Restaurant Review: Da Giovanni's

Location: 136 Highfield Rd, Camberwell
Phone: (03) 9836 0714
Link: www.dagiovannis.com.au
Cuisine: Italian
Overall Impression: 5/10

J had to pick up some wine from Canterbury so we decided to have dinner close by. On the way back, we saw this Italian eatery and decided to give it a go. In their vast dining room, there was only one table that was taken. We felt slightly apprehensive about this but thought it might have been a Sunday night thing. Besides, it was too late to walk out… the maitre’d had seen us.

We decided to share a pizza and pasta.

Giovanni's Originale 13" pizza
Tomato, cheese, fresh sausage, basil & olive oil

The pizza was quite good. It had a good crust. It was traditionally thin and crisp without being too dry.

Marinara Gnocchi

Selection of fresh seasonal seafood including mussels, scallops, prawns & calamari

Marinara Gnocchi was an odd choice, I must admit. But when a restaurant gives you both the choice of pasta and the accompanying sauce, it is difficult not to resist the urge to do something a little silly with that power once in a while. It was clear that it was the wrong sauce for gnocchi but it was certainly kosher. The gnocchi itself was incredibly good. Those soft pillows of potato goodness were clearly home-made. I savoured every moreish silky bite. I was pleasantly surprised at this as I have had bad experiences with gnocchi at similar looking establishments. The marinara sauce on the other hand was incredibly disappointing. For some reason, the tomato sauce tasted very artificial. It was clear that the seafood was out of a frozen “marinara mix”.

Overall, it is an average Italian eatery that meets expectations. I would place it slightly above a Sofia’s/La Porchetta restaurant (just to give you an idea). I highly recommend the gnocchi sans the Marinara sauce (which was my own doing).

Restaurant Review: My Cambodia

Location: 28 Buckingham Ave, Springvale

Phone: (03) 9558 5555

Cuisine: Cambodian and Thai

Overall Impression: 7.5/10

J loves Cambodian food. Speaking about his travels to Phnom Penh, he salivates with the thought of the local cuisine he had the opportunity to devour. I, on the other hand, have not had the pleasure of tasting authentic Cambodian food until today, thanks to my lovely colleague, C.

After attending a presentation by a government department all the way in Dandenong, S, C and I thought it fit to reward ourselves with a Cambodian feast before returning back to work in the city. After all, Springvale was very much on the way.

C is familiar with both Springvale and Cambodian food, so we knew we were in good hands. Upon her recommendation, we ventured into a quaint looking restaurant called The Purple Orchid (now known as "My Cambodia"). The fittings were casual – practicality certainly reigned over the aesthetics. That said, it brought about a relaxed ambience that was appropriate for the sort of feasting we were about to luxuriate in.  

Over the meal, S told us tales of his adventures in Cambodia. His stories ranged from $5 per night huts on the beach to waking up with his mates all of whom were unexplainably wearing new t-shirts.

The menu boasts a variety of Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian dishes. But C, S and I decided to stick to the plot – Traditional Cambodian cuisine. We gave C free reign over the menu (which turned out to be an excellent decision). The following are the delectable dishes we had:

 Cambodian Traditional Lemongrass Soup
The soup was incredibly fragrant. It was beautifully rich in flavour. It was a great start to the meal as it certainly induced appetite.

 Cambodian Rare Beef Salad

The beef was incredibly tender. Cooked to perfection; it was pink and juicy. The flavours of the salad were incredibly balanced. The crunch from the peanuts and onions brought a lovely textural element to the dish. The sourness from the lime juice, the sweetness of the palm sugar, the savouriness of the fish sauce/soy sauce and the freshness of the basil and coriander leaves came together in an immaculate flavour explosion. And of course, the perfect hint of chilli brought that extra edge to the dish. I would describe this as a Thai beef salad on steroids. Our taste buds were satiated.

 Prawn Spring rolls

The spring rolls were pleasant to eat. They were crisp and well-seasoned.

Crab Fried Rice
It was an enjoyable introduction to Cambodian food. The portions were notably generous - the three of us certainly glutted our appetites and there was still plenty of food left over. Thank you for sharing this gem of a restaurant, C! I cannot wait to go back!  

