Absolutely Famished

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.

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, lovely location and good value for food.

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.

il Sogno - Surrey Hills - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:05:00 +0000

Name: Il Sogno

Address: 512 Whitehorse Rd
Surrey Hills 3127 VIC
(03) 9830 1052

Food: Italian

Average price: Entree: $9-$17.90, Mains: $18-$32, Dessert: $10

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: Entree: Bruschetta with roasted peppers & bocconcini - $12

This was plain; too simple, it needed something to balance the acidity of peppers, something to give it a flavour punch.

Pork & pistachio terrine, with wild figs & vincotto - $16.90

Mr.M: Fairly nice.

Main: Risotto with asparagus, peas, broccoli & zucchini with truffle oil - $26

The rice was extremely mushy and watery; it tasted almost exactly like what my mother used to cook up for our dogs (rice cooked in stock with diced veg). It wasn't creamy or al dente, it basically just tasted like stock, rice and bland veg. I barely ate any of it.

Tortellini veal with crushed peas & ricotta - $27

Mr.M: the pasta wasn't cooked around the edges and was quite thick, I didn't like this a whole lot.

Dessert: Lavender infused panna cotta with blueberries - $12

When you arrive you are given the spiel on how this restaurant is all about 'freshly made' and 'seasonal produce', so I'm not sure exactly how blueberries are seasonal in the middle of Winter (they also have peaches on the dessert menu too)...
The questionable seasonality aside the lavender flavour was gorgeous and paired well with blueberries. The panna cotta was touch soft texture wise but otherwise nice. I felt the dish needed something else though, maybe something with some crunch or more blueberries as the lavender panna cotta dominated.

Chocolate & hazelnut semifreddo - $13

Mr.M: I really liked this even though I needed a knife to cut through it.

Even though hubby liked it, to me this tasted exactly like those chocolate mousses you get from pizza places, but frozen. And frozen so solid that Mr.M had to request a knife just to be able to break a chunk off. The semifreddo tasted predominantly of cream/milk and sugar, with a hint of chocolate and hazelnut. And as mentioned it was hard to gauge the texture seeing as though it was frozen solid.

Service: OK. The service seemed a little scattered with most of the waiters hanging around a table of 8 joining in on their conversation. The food came out fairly quickly though and our water was kept topped up.

Atmosphere: Sleepy. Despite being told we only had one hour to eat on a Friday night the restaurant was only 30% filled and when we left was still the same. The restaurant patrons seemed to be predominantly older and dining in large parties. Most were regulars as the waiters sat around with them chatting whilst they ate. The decor is neutral with wooden tables covered in white linen and painted taupe wood panelling on the walls with framed coloured photographs of Italy and some hanging copper pots as decoration. The seats at the front windows will feel a huge draught whenever someone opens the door.

Parking: Ample. Plenty of street parking.

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

Hours: Thu-Fri noon-3pm
Tue-Sun 5pm-10pm

Would I return: No. The food was no better than what I cook at home and the pricing a little expensive for the quality you are getting.

Snow Pony - Balwyn - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:43:00 +0000

Name: Snow Pony

Address:
95 Whitehorse Rd
Balwyn 3103 VIC

Phone: (03) 9816 8911

Food: ModOz, Cafe, Organic
Average price: $4.90-$19.90

Complimentary: Iced clockface cookies with our bill.

We ordered: Lemonade scones with bon maman jam & Chantilly cream - $3.50

A enjoyed this (served with raspberry jam this time) but didn't like the fact that the jam was served in one large jar rather than individual portion sizes. She was put off by the fact that another patron might have doubled dipped before her.

Spanish potato tortilla with manchego

This was average. The potatoes were cooked through but the dish was hot and cold, perhaps from being reheated rather than being made to order. It was also bland in terms of the flavour profile, I was tempted to add salt to pick it up a bit.

Hopkins River Eye fillet steak sandwich, beetroot & blood orange relish, caramel onions, bacon, roast tomato, aged Maffra farmhouse cheddar & a poached gooey egg - $21.9

Both S and Mr.M enjoyed this as much as they had previously. Still the best dish on the menu according to them.

Service: OK. When we arrived on a Saturday morning we were told a table would be ready in about 15mins, unfortunately that 15mins turned into 45mins, and when you are 8months pregnant standing on the sidewalk on a 7degree Celsius wintry morning it's a little too long when you only expected to be waiting 15mins. After being seated and ordering the food still took a while to come out as they were at full capacity, we also had to ask after the brownie which they seemed to have forgotten, so after hoping to eat breakfast at 11am we ended up eating at 12:30, by which point we were grumpy and hungry.

Atmosphere: A touch cramped. There are tons of chairs in front, inside and out the back. Mostly dark, neutral colours. The noise level gets really loud when full and if seated at the front you are subject to cold draughts whenever the door is opened.

Parking: Ample - large amount of street parking, not a super busy area.

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

Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
Sat-Sun 8.30am-4pm

Would I return: No - the waits are too long for breakfast.

Attica - Ripponlea - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Name: Attica

Address: 74 Glen Eira Rd
Ripponlea 3185 VIC
Phone: (03) 9530 0111

Food: ModOz,
Average price: Degustation menu: 5 courses, $120, 8 courses: $160, $270 with matched beverage

Complimentary: Bread with cultured butter & olive oil emulsion with volcanic salt

The bread was absolutely delicious. All four of us couldn't help ourselves from asking for more. Most enjoyed the cultured butter but I preferred the slightly tangy oil emulsion.

Mr.M: bread was fantastic

Silken tofu

I can't quite remember what was in these appetisers but they were quite bland and unmemorable.

White chocolate eggs with caramel

Modelled on pekeko eggs these little morsels were filled with a gorgeous salted caramel that went wonderfully with the white chocolate. Yum.

We ordered: Textured cauliflower with horseradish

Delicious and complex. I can't recall the sequence in which everything revealed itself but the strongest contenders were the horseradish with its peppery bite, the calming, exotic coconut and the sharp tang of the crimson barberries. This dish is fun. It also contained puffed wild rice.

