches so I could sit her next to me when it came to eating.

Their whole menu looked delicious, so we just picked willy-nilly and crossed our fingers.

chilli prawn soft tacos with coleslaw, avocado lime salsa & smoked paprika

Mr.M thought these were delicious.
I thought the branded wrappers were adorable.

chickpea & sumac battered mushrooms with balsamic reduction

Oh my goodness I loved these. I loved these so much that I did not wait until they were cool enough to eat and as a result burnt the roof of my mouth, but it was worth it. The batter offers a lovely, salty and crisp coating to the meaty mushrooms with the reduction delivering a pleasant sweet tang. Yum.

chacuterie board; cured & smoked meats, pickled veg, terrine, pate, bread

The offered was gluten-free as we were also dining with a gluten-free eater.

pork belly cooked twice with sweet corn puree, caramelised apple, preserved lemon & caper dressing

E really enjoyed this. Mr.M had pork-belly-envy.

grain fed beef fillet w hand cut polenta chips, pickled swiss browns, baby beetroot & juniper infused jus

L thought this was nice and didn't even realise the chips were polenta.

special: baby chicken with potatoes

Mr.M said it was lovely, but upon seeing the pork belly, lamented his decision.

spring vegetable plate.
artichoke hearts, asparagus, broad beans, polenta chips, goats feta, truffle honey dressing & crispy shallots

A really lovely, hearty veggie dish. The truffle honey was such a nice touch and I adored it with the creamily tangy goats cheese and salty shallots. The veggies were all done well and the polenta chips added a nice textural element.

I wish we could have stayed for dessert, but Little Miss was having none of it.

The service was excellent and really friendly. The staff were dressed in their own hipster attire which gave the place a really casual vibe.

I enjoyed the food, service and the atmosphere and will definitely be back for a date night or even brekky or lunch!

The Whoopie Pie Bakery - Camberwell - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 03:58:00 +0000

Ever since I had my beautiful daughter one year ago, I have been completely out of the 'foodie' loop; I wouldn't know what restaurant is hot, what's closed down and what's opened up on my own street. Needless to say, it's going to take me a while to catch up.

Just the other day, I found myself with some time to spend, and used it to read some of my favourite food blogs. And whilst I was perusing Momo and Coco I was shocked to discover that not only had a Whoopie Pie store opened, but that it was merely a 10 minute drive away! After witnessing a whoopie pie explosion on American sites for so long, I was so incredibly eager to finally sink my teeth into a whoopie pie, that as soon as my little girl had awoken, I had her dressed and out the door before she could even register that she had indeed, woken up.

Taking Momo and Cocos review into account, here is what I selected.

Tiramisu

I don't drink coffee but this pie was my absolute favourite. It nailed the tiramisu flavours. The cake itself was that perfect balance of moist yet light and the butttercream frosting was sweet but not cloying.

Chocolate peanut butter

Mr.M enjoyed this one the most. Whilst it was nice, I felt it could have had more of a peanut butter kick, the flavours were a little subdued for me.

Red Velvet

This was the least successful out of the selection for me, I found it lacked flavour.

Pistachio Rose Water

I was very eager to try this, as I LOVE rose. Alas, this turned out to be my second least favourite of the bunch. The pistachio made the cake a touch too crumbly and it lost its 'softness'. The rose however, was completely lacking. I really wanted that floral note to stand out, but I think, in order to suit everyone, they may have dialed down the flavours on this one.

Apple and Cinnamon

This was my second favourite of the day. The tart apple and heady cinnamon were wonderfully balanced, it was like a mouthful of apple pie. Really delicious.

Chocolate Salted Caramel (the kind owner generously gave me three small samples to try out).

I adore salted caramel, the saltier the better. Whilst the chocolate component was delicious, I felt the caramel could have used a touch more salt. That being said, it was still a delightful pie.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tiramisu and apple flavours, but unfortunately all of the family members who also sampled the goods found all of the pies to be TOO SWEET for them. I didn't think they were overly sweet at all, but then again, I am a sugar fiend.

The store definitely stands out with its vibrant red and white stripes (I am obsessed with red and white stripes at the moment.) Inside though, the decor felt a little too much like a bar/lounge to me with the dark leather sofas. I didn't feel as though I was in a bakery at all.

That aside, the packaging is divine and feels very upmarket.

The service is super friendly to the point that it took a good 20 minutes before I could even ask for the pies I wanted. I wasn't in a rush to be anywhere, so I enjoyed the chat. The counter display still had the previous day's whoopie pies on show which was a little off-putting as you don't know what the actual merchandise looks like (the older pies were dry and cracking and some flavours had sold out and weren't on display).

I, personally, would purchase a pie again, but as none of our company enjoyed them it would only be a snack for moi if I found myself in the neighborhood.