Restaurant Review: Lemongrass

Location: 176 Lygon St, Carlton

Phone: (03) 9662 2244

Link: www.lemongrassrestaurant.com.au

Cuisine: Thai

Overall Impression: 5/10

Ying Thai 2 is one of my favourite Thai restaurants. It is incredibly well priced and has the best coconut rice I have tasted in Melbourne. Every dish you order at Ying Thai 2 is always served in generous portions and every dish packs a punch in terms of flavour. The food is rough around the edges but delicious.

We found ourselves on Lygon Street last Saturday but resisted the urge to re-visit Ying Thai 2 when we saw Lemongrass right next to where we had parked our car. Written boldly across the exterior of the restaurant are the words “Royal Thai Cuisine”. In Thailand this basically means food that was once served only to Royals. In Melbourne, I’m not sure exactly what this means. I don’t believe any restaurant can truly live up to such a bold proclamation. Royal Thai cuisine has high standards. Firstly, only the freshest and best ingredients can be used. There will never be any bones in any of the meat or fish. Even if the fish is served as a whole, historically, it would be carefully de-boned with tweezers before being served. The flavours of every dish have to be perfectly balanced. In contrast to Thai street food that is deliciously smacked full of spice leaving you breathless with sweat dripping down your forehead, Royal Thai cuisine is balanced. Nothing is supposed to be too spicy, too sour, too salty or too sweet. There is also great attention to detail, in the preparation and presentation of food. The dishes also have to be served in a certain manner in terms of placement on the table and when and how they are served.
Needless to say, Lemongrass did not abide by these high standards. It is also notable that scattered throughout the menu are various Malaysian and Singaporean dishes whose presence on the menu certainly does not help the legitimacy of Lemongrass’ “Thai Royal Cuisine” claim.
The “Royal Thai Cuisine” label also meant inflated prices that were not justified.
The following are pictures from Lemongrass for your viewing pleasure:

Mieng Kham / Betel Leaf Tidbits

Platter - Traditional do-it-yourself tidbits of fresh garlic, ginger, lime, pomelo, peanuts, toasted coconut, longan, etc, wrapped in betel leaves and accompanied with a savoury-sweet sauce. Centuries-old recipe.

As you can see, the term “platter” was hardly an appropriate description for this dish. Perhaps ‘plate’ would have been less misrepresentative. Sufficient for at most, one person’s entrée, the portion size was very disappointing. It was however, the best dish of the night. The mixture of the numerous elements wrapped up within the betel leaf created a magical flavour combination that transported me straight to Thailand.

Gaeng Keow Wahn/Green Curry

Our version of the famous green curry as made by Mentor Boonchoo and still made by her daughter and granddaughters today. Cooked with Peppers, asian snake bean and Thai eggplant

Stir fry seafood

Gaeng Ped/Red Curry (beef)

Our handmade red curry with peppers, snake bean and Thai eggplant

coconut rice

Lemongrass is let down by its claims to be serving “Royal Thai Cuisine” and its inflated prices for what is available elsewhere at lower cost. That is not to say that our experience of Lemongrass was a negative one. The service was attentive and the ambience pleasant. Each dish was good, just not particularly special. The presentation of the dishes, much like the flavours, is conventional.

At the end of the day, you are paying for the ambience and the service. But when presented with a choice between Lemongrass and the not so royal Ying Thai 2 just down the road, I will choose Ying Thai 2 every time.

Note: Ying Thai 2 in Carlton is distinct from Ying Thai in Richmond. I visited Ying Thai in Richmond and was surprised at the difference in the quality and standard of the offerings. It was a far cry from Ying Thai 2. The food was very disappointing.

Cafe Review: Sensory Lab

Location: David Jones, 297 Little Collins St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9643 2222

Link: www.sensorylab.com.au

Overall Impression: 7/10

Presenting Sensory Lab…from the people that brought you St. Ali.

With state of the art equipment and premium coffee beans, the product from their ‘laboratory’ is difficult to fault. The tasting experience offered by the chemistry lab-coated baristas, is one I highly recommend. 

Restaurant Review: Tao's

Location:

201 Bulleen Rd,

Bulleen

Phone:

(03) 9852 0777

Link:

www.taosrestaurant.com.au

Cuisine:

Fusion?

Overall Impression: 6/10

The danger with fusion cuisine is that there is a lot more room for error. In Tao’s case, I am not sure I would even classify the cuisine it serves as ‘fusion’. There are dishes from different cultures all over the menu but there is no fusion in the equation. Take for example, our entrees: the drunken chicken dish is distinctly Shanghainese, the Ka-seki Sashimi is Japanese and the Beef Consommé is without a doubt Taiwanese. The dishes themselves are not a result of ‘fusion’. They simply exist on the same menu.