Snow Crab

Same as above but with crab instead of cauliflower.

Mr.M: a complex mixture of flavours...so many flavours that sometimes you are unsure if you like the dish or now. Jury is out on this one.

Cress stems, cucumber, pumpkin seeds

This was delicious. I loved the sweetness of the leeks and pear with the salty cucumber and samphire. The seeds added a nice crunch.

Marron, leek, egg yolk

Mr.M: best dish of the night. You would expect the marron to be a cold fish like texture when you sink your teeth into it. This dish was warm, and maybe is because I was expecting not to like the dish...but it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Everything goes together perfectly, and everyone on the table with this dish loved it

A simple dish of potato cooked in the earth it was grown

The potato, which is sightly sweet and butter was tender but still firm - perfectly cooked. The smoked goat's cheese with coconut husk ash gave a wonderful tangy, smoky element to compliment the potatoes starchy creaminess. The crunchy fried saltbush leaves also worked well.

Mr.M: I've had this dish a couple of times and out of all the dishes it was my least favourite. I seem to be the only person that doesn't think its a great dish so there is probably something wrong with my taste buds

Shiitake broth, sea vegetables, osmanthus

Lovely Asian flavours.

Shiitakes & meat from the Pearl Oyster

Mr.M: great dish. Once again, lots of flavours that went together really well. Almost licked the plate clean.

Raw chestnuts, salt baked celeriac, Pyengana

Fantastic dish; it was salty but excellent. The chestnuts added a soft sweetness along with the nutty celeriac to balance the sharp cheese and rich egg yolk. Everyone loved it.

Mr.M: Another table favourite. Very warm inviting plate.

Beef tongue, vanilla, myrtus, lettuce stems

One diner wasn't keen on beef tongue so they substituted a 5+ Waygu rump for her.

Mr.M: the main meat dish of the night was served about 3 hours in, by this time everyone was pretty full. However this dish was 'light' on filling your stomach but potent on flavour

Wild mushrooms, mulled wine, pearl onions

This was my least favourite dish of the night. The wine sauce was too strong for me.

Winter apples

The vine leaves were soaked in juices (I believe one of which was beet?) and went well with the apples soaked in granny smith apple juice. Overall the flavours are tart and sharp. I enjoyed it.

Mr.M: loved it.

Mandarin & honeydew honey

The caramelised Sauternes cream was delicious and despite the mandarins (both fresh and freeze dried) being very acidic I enjoyed them. What felt out of balance to me was perhaps the honey? There was a strong herbal like element (more akin to a tree like eucalyptus or tea tree) that was really strong and overpowered the other flavours.

Mr.M: liked it.

Violet crumble

Mr.M loved this dish so much he asked if it were possible to make one up, luckily for him it was. The flavours of the violet fromage frais and crystallised flowers to the chocolate dust, house honeycomb crumble and butterscotch syrup are delicious, although I still feel that a creamier ice cream, rather than tangy, would work better.

Mr.M: I've had this dish before but it was taken off the ever evolving menu. We asked the Chef is he would make it again and he did. A personal favourite of mine!

Service: OK. Whilst the waiters were great the kitchen was really behind and we didn't receive the first appetiser until at least 45mins in. In total, despite us scoffing down our food really quickly, our last dish wasn't served until after 1am (we had an 8:30pm seating). We were all quite tired by the end and a few of us chose to take the eggs home as we had passed the eating stage and just wanted to sleep.

Atmosphere: Mellow. The lighting is definitely dark, with the overall room decorated in dark, woody hues. The noise level isn't very loud and the tables are spaced apart well. It has a stylish casual feel. There was also a lovely view into the courtyard, I would recommend being seated in this area rather than the front.

Parking: Ample - the main street doesn't get much traffic after hours.

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

Hours: Tues-Sat: 6pm til late

Would I return: Yes, this was the best food experience here yet with almost all of the dishes being fantastic. Hopefully next time the service won't be as slow.

Mr.M: Attica has definitely undergone some changes in the last time we visited. Last time I was at Attica I loved the creativity of the food, but that didn't necessarily translate to me enjoying the dish. Upon arriving we looked at the menu, and noticed that the price was up for the 8 course to $160, making it probably in the top 5 most expensive places in Melbourne. "It better be worth it" I thought in my head. Well, it was. The service was a little slow to get going (Attica seems to be known for this), however the place is very relaxed and the waiters where extremely knowledgeable without being snobby (like many other 2~3 chefs hat restaurants we have been to). Attica proves that Winter food does not have to be boring! We will be back again!

Estivo - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:31:00 +0000

Name: Estivo

Address:
330 High St
Kew 3101 VIC
Phone: (03) 9853 1727

Food: ModOz, Italian
Average price: appetiser - $9, entrée - $18, main - $30, dessert - $13.

Complimentary:Bread with balsamic and olive oil

We ordered:
Mains: Vegetarian platter

The mushroom parmesan tart was lovely as were the mixed vegetables but I was slightly perplexed as to why the third component was a dollop of guacamole. For a main it was slightly small.

Aged angus tenderloin of beef, medley of vegetables a la Grecque, soubise sauce and rich veal glaze

Sides: Rosemary garlic potatoes

Gorgeous crunchy exterior with fluffy insides and a good sprinkling of salt.

Dessert: Chocolate fondant with raspberries and cream

For a chocolate cake, this was lovely, but a fondant it was not. There was no ooze whatsoever which was disappointing as I was expecting a fondant. The raspberries were also a little mushy and too scant to offer enough tartness to balance the heavy sweetness of the chocolate cake.

Affogato

Mr.M: Best I have had, loved the addition of Frangelico.

Service: Good. As there were no vegetarian options for either entree OR main the staff and chefs arranged something for me to eat.

Atmosphere: Smart neutral. The interior was a cool brown with neutral tones and artwork on the walls. There is downstairs and upstairs seating. There wasn't much noise at all considering the tables were almost full. The lighting was low but not too low.

