Restaurant Review: Rockpool Bar & Grill (Bar section)

Location: Crown Casino 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

Phone: (03) 8648 1900

Link: www.rockpoolmelbourne.com

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 8/10

For a review of the restaurant, please click here.

I am so over Neil Perry. The Qantas ads, the various appearances on MasterChef. And then walking through Crown to go to either J's or my brother's place I see his establishments Spice Temple, The Waiting Room and Rockpool.

Bla bla bla. So much hype for one man, but I digress.

The focus of Rockpool is on its beef. Its delicious succulent beef. Aged? Wagyu? Grass fed? Grain fed? They've got a cut to suit everyone, but at a price.

J has been talking about taking me to Rockpool for a long time now but I have been very sceptical. A high quality piece of meat, cooked well, will always be delicious. That is a fact. What I don't like is the idea of paying through the nose when little effort has been put into the preparation of the food I am served.

I understand that it is locally sourced produce and that the meat is of the highest quality, but at the end of the day, all they do in the kitchen is sear it on a grill, chuck it on a plate and what? I am supposed to be blown away?

J convinced me to have lunch with him there. Despite my initial reservations, curiousity got the better of me. 

I decided to order the Cape grim dry aged 36 month old in a Fillet Minute Style with Cafe De Paris Butter. As it did not come with anything other than the steak, we decided to share some sides. The side dishes were good but not exceptional.

The steak, however, was delicious. Although it did not look like much on the plate, it exceeded all of my expectations. This is the first time I have ordered a minute steak and it has actually been cooked to my liking: medium rare. Delectably juicy and tender. Simple but perfect.

I now see that there is certainly value in dining at establishments such as Rockpool. Of course, Heston Blumenthal type molecular gastronomy can be mind blowing and amazing, but sometimes when you nail the basics it can be just as impressive.

Guess we will be going back for dinner at the restaurant.

Cafe Review: Little Cupcakes

Location: Shop 7, Degraves Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9077 0413
Link: www.littlecupcakes.com.au
Overall Impression: 6/10

Cupcakes are popping up everywhere. Personally, I am not a fan. The hype is evident but I fail to see the reason why. This is simply a sad case of how looks can be deceiving. There they are, absolutely gorgeous looking but take one bite and there is neither substance nor depth. It may vary in the level of sweetness but that is all. Much like that ex you dated for a while (until you came to your senses) because he was a nice man-bag.  

But as far as pretty cupcakes go, those from Little Cupcakes are some of the better ones that I have tried. So, if you must, these, at the very least have some interesting flavours. Oh, and the online ordering system is fantastic!

Cafe Review: Pie Face

Location: Various Phone: 0430 093 677
Link: http://www.pieface.com.au/
Overall Impression: 4.5/10

I have tried the pies at  both the Elizabeth Street and Flinders street stores. At the very least, there appears to be consistency in terms of the standard of the pies served at both of these stores. There is however, no distinguishing features in the pies served that would make them any different from say, a pie I could buy at seven eleven. They do not taste particularly good or have special pie fillings that I would struggle getting elsewhere. At $5.75 a pie, it is also not particularly cheap. Unfortunately, Pie Face goes into my ‘neither here nor there’ bin.

Restaurant Review: Berth

Location: 45 New Quay Promenade, Docklands

Phone: (03) 9670 0199

Link: www.berth.com.au

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

 

 

 

Entrée: Kalamata olives – served warm with chorizo sausage and turkish bread $12
This was simple and well executed.

Entrée: Soup of the day – with toasted bread $9

I wasn’t feeling particularly well and had been craving soup all day, so I opted for the soup of the day. Having had countless disappointing experiences, I was pleased to see that my luck had finally changed. The soup of the day was a pumpkin and cumin soup served with beautiful sourdough bread. The soup was thick, hearty and smacked full of flavour. It had very middle eastern/Indian flavours to it.

Main: Roasted half duck – with sautéed spinach, crispy polenta and a balsamic glaze $29
The duck was slightly overcooked but still quite moist. Flavours-wise, it was well seasoned and enjoyable to eat.

