Sardine – Armadale
Posted: May 30, 2012 Filed under: Cafe | Tags: armadale, Armadale eating, Armadale Station, Beilby, Genovese coffee, Melbourne coffee, Prahran eating, Spoonful Leave a comment »Hidden away in Armadale’s backstreets lies a very small cafe which goes by the name of Sardine. I can not tell you for certain, but I do believe that the name was employed because of the size of the premises. Let me be the first to tell you not to be fooled by the size of this fine establishment, because this lil’ fish really packs quite a punch.
You can locate this little treasure by following the dated King’s Arcade walkway off High Street or alternatively via Morey Street which can be accessed via both Kooyong and High Street. If you need further directions, get a friendly local to point you in the direction of Armadale train station which is located but a stone’s throw away from Sardine.
With a mere 24 seating capacity divided equally in and out, you can decide if you would prefer to watch train commuters go back and forth to the station or discuss recipes, movies or restaurants with the likable staff running this fish. At the helm is Piers Beilby, a fine specimen that has had food and cafes running in his blood for as long as he can remember. He is the eldest son of Melly Beilby, who many locals know as the creator and owner of Prahran institution Spoonful. Sardine is the third venture from the Spoonful empire and has a strong focus on premium ingredients and fresh food.
As you enter, it is hard to miss the beautiful display of sweets, with the majority baked on board the mother ship at Spoonfull and others carefully sourced from local bakers and cake specialists. Most of the sugary delights change all the time, which is great for me, as I will always have a different treat with my morning coffee. FYI the chocolate spotted brioche (top plate) are heavenly.
From left, we have a soy cappuccino ($3.80) and a skinny latte ($3.50). The highly skilled barista works her magic behind a two group Wega . Using beans sourced from Genovese’s signature house blend, the coffees here are superb. They have not gone down the trend of investing an arm and a leg into a Synesso, or sourcing Tahiti single origin (yet!) beans. The crew here have decided they will take the traditional approach, of good, consistent coffee with no fancy bells or whistles. They are doing an excellent job of that.
Chipotle baked beans, with Tarago fetta, and a fried egg ($15.00). This dish is one of Sardine’s most popular. To my recollection, it has been on the menu since this shop opened over two years ago. Although the menu regularly changes I agree with Beilby, that the customer favourites need to stay on. This breakfast option is always beautifully presented, and that egg on top of the serving dish looks so good, it almost looks fake. The beans weren’t as firey as I would like – rather at a mild spice level. The little bits of toast work well as dipping spoons, as you mix the Meredith goat’s cheese cubes as they melt on the warm beans. A great option.
5 grain porridge with baked rhubarb ($10.00). For all the porridge fans out there you will love this porridge. It is made to order and can be prepared with milk, water or soy – Excellent customer service I must say. The porridge is thick and generously portioned. Add the extra grains of goodness and you have a super breakfast. The slivered almonds and the sweet rhubarb make for nice toppings. Further, ask for the maple syrup on the side and drizzle to your heart’s desire.
Breakfast set – consists of a boiled egg, toast with spreads (jam) and a side of rhubarb, Meredith yoghurt in a rosewater syrup ($12.50). What an interesting combination of sweet and savory for breakky. Neverthless, customers are enjoying it and we did too. We described it as, similar to a breakfast buffet plate “when you take a little of this and a little of that and make that combo you dream of”. This option allows you to have the best of both worlds. Two pieces of toast meant one for egg and one for jam. The rhubarb salad was a delicious cap to this choice. Highly rated.
Scrambled eggs ($9.50), with avocado ($3.50) and chorizo ($4.00). Sardine offers scrambled, fried and boiled eggs. Yes, you read correct, they do not offer poached eggs. You can breathe again, it is ok. You do not have to order them each time you order eggs. Scrambled are the bomb! The Sardine scrambled are light, bright and fluffy and totally scrumptious. Add half an avocado (generous) and a pile of fat-juicy-succulent pieces of freshly prepared chorizo and your in a very special place.
The lunch menu starts from around 12:00pm. Daily changing soups, tarts and baguettes are available along side a range of seasonally changing dishes on the menu. The green bean salad with goat’s cheese and marinated artichokes is a ridiculously good chomming choice. If you have had it before, you know what I’m talkin’ about!