Tao's Seasonal Assorted Platter

The Oyster was beautifully fresh. However, the balance of flavours in the vinaigrette that accompanied it was not quite right. It was too sweet. The dip that was to be eaten with the bread stick was very pedestrian and the rolled cured meat around a small piece of cucumber was at best, underwhelming.

Raw Beef Nigiri with Sesame Sauce

The sesame sauce went incredibly well with the Beef Nigiri. The beef itself was tender and delectable.

Tao’s Drunken Chicken

The chicken was wonderfully tender and infused with a beautiful rice wine flavour. It brought back memories of eating drunken chicken in Shanghai. It was perfectly seasoned and well balanced.

Kai-seki Style Sashimi

The sashimi was very fresh and enjoyable.

Teapot Style Bonitto Dobimushi

This soup was very disappointing. It tasted like it had been made of frozen marinara mix that had been boiled with water with a bit of instant miso soup mix added to the mixture at the end. 

Beef Consommé

The beef consommé was very good. It was basically a Taiwanese style beef brisket. Although it was a clear soup, it was smacked full of flavour. The beef was tender and flavoursome.

Palate cleanser - Plum shots

Baked Ocean Trout with Sweet Corn Paste

The Trout was unfortunately overcooked. The sweet corn paste did not do the dish any favours.

Hot Stone Sizzling Steak

The black pepper seasoning worked very well. The Steak arrived, sizzling on the plate. As such, it was ‘perfectly cooked’ in the sense that if you were not a fan of medium-rare steak, all you had to do was wait for a while longer. The steak was juicy, tender and had a very good flavour to it. The stir-fried side dish consisting of vegetables were an odd presence on the plate. It was not very good by itself and it did not go well with the steak either. It is worth noting that the exact same side dish was used for all the main dishes that we had. 

Marinated Rack of Lamb

The lamb was cooked perfectly. Tender and delicious, the mint sauce matched the lamb very well.

Rice of the Day

Almond Tart with Custard Sauce

This dish was disconcerting. What was described as an almond tart was 4 unpitted cherries sandwiched between two biscuits with custard drizzled inside it.

Crème brûlée

Coffee Cheese Cake

The coffee cheese cake was particularly good. The caramelised popcorn brought a ‘crunch’ element to the dish and the coffee reduction on the plate brought a depth to the whole dessert.

All in all, it was an enjoyable meal. Most people I know either hate or love Tao’s. Personally, it does not invoke in me any strong emotions on either side of the spectrum. For the very reasonable price we paid ($38 for a 6 course degustation), I thought it was fair. Notably, the food was far more pleasing to the eye than to the taste bud. However, nothing was particularly bad. The ambience was lovely. The service was impeccable. The timing of each dish was difficult to fault. I would recommend this restaurant for a lazy Sunday lunch. 

Restaurant Review: Kouzina

Location: Shop 2225, Knox Ozone, 509 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South

Phone: (03) 9837 5444

Link: www.kouzina.com.au

Cuisine: Greek
Overall Impression: 5/10

Kouzina is a restaurant chain that serves reasonable Greek fare.

Mixed Grill Platter For Two 54.00

Lamb Gyros, Pork Souvlaki, Souvlaki, Lamb T-bones, Biftekia (burgers), Sheftalies (pork sausages)

Greek Salad 14.50

Traditional village salad w/ tomato, cucumber, capsicum, onion, olives, feta

Overall, I thought the quality of the offerings were quite good. Although most of the meat had been slightly overcooked, everything was well seasoned and enjoyable. The service was unfortunately very slow even though the restaurant was far from packed. I certainly will not be returning in a hurry.

Bar Review: Melbourne Supper Club

Location: Level 1/161 Spring St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9654 6300

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

It's late. We're a little bit tipsy and slightly peckish. Staggering along the sidewalk, V, J and I are clearly a class act...

But walking around in extremely high heels will not stop us from venturing down to the Melbourne Supper Club. Afterall, it harbours their famous sticky date pudding we love so much. Delectably moist and fluffy, it is one of the best I have had in Melbourne.