St Katherines - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 03:29:00 +0000

The eastern suburbs tends to favour Asian and Italian cuisines, so when, on my way home from Leo's, I spotted this restaurant, I was rather excited.
1. Because it was new.
2. Because it was Greek/Maltese/Turkish cuisine - which appeals to both my husband's and my heritage.
3. Because it seemed like it might be child friendly and is open from lunch to dinner (which meant my baby's lack-of-naptime-routine wouldn't matter as we could eat at anytime.)

So once Sunday rolled around we waited until baby took her first nap and as soon as her eyelids fluttered open we were in the car and on our way. We arrived at 4pm on a Sunday and were warmly greeted by a gentleman that was extremely helpful and seated us in the corner booth that looks out unto the street (great if you have kids as there is plenty of room for them to sit in between you and the wall and they have the street window to keep them amused).

The space is quite large and with plenty of room and a mix of seating arrangements. Whilst it has a casual vibe there was a mix of patrons, those in their Sunday best and those in jeans and a tee. There was also quite a few families with young kids.
The cutlery is served in re-used tins with paper napkins that reminded me of lunch at my Yiayia's house. The plates are vibrant and are mismatched making the dining experience feel a little like a family home, but more refined.

As I'd already decided what we were going to order at home, we rattled off our list to our waiter and before we knew it, the food had arrived.

KFC "St Katherine's fried chicken" BBQ sauce, Japanese mayo - $13.50 half bucket (.5L)

Mr.M ate the whole tub - by himself.

Pide 1 mint, ricotta, haloumi, peppered figs - $15

I was really excited about this as each ingredient sounded right up my alley. And whilst it was OK, what it really needed, to make it spectacular, was some salt. There wasn't enough haloumi to counter the sweetness of the mint, figs and ricotta. It was just a bit too sweet for me.

Pide 2 Maltese pork sausage, onion rings, tomato, kasar, mustard mayo - $18

Mr.M enjoyed this. I stole some of his onion rings and they were DELICIOUS - perfect ratio of crispy batter to sweet sticky onion - YUM.

Salad of ancient grains seeds, nuts, lentils, capers, currents, pomegranate - $12.50

I really enjoyed the varied textures and the sweet and salty flavours. I adore pomegranate in savoury dishes.

Chips and tarama - $9.50

Mr.M liked them.

Choc chip mousse hot cherry jam doughnut - $14.90

I was very excited to try this dessert, and being a huge sweet tooth, was prepared to hog the whole lot, but for some reason, it just didn't come together for me. The chocolate chip mousse tasted more like cream than chocolate. The donuts were nice but as a whole, it didn't really 'light my fire'.

“Mr Whippy” sundae options – salted caramel, pomegranate brownie and chocolate pomegranate sauce ($9.50).

Once again, despite it being ice cream (I'm not a huge fan as I don't like the ice cold temperature), the ingredient list looked too good to pass up. But like the choc mousse, it left me cold. The tart pomegranate dominated and I could barely get a hint of cocoa or the salted caramel, and as other's have mentioned, the ice cream really does feel 'extra cold'. Maybe my expectations of dessert were a little high, especially after the savoury dishes were so tasty.

The service was fantastic, speedy and friendly. We enjoyed our meal and even though desserts were a bit of a let down, we will definitely come back, either with baby or without. And we might even bring the whole family along for a Sunday feast.

Mister Bianco - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Name: Mister Bianco

Address: 285 High st
Kew 3101
(03) 9853 6929

Food: Italian, Meidterranen

Average price: Entree: $12-$16, Mains: $24-$36, Dessert: $13-$16

Complimentary: Bread rolls with marinated olives.

We ordered: Arancini with saffron, pea and smoked mozzarella $12

We ordered these based on the reviews of others, and were definitely glad we did. They were delicious. Generous portion for a starter too. They would be great as an entree for one person.

Crispy fried wagyu chilli beef with oregano leaves, parmesan wafer, celeriac remoulade + red pepper dressing $19

Double baked goats cheese souffle, salad of candied walnuts, baby spinach leaves + salsa verde $17

This was lovely and quite light. A little sweet but still pleasing.

Baked crepes ‘crespelle’ of ricotta + spinach, yellow tomato sugo + basil pesto $28

A really generous serve, which I would never complain about. The dish was yummy but very rich and I found myself wanting more of the delicious pesto to cut through the heavy cheese. With a little more pesto this would be smashing, comforting food. Perfect for a chilly evening.

Braised lamb ‘eye of shoulder’ in red wine, creamed spatzle, savoury nut praline + glazed dried figs $37

Broccolini and green beans, parmesan + lemon crumbs $8

We received this order by accident and were given it for free anyway, which was nice. But otherwise a fairly standard dish, wouldn't order it personally.

mister bianco ‘vienetta’, chocolate semifreddo. hazelnut caramel crunch $16

This got me salivating from the description, unfortunately it wasn't as nice as it sounded. The chocolate was too mellow and drowned beneath the somewhat bitter caramel. There wasn't much 'substance' to it.