Parking: Good. There is street parking along High St although it can get a little scarce on a Friday or Saturday night, but there are side streets.

Website: None.

Hours: Tue-Fri noon-3.30pm, Tue-Sat 6pm-10.30pm

Would I return: Yes. The food was decent and it is just down the road for me.

Cafe Rosamond - Pierre Roelofs - Fitzroy - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 07:01:00 +0000

Name: Cafe Rosamond - Pierre Roelofs dessert evenings

Address: 191 Smith St
Fitzroy 3065 VIC
9419 2270

Food: Cafe (Thursday evenings dessert degustation).

Average price: Mains: $3.50-$10.50, 1-3 course dessert degustation - $20-40, dessert tubes - $9

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: 3 course dessert deugstation and a dessert tube.
Blackforest tube

This consisted of cream, cherry puree, kirsch, chocolate

Mr.M: Tube was nice but frustrating I couldn't get it all out.

Rhubarb, strawberry, creaming soda, vanilla, yuzu

Presentation was lovely and very girly. Upon first mouthful it did remind me of a strawberry milkshake but better. Whilst I loved the fruits and the vanilla the yuzu cream was too overwhelming with its acidity. I preferred the dessert without it.

Mr.M: Pretty nice, loved the meringue, but not the yuzu.

Toasted amaranth, oat cream, passionfruit, yoghurt foam

This reminded me of a really yummy porridge, it definitely had a 'breakfast' feel to it. I loved the heaviness of the oat cream, the tangy yoghurt and nuttiness of the amaranth which was cut by the tart passionfruit. There was also another fruit, perhaps rhubarb or raspberries? Yum.

Mr.M: Not bad.

Chocolate, turron, honey, shandy

We dove straight into this before remembering to take a photo...

My favourite dish of the night. The dark velvety chocolate went perfectly with the nutty turron and vanilla whose sweetness balanced the beer and lemonade soaked sponge. Once again though I tasted something acidic that reminded me of the yuzu, which I also thought the dish could have done without. But despite that this was delicious.

Mr.M: I liked this most, especially the chocolate component.

Service: Great. Desserts came out very fast and the service was friendly.

Atmosphere: 70s dining room. The room is extremely tiny and as you enter you see the checkout and the mini kitchen which almost has an office-kitchen vibe to it. The brown tiles are worn down and the place is decked out with varnished wood, painted brick walls and 70s style watercolour paintings with a hanging vine plant in one corner. The vibe is really low key (at night) but the sound level isn't too bad but the chairs are somewhat uncomfortable. The tables are spaced together, so if you happen to be sitting next to a blogger who uses flash, prepare to be blinded (the girl I was opposite took 7 photos of the one dish, I was pretty much seeing stars all night).

Parking: Decent. There was a decent amount of street parking on a Thursday night.

Website: http://www.pierreroelofs.com/Site/home.html

Hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-4pm. Thursday degustation 7-11pm.

Would I return: Yes, but not right away. It would be nicer if you could know the dessert choice for the evening before rocking up. I would suggest arriving by 6:30pm as by 7pm you will be on a wait list guaranteed.

Persimmon - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Name: Persimmon at the National Gallery of Victoria

Address: Ground Level, NGV
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
8620 2434

Food: ModOz
Average price: Entrée - $14-16, Main - $23-35, Dessert - $14-16.

Complimentary: One pumpkin seed and one sourdough roll with butter. Warm and lovely.

We ordered: 150th NGV anniversary dinner - 5 courses for $85

Amuse
Mushrooms in soil

Possibly my favorite dish of the night; the medley of earthy mushrooms, herbs and spices was wonderful.

Cream of fennel & Pernod soup, pickled fennel salad

Lovely, creamy soup with subtle hints of licorice.

Baked kingfish, white onion soubise, toasted almond gel, golden raisins & capers,
nastercians

Broccoli risotto, pine nuts, truffle, goats curd, grana padana

Just like my previous visit, the risotto was cooked wonderfully, with a little more goats curd this time around which I appreciated.

Roast Porterhouse of wagyu beef (marble score four), Chausson of roasted beetroot
marinated in aged balsamic & braised ox tail, smoked celeriac & apple cream, apple cider gastrique

Mr.M raved about this dish, from the flavour combinations to the extremely well cooked steak.

Mousse of Tarago triple cream brie, compressed pears, persimmons, toasted rye

Great take on the cheese course.

Bitter chocolate fondant, griottine cherries, malt ice cream, brown butter crumbs

I don't think this dessert will ever not be on the menu, especially when patrons, like Mr.M, continually choose it rather than trying something new. In this version it's subtly paired with the malt ice cream and the sharply rounded cherry. Like always, it was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of gooey ooze.

Tea, coffee, petite fours

The strawberry macaron was like full of childhood wonder with it's lolly-like flavour.
The mango macaron tasted as it should, like a tartly-sweet mango.
The chocolate ganache logs melted instantly on the tongue with their bittersweet liquor.

Drinks: Lemon, lime & bitters

Cost: $174 for two degustations.

Service: Perfect. Food comes out at a great pace, waiters are knowledgeable, they happily cater to vegetarians and our water is always filled.

Atmosphere: Lively but very relaxed. The interior is a mixture of black, red and white with a modern minimal feel. There are textures of plastic, steel and leather with one slate wall surrounded by panoramic windows that allowed us to view landscaped Grollo Equiset gardens. There are leather and fabric booths with red leather chairs, or small black veneer tables with Perspex chairs. The window seats are lovely as the booth seating is very comfy and the view of the gardens is really calming. It can get a little noisy when full but the tables are well spaced so you never feel cramped or listened in on. The dark interior helps to frame the gorgeous outside surroundings.

