Chicken ribs? Anyone outside of Australia would be foreign to this cut of chicken, but over in Australia they are sold everywhere. You can get them at the butchers's, you can get them as ribs & chips with gravy, or at Asian restaurants and at Aussie BBQs! It is a such a delicacy that everyone else is missing out! Chicken ribs are so tender and easy to eat - they are a great alternative to chicken wings! These Thai styled chicken ribs are really crunchy, the batter is really fragrant and spicy! As I'm not really a spicy person, I really prefer the salted egg yolk version of the chicken ribs, but these work really well too - just I can't eat as much as the other. Address: 433 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Website: http://www.thaiculinarymelbourne.com.au/
Tried out the new addition to the myriad of cafes along Chapel Street - Mr Mister and it did not disappoint! After being presented with the baked eggs, it reminded me of the Hardware Society version but it's not quite the same apart from looks. The combination totally works - loving the truffled leeks and mushrooms - the brie was a little strong for me at first but after mixing through the dish it wasn't as prominent. I choose not to the add chorizo because we had a second dish lining up, but I reckon it would have added another dimension of flavour.
Shared this sweet dish and while I wouldn't say it was amazing but it was a pretty satisfying treat. The banana bread had good flavour and it wasn't too sweet. The caramelised banana slices would have been better if the were more caramelised instead only on one side. The vanilla mascarpone was not a good as the one I had at Krimper - just wasn't as creamy and rich. The hazelnut crumble gave a nice texture, the berry jam & orange segments provided fruity freshness. The components are all pretty ordinary by themselves but when you add them all together - it's like the perfect bite! All in all, really loving this new cafe and I can't wait to try out the other items on the menu. To quote what someone else said to me this week, "Brunch in Melbourne is the reason why I can never afford to buy a house." - it's sad but totally agreed! Address: 161 Chapel St, Windsor VIC 3181 Website: http://www.mrmistercafe.com/
I have always felt that Chez Dre is always better at it's sweets like cakes and baked goods, but I thought I shall give the savoury dishes another shot. On the menu, it sounded great, but after being served this dish, I was honestly quite disappointed with this poorly executed dish. The most glaring fault lies with the rice cakes. These rice cakes are the Korean rice cakes which are used in many Korean dishes and everyone who cooks with them will know that it's something you need to eat while it's still piping hot. The moment it cools down it becomes rock hard, and they were hard and chewy, practically inedible, I cannot comprehend how they made it on to the plate! The salad was kinda meh - it was limp and soggy, the salad dressing was uninspiring and the flavours were not well balanced at all. On the more positive side, the salmon was nicely cooked and seasoned although I don't get any hint of the tea smoked flavour at all. Overall, it was like a 6/10 dish, I did finish all the salad and the salmon - but the rice cakes were horrible. I might come back again to Chez Dre to try the pork belly confit, maybe, but definitely not ordering this one again! Address: 285-287 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Website: http://www.chezdre.com.au/
I would have never known that this place existed down this secluded alley, from the outside it just looked like an abandoned warehouse. If it wasn't for the bustling noise of the cafe patrons, I would have thought I was at the wrong place! If you read my last post about my fall, you would have read about how I missed out on my sweet Waffee waffles treat, so instead of waffles I got something better - French Toast! Not just any french toast, Almond Crusted French Toast! I don't usually go for sweets - they are my guilty pleasure so I try to indulge in them only once in a while, but sometimes it's really hard when you are feeling shitty and just need something really sweet to perk you up! The almond crust provided a really nice crisp texture to the french toast, I always felt normal french toast can sometimes be limp and soggy to the bite which might be somewhat unpleasant. I really love the vanilla mascapone with the french toast - it was so luscious and creamy that I tried not to think about it going straight to my hips. The caramelised apple was a little tart to me - I think they must be granny smiths, they could use a little more caramelising in my opinion. Lastly, adding another layer of sweetness to the dish (on top of the honey) is the lovely smudge of dulce de luche, made from cooking condensed milk in the can over low heat for hours - what's not to like?! Address: 20 Guildford Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000 Website: http://www.krimper.com.au/