“sfingi”, hot Italian donuts, ricotta candied cream $15

Oh boy, these were a sugar overload. I think because the other dishes we had eaten were already so rich, that when these came out we just couldn't eat more than one. Very sweet but well cooked.

Service: Good. The wait staff were lovely however the desserts took quite a while to come out compared to the first three dishes. We did however receive a side order by accident and were given it free of charge which was lovely.

Atmosphere: Modern, neutral tones. The restaurant has a minimal look with the bar running along one side. It is a touch on the small side, so tables are fairly close together.

Website: www.misterbianco.com.au

Hours: Fri & Sun noon-2.30pm
Daily 6pm-late

Would I return: Yes. With the generous serving size and delicious dishes I will definitely be back.

Vegie Hut - Box Hill - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Name: Vegie Hut

Address: 984 Whitehorse Rd

Box Hill, VIC 3128

03 9898 2287

Food: Chinese, Vegetarian, Vegan, Buddhist

We ordered: (take away). Vegetable Spring Rolls

These were some of the tastiest spring rolls I have had, but the pastry could have been cooked a touch more.

Salt and Pepper chicken

Incredibly spot on texture wise. Reminiscent of KFC's popcorn chicken. These were still nice the next day.

Chicken Nuggets
Mr.M exclaimed these were some of the best chicken nuggets he has had so he enjoyed them. I never liked chicken nuggets back in my meat-eating days so these weren't to my liking.

Pad See Ewe
Unfortunately this was too bitter for me and the noodles quite gluggy. I wouldn't order it again.

Lemon Chicken
Probably the least spot on in terms of texture but others a fairly good replica of lemon chicken. Funnily enough, despite chicken being the only meat I used to eat I didn't enjoy the faux versions, they tasted too much like the real thing and meat just doesn't taste great to me. Hubby enjoyed it more as it didn't have that chewy, poor meat quality taste you sometimes get from the real deal. (pictured without sauce).

Crispy Duck
As you can see I accidentally poured the lemon sauce over the duck. That aside I couldn't eat this as it just tasted too much like meat and duck was one of those meats I never tried as I couldn't bring myself to eat a duck. Hubby said it tasted extraordinarily similar to the real thing.

Veggie dumplings
My favourite dish of the night.

Website: vegiehut.com.au

Hours: Closed Tuesdays.

Would I return: Yes. Great place for vegetarians/vegans - it would probably fool most meat-eaters too!

Wunderbar - Rye - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 02:51:00 +0000

Name: Wunderbar

Address: 2409 Pt. Nepean Road
Rye, VIC 3941
03 5985 9187

Food: German, European

Average price: $4 - $34.

Complimentary: Nothing,

We ordered: Langos - $7.50
hungarian fried flatbread, served with sour cream and grated cheese

This was our favourite dish. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. It was decadent and yummy with the sour cream and cheese. It's not gourmet but it's still yummy, trashy food.

Mozzarella, pear, prosciutto, honey - $13

We were surprised at how nicely this was plated up. Mr.M liked it but I found the pears to taste rather 'old' and grainy which was a shame as the other ingredients were fresh.

Thick cut chips - $7

Nicely cooked chips that were well seasoned.

Apfelstrudel - $12
with vanilla sauce and whipped cream

I love Apfelstrudels and unfortunately this one was the worst I have ever had, two mouthfuls was all I could eat. The pastry was tough and the filling was tasteless. The accompaniments were no better with the sauce tasting like sugar and cornflour and the cream like water.
Service: Good. We were the only patrons in the place so it is a bit hard to tell what the average service would be like.

Atmosphere: European pub with a view of the ocean. I can't comment on the atmosphere as we were the only people in the place so it was deadly quiet when we dined, but they have lounge areas as well as tables with board games to play as well.

Website: http://www.wunderbar-rye.com.au/

Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 4pm till late
Friday and Saturday: 12noon till late
Sunday: 12noon till 11pm
Tuesday: closed

Would I return: Yes, the langos and chips were nice enough and cheaply enough priced to warrant another try.

Picknics Cafe - Rye - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:27:00 +0000

Name: Picknics Cafe

Address: 2285 Point Nepean Hwy
Rye, VIC 3941
03 5985 6025

Food: Cafe,

Average price: Under $15

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: Homemade blend of dried fruits and nuts, oats and puffed corn which was oven toasted with maple and vanilla. Served with milk, natural yoghurt and cinnamon rhubarb

This was a really lovely cereal blend and the compote was also well spiced and delicious. I also appreciated the large serving size.

Porridge with rhubarb and sweet dukkah.

This was OK, but once the topping ran out it was a little bland.

Burger

Mr.M said this was OK but rather hard to fit in one mouthful.

Eggs with bacon

Mr.M said the eggs were cooked well but wouldn't order it again.

Orange juice

Mocha

Service: OK. The waiters were friendly but the food took a long time to come out on both days.