The Point - Albert Park - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 04:57:00 +0000

Name: The Point

Address: Albert Park Lake
Aquatic Dr
Albert Park 3206 VIC
(03) 9682 5566

Food: French, Modern Australian and Steak
Average price: Entree: $22-$40, Mains: $36-$78, Dessert: $11-$24
Degustation menu: 8 courses, $110
Degustation with matching wines $165

Complimentary: Bread and butter

The olive roll was so hard I almost had to use my teeth to tear it. The rosemary roll after it though was lovely.

Avocado and radish

Acidic palate cleanser

We ordered: Entree: Soft poached egg, polenta, truffle, brioche crumbs - $27

Really lovely, simply, satisfying dish. A great mix of peasant and luxury ingredients. Yum.

The Point charcuterie board $35

Mr.M enjoyed the selection.

Main: Butternut pumpkin, taleggio and cauliflower tian $36

My first impression of this dish was 'Wowza, salty!' This was too salty to be able to enjoy the subtler flavours, even the sweet pumpkin was washed away.

Onkaparinga Valley venison, chestnuts, $48

Side: Autumn mushrooms, $11
Italian parsley and black garlic

I didn't care for these at all, to me they were quite bland.

Honey glazed heirloom $10
carrots and pine nuts

I found the flavouring strange and uncomplimentary to the carrots.

Dessert: Spiced gingerbread pudding, warm quince, caramel ice cream and thyme $18

A lovely moist cake strong in spice with sweet poached quince and a soft ice cream. I would have liked the quince a little less sweet so that it could break through the heady spice a little more but all in all it was pleasant.

Apple and cinnamon souffle, pastry crisps and yoghurt sherbet $18

The first bite of this was heavenly. Gorgeous fruity apple with warm cinnamon atop a cloudlike tower. Unfortunately as you travelled deeper into the souffle it became rather slimy and tasted only of eggwihte which I found unpleasant and odd considering how lovely the top was.
The yoghurt sherbet was delightful, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cost: $193 for two entrees, two mains, one side and two desserts.

Service: OK. The waiters were attentive but the food took a while to be served despite the restaurant being at half capacity.

Atmosphere: All about the view. We went at night so the view was a little less spectacular. The decor is very neutral with just some twig-lights as an accent. The restaurant was only 1/3full so it was very quiet and subdued.

Parking: Ample onsite parking, but the road you need to turn onto is hard to spot at night.

Website: www.thepointalbertpark.com.au

Hours: Daily noon-3pm, 6pm-late

Would I return: Yes.

Heirloom - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Name: Heirloom

Address: Citadines Hotel
Ground floor
131 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000 VIC
(03) 9639 1296

Food: Japanese, French
Average price: Entree: $4-$27, Main: $28, Dessert: $15-$17

Complimentary:
We ordered: Mother's Day 5course menu - $55 per person
Salmon Blini
house cured gravalax, buttermilk blini, whipped fraiche, salmon caviar

Dill chevre on crisp toast

This was nothing special, just crackers and cheese.

Warm Truffled Potato and Leek Vichyssoise
slow cooked egg, persillade

This was a lovely soup with lots of flavour and a smooth texture. The egg was lovely for me, though some others would have preferred a runnier yolk. Overall everyone enjoyed it.

Wild mushrooms, quinoa, sage and pearl barley

This was lovely, earthy, salty with great textural differences. I liked the addition of sage.

Terrine de Campagne
umeshu jelly, prune puree, petit herb salade

D liked this.

Rare Seared Yellow Fin Tuna Loin
piperade, black olive crumble, crisp basil

Both Mr.M & S didn't enjoy the flavour combination.

Gnocchi with diced vegetables

The gnocchi was extremely soft, doughy and unpleasant to eat. The veggies were nice enough but just diced veggies, overall I found the dish boring and didn't eat much of it.

Roast Beef Tenderloin
Bourguignon garnish, pomme puree, red wine jus

White Choc and Tofu Blancmange
dark chocolate sorbet, chocolate brownie glace, poky biscuits

Simple and unoffensive dish. The blancmange was akin to a panacotta except it was a touch softer with only hint of sweetness. The chocolate sorbet and sweet glace were lovely and the malt chocolate crumbs added nice texture as well as a slightly salty element to dish which I enjoyed.

Tea & biscotti

Cost: $220 for four Mother's Day menus.

Service: Young but eager. Our waitress kept our water topped up whilst another described our dishes as they came. They were also accommodating to one late diner who they quickly caught up to us.

Atmosphere: Industrial chic meets Japanese zen. I really liked the juxtaposition of concrete and metal against the wood and bamboo plants. The splashes of red and hanging fairyesque lights complimented the style well.

Parking: Limited street parking but plenty of paid underground car parking right next door.

Website: www.heirloomonbourke.com.au

Hours: Mon-Fri 6.30am-late
Sat-Sun 7am-late

Would I return: Yes - good food for a cheap rpice in a nice setting.

La Petanque - Main Ridge - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:56:00 +0000

Name: La Petanque

Address: 1208 Mornington-Flinders Rd
Main Ridge 3928 VIC
Phone: (03) 5931 0155

Food: European, French and Mediterranean
Average price: Entree: $15-$30, Mains: $29-$44, Dessert: $16-$25, Degustation menu: 5 courses, $90
Set menu: 3 courses, $79

Complimentary: Bread with marinated olives, Olive oil & balsamic.

The olives and balsamic were so delicious we asked for more.

Chocolate brownie

The brownie tasted stale and was overly sweet.

We ordered: Thanks to Blogger deleting almost all of my drafts, I have to go by memory as I no longer my original notes.
Entree: Vegetable soup

Good old honest creamy soup. The basil oil was a nice touch. Mine didn't come with the goat's curd as it was unpasteurised so I had to leave it out.

Terrine of Gippsland farmed rabbit, pancetta, prune and pistachio with onion marmalade and cornichons

Mr.M enjoyed this dish.

Main: Flinders Tomato tart and French goat cheese, Devon Meadows green, parmesan foam and thyme pesto

Nice simple flavours, nothing super exciting though. The tomatoes were a touch bland but otherwise nice enough dish.