The thing I love about the Melbourne Supper Club is how Melbourne it is. It's entrance is a lonesome door tucked somewhere discreet on Spring Street. But for those in the know, it is a cocktail haven with food that will satisfy the worst of any midnight cravings.

Cafe Review: Pellegrini's Espresso Bar

Location: 66 Bourke St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9662 1885

Cuisine: Italian

Overall Impression: 5/10

There used to be the four of us. Veronica, Cathy, Liz and I. Veronica now lives in Cairo. Cathy, in Singapore and Liz in New York. During Veronica and Liz's recent visit, we decided to pop by Pellegrini's for a quick coffee to reminisce. It doesn't look like anything has changed. I love the charm of Pellegrini's. A Melbourne icon, it has the style of a 1950’s Italian diner with its checquered tiles and humble bar stools. Renown for hearty and classical Italian fare, it is a cafe that has earned a place in my heart. I have many fond memories here with friends.

I have read recent blog reviews on Pellegrini's and have noticed that many walk in expecting une veritable experience gastronomique and are not surprisingly disappointed.

I like this cafe because I do not go here to be blown away by the food. The pastas are priced at a very fair $15 a plate. This is hearty, simple and honest Italian food. Nothing fancy. And certainly, nothing gourmet. It is peasant food executed reasonably well at a reasonable price.

In my opinion, Pellegrini's delivers because it brings into fruition all that it promises.

So, yes, come here if you would like something casual and simple. The service is great (the staff are wonderfully friendly and helpful) and the food is simple and nice.



Mount Dandenong cafe reviews

Cafe Review: Café de Beaumarchais 

After dropping our luggage at the lovely and luxurious 'Tree House' wood-fired lodge, we headed out for some food. Miss Marple’s was our first stop but the cafe was booked out so we made reservations for an hour later. In the mean time, we decided to stop by a French-style café named Café de Beaumarchais.  

Ham and Cheese Croissant

It was so cosy and lovely inside. The striking wall paper and the colour scheme worked very well. The food was good too. J enjoyed his croissant and I enjoyed my quiche. The pastry encrusting the quiche was particularly good. Incredibly short, it melted in my mouth.

Quiche Lorraine

Crisp shortcut pastry filled with egg, bacon and onion served with fresh garden salad and tomato chutney

As we still had more time before our afternoon tea at Miss Marple’s we stopped by a speciality tea store next door. J saw a giant tea cup and saucer that he wanted but didn’t need. It was the wrong size but to scale, just the way he liked. Much like the giant cupcake I made him :) 

Cafe Review: Miss Marple's Tearoom

We were finally at Miss Marple’s. J had warned me that the hype surrounding this place was incredibly unwarranted but I didn’t think that my first trip to Mount Dandenong with J could truly be complete without a visit to Miss Marple’s.

Devonshire Scones served with home-made jam and lashings of freshly whipped cream

We ordered scones, waffles and tea. There was clearly too much food but we managed to finish it thanks to J’s magic tummy.

Belgian Waffles

Two lightly toasted waffles served with cream and ice cream, mixed berries, and raspberry sauce

The food was of an incredibly poor quality. I was surprised at how dry the scones were. It was clear that they had been baked in a large tray and then just sliced before serving. As such, they did not have the traditional roughly cylindrical shape and the lovely crust that surround a good scone.  The waffles were at best passable. Although they were not burnt, they smelt burnt. Perhaps the waffle maker needed a clean?  The "best cup of tea in England" was pleasant. The service was quite poor. Each item that arrived was slammed onto our table. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. That said, I really liked the ‘feel’ of the place. The flower prints on all the fabrics were a nice touch. It really did feel like I was in an old English lady’s cottage. Albeit, a very crammed cottage with angry ladies serving you.

Cafe Review: Pie In The Sky

An eatery that is widely known for serving the best pies in Victoria, is Pie In The Sky.

The whole cafe was bustling when we arrived. We were both excited to dig into some pies.

Beef Burgundy Pie Floater $14.90 - Our gold medal pie, in our thick, tasty 'Pea & Ham soup' topped with a scoop of fresh, creamy potato.

We both ordered a Pie Floater each. The Pea & Ham soup was watery and quite tasteless. The pie crust was far too dry. The beef burgundy filling however, was nice. There were generous chunks of meat that were well seasoned. All in all though, it was very average.