Atmosphere: Beachy casual. Lots of fishing nets, oars, harpoons and empty bottles line the walls. The atmosphere is your standard bustling cafe, this place fills up quick. It is dog friendly so if you sit outside you will be sitting amongst the pooches, which normally I would love, however on our visit we sat beside a very gassy Jack Russell...

Website: None.

Hours: Daily 6am-4pm

Would I return: Yes - as there isn't much else around.

Scorched - Torquay - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:48:00 +0000

Name: Scorched
Address: 17 The Esplanade
Torquay, VIC 3228
03 5261 6142

Food: Middle Eastern, International

Average price: $4-$34

Complimentary: Zeally Bay Sourdough sticks, dukkah spice & “Camilo” extra virgin olive oil

We ordered:
Salt cod fritter and aioli - $4 each

Mr.M: These were not the best salt cold fritters I have had. They were OK.

Fried school prawns, chilli salt and lemon - $12

Mr.M: These were delicious and quite a generous serve.

Baked haloumi, spiced baby figs, walnuts and mint - $12

This had all the components to guarantee a delicious dish and as I expected the combination of salty, sweet and crunchy was a winner for me.

Roasted cauliflower, currants, almonds and tahini - $16

We were told this was one of their most popular dishes. Unfortunately this suffered from excessive salting. Before the salt burned my tastebuds to oblivion I could detect a possibly lovely flavour profile, but I cannot be sure. Even after copious amounts of water whenever I went back for another mouthful I was hit with another wave of salt. Shame.

Fresh fig, cracked wheat, pomegranate and Persian feta - $16

This should have been grand with the classic flavour pairing but despite the heavy flavour hitters I felt it was slightly dull, nothing really 'popped'. Maybe some seasoning or some more acid was needed?

Fattoush salad with crisp pita, tomato, cucumber and mint - $16

Another dish lost to the overzealous salting. This was even saltier than the seawater in front of us. Couldn't eat it.

Lamb kofta, hummus, tabbouleh - $18

Mr.M: Kind of boring and oversalted.

Dessert platter: (from memory) Persian fairy floss, rosewater turkish delight, strawberry ice cream, berry trifle, baklava

I cannot remember exactly what everything was but I can remember the impression they made.

We will start with the bad - the baklava. Very dry and personally hsould have been left off the platter.

I'm not a fan of fairy floss (no substance) but Mr.M ate it all.

Neither of us had the turkish delight (I love it, but as a vegetarian I no longer eat gelatin).

The ice cream was AMAZING - and I say amazing because I really am not a fan of ice cream (the cold temperature makes it less appetising for me). This was creamy and full of flavour with a lovely softness. Mr.M enjoyed it as well.

Saved the best for last, the berry trifle. I can't quite remember the flavour combination but it was a great dish and Mr.M and I devoured it in seconds.

Service: Good. The food came out quickly and the waitress was very nice.

Atmosphere: Beach casual. The decor is accented with bright orange and the outdoor seating is a typical wooden picnic table and bench, communal style. The noise level can get quite loud at night. There is a lovely view to the beach during the day.

Website: http://www.scorched.com.au/index.php

Hours: Wed-Sun 11.30am-5pm
Wed-Sat 5.30pm-late

Would I return: Yes, I think it was just an off 'seasoning' night and the food has potential to be great.

Loquat - Sorrento - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Name: Loquat

Address: 3183 Point Nepean Road Sorrento, VIC 3943
03 5984 4444

Food: ModOz, Mediterranean

Average price: Entree: $8-$15, Mains: $19-$32, Dessert: $8-$14

Complimentary: bread with olives and butter.

We ordered:
Entree: Red Hill 'goat cheese souffle, pear salad, beetroot and ginger puree

This was really lovely. The flavours complimented each other and it was well executed.

Dill & vanilla cured king salmon with tangelo, nasturtium, red onion & crisp capers

Main: Pork trio balsamic glazed pork belly, sous vide fillet, pork & sage sausage, red cabbage & cider braised apple

Pasta with vegetables

I was quite surprised at how tasty this was, and then delighted at the generous serving size.

Dessert: callebaut chocolate fondant, honeycomb, orange ganache, blueberries w vanilla icecream

Pretty good fondant with a nice oozy center.

Yellow peach creme brulee, with yellow peach ice cream and honey snap wafer

This was the let down for me. The crust didn't have that wonderful crack and the brulee was rather tasteless, like a very plain flavourless custard.

Service: OK.
Whilst the waiters were very friendly we resorted to getting up to refill our water and the food towards the end became slow to come out.

Atmosphere: Cosy with dark tones nestled amongst loquat trees. Fairly casual vibe.

Website: http://loquat.homestead.com/index.html

Hours: Winter Thu-Sun 6pm-10pm
summer Mon-Sun 6pm-10pm

Would I return: Yes.