Long story short - I had a nasty spill down the stairs a couple of days ago, landed on my butt and now feeling really sore and bruised - literally butt-hurt. I just felt so shitty that I wanted to get Waffee's waffles to treat myself, but after making my way down to the Emporium Melbourne - Waffee was closed! Argh! I was deciding what else to eat and I saw Ramen Ya - who can resist a bowl of ramen goodness? I remembered trying out Ramen Ya many years ago at GPO and it was pretty unremarkable - I did not think much about it, but I decided to give it another shot after seeing how popular it was during lunch time. I didn't really like the texture of the noodles, it was rather chewy to the bite to me. The broth was decent, savoury and wholesome - all the good things you want from a ramen broth! What was most impressive were the slices of chashu, they were so tasty and just melted in your mouth. Lastly, my favourite condiment in the ramen, the half a tamago - it was tasty but quite salty. Overall it was a very decent bowl of ramen, packed with flavour and value for money at AUD$11 a bowl! Address: Shop LG-10, 269-321 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Whenever I'm out for brunch, I usually make an effort to order something which I cannot recreate at home and pancakes are one of them! I really enjoy making things from scratch but pancakes are something which I could never get right. Usually undercooked in the middle and I end up burning them on the outside, but not as simple as they look! Anyway, I think these pancakes are not on the menu at Townhouse anymore. However, I still remember them as they had a lovely yet slight chewy texture as opposed to the usual floury type ones and the vanilla mousse was a refreshing addition to the dish with the maple syrup. Hopefully, they will be back on the menu after winter! Address: 466 Toorak Road, Toorak VIC 3146
Miss Korea Kitchen does a few variations of the Army Stew, we opted for the Pork Shabu Shabu Sausage Stew - we were delighted that lots of meat came with it! I have always preferred Korean stews over Korean BBQ, they are so intense with flavour - spicy but not numbingly spicy, hearty and very comforting during cold miserable winter's night. Korean BBQs are just too much work and too smokey - it makes your clothes and hair smell like BBQ after! I love this stew so much that after this meal I was inspired to make my own at home. It's actually pretty simple, try googling the recipe! Address: Camberwell Shopping Precinct, 845 Burke Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124
Warra Warra is a great place for lunch specials in Melbourne CBD. Though tucked away in a sleepy corner of the city, it can get really busy during peak lunch hour. The bento sets are really popular, but my favourite choice is the sizzling stone pot bibimbap! I really love all the ingredients of the bibimbap, the savouriness of the meat, the freshness of the vegetables and with the raw egg yolk really binds this dish when all mixed together in to a complete satisfying dish. Address: Shop 19 & 20, Tivoli Arcade/235-251 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Website: http://warrawarrakitchen.com.au/
Heard of red velvet cupcakes? Now there's red velvet hotcakes! These hotcake are as delicious as they look, on their own they are somewhat plain but when combined with the mascarpone and chocolate ganache, they are to die for! Some might say it's more like a dessert than a breakfast type dish, I say life's too short, dessert for breakfast - why not? Address: 435 Blackburn Road, Mount Waverley, VIC 3149 Website: http://www.southsociety.com.au/
Nothing more comforting than hearty meatballs & potatoes, especially during this wintry season. I opted for the beef (pasture-fed angus beef) with potato smash and red sauce (Italian tomato). This was a very heavy dish, probably too much for lunch, but definitely still a great meal! Address: 135 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Website: http://www.meatballandwinebar.com.au/
Throwback Thursday to my first time at The Hardware Societe had this baked eggs dish. It was a little different to the usual type of baked eggs shakshuka - unique flavours and textures combination. Perhaps it's because I developed high expectations seeing how the queues here are always so long, I did not think it was fantastic but overall just an enjoyable brunch! Address: Hardware Societe, 120 Hardware Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
My colleague took me to Paperboy Kitchen for lunch today and it was my first time trying it out. I really enjoyed my noodle salad with coconut pepper beef, every mouthful was packed with flavour and the braised beef was so tender it just melted in my mouth! Very delighted with this new find. Address: Paperboy Kitchen, 320 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Website: http://paperboy.com.au/
I miss this place very much as it used to be around the corner from where I worked. This unassuming plate of eggs benedict is probably one of the best I ever had. Every mouthful of the brioche bread is so decadent and so buttery, simple yet delicious! Address: Fleur Depot De Pain, The Blackman, 452 St Kilda Rd Melbourne VIC 3004
I love eggs. I love eggs in any way shape or form. Hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, sunny side up, scrambled, omelette - I just love it!