Cafe Review: Cafe Sassafras

J decided to take me out for more scones. This time we decided to check out Cafe Sassafras. It is literally down the road from Miss Marple's Tea Room but across the road. And this time, they were absolutely delicious - delectably buttery and moist. I would highly recommend the scones here over Miss Marple's! It has even convinced us to make scones and tea a regular J and I activity going forward!

Cafe Sassafras scones

Restaurant Review: Longrain

Location: 44 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9671 3151

Link: www.longrain.com.au/

Cuisine: Thai

Overall Impression: 7.5/10

Since visiting Longrain four years ago, it remains my favourite Thai restaurant til today. Authentically flavoured, immaculately presented and wonderfully generous in its portions. The caramalised pork hock is always a favourite. And who can go past the delicious Soft shell crab? Crisp and beautifully balanced by the freshness of the sweet and sour Thai mango salad.
I love how consistently good this restaurant is. Highly recommended!

Cafe Review: Mart 130

Location: 107 Canterbury Rd, Middle Park
Phone: (03) 9690 8831
Overall Impression: 6/10

Mart 130 has long been one of my favourite breakfast spots. Their corn fritters are particularly good. Sinfully crunchy and salty, it is always a great start to the day. There is, however, usually a bit of a wait before you are seated. Obviously, the waiting time varies depending on the size of your group but in my experience, it is about a 15 minute wait for 2-4 people. The staff members are friendly and once you’re seated, the service is prompt. Expect your eggs to be cooked well- be it scrambled or poached!

Product Talk: Cocobella Coconut Water

Cocobella is a refreshingly new alternative to regular sports drinks. Australian owned, it is all natural (made from young coconut juice), loaded with electrolytes (3 times more than the average sports drink) and wonderfully fat-free.

But the thing that has got me hooked is the delicious taste. It reminds me of a soft drink widely sold in Asia called 100PLUS. Unlike 100PLUS, however, Cocobella is suited to a more mature palate, is not carbonated and also has far fewer calories!

Cocobella comes in 4 delectable varieties:

• Coconut water & pink guava
• Coconut water & mango
• Coconut water & pineapple
• Coconut water a.k.a “Straight up”

My personal favourite is "Straight Up". The sweetness and saltiness of the drink is balanced impeccably. J now drinks it regularly for hydration after working out and I drink it as a healthy, natural alternative to soft drinks.

Product Talk by Nuffnang

Recipe: Matcha (Green Tea) Frozen yoghurt

Ingredients

2 cups homemade yogurt or plain yoghurt

3 heaped teaspoons of matcha (green tea) powder

1/2 cup icing sugar

Instructions

In a bowl, mix a few spoonfuls of yoghurt with the green tea powder and icing sugar. Once there is a smooth consistency, pour in the rest of the yoghurt and mix it well. If your yogurt mix is quite cold, you can pour it straight into your ice cream maker. Otherwise, chill it for a few hours in the fridge first. Churn it in the ice cream maker according to the machine instructions.

 Enjoy!

Cafe Review: Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe

Location: 620 Collins St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9629 3988

Cuisine: Japanese

Overall Impression: 7/10

Check out our latest review of Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe here!

Believe the hype. With an appropriately simple and fresh menu, Purple Peanuts ticks all the right boxes. With an emphasis on fresh and high quality ingredients, it certainly aims to please and does! Their house-made miso soup is certainly commendable and a notch above the average MSG-ridden stuff.

Another thing I love is having the option of brown rice in your sushi.

Restaurant Review: Hooked

Location: 384 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Phone: (03) 9417 7740

Link: www.hooked.net.au

Cuisine: Fast food

Overall Impression: 6/10

J and I were in the mood for a casual dinner. Whilst J wanted something naughty and greasy, I felt like something simple and relatively healthy. Hooked was the perfect option as, from what we had heard, it would accommodate both of our cravings. 

Light Tempura Battered Blue Grenadier with Hand Cut Chips $12.90

Nothing can compete with the fish and chips of our childhood. I will forever carry fond memories of the greasy battered fish and chips I would collect from the dingy fish and chip shop after school. Unwrapping the white butchers paper to reveal the salty, greasy, crispy contents was one of life’s great little pleasures.

The Hooked style fish and chips are a twist on that old classic; an attempt to appeal to a more mature, refined audience and make fish and chips ‘trendy’. The ambience of Hooked is inviting, the decor is funky and relaxed and the service warm and prompt.