Cafe Moby - Torquay - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:23:00 +0000

Name: Cafe Moby

Address: 41 The Esplanade
Torquay
03 5261 2339

Food: Cafe

Average price: $15

Complimentary: Water.

We ordered: Triple chocolate muffin/cake

Out of all the impressive looking muffin/cakes I chose this based on the description - triple chocolate. Unfortunately it was only in reference to the extra chocolate drizzled on top as the base was just a standard chocolate cake. It was lovely, but not as rich and decadent as I was hoping.

Vegetarian wrap

Lovely mix of veggie antipasti in a fresh wrap. Simple but as expected. I liked that the side salad was also fresh and not the usual wilted afterthought.

BLT with chicken on Turkish bread

Mr.M thought this was nice and a rather generous serve.

Service: Good. Because you have to order and pay at the counter and get your own water I can't say the service is great, but when our food was brought out to us the waiter was really lovely and made us feel extremely welcome. It has a great 'family' vibe.

Atmosphere: Casual and fun for the kids. When I was looking for a place to grab lunch, kid-friendly was a must as I was toting my completely unpredictable 5month old with me. When I heard this place had a playground out back for the young ones I was sold. But don't be put off by the children factor as despite there being a bunch of kids the noise wasn't more than that of a regular cafe.
As others have recommended, leave one person at the table whilst the other lines up to order, or you may find yourself with nowhere to eat your meal.
The location is right opposite the beach so you also have a lovely view when you eat.

Website: None.

Hours: 7am-3pm Monday to Sunday.

Would I return: Yes, now I have a kid I am more prone to eat the the kid-friendly places.

Studley Park Boathouse - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Name: Studley Park Boathouse

Address: 1 Boathouse Rd
Kew, VIC 3101
03 9853 1828

Food: ModOz, European

Average price: Entree: $11-$19, Mains: $26-$35, Dessert: $14-$18.50

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered:
Main: Boathouse burger with bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce, fries and salad - $24

Mr.M: Not as good as the previous visit.

Housemade gnocchi with eggplant, wild rocket, and feta cheese - $23

Whilst it was OK, it wasn't as great as their previous flavour combination. The gnocchi was still quite well cooked though, but the dish was a little oily.

Salt and Pepper Calamari, with iceberg lettuce, cashews, lime and palm sugar dressing - $24

A thought this was nice.
Service: Not great. The food was slow in coming out, and after waiting 20mins for a slice of cake we cancelled the order. The waiters were also never around and our water was rarely refilled.

Atmosphere: Surrounded by nature. The river, trees and wildlife makes for a truly relaxing atmosphere, on a sunny day up on the balcony it is truly wonderful. Although if a swan squabble arises there will be some noise :). The restaurant itself is done in a neutral minimal decor.

Parking: Ample on site parking. Also nearby street parking.

Website: http://www.studleyparkboathouse.com.au/

Hours: Wed-Fri & Sun noon-3pm, Wed-Sat 6.30pm-10pm (cafe hours: Sat-Sun 9am-11am, daily noon-4pm)

Would I return: Yes, it's still a lovely local spot.

Top 10 2011

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:21:00 +0000

C's:

Surpringly quite a few corn, and salted caramel dishes in last year's list (pregnancy hormones to blame?), with Attica scoring two dishes in the top 10. And yes, my number one dish of last year was a simple caramel slice, but it was THE BEST caramel slice I have ever had, and I still dream about it...

1: Caramel slice - Louttit Bay Bakery

2: Raw chestnuts, salt baked celeriac, Pyengana - Attica

3: Polenta, wild thyme, slow cooked organic egg, parmesan, corn - Charcoal Lane

4: Chocolate parfait, sour cherry and pistachio financier, cherry ice cream - Centonove

5: Strawberries and cream - Persimmon

6: White chocolate eggs with caramel - Attica

7: Soft poached egg, polenta, truffle, brioche crumbs - The Point

8: Soft centered Valrhona chocolate biscuit, almond praline anglaise and Tahiti vanilla bean ice cream - La Petanque

9: "Street Style" chargrilled corn with queso, chipotle mayonnaise & lime - Mamasita

10: Butterscotch popcorn ice cream - Burch & Purchese

Worst dish of 2011: Pumpkin pasta in a sage and burnt butter sauce - Sosta Cucina

I was 6 months pregnant AND starving and I still couldn't eat more than a mouthful.

Mr.M's:

1. Marron, leek, egg yolk - Attica

2. Cured kingfish, wasabi - $25 - Cutler & Co

3. Violet honeycomb crumble ice cream -Burch & Purchese

4. Violet crumble - Attica

5. Shiitakes & meat from the Pearl Oyster - Attica

6. Bitter chocolate fondant, griottine cherries, malt ice cream, brown butter crumbs - Persimmon

7. Peanut butter parfait, bananas, bitter chocolate - Persimmon

8. Hopkins River Eye fillet steak sandwich, beetroot + blood orange relish, caramel onions, bacon, roast tomato, aged Maffra farmhouse cheddar + a poached googie egg - Snow Pony

9. Main: Roast suckling pig boudin noir plum and kohlrabi - $46

10. Zuchhini flowers - Grossi Florentino

WORST DISH EVER
Pumpkin pasta in a sage and burnt butter sauce - Sosta Cucina

Still remember the bad taste in my mouth.