We live in such a fast paced world, with less and less time to stop and take in the moment and occasionally unwind. It is too often I visit some of the A lister cafes and restaurants that we are all aware of. They are so damn crowded and loud. What was thought to be a pleasant experience can be rushed, stressful and tense. Hidden away from all that chaos is Sardine Cafe in Armadale. A spot where you can sit, chill and sip your coffee while you read the Daily Bugle in a very pleasant and relaxing location. Not to mention, you never get pushed to leave your table. A combination of years of experience and fresh premium produce blended into each one of the dishes coming out of the tiny kitchen is amazing. Sardine is one of The Chommery’s favourite cafes in Melbourne. Find this little fish and see for yourself.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Cafe fare
Noise: Gentle background music and locals chatting
Suitable for: All – kid friendly
Dress: As you desire
Price: $15 – $20 per head
My View: An excellent cafe in the backstreets of Armadale
Address: 15 Morey Street, Armadale
Phone: (03) 9500 9444
Replete Providore – Hawthorn
Posted: May 24, 2012 Filed under: Cafe | Tags: Barkers Road, Hawthorn eating, lemon curd, Melbourne coffee, Melbourne food, Ricotta hot cakes 2 Comments »Located on Barkers road, Replete Providore is aimed at the local neighbourhood market rather than the indie folk following the hip cafe scene. Nonetheless, this cafe does not disappoint when it comes to the adorable fit out or the food. I need to be honest with my loyal readers and say that we started this eating adventure on an unpleasant note.
I don’t want to delve too much into the negative and take credit away from this nearly-excellent cafe. We did have some minor issues at the start when our booking was double booked and the waiter, who had his nickers in a knot, then had a small heated discussion with one of my fellow diners. The service was very slow – menus, coffees and food. But I had great company and the food was super. The good outweighed the bad.
The dining area at the front can be rather confined and there is minimal outdoor seating, or there is a room at the rear, (not featured) as alternatives. This front room was well lit with natural light and I would suggest this as the best environment for your Replete experience. You can expect regular clutter and noise from the featured dining space. I always like to sit where the action is.
Soy latte ($3.80). We kind of felt like our coffee orders got lost in the mail or something. Waited over the acceptable time for these and did have to nudge one of the waiters politely to check on them. Once it arrived, it was really good (as you would hope if it took so long). My latte was creamy, at good temperature and perfect head – nothing like a good head.
Ricotta hotcakes with Replete lemon curd and fresh strawberries ($15.50). These look decadent, and they probably don’t help the hips but they were so light and fluffy that it didn’t seem like you were pigging out! One particular chommer said the hotcakes tasted even better than when she visited 18 months prior. The lemon curd (lemon butter) worked excellently as a spread for each cake. Order these!
A traditional Swiss style bircher muesli ($11.00). This bircher was definitely more milky than most birchers and was not anything special. My friend found it lacking in noticeable oat flakes, which some may find appealing. Perhaps the muesli trifle (which looks epic in pictures) with fruit would be a suitable alternative.
Two english muffins with Replete fritters, spinach, two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce ($15.50). You can put anything on an old school English muffin and it will taste good. A delicious option that worked well to cure the Sunday hangover. The dish speaks for itself, very order-again-able. I must say, how bloody fine is hollandaise sauce?
Replete corn fritters with smoked salmon and a poached egg and a tomato chilli relish ($16.50). These were seriously delicious and will not be forgotten for a while. A fabulous mixture of corn, zucchini and feta was used to develop this stack. I especially admired how these held their shape so well, even though they were only lightly pan fried. Once you add some fresh salmon and a perfectly poached egg you are in eating nirvana. A chommery approved suggestion would be to order the fritters and the hot cakes. Divide that all up between two hungry chommers.
It truly was an amazing turn around in our customer satisfaction levels from the start of this experience to the end. After the complications that took place at the start of our visit and the overall average service that continued throughout, we all left with smiles on our faces. Pretty unbelievable, but true. We almost got up to leave within the first 15 minutes of the visit and now I am trying to find more friends to go back again. A big change in heart. Fingers crossed, the service on that Sunday was having an off morning – which can happen. They are only human. I believe that Replete Providore is well worth seeking out if you love your food as much as we do at The Chommery.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Cafe
Noise: Regular cafe buzz
Bookings: You can and we did
Suitable for: All
Dress: It’s a cafe. Chilled.