The tempura batter used to coat the fish is lighter and to a slight extent, less greasy than the offerings from your average ‘run of the mill’ fish and chippery. The “house” fish is blue grenadier instead of flake which, considering the rapidly dwindling numbers of gummy shark around the globe, is definitely a good thing.

As a whole, the fish was well cooked, succulent and tasted relatively fresh. The hand cut chips were beautifully crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Whilst far from earth shattering, as a whole, it was an enjoyable dish.

Grilled Blue Grenadier with Brown Rice and Bok Choy $12.90

Again, the fish was quite fresh and everything on the plate was seasoned well. The grilled fish was slightly overcooked but well within what I would consider acceptable. The portions for both of our dishes were also surprisingly generous.

Although the dish was enjoyable in its entirety, the inescapable reality was:

·         the brown rice had been steamed and drizzled with Soy Sauce;

·         the Bok choy had been boiled and drizzled with Soy Sauce; and

·         the fish had been seasoned and grilled.

It was all very simple.

Hooked proudly proclaims that it offers healthier fish and chips, but precise details regarding this are scarce. The information on their website labelled “why Hooked” simply spruiks the health benefits of consuming any seafood from any source. No information is given regarding the calorie and saturated fat content of their products relative to others.

Sure, if you order a grilled piece of fish and select rice and bok choy instead of chips it will be healthier. But then again, this really isn’t earth shattering news is it? And boiled rice and bok choy soaked in soy sauce is certainly not something unique to Hooked.

What Hooked does, it does well. However, it doesn’t really do that much, which is why Hooked ultimately fails to delight. The decor might have changed, the plating might have improved, there may be alternatives to chips but at the end of the day, it is just another old fish and chip shop, albeit with a face lift.

Restaurant Review: Royston Hotel

Location: 12 River St, Richmond

Phone: (03) 9421 5000

Link: www.roystonhotel.com.au

Cuisine: Gastro-pub

Overall Impression: 9/10

Hand pumped, cask conditioned beer. This is how beer used to be (before big corporations started pasteurising and carbonating it) and how beer should be.

After years of mass produced, artificially carbonated beer flooding the market and becoming the new ‘norm’ in Australia, hand pumped beer is beginning its resurgence thanks to breweries like the Holgate Brewhouse in Woodend, and temples of beer worship such as The Royston and the Great Northern Hotel.

Holgate ESB

This genuine, English style of beer shows greater complexity and depth of flavour than its artificially carbonated and pasteurised competitors. A pint of this brings J and I right back to the time we spent in the UK.

Chicken Parma

Apart from excellent beer, the Royston provides very good quality food at reasonable prices. They have mastered the Aussie pub basics (the Royston’s Parma is my favourite in Melbourne), but are also not afraid to push the boundaries of pub cuisine (Lamb Kofta, Lentil Sheppard’s Pie, Asian Calamari Salad, Hungarian Goulash etc.)

Royston Bar Plate: Marinated rainbow olives, grilled chorizo sausage, Persian fetta, smoked salmon, warm Turkish bread, roti bread $18.50

The share plate was, like everything at The Royston, very generous. The aged fetta was delicious, the Turkish bread warm and fresh and the inclusion of several different olive varieties a particularly thoughtful touch.

Lentil Sheppard’s Pie: Winter vegetable & green lentil hot pot, mashed potato, melted cheese, parsley, wild rocket salad $25.90

Lamb Kofta: Home-made lamb kofta balls, Indian spices, fruit and nut rice, cumin & honey yoghurt $27.90

Asian Calamari Salad: Grilled Calamari, rice noodles, Asian greens, Vietmanese mint, hot & sour dressing $25.90

Hungarian Goulash: Smoked paprika and tomato beef hotpot, home-made potato gnocchi, sour cream, parmesan, parsley $27.90

Although the Lentil Sheppard’s Pie and Asian Calamari Salad could have done with a touch more seasoning, the Lamb Kofta was lovely. Of particular note was the Goulash, which was packed chock full of flavour. The chunky cubes of beef were tender and the fresh gnocchi resembled soft potato pillows. It was more authentic and generous than that served at The Hungarian.

Although not always entirely successful, The Royston’s efforts to break with the conventions of standard pub fare are to be commended. 