Mickleham duck breast, poached quince, Shoreham honey and star anise jus

Dessert: Soft centered Valrhona chocolate biscuit, almond praline anglaise and Tahiti vanilla bean ice cream

The fondant was delicious. The ice creama nd almond creme anglaise were also lovely and subtle but were smothered beneath rich oozy chocolate. Great dish.

Caramelised Red Hill apple crêpe, Calvados crème chiboust, green apple sorbet

The crepes were rubbery and the fresh apple sorbet and cooked apples didn't mesh. I didn't really like it at all.

Cost: $158 ($79each) for 3 course lunch.

Service: OK. Waiters were great, received more of that balsamic when asked, however the kitchen was extremely slow. we were almost falling asleep in between meals despite the restaurant only being half full. the waits were far too long between each course, we ended up becoming antsy in anticipation for our food to arrive.

Atmosphere: Sunday lunch relaxed. Simple almost barn like decor with focus on the outside winery views. The petanque pitch is a nice touch.

Parking: Ample onsite parking.

Website: www.lapetanque.com.au/

Hours: Mon-Sun noon-3pm
Fri-Sat noon-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm

Would I return: No, the service was far too slow and there are other great places to try in the area.

Georges - Camberwell - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sat, 28 May 2011 00:31:00 +0000

Name: Georges Restaurant Bar Cafe

Address:
819 Burke Rd
Melbourne, 3123

(03) 9882 0777

Food: International, Italian

Average price: $15 - 32 for mains.

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered:
Main: Chicken Parmigiana with chips - $23.95

Nanna loved this but she will love any Chicken Parma (hers was the one with ham).

Mr.M on the other hand found it to be an average parma.

Pea & haloumi fritters - $14.95

These were quite soft and full of mushy peas, which was fine as I quite enjoy mushy peas. The haloumi was cubed and therefore still very firm, I think it would have been better grated that way the saltiness would have been evenly spread throughout the pea fritters and the cheese would have been a little melted. The fritters were served with tomato and avocado with a yoghurt sauce and a slice of lemon. The acidity was definitely needed as the fritters are quite sweet on their own. Overall I quite enjoyed this dish.

Dessert: Creme Brulee

As soon as I saw the topping I knew it wouldn't 'crack' beneath my spoon and I was right. Therefore it failed the first test which is a hard, toffee crust. The second test is the custard. I prefer a vanilla flecked, not overly sweet, with smooth, not too firm but not too liquid texture. This, whilst gorgeously vanilla flecked, was a touch too liquid for me. Instead of leaving a white space once a spoonful had been scooped out the custard slowly began to viscously ooze into the space. Whilst not a great creme brulee it also wasn't the worst I have had. I still ate the lot.

Lemon tart

Nanna and Madame A both thoroughly enjoyed this dish, having ordered it for the second time.

Cost: $136.50 for 4 mains, two desserts and two cafe lattes.

Service: OK. Food came out pretty fast but we had to ask to have our water refilled.

Atmosphere: Cafe-esque. Despite being one of the more 'upmarket' eating establishments on Burke rd it still has a very typical cafe feel of that hustle and bustle and medium noise level. On the plus side the tables are decently spaced apart and the seating comfortable. The decor is neutrals with mostly dark brown tones and charcoal walls.

Parking: Limited metered street parking, but there is nearby 2hour free parking at Target etc around the corner on Prospect Hill Road.

Website: None.

Hours: Open Daily 10am-11pm

Would I return: Yes - for a cafe style lunch it was rather good and reasonably priced. They have recently opened a more 'refined' and therefore expensive restaurant on the second level.

Centonove - Kew - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 23 May 2011 06:26:00 +0000

Name: Centonove
109 Cotham Rd
Kew 3101 VIC

Phone: (03) 9817 6468

Food: Italian, ModOz
Average price: Entree: $18-24, Mains: $29-42, Dessert: $13-14

Complimentary: Bread with olive oil.

We ordered: Mother's Day 3course menu for $45 each. Thanks to Blogger deleting almost all of my drafts, I have to go by memory as I no longer my original notes.

Entree: Cauliflower soup

Smooth, creamy soup with a slight sweetness and subtle cauliflower taste. It was a lovely soup.

Beetroot salad

Madame A: My entree Baby beets with blue vein cheese and walnuts was delicious. I loved the delicate sweetness of the baby beets being paired with the tangy piquant flavor of the blue vein cheese. The 'crunchiness' of freshly light roasted walnuts brought the dish together adding a subtle roasted flavor to blend with the sweet and tang. It was a little on the 'scarce' side.

Beef carpaccio salad

My Nanna loved this. She said it had just the right amount of meat.

Main: Onion jam & taleggio risotto

It had a great balance between the jammy sweetness of the onion and the saltiness of the cheese. The rice was cooked well and I enjoyed it as a dish.

Swordfish

Madame A: My main meal of grilled swordfish with green peppercorns on radiccio salad was also delicious. The swordfish was a respectable portion and was perfectly cooked, slightly moist, bursting with freshness and flavor and perfectly complimented by the green peppercorns that were not overly 'peppery' in flavor which was nice. I was pleasantly surprised with the warm radiccio salad. It was lightly tossed in fish broth which added to the overall flavour.

Veal

Nanna loved this also.

Side: Garlic & rosemary roasted potatoes - $9

The potatoes had that perfect texture of crunchy outer and soft fluffy center. Whilst I loved the aromatic rosemary and caramelised garlic I felt the potatoes were just slightly oversalted.

Dessert: Yoghurt pannacotta with rhubarb

I'm not normally a fan of pannacotta but this one had the perfect amount of firmness and wobble. It was creamy and slightly tangy and paired well with the tartly sweet rhubarb, delicate but satisfying.

Madame A: it was delicious. Light and well set and a perfectly balanced flavour, not too sweet, not too sharp.

Cost: $144 - for three Mother's Day Menus and 1 side dish.