Studley Park Boathouse - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Name: Studley Park Boathouse

Address: 1 Boathouse Rd
Kew, VIC 3101
03 9853 1828

Food: ModOz, European

Average price: Entree: $11-$19, Mains: $26-$35, Dessert: $14-$18.50

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered:
Main: Housemade gnocchi panfried with pumpkin sauce, ricotta and walnuts - $18

The gnocchi was really soft. the pumpkin sauce was a touch on the sweet side and therefore I would have preferred a saltier cheese, such as feta, than the mellow ricotta. The walnuts were yummy but also sweet. Had this been a touch more salty it would have been really fantastic, but overall it was still a nice dish that I would order again.

Boathouse burger with bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce, fries and salad - $24

Mr.M: It was beautiful

Dessert: Belgian chocolate mousse cake - $10.90

The mousse was a touch too gelatinous for me, being on the firm side also subdued the chocolate flavour I was hoping for, instead it was more akin to a vanilla/sweet mousse cake than Chocolate. Texture and flavour aside it was still decent.

Service: A little over attentive. Our food came out fairly quickly and our water was never less than half full but a lot of the time the waiters would just be standing behind us, waiting, which was a little off putting as we felt a lack of privacy.

Atmosphere: Surrounded by nature. The river, trees and wildlife makes for a truly relaxing atmosphere, on a sunny day up on the balcony it is truly wonderful. Although if a swan squabble arises there will be some noise :). The restaurant itself is done in a neutral minimal decor.

Burch & Purchese - South Yarra - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:11:00 +0000

Name: Burch & Purchese

Address: 647 Chapel Street
South Yarra, VIC 3141
03 9827 7060

Food: Sweets

Average price: $4.50 - $170

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: Puffed quinoa & malted orange caramelised white chocolate - $11
Salted caramel spread - $12.50

Once again I've been led astray by other's raves. For me this bar was equally sweet and bitter. It was cloyingly sweet with bitterness from the orange. There was a hint of caramel but it was lost in the flood of sugar. The texture was also a touch grainy after the melt.

Salted caramel spread - $12.50

Well, I am a sucker for salted caramel so it's no surprise I was eating this out of the jar. I will, however, not be buying it again as there is no ingredients list and I fear that its texture may be due to either corn syrup or even gelatine, neither if which I wish to consume. I wish they would list the ingredients so those who are vegetarian or have intolerances could consume their products.

St Clements & vanilla marmalade - $10.50

This is heavy on the peel with quite a bitterness to it, but I still enjoyed it. A decent marmalade, albeit rather pricey.

Chocolate, caramel & hazelnut spread - $12.50

If they hadn't sold this as their version of 'Nutella' I might have liked it's rather bitter non-chocolate taste, but alas I was expecting sweet chocolate with hazelnuts and a hint of caramel, which it did not deliver. To me this had zero chocolate taste and was predominantly a bitter nutty caramel. It didn't tickle my tastebuds at all.

Passionfruit meringue cloud - $4.50

The best out of the three, I really needed the tartness to soften the saccahrine sweetness. Unfortunately, as with all three meringues, there was a heavy raw egg flavour that I just couldn't get past. I also found the thick harder shell rather 'chalk-like' on my teeth which was unpleasant texture-wise. It seems the meringues just aren't for me.

Strawberry meringue cloud - $4.50

Really sweet and bubblegum-ish.

Blackberry meringue cloud - $4.50

Quite sweet with a really subtle blackberry flavour.

Butterscotch popcorn ice cream - $12

If I could only eat one ice cream for the rest of my life this would be it. Exactly as described this creamy concoction tasted of salty popcorn and toffe-esque butterscotch upon an almost vanilla ice cream is sublime - 500ml ain't large enough!

Violet honeycomb crumble ice cream - $12

My husband almost kissed my feet when I handed him this. Attica's violet dessert is his all time favourite and now he can relive that delectable pleasure every night with this ice cream. I have a feeling next time we go he will be emptying the entire supply and that still won't be enough.

Banana, caramel, rum - $9
caramelised white chocolate & vanilla mousse, macadamia spiced speculaas, caramelised banan cream, passionfruit jelly, caramelised milk solids, passionfruit curd, chocolate vevet spray

After all the hype I was left feeling a little blase about this one; to me it was rather 'baby food bland' with only sweet banana coming through. The passion fruit was the saving grace for me with its vibrant bursts of tartness, wish there had been more.