Main: Grilled kangaroo fillet – on kipfler potatoes finished with rocket and a red wine glaze $26
The kangaroo was perfectly cooked. It was deliciously charred on the outside and pink on the inside.  The beetroot brought an element of sweetness to the dish that balanced the red wine glaze. As a whole, it was a very good main and I look forward to ordering this again during my next visit.

As you can see, the wine glasses used are most unimpressive.

Dessert: Cookies ‘n’ cream – vanilla bean ice cream topped with crumbled pieces of choc chip cookies, homemade honeycomb & hot chocolate sauce $12

Dessert: Lemon tart – with freshly whipped cream and citrus sauce $12
Both the desserts were very pedestrian. But like the rest of the meal, it was also enjoyable.

Berth serves up decent, honest food. The food is simple and meets expectations. We both had a very enjoyable casual dining experience. The location is lovely. We were seated right next to the window. Peering out, it really felt like we were on a ship sailing away. It is a great place for a date that will certainly not break the bank. For all the food we had, the bill came up to $100 exactly (sans wine).

Restaurant Review: Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons

Phone: (03) 9694 7400

Location: Crown Entertainment Complex, Southbank

Link: www.idrb.com/giuseppe_main_flash.html

Cuisine: Italian

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Z, JL and I decided to catch up over a working day lunch at Giuseppe. The service was prompt and friendly. The whole place had a really modern vibe to it. 

Seriously delicious bread for the table.

"Ravioli alla Marchigiana"

Ravioli Filled with a Five Hour Ragu of Pork & Veal in a Burnt Butter, Sage Sauce, Finished with Black Truffle Pecorino (Available Lunch Only) $36

Spaghetti“Arrabbiata” Crab, Tomato, Chilli

Baked in a Paper Bag   $33

Mezzi Rigatoni, Our Own Pork Sausages,

Sage, Tomato, Garlic, Chilli  $28  

All in all, the food was rustic and delicious. The pasta was al dente. Everything was well seasoned and very hearty. That said, at over $30 for a bowl of pasta, you would very well hope so. This is my second time at Giuseppe and although the food is delicious, I am still not sure whether the high end prices are justified. Perhaps a 3 course dinner in the future would give me more perspective and change my mind but at this stage, for a casual lunch, I would say it is good but I would not be rushing to go back.

Event Review: Louis Vuitton afternoon tea

Location: 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank

Phone: 1300 883 880

J and I were delighted with an invitation to a private Louis Vuitton ("LV") afternoon tea. They had just launched some new textiles that were not yet available to the public so this was an opportune time to see what was new in the fabrics scene at LV.

Sneak peak

 We were treated to a lovely cheese platter and delicious sour dough bread.  

The hidden room inside the LV store was beautifully decorated with comfortable furnishings and all sorts of LV-related goods.

Every luxury house serves tea exclusive to its VIP guests and LV is no exception. The LV tea was deliciously fragrant with floral notes.

It was a wonderful afternoon and we all felt extremely spoiled and welcomed. Sipping glasses of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rose and browsing through the new collection it was a treat for all the senses.

Thank you for a great afternoon, to the Southbank LV team!

Restaurant Review: Jimmy Watson's Wine Bar and Restaurant

Location: 333 Lygon St, Carlton

Phone: (03) 9347 3985

Link: http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/E/V/MELBO/0036/95/75/

Cuisine: Italian

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Jimmy Watson’s felt like a secret find. No one apart from the birthday girl had ever heard of the place. Browsing through the menu, we noticed that everything was incredibly well priced (with mains around the $20 mark). Notably, this place is great for group bookings. The place is well spaced and the service is warm and friendly without being intrusive.   

Antipasto platter

Crispy Skin Seasoned Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato, Silverbeet and Harissa $21

Slow Cooked Osso Bucco with Butter Sauteed Potato Chats $21

Pasta of the Day $19

Overall, every dish was very pleasant. It was humble, rustic food. Everything was well-seasoned and enjoyable. And for what we paid, we were all more than satisfied. Note however, that given it was a wine bar/restaurant; the wine list was surprisingly quite limited, comprising predominantly of Jimmy Watson labels.