Service: OK - there was a long wait in between meals, it took 1.5hours to get the three dishes. We were also served out tea and coffee 10mins before desserts came out which I thought was odd.

Atmosphere: Chilled but classy. The decor is dark, modern and elegant with a large chandelier, marble topped bar and pieces of marble in the red concrete floor. The lower level is cramped compared to upstairs which is filled with light from the large windows, the tables are also spaced decently apart.

Parking: Ample - there is decent street parking.

Website: http://www.centonove.com.au/centonove.htm

Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-3pm, 6pm-10pm

Would I return: Yes. Nanna has declared this her favourite restaurant.

Madame A: The setting, the seating, the ambiance, the service, the timing of serving the meals was all faultless. 5* I would absolutely go back and highly recommend it. Loved it!

Louttit Bay Bakery - Lorne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:03:00 +0000

Name: Louttit Bakery

Address: 46B Mountjoy Pde,
LORNE 3232
(03) 5289 1207

Food: Bakery, cafe

We ordered: Caramel slice

This was THE BEST caramel slice I have ever had in my life. The chocolate and biscuit base were lovely however this is all about the caramel, and oh my Lord, was there plenty. The caramel was more akin to a luscious ducle de leche. It had the perfect balance of sweet and saltiness and had me licking my fingers like a fiend.

Hedgehog

This was also the best hedgehog I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It was a gorgeous fudgy texture with a beautiful crumb, it was perfectly balanced with dark chocolate and plenty of coconut. A substantially delicious hedgehog. Both bars were also a generous size.

Service: Good.

Atmosphere: Cafe-esque and busy.

Parking: Ample street parking.

Website: None.

Hours: Open Daily 7am-6pm

Would I return: Yes - if I am in Lorne it will be a definite stop. Aside from the sweet treats this bakery had the most varied and gorgeous looking selection of freshly baked breads as well. Next time I will be walking out with loaded arms.

Kafe Kaos - Lorne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Tue, 17 May 2011 09:21:00 +0000

Name: Kafe Kaos

Address: 52 Mountjoy Pde
Lorne, 3232

(03) 5289 2639

Food: Cafe, International

Average price: Mains: $5.50-$16.50

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: Famous brekkie foccacia - $12.80

Bread spread with pesto, dipped in egg, with grilled tomato, fresh basil and tasty cheese

The flavours were fairly mild and it was nice enough but there was WAY too much melted cheese, and I adore cheese but even I had to pick some off to tame down the saltiness. It also came with a few mixed salad leaves in a Balsamic dressing.

BLT Burger

Mr.M enjoyed this but thought it was just OK. It also included chicken and avocado on Turkish pide.

Service: Good. The waiters came out with water and menus fairly quickly, the food also arrived quickly.

Atmosphere: Cafe/park. Outside there were wooden benches, inside the tables were polished wood with large floral arrangements and red accents. There was an eclectic mix of paintings on the wall. The vibe is very casual and chilled out.

Parking: Ample street parking.

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

Hours: Daily 7.30am-5.30pm (Winter 8am-5pm)

Would I return: No. The food was average and there are other places to try.

Sosta Cucina - North Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:12:00 +0000

Name: Sosta Cucina

Address:
12 Errol St
North Melbourne 3051 VIC

Phone: (03) 9329 2882
Food: Italian
Average price: Entree: $3-$18, Mains: $16-$29, Dessert: $12-$18

Complimentary: Bread with olive oil.

We ordered:
Starter: Antipasti platter.

Main: Capretto con zucchine $32
Slow cooked organic goat cooked in milk with white wine, lemon, oregano and whitezucchini

Mr.M: this dish was too salty, and I couldn't relax to eat it as it was filled with dozens of bones, large and small.

Corzetti con melenzane, pomodoro e ricotta - $27
Fresh pasta discs with roasted dwarf eggplant, Ligurian olives, fresh sugo,basil and buffalo ricotta

B said this was OK, although her pasta was a touch undercooked.

Linguine al granchio e bottarga - $29
Linguine with blue swimmer crab, E.V. olive oil, garlic, parsley, golden breadcrumbs and bottarga

This seemed to be the best dish of the night. A enjoyed it.

Pumpkin pasta in a sage and burnt butter sauce - $27

Imagine my surprise when this came out covered in diced glace fruits. I was dubious just by looking at it. Unfortunately it just got worse from there. The fruits, as I expected, were saccahrine sweet and absolutely revolting with the pasta. After scraping them off I was hoping for an improvement; there was none. The pasta itself was undercooked along the edges and the filling itself was sugar-sweet. There was not one ounce of 'savoury' about this dish. The flavours were so revolting that despite being pregnant AND starving, I couldn't eat more than two mouthfuls. I passed the dish around to the others, and they too, after one taste, declined to have any more.

Cost: $Around $130 for 1 starter platter and four mains.

Service: Bad. There was a misunderstanding.We ordered one antipasti plate to share as well as our mains. When the antipasti platter came it was set up on a stand above the table. We assumed that meant it could be left on the table whilst our mains came. Over an hour later, with only one scrap of prosciutto that had been left on the plate for the previous 30mins we enquired about our mains and how much longer they would take. The waitress then informed us that she was waiting for us to finish the antipasti before sending the mains away (she had not asked us once if we were finished the entire hour). This was rather irriating seeing as though none of us had even touched the platter for a good 30mins and that we weren't informed that they would be waiting for us to finish before sending our mains away. Aside from that our water wasn't topped up.

Atmosphere: Softly elegant. Muted neutral tones punctuated with luxurious chandeliers and patterned booths.

Parking: Good - there's a decent amount of street parking.

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

Hours: Tue-Sun noon-10pm

Would I return: No. It's disappointing since we enjoyed the desserts we had eaten here previously, but the food as well as the service were dismal enough that I would not chose to come again.

Maris - Malvern - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sat, 07 May 2011 00:35:00 +0000

Name: Maris

Address: 15 Glenferrie Rd
Malvern 3144 VIC
Phone: (03) 9500 0665

Food: European, Italian and Modern Australian

Average price: Entree: $15-$20, Mains: $25-$39, Dessert: $16
Set menu: 2 courses, $35

Complimentary: Bread with olive oil and balsamic. They also offer more should you want some.