Chocolate, mandarin, salted caramel - $48
Kendari 60% chocolate mousse, Murray River salted caramel, burnt mandarin cream, St Clements marmalade, aerated choclate shortbread, chocolate mirror glaze

This was a gift for my gorgeous K who loved it. It's the classic 'Jaffa' flavour done really well.

Service: Over the phone they were absolutely lovely and helpful when I placed my order.

Parking: Street parking but Chapel st can get rather busy.

Website: http://www.burchandpurchese.com/

Hours: Tues - Sun 10-6:30pm.

Would I return: Yes. We will be loading up on their ice creams as per hubby's request.

Churchill Cafe & Larder - Surrey Hills - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:54:00 +0000

Name: Churchill Cafe & Larder

Address: 13 Hamilton St
Surrey Hills, 3127
(03) 9890 3444

Food: ModOz, Cafe,
Average price: $3.50 - $20

Complimentary: Bread and hummus.

We ordered:
Main: Eye fillet, sautéed mushrooms, smoked bone marrow, pomme frittes and red wine jus - $36

Mr.M: Very tasty. I usually don't like mushrooms on my steak but they were nice. Nice charcoal flavour and the fries were good.

Mushroom risotto, peas, asparagus, goats cheese and truffle oil -$30

Nice mushroom flavour but the rice was watery and lacked the oozy cohesiveness I like in a risotto. I would have like some more cheese as well to add that sharp punch and interest to the rice. Overall it was OK

Dessert: Chocolate fondant, rum and raisin ice-cream - $15

Mr.M: It was great. Nice ooze. Ice cream was strong in alcohol but still nice.

Vanilla Crème brulêe, with rhubarb compote - $15

The brulee had a fantastic 'crack' - the sugar top was great. Whilst the custard was extremely smooth it was also extremely bland. There was no flavour to it, and if eaten without the sugar topping there was no sweetness to it whatsoever, it was almost akin to whipped cream. The bulk of flavour came from the tart rhubarb, the custard of the brulee was basically acting as a plate for the fruit and the sugary crust.

Service: OK. We went on a Thursday night and were the only people in the entire restaurant, even upon leaving there were no other patrons so it is hard to judge the atmosphere or noise level. Despite being the only two people in the place it still took over 40mins to get our order...the waitress was great though and kept our water topped up.

Atmosphere: Shades of brown. The decor is modern punctuated by artwork and a communal mosaic table. Despite also being open for dinner the room maintains its cafe-vibe.

Parking: Good - there's a decent amount of street parking and a carpark for Mont Albert station that runs alongside the road.

Website: http://www.churchillrestaurant.com.au/

Hours: Dinner wed-sat 6.00pm- late, Breakfast sat 8.00am-11.30am, Breakfast/lunch sun 8.00am-3.00pm

Would I return: Yes. My dishes weren't stellar but hubby's were good enough to warrant a second try.

The Village Cafe - Balwyn North - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Name: The Village Cafe

Address: Shop 2/74 Doncaster Road
Balwyn North
(03) 9859 8111

Food: Cafe

Average price: Breakfast $3.50-$14.50, $Lunch7.00-$18.00

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: French toast with maple syrup & berry compote - $13

Mr.M didn't enjoy this as he found the toast too soggy for his liking. I tried some and whilst I agree that the middle of the toast was also rather eggy and wet, I still thought it was nice flavour wise.

Forest mushrooms on toast with goat's cheese - $11

I thought this was lovely, although the serving size was a little small. The mushrooms were well cooked and seasoned. The bread was soft and easy to cut through and the creamy goats cheese was wonderful. Quite satisfying.

Big Breakfast - $16.90
two eggs, bacon, sausage, mushroom, tomato & hash brown served on toast

S and A thought this was fairly average.

French fries with aioli - $6

Chips were cooked well and aioli was nice, they did taste like they had come from a freezer packet though.

Passionfruit muffin

Nice, large muffin that was moist within. The passion fruit flavour, whilst there, was muted though as the muffin was quite sweet. Would have enjoyed it more had the passion fruit been more prominent.

Lemongrass & ginger tea - $3.80

Lovely tea. Must warn you though that some of the tea leaves can end up looking like short black hairs in your cup. After thinking my tea pot was dirty they replaced it with another bag and tea pot and the same thing happened, so don't be alarmed as it's just the tea leaves.

Chai Latte - $3.80

Mr.M: It was alright.

Mocha - $3.50

Affogato - $4.50

Service: OK. Food came out fairly soon after ordering, but they didn't offer us any water despite the fact we all ordered coffees.

Atmosphere: Local cafe. The glass windows flood the cafe with light giving it an 'airy' feel. We went on a Sunday so the cafe was filled with well dressed church-goers coming in for a coffee after mass. The noise level was decent.

Parking: Ample. There are 3 medium sized carparks as well as street parking. But if you go on a Sunday be warned as the church causes spots to fill quickly.

Website: None.

Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm; Sat-Sun 9am-3.30pm

Would I return: No. There are many cafes to try nearby.

Mamasita - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:13:00 +0000

Name: Mamasita

Address: Level 1, 11 Collins St
Melbourne
(03) 9650 3821

Food: Mexican, South American

Average price: Entree: $3.80-$8, Mains: $5-$40, Dessert: $5-$10,
Complimentary: Salsa

We ordered: Entree: Elotes callejeros - $4.40ea

"Street Style" chargrilled corn with queso, chipotle mayonnaise & lime

This was by far my favourite dish of the night. As a million others have already said, it's the combination of sweet corn, salty cheese, spicy chipotle and sour lime that make your taste buds dance. I shall definitely be trying to replicate this at home.

Mr.M: This was nice.

Main: de Pollo Quesadillas - $14

Chargrilled chicken with ‘picode gallo’, coriander & queso fresco

Mr.M: This was so boring I had to force myself to eat it, but it was due to high expectations from the buzz about it.

Quesadilla de Huillacoche - $14
Mexican truffle, mushrooms, roasted corn, epazote & queso fresco - $14

This was a bit of a let down as on the menu, it sounded so good. The flavour was predominantly the mushrooms, it seemed to lack the sweetness from the corn or the saltiness from the cheese. It was too earthy with only the mushroom coming through. Without tooting my own horn, I have made nicer quesadillas at home.

Sides: Platanos Machos - $4.50
Fried plantains, salsa & queso fresco

These were the surprise of the night. I loved them with the salsa and cheese, on their own they lacked flavour dimension and were a little too starchy for me (the plantains tasted like a cross between a banana and a potato). Hubby thought they were delicious also.

Mr.M: I quite enjoyed these.

Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake with tequila sauce & PX jelly - $12

This was OK. The cake was a nice standard flourless chocolate cake which had a nice cocoa depth to it. I didn't like the tequila sauce of PX jelly as I am not a fan of alcohol.

Apple fritters with pear & vanilla sorbet - $9

The standout in this dish was the pear and vanilla sorbet which was more like an ice cream with its gorgeous creaminess, I loved it. The fritters were OK, like fritters your mum would make.

Service: Good. The food comes out super fast as most dishes are able to be prepped to 'fast food' quickness. The waitresses were helpful when ordering and cleared the plates quite quickly.

Atmosphere: Jammed in. If you are lucky enough not to be hugging the wall all the way down the stairs and out the door waiting for a table then you will be placed at either one of their few tables or more likely on a stool along a bench. Being heavily pregnant sitting on a high stool was not optional so we were lucky in that we managed to maneuver ourselves into a table originally meant for 3 (they do not like to split their table arrangements). Even at the tables though we were very close to the other diners, and even with the loud noise level we could hear their conversations easily. They also prefer to have you sit at the bar whilst waiting for a table, rather than coming back when it's ready.

Parking: Decent - street parking is limited but there are always the paid carpark lots nearby.

Website: www.mamasita.com.au

Hours: Mon-Wed noon-midnight, Thu noon-12.30am, Fri noon-2am, Sat 6pm-2am (they close for 2hours or so before 5pm).

Would I return: No. The fact that they don't book means that waiting is practically inevitable, and in all honesty the food isn't worth waiting around for.

Colombo's - Balwyn - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:19:00 +0000

Name: Colombo's

Address: 250 Whitehorse Rd
Balwyn
(03) 9836 6442

Food: Italian, Take away, Fast food

Average price: $7-$32 for dine in.

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered:
Main: Mushroom pizza
Tomato, cheese, onions, garlic, mushroom, oregano

This was average. The base was slightly doughy and overall the flavours muted (mushrooms were as tasty as cardboard). After being spoilt with all of the gourmet pizza joints around the standard pizza is no longer satisfactory. Better than Pizza Hut but not Crust/Pizza Capers etc.

BBQ pork ribs with salad

Mr.M: I could only eat half of the ribs as they were horrible. The meat was gooey and the salad tasted old. The fact that this was almost $30 is ridiculous.

Dessert: Chocolate mousse

Supposedly homemade but this tasted like every other pizza places packet mousse - more about the cream and sugar than any real chocolate flavour. On a positive note the serving size was generous.

Service: OK. The food came out quickly but the waiters were barely seen even though they were all very friendly, no checking up on whether we liked it and you pour your water yourself. That said they were happy to box up any leftovers for us.

Atmosphere: Family budget. The atmosphere is pretty much the same as other restaurants of its ilk - think La Porchetta or Sofia's. In this particular branch the floors are tiled with wooden tables and chairs as well as an entire wall of sports memorabilia. The noise level depends on the number of patrons, at full capacity my guess is it would be quite loud.

Parking: Ample street parking as well as a Safeway car park across the road.

Website: www.colombos.com.au

Hours: Mon-Sun 11am-late

Would I return: Only if desperate, there are better lower budget fast food/dine in places out there.