250g Porterhouse Steak: with wild rocket salad, chips, red wine jus $23.50

The steak at The Royston is solid but not a standout. After having tried it many times on ‘Locals Nights’ (certain dishes such as the Steak and Parma come down to $17 on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays) it has never truly impressed (the cut of meat used is only average).

Bread and Butter Pudding

Peanut Butter Parfait

The deserts at The Royston are particularly good, especially the Peanut Butter Parfait. I have tried this desert many times over the years and despite it regularly changing shape and receiving small tweaks, it is consistently delicious.

Whilst I would love to keep it a secret, The Royston’s growing popularity in recent times has shown that the secret is already out. The Royston is clearly starting to gather a local following as until recently, ‘Locals Nights’ brought the price of certain dishes down to $15.

It is an unassuming, unpretentious pub that serves excellent beer and great food. This is why The Royston has been our local for several years now. Even though we do not live locally.

Restaurant Review: Don Don

Location: 321 Swanston St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9662 3377
Cuisine: Japanese
Overall Impression: 6/10

Don Don serves up cheap, incredibly fast and good Japanese food. I sometimes wonder about the turn around time (from the point of ordering the food to receiving it), it is a little scary how little time they take. However, it is this very factor that gives Don Don the appeal it has as it makes it a great alternative to fast food.

Cafe Review: Limelight Cafe

Location: 352 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East
Phone: (03) 9841 0511
Link: http://www.limelightcafe.com.au/
Overall Impression: 5/10

KM, AT, LW and I had a lovely catch up at Limelight Cafe. From the get go we teased poor little KM about his secret love affair with PP. As usual, he denied it. But it is difficult to arrive at any other conclusion since he was caught having dinner with her at Vue de Monde only a few weeks ago. As you can see, Limelight Cafe is great for casual catch ups and interrogations. Although there are a few hiccups here and there, the food certainly meets expectations.

Duck Risotto $22.90
Risotto cooked with a slow braised Duck ragout, shitake mushrooms and bokchoy, topped with parmesan cheese

This dish was well-seasoned and quite enjoyable. It was however, unfortunately 'fusion' in a manner that was quite unnecessary. Although pleasant, the dish may have been better, for a lack of a better term, left un-fusion-ed.

Chocolate Thickshake

 Iced Mocha

 Latte

This cafe is great for all the sorts of drinks and desserts your dietician would advice you against. They make great thickshakes and a delectable New York style cheesecake. I have also enjoyed their breakfast menu during my past visits. During my previous visit, I was presented with a perfectly poached egg on Rye bread with beautifully sauteed spinach leaves on the side. Unfortunately, compared to these, their lunch menu is a bit of a let down.

Restaurant Review: One Thai

Location: 346 Belmore Rd, East Balwyn
Phone: (03) 9857 9186
Link: http://www.onethai.com.au/
Cuisine: Thai
Overall Impression: 6/10

With a menu that boasts common favourites and exotic dishes, it is no wonder this humble eatery is bustling almost every night of the week. One Thai is not for the faint-hearted. Most dishes are smacked filled with spice and flavour. If you are not keen on spicy food, my advice is to let the chef know well in advance!

The items on the menu are very well prices so you can have a feast without blowing a hole in your wallet. And on top of that, this is a BYO restaurant - we didn't even have to pay for corkage.

Ambience-wise, it is relaxed and casual. Note however that the restaurant gets very noisy.

Restaurant Review: Verge

Location: 1 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9639 9500

Link: www.vergerestaurant.com.au

Cuisine: French and Japanese fusion

Overall Impression: 5.5/10

J spoiled me with a surprise dinner at Verge over the weekend for no reason at all (Thank you, my generous J!).

I had suggested going to Verge for lunch weeks ago because Verge is having a winter lunch special – 30% off your total lunch bill but J refused. J believes that you haven’t truly ‘experienced’ a restaurant if you have only been there for lunch. In some respects, I agree with him. The ambience and the mood is usually lacking during lunch.

We had heard quite a lot about Verge prior to our dining experience. Unfortunately, everything we had heard had been scathing. In spite of many warnings, to my utmost delight, J decided to take me there. After all, Verge has consistently been granted 2 hat status over the past couple of years and has earned a firm reputation among food critics in general. We both thought, “How bad can it be?"

