Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar

I am still in love with all things Japanese at the moment. So it's no real surprise that when organising a laid-back dinner with girlfriends, the venue I suggested was Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar.

Located on Liverpool St, this small but charming restaurant is known for its handmade buckwheat noodles. During our visit they proudly advertised that they had recently received a new batch of Tasmanian buckwheat - these people really know and love noodles!

The soba dishes are served either hot or cold, and being the middle of winter I couldn't bring myself to order a cold dish (maybe next time).

Moulin Noir

I've been to Moulin Noir four times now and each visit was totally different. I've eaten brunch, lunch, dinner and crepes.

I have to admit, the brunch was good, lunch was ok, dinner was nice, but it is the crepes that have won me over.

Being good little food bloggers, Dan and I ordered one sweet and one savoury crepe, just to make sure we could get a well rounded opinion.

My lemon sugar and vanilla ice cream crepe was lovely. Personally I'm happy with just lemon and sugar on my crepes (no ice cream), but I figured I should try the original menu item at least once before making any changes.

The crepes were thin, the vanilla ice cream was scrumptious, and I was a happy little camper.

Gami (King St)

Gami is famous (some would say infamous) for what is arguably the best Fried Chicken in Melbourne. Forget Kentuky Fried Chicken. Korean Fried Chicken removes the Colonel's pants and spanks him. (Too graphic?)

Having randomly stumbled upon Gami a couple of years ago, I never seemed to find the right moment to post a blog about it. But then a wonderful thing happened, they opened a new restaurant on King St (there are three now).

So after work one week night, Dan and I headed down those unassuming steps to what is a cute albeit simple restaurant.

Balmains

Lately I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, it is good to get out there and try new things, and brunch is no exception. So when choosing a Sunday brunch location, I decided a little road trip was in order. Lucky for Dan and I, it was a perfect day for a drive along Beach Road to Balmains Cafe.

Located on Were St in Brighton, Balmains has a delightful mixture of old world charm and modern touches.

Le Miel et la lune

In recent times, I have tended to dine out within my own little geographical  bubble. Boring! Luckily I now have a partner in crime, my sister Victoria, living North of the city and she guided me to a favourite cafe of hers.

Le Miel et la lune has popped up on Cardigan St Carlton in recent years - well it certainly wasn't there when I was at uni - and seems to be a popular spot with the locals.

Station St Trading Co.

Port Melbourne, you have well and truly delivered some fine brunch options. I am feeling spoilt for choice. Ahh...but choices must be made and brunch at Station St Trading Co. seems to be a choice I keep on making.

Located opposite the peaceful parklands running along the Port Melbourne light rail, you won't stumble across Station St Trading Co. (unless you live nearby) you have to seek it out. And dining away from the somewhat ugly Bay St (well someone had to say it) is just one element that makes Station St Trading Co. such an appealing destination.

As is 'so hot right now' Station St Trading Co. incorporates many pieces of second hand, mismatched furniture into their fit-out. It is a little bit cutesy, has plenty of charm, but the real reason I keep going back to Station St Trading Co. has very little to do with the decor.

It is all about the food. (Well duh!)

Brunswick Mess Hall (Part 2)

This post was originally added to the end of my first post about Brunswick Mess Hall, however, there is now one post for each visit. 

This post predominantly features pictures. For a more detailed review of Brunswick Mess Hall, please visit the original post.

***

After my first visit to Brunswick Mess Hall I avowed to return. And return I did, with three people in tow, so this time we ordered the Banquet. (You need to be a group of 4 or more to order the Banquet option.)

For only $25  per person, we were served 6 dishes - all delicious. Truly a bargain! 

Brunswick Mess Hall

Did you know that there is a restaurant in Melbourne that is relaxed and classy, with a fantastic food and beverage menu, stellar service, oh and it allows dinner reservations? Did you? Did you?

It sounds too good to be true, but by golly gosh, Brunswick Mess Hall quite literally has it all.

Having been a regular patron of Murmur, which is owned by the same people, I couldn't miss the opportunity to get my cocktail fix with a side of Asian fare. And boy was it impressive.

While it might not seem visually striking at street level, once you enter this Brunswick gem, you feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney Road. The animal-centric features are enchanting, as are the staff that greet you.

Balderdash

Sometimes you wake up not knowing exactly what you're going to do with your day, but you're not excepting anything special.

Well today started like that, except that something special did happen. We tried another local cafe and it literally put a spring in our step.

Port Melbourne has a number of cafes, small restaurants and brunch spots. Dan and I certainly haven't visited even half of them, but so far most have gone onto our 'visit again' list and a couple were quickly forgotten.

Balderdash, on Bay St, is now well and truly near the top of my 'must visit again' list. The combination of attentive service, amazing food and relaxed ambiance made it a real winner. There was even water and shade for your furry friends - we had Dan's dog (Maple) with us. 

Still here

Hi! Just thought I'd let you all know that we're still here, well still be blogging. We just had to take a little break because we've been in Japan!

Hopefully we'll get a post up soon about all the tantalising and fascinating foodie experiences we had in the land of the rising sun.

- Dani

Heathcotean Bistro

As mentioned in our Heathcote Winery Tour post, we arranged to have lunch at the Heathcotean Bistro after a visit to Flynn's Winery. Yes, this was back in March... we might have forgotten that this post had not been published (ooops).

***

Upon returning to Flynn's Winery, we once again went through the tasting process. It was good to refresh our memories and help up decide what to order with lunch.

As we were shown to our table I couldn't help but notice the display of jams, spreads and other wonderful preserved treats. I don't know what it is, but when I'm in the country I feel a need to buy jarred goods.