The bread was cold but soft and a touch doughy but nice enough.

We ordered:
Entrees: Yarra Valley quail burger, tomato, caramelised onions, tomato & mustard sauce - $18

Mr.M: It's difficult to sell a gourmet burger for $18 at a restaurant considering most people will compare it to places like Grilld, where it's half the price and triple the size.
That aside, it was packed full of flavour and was pleasant to eat. Although I felt like the bun was too sweet for the burger contents for me, I would have preferred the bun to be just the foundation and not necessarily a flavour component.

Smoked beetroot salad with chicory, pumpkin custard, pine nuts, goats cheese - $18

Flavours were great but beetroot was a bit too acidic from the vinegar and smothered the other more subtle flavours, otherwise overall it was nice.

Main: Buckwheat pasta, black & white cabbage, potato & tallegio cheese - $26

Pasta was a touch underdone. I'm not sure why but for some reason the flavours didn't appeal to me, perhaps it just needed an extra dash of salt? Everything else was cooked well.

Seared Queensland king prawns wrapped in prosciutto, amaranth, organic carrots, squid ink & fennel - $35

Mr.M: Awesome presentation. Everything was cooked well. I'm not really a fan of prawns but every now and then I order a prawn dish to see if my taste has changed, unfortunately I am still not a prawn fan.

Dessert: Valrhona chocolate with hazelnuts, caramel cream & cherry sorbet - $16

Mr.M: I was surprised at first as I smelt coffee, and then tasted coffee, and whilst it went well I wasn't expecting it and I don't think it really added anything to the dish. The ice cream was nice as was the chocolate. Sorbet was also nice. Nice dish, but nothing really memorable.

Slow cooked quince, sweet brioche, sago custard, pear and ginger sorbet - $16

Quince was delicious, custard was yummy and subtle, but the ginger was a touch strong and tended to overpower the other flavours. Brioche was too crispy and more reminiscent of a crouton and wasn't needed but otherwise I enjoyed the dish.

Cost: $129 for two entrees, two mains and two desserts.

Service: Great. Very family style and personal. They told us their names and enquired as to whether we enjoyed each dish, held door open for us when we left, and never let out water get less than half full. Food came out at decent rate as well.

Atmosphere: Stark and well lit. The decor is mainly white with some colour given by the artwork and glasses. In terms of the atmosphere, there is something is lacking, perhaps the lighting was too bright but hubby felt it was akin to a fish and chip shop. The tables are very close together and you are hesitant to talk above a hush. When coffee machine is on it drowns out the whole room.

Parking: Decent. We went on Thursday night and there was some street parking still available.

Website: www.maris.com.au

Hours: Tue-Fri noon-3pm, Tue-Sat 6pm-10pm

Would I return: Yes. The service was great and most of the dishes were rather enjoyable.

Grossi Florentino - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Mon, 02 May 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Name: Grossi Florentino

Address: 80 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000 VIC

(03) 9662 1811

Food: Italian

Average price: Entree: $39-$50, Mains: $50-$55, Dessert: $26-$35
Degustation menu: 8 courses, $195
Set menu: 5 courses, $140
Degustation with matching wine flight $265; Five-course menu with matching wine flight $190

Complimentary: Bread basket with olives, butter and olive oil.

Quality ingredients.

Amuse bouche - potato soup

Nice, simple soup.

Cream and berries

Petit fours of a macaron, nougat and chocolate brownie.

We ordered: (somehow this post fell through the cracks and is actually from November 2010.)
Zuchhini flowers
olive and goats cheese, mint, pumpkin caponata, white aspargus shavings, pumpkin jus

This was lovely and well executed.

Spaghetti with alba white truffle and potato - $110 supplement

The pasta was the perfect al dente texture whilst the truffle gave light earthy fragrant flavour with butter potatoes. It was lovely, but not worth the expensive additional price tag.

Risotto venere - venere rice,morton bay bug, parmesan sabayon
Egg yolk ravioli - pumpkin, egg yolk, vincotto, parmesan - (veg version)

The pasta was well cooked, the pumpkin was quite sweet as was the vincotto, and the egg yolk quite heavy.
Mr.M thought his dish was only

Baby onion tart carpaccio crumbs, beetroot, wilted spinach

The presentation was lacking. The onion tart extremely wet with a soggy crumb, the wilted spinach avereage, and the beetroot puree too tangy - overall too much sweetness with unwelcome tang.

Glenloth pidgeon roasted breast, leg ravioli, black cabbage, marsala, cardamom and liquorice powder, beetroot, couscous

Mr.M said jus was overwhelming and he couldn't taste the other nuances.

Slow cooked waygu rump cap
pickled veal tongue, shallots and potato saltate, fennel and rosemary praline, salsa verde

Mr.M said this was quite nice.

Valrhona chocolate soufflé malt ice cream and chocolate sauce

I thought this was lacking a chocolate depth, it was more akin to a malt and chocolate milkshake. The soufflé was gorgeously fluffy though.

Buffalo ricotta slice pumpkin, 30year old balsamic, amaretto crisp, amarena cherries, roast quince

The ricotta was dry and tasted like aged cheese, it very smelly too. It was bitter, salty and tasted like a foot, as if it was off - the alcohol from the cherries and sweetness from the quince did not help - we did not like this dish one bit.

Cost: Around $500.

Service: Good. The food came out at a good pace and the waiters were knowledgeable, but perhaps a tad absent. As it was my birthday, when they brought out the dessert they sang 'Happy Birthday Miss Lady' which was lovely and also made me giggle a bit at their choice of words.

Atmosphere: Luxurious Italian villa. Large murals adorned the claret red wallpapered walls as chandeliers hung from the ceiling, it's all quite opulent and perhaps a bit too formal. The dining space is quite small and therefore the tables were closely spaced.