Bar Review: Carlton Yacht Club

Location: 298 Lygon St, Carlton

Phone: (03) 9347 7080

Link: www.carltonyachtclubbar.com.au

Overall Impression: 5/10

A good cocktail is one that taste delicious without the burn (that harsh taste that comes with hard liqueur) but delivers a good level of intoxication.

Many cocktails taste incredibly alcoholic which makes it not very enjoyable to drink. But the worst of all is a cocktail that does not taste alcoholic because there is barely any alcohol in it.

The cocktails at the Carlton Yacht Club (“CYC”) the night of SR’s birthday drinks were such. E.g.:

Death by Tim Tam

A nutritionist’s nightmare concoction of Vanilla Vodka, Baileys, Creme de Cacao and Butterscotch Schnapps blended with caramel syrup, choc syrup, ice cream and Tim Tam biscuits served tall with a frozen Tim Tam garnish. A modern CYC classic.

Although delectable, it had no effect. And when someone as easily intoxicated as I am says they have no effect, the cocktail must have well and truly lacked any volatile substances.

So there. Rant over.

Cafe Review: Cacao

Location: Shop 7 / 525 Little Collins St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9629 4955

Link:www.cacao.com.au

Overall Impression: 7/10

Please read our latest review of cacao here!

Having noticed the hype surrounding the macarons at Cacao, J surprised me with a bunch of them on a lovely afternoon. Even though I still maintain that the macarons from Emerald Deli are the best I have ever tasted, the macarons at Cacao are very good. They are smacked filled with flavour but due to their delicate sizing, the gooey centre is somewhat lacking. I would say it is the same problem La Belle Miette has with its macarons.

Nevertheless, at $2.50 each, it is definitely a worthwhile treat.

This time we opted for the salted caramel and pistachio flavoured macarons.

Salty Caramel and Pistachio

The salted caramel is a winner with its beautifully balanced flavours.

Cafe Review: Little Wish

Location: 530 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9621 1013

Overall Impression: 6.5/10 

Sneakily located, Little Wish takes a very minimalistic approch to its decor.

Latte

Short Macchiato

Friendly service and very good coffee, this place is a gem!

Cafe Review: Market Lane Cofee

Location: Victoria Market, 109-111 Therry Street, Melbourne

Email: hello@marketlane.com.au

Link: http://www.marketlane.com.au/

Overall Impression: 8/10

I love Melbourne. We have a proud coffee culture that fortunately translates to boutique cafes satisfying patrons with quality coffee. It is not surprising that Market Lane Coffee has gained a significant cult following. The coffee is exquisite. Fortunately for its fans in the CBD, a new store opened last week in Victoria Market, offering the same service to the original store at Prahran Market. Don’t try ordering a skinny anything or a mocha.  It is an insult to pure coffee. And more practically, they simply do not serve coffee in that fashion. They take their coffee seriously and for very good reason.

The ambience is quaint, humble and modern. Wooden benches bring a sense of warmth and earthiness to the bustling cafe.

Alongside serving delicious espresso beverages and pour over coffees, there is a minute selection of cakes and pastries on offer.

They also sell a range of coffee-related products.                                        

The coffees were beautiful with very apparent floral and fruity notes.

Event Review: The Micro Kitchen by Broadsheet & A Friend of Mine

http://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/micro-kitchen-broadsheet-friend-mine

JA prides himself in finding little niche spots around the inner urban areas of Melbourne. He spends his non-billable hours thralling through his artsy readings and lurking in exclusive wine bars, whilst sipping a glass of red and nibbling on a cheese platter with sweet Mimsy, the love of his life. Yesterday, JA was kind enough to invite S and myself along for a glimpse of one of his newest findings.

Unfortunately, this finding will cease to exist after tomorrow.

Broadsheet has combined renowned Melbourne chefs and designers in a temporary kitchen adequately named ‘The Micro Kitchen’.  

The schedule for the week:

Monday 25 July: Trent Jansen (Industrial Design) and Matt Wilkinson & Damien Styles (Pope Joan)

Tuesday 26 July: PAM (fashion and product design) and Andrew McConnell & Josh Murphy (Cumulus Inc.)

