Hakata Gensuke Hawthorn - Signature Tonkatsu Ramen

Signature Tonkatsu Ramen with flavoured egg #hakatagensuke #hawthorn #ramen

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Aug 22, 2015 at 10:26pm PDT

Yes, I have a love affair with ramen! I think the weather in Melbourne makes it perfect for enjoying ramen all year round, maybe apart from those 40 degree hot days! For me it's one of those comfort foods which you just crave from time to time and you just feel so satisfied after having it!

The broth is thick and rich with a distinct pork essence packed with flavour which is just so warming and comforting to the taste. Noodles are cooked to the choice of texture accompanied by tasty condiments! I do feel that one slice of chashu is rather stingy but it's seems to be the trend here. The flavoured egg was nicely cooked with runny yolk - I added additional minced garlic and it was oh so yum!

The best part is that the seating is not as cramped as the city outlet and I've been here on two occasions without having to queue unlike the city outlet which is at least a 20-minute wait!

Address: 860 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
http://www.gensuke.com.au/

Mart 130 - Corn Fritters and Pancakes

Corn fritters with grilled bacon, homemade tomato relish & sour cream #mart130 #middlepark #cornfritters

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Aug 7, 2015 at 7:31pm PDT

I love corn fritters! These corn fritters were pretty satisfying together with the grilled bacon. The sour cream kept them moist and the tomato relish was really delicious, every bite was packed with flavour and such a delight to eat!

Pancakes with mixed berry compote and lemon curd #mart130 #middlepark #pancakes

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Aug 7, 2015 at 9:20pm PDT

These pancakes unfortunately looked nicer than they tasted. They were just weird, they felt under cooked and the texture was just doughy and very unpleasant to eat. Overall, the pancakes on their own were quite tasteless. The lemon curd and berry compote were really sour and we had to douse the pancakes with a lot of maple syrup to try to balance the flavours.


Address:
107A Canterbury Rd
Middle Park VIC 3206
http://www.mart130cafe.com.au/

Hard Pressed Coffee - Chilaquil Cassoulet

Chilaquil cassoulet with beans, Chilean chicken, machego, tomatillo salsa, crisp tortillas, jalapeño sour cream and egg! #hardpressedcoffee #eastmelbourne #cassoulet

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Aug 3, 2015 at 7:39pm PDT

I sneaked out during lunch break to check out this cafe which I felt it was close enough to the city to make a trip during work as it wasn't really in an area that I would frequent or make my way out there during the weekends.

This dish felt very hearty, it's especially ideal during the recent weather and the spice really helps to warm you up! The chicken was tasty and moist, I usually don't like beans but these were really well-flavoured. I also really loved the baked egg in the dish which together with the machego, tomatillo salsa and jalapeño sour cream, tied the whole dish together! The crisp tortillas gave great texture to this Latin American flavours infused dish.

Don't forget to order your coffee here as well!

Left my lunch at home today, good excuse to treat myself to coffee & brunch! ☺️

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Aug 3, 2015 at 6:58pm PDT

Lights in the Attic

I came all the way here for the Birds Nest - scotch eggs but they were sold out. Very disappointed as they could have said so when they sat us down and not wait till after our drinks have been ordered... 😞

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Jul 31, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT

I am not going to any reviews on this place because I feel that the incident above has marred my ability to provide an impartial review. I know it's just brunch, it's not a big deal - but the truth is I was really disappointed. I go through great lengths to decide on the places I choose to blog about, which dishes to pick and review and the main objective of them all is to make every calorie count and not waste any calories. This was considered to me a wasted trip because I didn't get to eat what I had intended to.

You could also say that I can always make a trip there again another day, unfortunately, I work on a pretty long list of cafes and I don't think time and money will allow for a double take on a cafe after a marred experience.

So anyway here are the other pretty pictures of the dishes that we ended up eating...

French Toast with fresh berries & honeycomb.

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Jul 31, 2015 at 10:58pm PDT

Meat breakfast

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Jul 31, 2015 at 11:06pm PDT

Hash Specialty Coffee - Grilled Banana & Pecan Loaf

Grilled banana and pecan loaf, with macadamia milk crumb, blueberries, burnt honey mascarpone & white chocolate custard. Died and went to dessert heaven! #hashspecialtycoffee #bananapecanloaf #melbourne

A photo posted by saccha (@sacchaeats) on Jul 29, 2015 at 9:44pm PDT

I've found the cure for depression! Well, not really, perhaps just a temporary cure.

I guess one of the perks in working in the CBD area of Melbourne, Australia is that you are spoiled for choices when it comes to food and what's better than having a dessert for a late lunch?

This grilled banana and pecan loaf is honestly one of the best brunch desserts in quite a while. It was decadent yet refreshing, sweet but not overly sweet and tasted just as delicious as it looks.

There's something about grilling the banana and pecan loaf that gives it a crisp texture on the outer layer and an added dimension of flavour. It goes so well with the white chocolate custard and the burnt honey mascarpone! The white chocolate custard was just the right sweetness and richness. The burnt honey mascarpone has to be one of the creamiest and rich that I've ever had. The fresh blueberries were refreshing and the slight tartness helps to cut through all the sugar. I was a little embarrassed that I had been so hungry that I practically wolfed down this dish and ate all the edible flowers as well.

I didn't expect to dine at Hash Specialty Coffee again so soon but it's hearty and warming menu just makes me want to keep going back!

Address: 113 Hardware St Melbourne VIC 3000