Parking: Limited street but plenty of paid underground.

Website: www.grossiflorentino.com.au

Hours: Mon-Fri noon-3pm, Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm

Would I return: No, although the food was nice it wasn't anything truly memorable.

Persimmon - NGV - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:51:00 +0000

Name: Persimmon at the National Gallery of Victoria

Address: Ground Level, NGV
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
8620 2434

Food: ModOz
Average price: Entrée - $14-16, Main - $23-35, Dessert - $14-16.

Complimentary: One brioche and one sourdough roll with butter. Warm and lovely.

We ordered:
Entree: Compression of rabbit and smoked ham hock, orange, soused carrots, medjool dates - $17

Mr.M liked this.

Salad of heirloom tomatoes, garlic croutes, buffalo mozzarella, basil - $15

Classic flavours. The only thing that detracted slightly was the basil which was ice cold, and I am not particularly partial to icy temperatures. But otherwise a nice dish.

Main: Broccoli risotto, pine nuts, truffle, goats curd, grana padana - $26

Perfectly cooked risotto. The flavours went well and I especially liked the addition of the crunchy pinenuts and cool goats curd.

John Dory, crab fritters, shredded lettuce, crushed peas, sauce vierge - $28

Mr.M thoroughly enjoyed the crab fritters.

Dessert: Strawberries and cream - $14

This is what I imagine a care bear would taste like, should you ever eat one; it's rainbows and ribbons and everything delightful. The gorgeous vanilla fluffiness of the cream was the perfect pillow for the macerated strawberries and candyfloss meringues. I truly enjoyed eating this dish. The only component that didn't float my boat was the dehydrated capsicum which I found was too peppery for the delicate, sweet dessert.

Peanut butter parfait, bananas, bitter chocolate - $14

Mr.M just can't help himself when he spies an old favourite, and this dessert is truly one of his favourites. This time around the previously singular present has been split into two fork-friendly parcels with that gorgeous chocolate sorbet in the centre. Lovely as always.

Cost: $114 for two entrees, two mains and two desserts.

Service: Perfect. Food comes out at a great pace, waiters are knowledgeable and our water always filled.

Atmosphere: Lively but very relaxed. The interior is a mixture of black, red and white with a modern minimal feel. There are textures of plastic, steel and leather with one slate wall surrounded by panoramic windows that allowed us to view landscaped Grollo Equiset gardens. There are leather and fabric booths with red leather chairs, or small black veneer tables with Perspex chairs. The window seats are lovely as the booth seating is very comfy and the view of the gardens is really calming. It can get a little noisy when full but the tables are well spaced so you never feel cramped or listened in on. The dark interior helps to frame the gorgeous outside surroundings.

Parking: Ample. Street parking is generally limited as car spots are generally taken - they are metered except for Sundays - although a tram runs along St Kilda rd, and Flinders station is not far down the road. There are side streets you might get lucky with. There is also underground gallery parking which is $12 for non-members.

Website:http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/visit/places-to-eat/persimmon

Hours: Daily 11am to 4pm (except Tuesdays).

Would I return: Yes - we can always rely on Persimmon to deliver on flavour, presentation and service.

Mr.M: Persimmon food is art on a plate. One of the hidden treasures of the CBD. We go there every time we pass through the city for lunch. I just wish they were open for dinner so that more reviewers could take notice and we could visit more often. After lunch you can take a lovely stroll through the adjoining gardens. I will be back soon!

Izakaya Den - Melbourne - review

noreply@blogger.com (CC11) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 09:30:00 +0000

Name: Izakaya Den

Address: Basement
114 Russell St
Melbourne 3000 VIC

9654 2977

Food: Japanese

Average price: Entree: $10-$15, Mains: $15-$33, Dessert: $5-$12

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered: Sweet Corn Kaki Age - $7

We ordered two servings of this as I had heard many good reviews. I am glad we did as I could easily have eaten two plates of these. The fritters had the perfect amount of corn-to-batter ratio and were wonderfully crispy with sweet, juicy corn kernels. What elevated this dish from good to yum though was the green tea salt- there should have been more! There simply wasn't enough to properly season each fritter with.

Greens, fried bean curd and dashi - $10

There was a touch too much broth for my liking as it made the dish more akin to a soup, but I wasn't given a spoon. The dish was salty and savoury and overall pleasant enough.

Pork

Mr.M ordered these, he said they were ok, but nothing special.

Dessert: Black sesame brulee - $10

I am not sure whether this was a win for me...The texture of the custard and the crack of the brulee top were great, but the black sesame flavour in a creme brulee was odd for me, I'm not sure why. The others seemed to enjoy it.

Cost: Around $40? for three savoury and one sweet dish.

Service: Good. Despite having no pen or paper the waiters got all of our orders correct and the food came out fairly quickly. Our water was never topped up though. Before eating you are given a warm hand towel to wipe your hand which is a nice touch seeing as though some of the food is made to be eaten with fingers. The menus are written on wound up scrolls and water is served in plastic cups with Japanese anime figures.

Atmosphere: Hard to find hole in the wall. From the outside there isn't much in terms of obvious signage to inform you that down two flights of stairs in a cavernous nook wedged between two buildings is a restaurant. The tiny corridor is taken up largely by the bar with some sofas and wooden crates acting as tables in the front half, with some actual tables in the back. It is a very tiny space, very dark and you are very close to your fellow diners. As they didn't take bookings for small groups the only space we could get was sitting on some crates with one wooden box as our table. As you can imagine it was quite awkward to eat as we were all juggling plates and cups as there wasn't enough space for three on the crate. Forget about finding a place to put your handbag. The noise level was also quite loud.

Parking: Ok - street parking is very limited but there are always underground Paid carparks.

Website: www.izakayaden.com.au

Hours: Tue-Fri noon-2pm
Tue-Sun 6pm-midnight

Would I return: No. The food was decent but I felt too claustrophobic in the cramped interior to be able to enjoy myself and the food properly.