Price: $15 – $25 per head
My View: Terrible service outweighed by excellent food and top company
Address: 302 Barkers Road, Hawthorn
Phone: (03) 9818 4448
Website: http://www.repleteprovidore.com/
Maedaya – Richmond
Posted: May 18, 2012 Filed under: Asian, Japanese | Tags: bridge road eating, izakaya, izakaya melbourne, japanese melbourne, Maedaya, Richmond, richmond food, Sake, sake bar and grill Leave a comment »Maybe it was a sign from the food gods telling me that when you are watching an AFL match at the MCG you are meant to eat the food that is offered at the stadium. Hotdogs, jam doughnuts, meat pies and hot chips, coke and beer are all absolute winners every day of the week. You certainly cannot go wrong with a combination of those timeless junk-esque snacks. We tried to beat the system on this occasion – to find a suitable pre-match restaurant that was quick, affordable and delicious. Maedaya was quick, affordable and semi-delicious.
I had been to Maedaya on several occasions before, and thought that it would tick all the requirements for this evening. We had no choice but to arrive early, considering we wanted to watch the first bounce, and there is a strict no booking policy for under 6 patrons. The staff are very friendly as they greet you in Japanese (I think) as you enter the room. Further, our waiter was very kind as he helped us select our dinner and drinks – nice to find some helpful staff.
The team behind Maedaya have done a great job fitting out the downstairs room. As you walk in the front door, it is impossible not to notice the ropes hanging from the ceiling that creep down the walls. An interesting touch. I like the space a lot. Meanwhile the bar is on the right hand side displaying an impressive range of Sakes and Japanese beer on tap. I did not get a photo but you will surely see the small grilling station upon entering, where a dedicated griller stands and cooks a variety of skewers (a specialty here). An upstairs room is available too where they host self-barbequing stations – personally I find the downstairs much more cosy and cute.
The menu is enormous in both physical size and variety of izakaya inspired dishes on offer. The skewers are certainly a feature of the menu taking up an entire page of different options including, mushroom, eel, scallops, chicken … you get the picture. We started with the scallop (pictured above). I was hungry and ate them very quickly. The scallops were not a brilliant quality. But they were only $5.00 for the two. It is hard to complain when normally they are a very expensive treat.
Beef, teriyaki chicken and chicken mince skewer ($6.00ish for all). These were very chommable and arrived very quickly.
I cannot criticise the presentation of the Maedaya skewer set. Five of these babies are lined up next to each other, each ready and waiting to disappear. Each skewer was meant to have a different dressing, although I found the mayonnaise ones to be very similar, besides the colour. The three on the right were all alike too. They were very inexpensive and tasted like mushy chicken mince. Not superb, but an ok snack.
The salmon sushi was presented very nicely with carrot slivers and toasted sesame seeds to decorate – stock standard hand rolls. This dish was probably the best of those ordered and was appropriate to share with 2 people.
Main serve of chicken teriyaki. Tender pieces of chicken coated in a thick sweet marinade. You can’t go wrong with it. A good option to plonk in the middle between 2 or 3 people. Three forks please?
Above is the salmon and tuna salad. I felt like the pieces of salmon and tuna were slightly sub-par standard overall – seems like the average fish theme runs through all the dishes here. Nevertheless, this was a healthy and surprisingly filling salad. The golf ball inspired mayonnaise constructed pile of crab meat was a very nice touch. I chommed him up real quick.
We were in and out of Maedaya within 40 minutes, not bursting out of our pants and our wallets had not suffered either.
Overall, Maedaya is not creme da le creme Japanese. That long lasting feeling when you think about the restaurant for days post-visit did not occur after this experience. Will I go back in the future? I would go under similar circumstances. Certainly the level of haste to re-visist has decreased a notch or so since this experience. In such a competitive industry in Melbourne, you just have to be perfect (or at least close to it) with simple dishes like these. Or maybe my mind was a mess the whole time and I just wanted my Four’N Twenty Pie…
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Japanese Izakaya
Noise: Bearable chit chat
Bookings: Groups of 6 or more
Suitable for: All
Dress: Relaxed
Price: Approx $25 a head
My View: Fast, friendly and cheap
Address: 400 Bridge Road, Richmond
Phone: (03) 9428 3918
Tyranny of Distance – Windsor
Posted: May 15, 2012 Filed under: Cafe | Tags: breakfast lunch and dinner spot, cafe and lubritorium, Chapel Street, flat bread melbourne, Food, lunch destination, Melbourne coffee, Prahran eating, smoke friendly cafe 1 Comment »Finding a good lunch destination around the Chapel Street precinct can be a daunting experience. One must have their wits about them when making the crucial decision of which cafe to place your bottom in. There are a plethora of overpriced, commercial and frankly down right unappealing spots to grab some lunch on/around possibly Melbourne’s most iconic Street. Thankfully, for your sake, you are reading The Chommery, which will bestow upon you the power of knowledge. With this knowledge you can eat happy & eat happy you will.