Ippudo Singapore

In just over a month, I will make my annual pilgrimage to Singapore (for the Christmas holidays). Never have I seen a city change so much over such a short period of time. Over the past 8 years, Singapore has made some fascinating transformations and my favourite one - more great places to eat.

Over the 2011 Christmas holiday season my sister insisted I join her at Ippudo Singapore (in Mandarin Gallery) for a meal. Knowing very little about Ippudo or Ramen, I agreed. We rocked up at 7.30ish and the line was epic, as in it wound around half the level and practically backed onto the escalator. Too hungry and impatient we decided to take our chances elsewhere.

Take two. This time we drag along our brother and planned to get there early to avoid the wait. We arrived just before 6pm and the line surrounds the 'waiting table' in the restaurant, but doesn't extend throughout the shopping centre - thank goodness! And as each group is seated the Ippudo staff cheer.

It's not long before we're seated at a bench facing the chefs, giving us an opportunity to see all the activity in the kitchen. We order Edamame, Goma Q, Ippudo pork bun, Ippudo shrimp bun, Ippudo organic salad, Akamaru kasaneaji and Ippudo original gyoza.

D.O.C Mornington

I love doing something (other than domestic chores) on a Sunday. It helps put me in a good mood for the start of the working week.

Recently, the sun was shining, we were carefree and so our Sunday afternoon adventures took us to Mornington.

We savoured every ray of sunshine and moment of warmth during the drive down, and arrived at a packed DOC (even though it was past 2pm already).

12wbt

As you may or may not be aware, I am partaking in a 12 week body transformation at the moment. It is not a fad diet or drastic lifestyle change. It is simply about eating good, portioned food and exercising - how easy?! And, for the most part, it has been easy. (I've never been great with portion control though.)

Since I'm cooking a lot more and eating out less, there isn't so much rad food to blog about. So here's a bit of an update regarding the 12wbt foodie experience so far.

Grey & Bliss

As we peeled ourselves from the comfort of our bed, we stiffly walked an overly excited young lass (Maple) to the beach, rather unsuccessfully trying to catch seagulls, we then decided to try and re-circulate our blood with a stroll and what we found, nestled among the fray on Port Melbourne's Bay St, with its unassuming facade, Grey & Bliss.

As we bunkered down out front, due to our honorary bruncheon guest, we were able to let the daily activities pass us by. As Dani appreciated the subtle table decorations, I quickly scoured the menu and decided it was time for my unofficial mission (to try all the eggs benedict in Melbourne) to resume after a 'healthy' stint on the sidelines.

With two wonderfully poached eggs, caressed by Virginian ham whilst perched atop crunchy sour dough bread and effortlessly drizzled with hollondaise sauce, how could this dish go wrong???

Factory Espresso

For the Easter long weekend this year, Dan and I packed up the car and headed to Orange (in NSW) to see my sister. We were absolutely charmed. The weather was great - sunny but not too warm - and we were taken to gorgeous wineries and restaurants. It was definitely no rough and tumble country town.

Though we've been a little slack in getting some of our posts up, Factory Espresso really impressed us. So I felt the need to 'spread the word'.

On Easter Sunday we decided to brunch at Factory Espresso. I know very little about Orange so I can't really tell you if the location is good, but I can tell you that the food was delicious!

Wayside Inn

Dan and I love a good steak, in fact being a vegetarian is a bit of a deal breaker for us. (I'm also slightly unimpressed by Dan's lack of enthusiasm for seafood, but we'll leave that for another time.) So after a mad couple of weeks, which severely lacked quality 'us' time, we thought we should bond over some well deserved steak - and we hadn't been to Wayside Inn yet.

Roughly between the Bay St shops in Port Melbourne and the bustling areas of Crown/South Melbourne, Wayside Inn looks slightly out of place in such a retail/light industrial area. But I'd enjoyed my experience at The Station Hotel (created by the same people) and we had heard good things, so it was worth checking out.

PM24

The feeling of warmth in my bones is now but a memory, and I am well and truly back into my Melbourne routine. What better way to embrace that routine than to dine with my 'hat-conquering' friend, Anna. Why 'hat-conquering' you ask... because some time ago Anna and I decided to try as many restaurants awarded with a chef's hat (or more) in the Good Food Guide as possible. And although we've already been to quite a few hatted restaurants separately, this is the first we've planned together.

PM24 is tucked away on Russell St and as you walk by it is easy to spot the impeccably dressed wait staff go about their work. Once inside, we were greeted by attentive staff and a warm, even comforting ambience. Just perfect on a cold winter night.

Sitting near the hot pass, we were able sneak a peek at most dishes before contemplating what to eat. But everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing and I became most distressed about my choice - I really hate the idea of missing out on a fantastic meal. "You can come back" I told myself. Ah the dilemmas of the privileged.

Salamanca

Where do I start? Put briefly, Victoria and I fell in love with this old town. Full of students and old timers, Salamanca has a polar mix of people and a vast array of dining options.

Plaza Major

Lunch in Plaza Major

Staying in a hotel at Plaza Major, we were in a prime location. But I learnt that you didn't have to be in the centre of all the action to find a really good feed.

Paris

I'm not sure what I was expecting in Paris, but the food didn't quite hit the mark. There were a few highlights, but I was disappointed a little more often than I would have liked. I know other people will have different opinions and I'm sure there are fantastic places to eat in Paris, especially if you have the dosh. But on my budget, with my limited local knowledge, this is how it turned out for me...

Breakfast
This meal didn't fail us, but we never really ate breakfast out. We just grabbed a pain au chocolat from an artisan boulanger near our apartment in Montmartre every morning. Turn off Avenue de Clichy at Rue de Dames and in less than 100m you can find delicious pastries and bread. Yum!