At a glance - Firechief Pizzeria

With the proliferation of authentic, Italian pizzerias throughout Melbourne, Firechief is struggling to stay relevant. The bases are pleasant enough, and while there are many varieties of pizza on the menu, the quality and quantity of the toppings leaves much to be desired. The lamb pizza was topped overwhelmingly with lamb skin and the pumpkin on the pumpkin pizza was waterlogged and very inconsistently cooked. There are better options available.

At a glance - Holgate Brewhouse

We have long been fans of Holgate Brewhouse because of their hand crafted, all malt, real ales and lagers. So, with a bit of spare time, it was an easy decision to once again head down to the town of Woodend for a few pints of genuine craft beer. The food is standard pub fare but let's be honest, you're here for the beer and ambience. Worth the trip. 

At a glance - Yering Station

Set within a wonderful, modern stone and glass building within the picturesque Yarra Valley, Yering Station has long been one of our favourites. The wines produced by this winery are arguably some of Australia's best and the restaurant menu has been designed to complement. The dishes served are contemporary and well executed. Overall, a compelling package of food and wine amidst a stunning backdrop.

At a glance - Shortstop Coffee & Donuts

Rapidly gaining in popularity, Shortstop has quickly developed a cult following. Whilst the toppings and flavour combinations are unquestionably delicious, we found the texture of the doughnuts themselves to be a little too dense and firm for our liking. That said, it's really a matter of taste - fluffy yeasty or dense flavour packed? There is certainly room for both!

PS: For matcha lovers, we recently tried the matcha doughnut at Square Market and really enjoyed it. The matcha flavour isn't quite intense enough but still very pleasant.

At a glance - Hoy Pinoy

We especially enjoy Hoy Pinoy's beautiful skewers which are a brilliant introduction to Filipino BBQ & street food. The Inihaw Na Manok was delectable. A BBQ chicken in a traditional marinade, the chicken was beautifully tender and boasted the perfect charring which enriched its flavour.

The Inihaw Na Baboy (BBQ pork belly) was similarly delicious. On the whole, the skewers were sufficiently seasoned and flavoursome and boasted the perfect amount of outer charring, having benefited from just the right amount of time on the grill .

At a glance - Movenpick

Gastrology recently attended an early Chinese New Year celebration at Box Hill Central.

For dessert, Mövenpick's ice cream and decadent fondue delighted. We loved the array of gorgeous flavours of the wide variety of ice creams and sorbets.

Mövenpick Ice Cream owes its inspiration to a revolutionary vision of culinary excellence that swept through the kitchens of fine Swiss restaurants in the 1960s. Today it is an iconic Swiss chain selling ice creams and shakes in modern surrounds.

At a glance - Pure South

Pure South is a restaurant that offers exceptional modern Australian cuisine to the Melbourne dining scene. The restaurant serves superbly fresh produce, all sourced directly from Tasmania, King Island and Flinders Island.

With newly appointed Michelin Star Head Chef David Hall heading the kitchen, the restaurant is in safe hands. David Hall was born and raised in Scotland with a chef for a father and developed a passion for cooking fresh produce at an early age. His early memories from the remote Isle of Skype are revisited in Pure South Dining’s relationship with lobster fishermen on King Island and Tasmania’s wild north coast.

Mt Gnonom Farm Wessex Saddleback Pork Belly, brawn, kohlrabi, pork consommé with viola flowers - The slices of pork belly were stunning. The pork was moist on the underside and contained the perfect amount of unctuous fat, encased in a crisp outer crust of crackling. Each bite was gratifying. The delicious consommé provided a delectable depth of flavour to the pork. We could not fault this dish.

A twist on the classic New York Sour - Our accompanying cocktail poison was twist on the classic New York Sour made with Jameson Irish, egg white, lemon, apple juice, splashed with Tassie Pinot Noir- served with a floating viola. We adored this heady, frothy mixture of sweet and sour.

At a glance - Top Juice

Located in the Windergarden food court in Sydney's financial district, Top Juice offers a range of freshly prepared and reasonably priced salads to cope with hungry workers. We have returned on several occasions and the salads are always fresh, healthy and delicious. Definitely an excellent food court option.

Mountains to the Sea

Gastrology recently attended Mountains to the Sea, a one-off, wine matched dinner event at Circa The Prince which highlighted Robin Wickens' (Royal Mail Hotel) and Rhys Blackley's (Circa) culinary interpretations of St Kilda and Dunkeld.

The dinner comprised a six course menu, with each chef drawing inspiration from their restaurant’s home.

We enjoyed Circa's two seafood dishes in honour of the restaurant’s location by the sea. The Eden Bass grouper with smoked cauliflower, shiitake and lovage was a winner. The Eden Bass grouper was served in a beautiful sea of seafood emulsion. The fillet had been cooked to perfection - its flesh was extremely delicate and communicated many of its natural flavours..

Royal Mail Hotel's two meat-based dishes, utilising beef and lamb produced on the Royal Mail Hotel’s own farmland and produce from the property’s acclaimed kitchen garden were each lovely. We particularly enjoyed the dish of Royal Mail hogget. The accompaniments of zucchini, luxurious squash blossom puree and heady dehydrated goats cheese were magnificent.

For the finale, a creative cheese course of Brillat-Savarin served with strawberry, olive and basil got us in the mood for a very rich finish of Dark chocolate ganache that tasted wonderful with tart passionfruit and refreshing nasturtium ice cream.

Mountains to the Sea was a very memorable evening by the bay where guests experienced the best local ingredients from our coast and our countryside.