The crazy crew behind The Chommery would recommend Tyranny of Distance, located on Union Street, Windsor as a super spot for a feed. Just look how happy the bloke in two different shoes is standing out front! Carefully placed, just away from the frantic Chapel street, Tyranny is conveniently open from breakfast to dinner every day of the week. We headed on down here on a lazy Sunday morning after we avoided some of the berserk crowds we noticed at all the well-known ‘hot-spots’ in South Yarra and Prahran. If you are looking to relax and skip the up-to hour long queues then Tyranny is a solid choice.
Let me be the first one to tell you that it’s preferable to sit in the room pictured above. When the room that is photographed is full, often the staff will direct you towards an atmosphereless, dark and dingy over-flow room. I will not eat/drink at Tyranny unless I’m placed in the room above. The main dining room is open plan and spacious. You can smoke in there with good ventilation, and last but not least, those funky gas cylinders placed all around the shop are very funky.
Some teas and coffees to start? Why not. Soy Latte (left @$3.50) and Chai Latte ($4.00). Personally, I am not a fan of the soy milk used at Tyranny. Sorry to sound like a massive fuss pot, but the Nature’s Own Soy brand tastes terrible. I drank it, but didn’t love it. The chai Latte arrived nicely presented on an Olde English tray using loose leaf chai and a side of honey.
I usually prefer the table orders an array of different and exciting dishes when The Chommery is considering writing up an eatery. On this day, we could not help but order a very egg-fuelled assortment of breakfasts. You can not blame us though, ey! Scrambled eggs with mushroom, cured salmon and flatbread ($14.50). Totally adore the homemade flatbread here. I think everyone does. The salmon was fresh, the shrooms were buttery and flavoursome and the scrambled eggs were fluffy with little hints of parsley.
Poached eggs with avocado, cured salmon and flatbread ($15.50). Very generous serving of avocado – nearly a full one. Can you ever be served too much? Eggs poached perfectly. Once again – no complaints from here. The flat bread can be used as a sponge – like friend to mop the egg yolk up!
Scrambled eggs with grilled tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and housemade flatbread ($17.50).
Spanish style baked eggs with chorizo, roasted capsicum, smoked paprika, tomato compote and sweet onion ($13.50). I would describe this as a great replica of an Israeli style dish called Shakshuka – which I really love. On the topic of love, I loved this dish t0o. I rated the big chunks of juicy chorizo and sweet potato pieces floating in the stew as well as the eggs cooked in a different way. Besides the fact I burnt my entire mouth when I started eating, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
I have eaten at Tyranny many times. An affordable and easily likeable dinner menu is on each night as well. The lunch offerings are pleasant too, with many flat bread varieties (can’t get enough of that flatbread). It’s not the warmest inside the Tyranny, so I would suggest rugging up and heading down for B/L or D (breakfast, lunch or dinner). Even the late night beer or wine may take your fancy as well.
No need to keep your distance from Tyranny of Distance.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Regular cafe fare
Noise: Gentle buzz
Bookings: Possible but hard to organise
Suitable for: Most types
Dress: Funky as you feel
Price: $20 per head
My View: Groovy cafe – Great flat bread!
Address: 147 Union Street, Windsor
Phone: (03) 9525 1005
Website: http://www.tyrannyofdistance.com.au/
Sozai – Armadale
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Asian, Japanese | Tags: armadale, armadale food, High Street, Japanese armadale, nasuden, sushi, Sushi Melbourne, wooden paneling Leave a comment »Sozai is one of many on my restaurant repertoire list. Thankfully, I put suburbs next to names of eateries to make the decision making process even faster. A cold night in Melbourne, I can take comfort in going to one of my old favourites, ensuring I will have a good meal. It’s also not too far away from the nest either.
The electric blue neon ‘Sushi (fish) Sozai’ sign at the top of the window will be the beacon of light letting you know you have arrived at your destination. Pleasant exterior with wooden paneling, a very typical Japanese style. A few tables out front, only really used to eat in the summer. In the winter they’re just used for a quick hit of nicotine during a meal by some patrons.