The beautiful view from where we sat

Our culinary journey thus far has been exciting. It has been filled with ups and downs. Melbourne’s culinary scene is amazing but there are always institutions that have gained acclaim that still puzzle us until today. That said, with every Vue de Monde that disappoints, there is a Jacques Reymond that excites and inspires. The things we had heard about Verge were hardly encouraging. The recurring complaint point received from friends and family was that Verge plated up ludicrous, crazy flavour combinations that were simply incompatible.

But that was what excited us about Verge. We desired a change from the classical flavours with which we had grown accustomed, and were hoping to taste something crazy on the plate – whether it worked or not. And experience has shown us that when a strange flavour combination does work, it can be a magical experience.

To out disappointment, nothing was ‘crazy’.

The night started with a high and ended with a high. The dishes intertwined between these two ends, however, were simply disappointing.

Two out of our 6 courses were amazing. The other 2 were very good. 1 of the dishes made me want to throw up a tiny little bit and another dish was drastically under seasoned and devoid of any flavour whatsoever.

The following is the six course menu we chose.

Amuse bouche: Veal Tartare

The veal tartare was a good amuse bouche. Perfectly seasoned, it certainly induced appetite.  

First Course: Mushroom, fresh ricotta, dark beer, truffle

As a whole, this was a very pleasant dish. We were both pleased that we had each been given a generous piece of truffle. The house made ricotta was creamy and delicious. The dark beer sauce was sweet and well-balanced. It really brought the whole dish together. It was a pity that there simply was just not enough of the sauce to go around. Everything had incredibly subtle flavours but as the first course of the night, we both thought it was quite appropriate.

Second Course: Sand Flathead, clams, elderflower, green melon

This dish was amazing. It was a promising start to our meal. The fish was cooked to perfection and the elderflower scent that permeated the dish was beautiful. The clams were luscious. Every element worked like an orchestra playing in absolute harmony.

Third Course: Rolled Rabbit, heirloom carrots, black pudding

Looking at the dish, it was beautiful and I could not wait to devour it. My first mouthful was anything but disappointing. The heavenly succulent piece of rabbit and the luxurious puree that accompanied it was to die for. And then I had my second mouthful, this time, making sure I had ample amounts of “black pudding” covering my piece of rabbit. This was a big mistake. The “black pudding” differed from tradition in the most unpleasant way.  It was actually a “black pudding” (blood) mousse. I could not help but expel what remained in my mouth. It was unpleasant in both taste and texture (think blood whipped with cream). I took great care to avoid the “black pudding” for the rest of this course.

Fourth Course: Kangaroo, marinated pear, turnip and radish

What we had thought would have been a “safe” dish to order, (in the sense that it did not sound particularly edgy in terms of flavour combinations), turned out to be baffling. The kangaroo, turnip and radish did not have a single ounce of flavour. The turnip was waterlogged and tasted like it had been boiled in unseasoned tap water. Perhaps Verge is taking the concept of “respecting the ingredient” to an egregious level.  That said, the marinated pear was beautiful. It had earthy flavours that chimed commendably with the gamey kangaroo meat.

Fifth Course: Melon, caramel, malt, meringue, orange blossom

This was a fascinating dessert. There were so many elements to this dish but it was absolutely perfect. It was like exploring a delicious edible jungle full of many different and wonderful delicacies that when eaten together, created a flavour combination made in heaven. Different textures percolated the dish. There was something that tasted like sweetened Assam that brought a delicious salty, sweet and tangy aspect to the dish. It was mouth-wateringly good. As full as I was by the end of the meal, I would have had no trouble eating a tub of this dessert.

Sixth Course: Elderflower, yoghurt sorbet, bubble-gum, hibiscus

This was delicious and incredibly enjoyable. It was a delightful end to the degustation. The flavour of bubblegum permeated the dish, bringing me back to my childhood. The sorbet was striking, balancing a creamy sweetness with the tartness that is so prized in high quality yoghurt. Unfortunately, however, the elderflower flavour was so dominated by these other flavours that it was hardly perceptible. This is a shame because I am a massive fan of the subtle floral taste of elderflower.

The entire experience as a whole was disappointing, especially for a two-hat restaurant. Unfortunately, it appears that not every item on the menu is worth tasting. That said, there were glimmers of brilliance that shone through with some of the courses. With the benefit of hindsight, we could have orchestrated a brilliant dining experience by selecting certain dishes and steering well clear of others. But without prior knowledge of what each course will be like, I am afraid the Verge menu is a bit of a gamble. So play if you dare.