Wednesday 27 July: Edwards Moore (architecture) and Kate Holloway (The Premises)

Thursday 28 July: Susan Cohn (jewellery) and Maurice Esposito (St Peters)

Friday 29 July: A Friend of Mine (graphic design) and Joseph Abboud (Rumi)

Blacked eyed bean, Newmarket smoked ham hock, winter vegetable and baby spinach by Edward Moore and Kate Holloway (The Premises)

We were both thrilled to see this side of Melbourne. For $5 you will receive a soup of the day, which reflects the designer’s practice and the chef’s cooking style. To top that off, you receive a slice of fresh sourdough bread from Loafer Bread. There is also coffee from Sensory Lab for those who crave some delightful caffeine and local craft beer from Thunder Road.

Thanks for sharing this with us, JA!

Restaurant Review: Bimbo's Deluxe

Location: 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Phone: (03) 9419 8600

Link: www.bimbodeluxe.com.au

Cuisine: Gourmet Pizzas
Overall impression: 7/10

During certain hours, Bimbo’s presents you with an offer difficult to resist.

Any pizza on their menu for a mere $4! The great thing about the $4 special is that it isn’t during insane or impractical hours. They appear during regular lunch and dinner hours, wonderfully enough.

At the moment, the deal is valid during the following times:

Sun – Thurs 7 - 11pm

Weekdays 12 - 4pm

Saturday 7 - 9 pm

These gourmet thin crusted pizzas are delicious. For $4 they are everything you would expect and more. And if you really want to spoil yourself, for an extra $4, indulge in a dessert pizza to finish the meal off. It will give you that extra stomach lining in preparation for the alcohol you are about to consume.

Cafe Review: The Boyz 4 Breakie

Location: 1a Main Street, Mornington

Phone: (03) 5977 2888

Link: www.theboyz4breakie.com.au/

Overall Impression: 6/10

 Entreé Tasting Plate A selection of our delicious entreés $30

Beetroot Risotto $20

 Pancakes $15

Topped w strawberry & raspberry compote, vanilla bean ice-cream & maple syrup.

Soy Chai Latte $4.10

 What a lovely brunch spot! It has a very casual and relaxed ambience. Everything is locally sourced, fresh and delicious. It is simple food, executed well. The service was warm and very prompt.

Restaurant Review: Peko Peko

Location: 181 Wells St, Southbank
Phone: (03) 9686 1109
Cuisine: Modern Taiwanese

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

This casual Taiwanese eatery is a bit of fun. Funky decor, edgy yet comfortable furniture, everything appears lively and inviting. We visited as a group of 8 on a Saturday night and the place was bustling. We waited for about 20 minutes before we were seated (understandably given our group size). I would suggest booking in advance if you can be bothered.

The food is very much contemporary East Asian food. The menu had quite an uncohesive range. It fluctuated from bento boxes to Taiwanese beef broth with noodles. Not that it matters, since that appears to be the norm with contemporary Taiwanese food, but you certainly notice it.

That said, everything was very cheap for what it was. Nothing on the menu was over $15. Although the food was not extraordinary, it was very pleasant. The whole place has a great vibe to it. This is a good place for a casual dinner that will certainly not break the bank.

Restaurant Review: Brunelli Bar Restaurant Cafe (Revisited)

Location: 87 High St, Doncaster

Link: www.brunelli.com.au
Cuisine: Italian, cafe
Overall Impression: 5/10

HS, BB and I decided to catch up over dinner at Brunelli. Boys, do you know what your girlfriend does when she catches up with her girls? They all talk about you! No, really. There is no exception. Unfortunately for you, what we talk about is subject to special women confidentiality. And Brunelli was a great spot for that sort of casual catch up.

Again, the service was warm and friendly. We couldn't go pass the garlic foccacia so we ordered it again. But this time, instead of pizzas, we settled for salad and a pasta to share. 

Garlic Wood-fired foccacia $6
extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic & oregano

Calamari Salad $18

grilled calamari marinated in sweet chilli sauce served on a fresh garden salad with semi-dried tomatoes & black olives

The calamari was perfectly cooked. It was tender, rich and luscious (sans that awful rubbery sensation that comes with overcooked calamari). The salad was quite good. Fresh and simple.