As you hope for when you go out for Japanese food – a clean, sleek fit out in which you feel very comfortable to dine. This snap was taken when Sozai was emptying out. An hour back or so, around 7:00pm, take-aways run in and out continually while the place is packed with sit-in diners. I have been known from time to time to take advantage of the efficient take away service.
Stock standard bowl of miso soup ($3.50). This is a great way to start any Japanese meal (unless you burn your mouth). In the winter, there are not too many nicer pleasures than cupping your hands around a hot dish and slowly warming up the ol’ body with small gulps at a time.
I can never stop myself from ordering this appetiser. Once they arrive and I have my first heavily salted bean, I can not stop eating them. The edamame beans ($7.00) at Sozai are served warmed with large sodium crystals dispersed throughout. I recommend these as a delightful snack to share with up to 4 people before your meal. Warning – these are addictive.
The gyoza – pan fried home-made pork and vegetable dumpling (6 for $8.50). Small parcels of minced fillings in a very delicate Japanese type dumpling wrapper. These work well to share between 3 or 4. They aren’t award winning Xiao Long Bao – just tasty, lightly fried mouthfuls. Dip them in the sauce provided for extra flavour.
Nasuden – lightly fried eggplant with miso glaze ($8.00). Love it, and order it every time I see it on the menu. On this particular occasion, you may notice the closer portion was slightly overcooked. It still tasted ridiculously good. The delicious miso paste, combined with the moist warmed eggplant is heavenly. Nice to share between three people.
Ebi tempura – prawns and vegetables deep fried in Japanese batter ($12.50). I always like to think that tempura batter is a far healthier alternative to the regular bread crumb/beer batter – I think I want to go on keeping this belief. The prawns are the best on the dish by far. The vegetables are only there to say hello with no real added value. A light soy based dipping sauce is provided too. I often let the napkin soak some of the residual oil from the tempura for a good 5 second before I pick it out and chom it in two mouthfuls (max).
If you want an insider’s tip for Sozai that you may use on your own, it is ‘ask for the Nasuden nigiri’ ($3.00 per piece). They are the seaweed wrapped eggplant sushi. Using the same eggplant displayed earlier, only finely cubed sitting on a bed of Japanese rice. Need I say more – order, order, order. Two per person is perfect. The entree sushi platter – 4 pieces maki + 4 pieces nigiri ($13.00) was put on the same dish. Good use of space if I say so myself. Excellent, fresh pieces of sushi. Flawless every-time. Unfortunately, this is the extent of sushi for this meal.
Chicken thigh fillet with teriyaki sauce with steamed vegetables ($21.00). I’ll admit this photo does not look too appetising. To be honest with my loyal readers, the taste is not great either. I have a brother with a condition that does not allow him to eat fish products, thus we often order the chicken teriyaki for him. It’s very edible, but most definitely not Chommery Approved.
The unagi don – sizzling smoked eel with steamed rice and thin omelette ($20.00) is a dish that many may not see on a regular basis. Besides eating this dish time and time again at Sozai, I have only one other fond memory of eels. When my brother and I were young children visiting the Botanical Gardens in South Yarra, we would run to the edge of the lake and our caring father would hold us back while we tried to catch one of the eels in the water. We were not so lucky. This could be Mr Sozai’s source. Roughly 5 soft, sweet, succulent pieces of eel sit pretty with a Japanese egg and sliced peas. We commonly put this in the middle and share between three. No more spiel, just try some eel.
Sozai is not out of this world, heart stopping, fine dining, three chef hat winning cuisine in Melbourne. Alongside Hibari on Malvern Road, it is one of my local go-to Japanese joints. The following reasons are why I keep going back to Sozai, and why I feel you may enjoy yourself too:
- The produce is fresh
- The interior is wooden and warm, not to mention clean
- The sushi is excellent
- You can often get in if you don’t have a booking
- The prices are very competitive
- It’s open seven nights a week (very rare for Japanese restaurants)
- The overall food standard makes me smile
- Reliability, convenience and taste are all checked
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Japanese
Noise: Fair amount of chatter floating aorund
Bookings: Yes – wise to do so
Suitable for: Young and old
Dress: Casual – smart casual
Price: $30-$35 p.p. (very reasonable)
My View: Consistently pleasing
Address: 1221 High Street, Armadale
Phone: (03) 9824 8200
Website: http://sozai.com.au/
I Love Pho 264 – Richmond
Posted: May 6, 2012 Filed under: Asian, Vietnamese | Tags: i love pho, Melbourne pho, Pho, rice paper roll, Richmond eating, Victoria Street, Vietnamese melbourne 2 Comments »An important disclaimer you need to read before viewing this post: I do not consider myself an expert to critically analyse and discuss Vietnamese cuisine. Not to say, I am an expert of other types of food, but I have had significantly more experience at eating them than Vietnamese. I constantly hear how great (and economical) Vietnamese is in Melbourne. Thus, I took it on board and drove down to none other than Victoria Street, Richmond to a widely popular spot called ‘I love Pho 264′ to check it out.