Poached eggs are usually a prerequisite for brunch for me, which is why I only order the House made Rosti at Prospect Expresso. The runny yolks complements the rosti and smoked salmon very well - just the perfect dish with poached eggs for me!
The only downside with dining at Prospect Espresso is limited seating for a very popular cafe and which is why I usually dine here by myself because it's just easier to get a seat. I love seating by the window and enjoy my lovely cup of coffee!
Me Dee at Springvale is the place to go for authentic Thai food. I swear by Me Dee's Tom Yum Pork Noodle soup. It's sweet, sour and spicy yummy goodness that warms you up and leaves you so contented. A little tip is to order the noodles without chili and add your own chili - it is really really spicy so a little goes a long way! Address: Me Dee, 1/1-3 St Johns Avenue, Springvale VIC 3171 Website: http://www.medeethai.com.au/
Thinking I could beat the queue by turning up at an off-peak timing, my ingenious plan to beat the queue was not so ingenious after all! Even after 2pm on a Friday afternoon, there was a 20 minute wait for a table, and not even a table to ourselves but a shared common table. The entire cafe was packed like it was during peak hour on the weekend for brunch! While waiting for a table, I have decided that I was going to order the Blueberry & Ricotta Hotcake which was notably obvious as the crowd favourite after seeing plate after plate being served up from the kitchen. The hotcake truly delivers both on sight and taste! It was slightly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside - absolutely loving the combination with berries, cream and crunchy topping. Unfortunately, I'm usually not a person who is particularly fond of queuing so I not sure if I will be back at Top Paddock - bear in mind that we took about 20 mins to find parking as well in that area. Sometimes the wait is just not worth for the food, even if it is really good! Address: Top Paddock, 658 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121 Website: http://toppaddockcafe.com/
The one thing I've missed most since I moved from Singapore to Melbourne is the easy access of good authentic Japanese ramen. Singapore is spoilt for choices when it comes to Japanese ramen, there's so many choices to choose from and they are usually found at most corners around the city area!
I love ramen especially on cold wintry days, the wholesomeness from the broth is just so warming, after a bowl of ramen, your dreary winter days suddenly don't feel as miserable! I have been on the hunt for a good bowl of Japanese ramen for a long time and it has not been very fruitful. Most places don't have a well-balanced broth, it's usually either too salty or not enough flavour.
Recently, I've tried out the newly opened Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen in the city and it has met my expectations for Japanese ramen!
The menu ordering sheet is really simple and the best thing is you get to customise your dream bowl of ramen goodness! You get to choose the type of ramen base, amount of ramen oil, texture of noodles (soft, normal, hard, extra hard), shoyu (light/normal), and choice of any extra condiments - black fungus, bamboo shoots, tamago (egg), nori (seaweed).
I really enjoyed the pork broth - it has just the right balance of flavour combined with the noodles, spring onions, garlic oil and tamago which I added. This is by far the best ramen that I have enjoyed in Melbourne! Address: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen, Basement, 27 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Website: http://www.ikkoryu.com.au/
Tucked away in one of Melbourne city's little alley ways lies an unassuming yet delectable coffee and donut shop. The donuts are freshly made in their premises and accompanied by great coffee, perfect match made in heaven - coffee and donuts. The donuts come in four types, raised, cake, filled and cruller. I am not a big fan of the cake donut which is just too dense for my liking - I just think donuts are meant to be light and addictive, always risking of overeating them because of how easy they are to eat! My favourite one has to be the cruller - Australian Honey & Sea Salt.
I just love the contrast of the sweetness and saltiness with each bite, it's just makes you want to eat another one right after! Since I've been working in the city, Shortstop is definitely my place to go to if you need your hit of sugar for an afternoon pick me up! Address: Shortstop Coffee & Donuts, 12 Sutherland Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000. Website: http://www.short-stop.com.au/
CJ Lunch Bar is the best place in Melbourne city for authentic, fast and value for money Korean food. My favourite dish here is the Kimchi Jjigae because it is not a dish that most places can get right. A good Kimchi Jjigae is all about the balance of flavours and this is where CJ Lunch Bar does it best. The balance of the sourness from the kimchi, the spiciness from the hot pepper paste, the sweetness and saltiness from the other ingredients all come together in this very humble yet wonderful stew! Address: CJ Lunch Bar, Hardware Street, CBD, Melbourne, VIC