Fettuccine Gamberi $22

garlic prawns pan fried in extra virgin olive oil & a touch of chilli, tossed through fettuccine& rocket leaves & fresh tomato

The fettuccine had unfortunately passed the 'al dente' point. The flavours of the dish as a whole though, were quite balanced and pleasant.

Latte $3

Coffee is not Brunelli's strong point. It is still better than instant coffee (which is not saying much at all) but not great for Melbourne standards. I was told that they make their own gnocchi (but not their pasta) so hopefully I will get to try that soon.

Cafe Review: 1000 £ BEND

Location: 361 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne

Phone: 0450 258 730

Link: http://thousandpoundbend.com.au/cafe/

Overall Impression: 6/10

Cheep booze during the night, great coffee and lunch menu during the day, it is easy to be a fan of this funky little cafe. From the outside it is barely anything. Just a door to a warehouse. Step inside and not much has changed. The furniture smells funky and you feel like not much work has gone into the decor at all. But that is why it works!

Service is not exactly friendly. You get the sense that the people running this place don't give a *&^% what you think. They are doing it their way, so love it or leave.

The lunch menu items are very well priced. Everything is under $15 and of a reasonable standard. The coffee is not surprisingly, very good, as this appears to be their main focus.

Cafe Review: Theobroma Chocolate Lounge

Location: Shop T157, Melbourne Central, 211 LaTrobe Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9662 2778
Link: http://www.chocolatelounge.com.au/lounges/melbournecentral/index.html
Overall Impression: 5/10

Chocolate Frappes: Iced Chocolate

Freshly made crispy Belgian Waffle drizzled with a thick chocolate liquid

Lovely waffles, friendly service, relaxed ambience. This place is great for a casual catch up. For some reason, it is always easy to get a table for your group. Although nothing blew my mind, everything was good and surprisingly well priced.  

Restaurant Review: Japas (formerly "Tomodachi")

Location: Melbourne Central Level 3, Swanston St

Phone: (03) 9663 1940

Link: www.tomodachimelbournecentral.com
Cuisine: Japanese

Overall Impression: 5/10

Having enjoyed Tomodachi’s sushi trains on various occasions, we decided to pop by for lunch and order from their a la carte menu for a change.  We found the food in general well priced and of a reasonable standard however, it did not taste particularly authentic.

Sashimi

Chicken katsu don bento box

Chicken okonomiyaki
japanese chicken and vegetable pancake served with okonomiyaki sauce, mayo and bonito flakes

The food was quite simple and very ordinary.

Cafe Review: Lindt Cafe

Location: 271 Collins Street, Melbourne

Phone: 03) 9667 0900

Link: http://www.lindt.com/au/

Overall Impression: 5/10

Although incredibly overrated, Lindt Café is still a bit of fun. The macarons were nice but were not as good as the ones at La Belle Miette or Emerald Deli.

The hot chocolate was delicious but not as decadent and tasty as the ones at Koko Black.

All in all, it was still an enjoyable experience.

Iced Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

From the Delice Collection

"The French call them Macarons, but at the Lindt Chocolat Café they are Delice. Two delicate halves of almond meringue that melt in your mouth to reveal a deliciously rich chocolate cream filling. With an exotic array of flavours, Delice are perfect with Lindt's teas, coffees or hot chocolates."

Chocolat Cerise

"Our Black Forest Cake is crafted using the perfect balance of Kirsch-infused cherries, rich dark chocolate cake and the sweetness of vanilla cream, all encased by a dark chocolate glaze and finished with perfect Lindt chocolate curls."

Tarte au Caramel Chocolat

"A delightfully smooth caramel tart blended with pecan nuts and layered with dark chocolate ganache within a shortcrust pastry shell and adorned with a chocolate artisan disc."

Pistachio

"Our Master Chocolatiers achieve the perfect balance with a sweet pistachio macaron and a luscious pistachio and white chocolate cream filling."

Excellence 70% Cocoa Chocolate

"A intensely dark chocolate macaron that melts away to reveal the full flavour of Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa dark chocolate cream filling."