What a unique name for a restaurant. I think the owners must really admire the pho that comes out of their kitchen. Alternatively, is it what the customers are meant to think after they have visited this place? All that really comes to my mind when I think of “I love” phrases is Brick Tamland’s (from Anchorman’s) “I Love Lamp” quote. Classic.
We chose to dine here on a Saturday night and what a packed dining room it was. When we arrived at 7:00pm there were limited empty tables. By the time we left at 7:30 there was a small queue forming out the doorway on the cold street. Approximately 10 hungry chommers. Upon arrival, I was surprised that they took reservations and even more so that they kept our table free. We were in a big rush before the footy. It worked out well that they held the table for us and even better that you are served your food within 5 minutes of ordering it. Generation Y and university students seem to make up the bulk of their customer base. Wow do they have voices on them! This place isn’t meant for a quiet meal.
As an entree we had great pork and prawn rice paper rolls ($5.00 for 4). For all the maths heads out there, that equates to $1.25 per roll. Cheap! I loved these because they were nice and fat, with a generous amount of insides. Not to mention a delicious dipping sauce. The only other starter that we were aware of was a variety of spring rolls.
You can tell by the name that people come here for the Pho. They come in three sizes, small, medium and large. We only found this out by overhearing the table next to us order. The three of us all ordered the medium size. We would consider ourselves as pretty good eaters and we were very full after this. I would recommend the small or medium, depending on your hunger level. Above is the beef and brisket pho ($10.00). Generous combination of soft pieces of meat and flat rice noodles for each of the servings. The broth was served warm, not as hot as we would have liked. Still, very passable. I made a concoction of complimentary chilli and hoi sin sauce to add some extra kick. Wasn’t necessary but I like to add sauce anyway. A shared plate of lemon, basil and bean shoots was provided. A few handfuls of them were thrown into the bowl too. I tried each of these (all the same but the meat) – they were all delicious.
Chicken and beef pho with steamed vegetables ($10.00) (vegetables were requested). Nice to see some vegetables in the broth. Will be adding these few in for next time.
Shredded chicken pho ($10.00).
Bowl of chilli for desert?
Now, you may ask, did I ‘love’ Pho 264? Truth be told, love is a very hard word to comprehend. I may respond by saying, ‘What is love? baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more’. I can usually tell if I have fallen into love with a place if I have either; dreamed about the food that night or sit reminiscing my wonderful time the next day. Neither of these happened. Needless to say, you cannot always have such strong feelings towards each place you dine at. If you ask, would I return? The answer is yes. I love Pho 264 was fast, cheap and delicious. If you are looking to fulfill those criteria then this is the place for you.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Noise: Lots of chit chat
Bookings: Yes – Not sure how much it will be honoured
Suitable for: All pho fans
Dress: As you wish
Price: $10 – $15 per head
My View: Cheap and cheerful
Address: 264 Victoria Street, Richmond
Phone: (03) 9427 7749
Radio Mexico – St Kilda
Posted: May 4, 2012 Filed under: Mexican | Tags: burrito, Carlisle Street, corn on the cob, Galleon, Latin america melbourne, radio mexico, St Kilda Food, taco, Taqueria 2 Comments »Watching the stages of development of Radio Mexico was an easy task as a regular customer of the Galleon Cafe. Once every week or fortnight after my late breakfast I would stroll next door and put my hands and eyes up on the glass hoping to get a glimpse of what was to come. I had a deep down feeling that finally something special was going to open – and it did.
Casual Mexican inspired restaurant and bar, Radio Mexico has been operating for barely two weeks and the locals are all well aware of this. Enjoying their precious space before it explodes big time onto the Internet. Upfront apology to any St Kilda folk that did not want this information leaked to the web, The Chommery just cannot resist but share this eating delight. With their website going live only a couple of days ago, no blogs have been uploaded and the crew are not tweeting their every move, it would explain why the customers seem to mainly be domestic.
The inside has been decked out cleanly and pleasantly. Its a half way point between the next door grunge of Galleon and a Newmarket Hotel restaurant elegance. My verdict is a good balance of both environments, forming a groovy and comfortable space for diners.
If you are thinking oh no, I have seen corn done this way before – boring – then you are entitled to your opinion. For me, I know I have seen it and I know I love it. I’m just going to keep ordering them as my starter here, there and everywhere. Above is the Elotes - corn on the cob with cheese, chilli salt and lime (2 for $6.00). This radio station does a nice job. Soft char grilled kernels, with a thin layer of butter and the shaved parmesan with lime. Love.
What an amazing bonus for coming to a restaurant in the first few weeks – complimentary dishes that were still undergoing trial. When we were offered the Ensalada de Qinoa y Calabaza - Arbol chilli roasted pumpkin with quinoa and sesame ($14.00), we stopped and thought for a second, then obliged. Big ask. We managed. This is a top vegetarian option and was easily shared between the four of us. The pumpkin was cooked softly, the goats cheese (I think) was melted enough to start dripping down the orange pieces and the toasted salted pumpkin seeds were a great final touch.
The Toastaditas de Frijoles - crispy corn tacos topped with blackbeans, slaw and salsa (3 for $15.00) were fresh and scrumptious. Nothing too fancy here, just what you see is what you get – a mouthful of crunch. The green jalapenos were a good touch as they were only mild and not too overpowering.
Camera went a bit loco when I was attempting to photograph the Radio Mexico substitute for nachos, as they like to describe these. We had the Rojo - Red sauce with beans ($10.00). These definitely were a new take on the traditional nachos considering the chips were warmed and become moist with the ‘red’ sauce and the cheese oozing down. All at the table enjoyed these and nothing was left over (not that it’s saying much for me). You make up your own mind – does Radio play nachos like you like to eat them?
Only after ordering our first few sharing dishes, did I realize there was a back side to the menu. Needless to say, I felt like a kid again, as if I had discovered lost treasure. In this case, the treasure was the tacos – I wanted all of them. The tacos were served firm and at room temperature. We attempted to order a range of toppings. I think we did pretty well. The above is the Baja - Beer battered fish, pico de gall and slaw. The golden fried piece of fish sat in the middle of that taco glistening for a total of 5 seconds while I snapped a piccy. Then it was gone forever. Note: all the tacos are $6.00 bar the bugs ($12).
Presenting on the left we have the Barbacoa - the slow cooked organice saltbush lamb, red cabbage and salsa. On the right we have Carne Asada - BBQ hanger steak with queso fresco, lettuce and salsa. I cannot tell a lie (that’s a lie) – I did not try either of these. I did speak to the lovely ladies that chommed these two delights and their verdict was ‘mad’ tacos. Plush pieces of red meat, drizzled with marinade accompanied by just the right amount of veggies for an epic eating pleasure. What a broadcast!
The Camaron - Chipotle prawn and slaw also went down a treat. Rolled him up tight and ate it as if it were an edible cigar. The prawns were fresh. Furthermore it was good to see two prawn brothers on the taco – would have been upset if he was an only child.
Side by side the pulled pork tacos stand like soldiers ready for battle. They were called the Al Pastor - Otway free range pork caritas with pickled jalapeno and charred pineapple. These two were presented so nicely for battle, but did not stand a chance against us. They lost and were demolished super fast – story of my life. The goodness of the pulled pork was sweet and beautiful. Only issue – it getting stuck in the old chompers.
According to trustworthy sources, the full menu has not yet been released. We are still in the soft opening weeks and bit by bit this crew is releasing more authentic Mexican cuisine for the feast. I for one have no complaints if the menu continues to expand. It works well for my soon to be next visit and most likely again after that. With much of the same blood, management and staff shared between Radio and Galleon you should know you will be in very capable hands.
Take some time out and tune into Radio Mexico.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Melbourne Mexican
Noise: Buzzing like a bee
Bookings: No – so get in early
Suitable for: Young - middle aged
Dress: Relaxed
Price: roughly $30 p.p
My View: Fresh, clean, delicious Mex
Address: 11 Carlisle Street, St Kilda
Phone: (03) 9534 9990
Website: http://www.radiomexico.com.au/
Hu Tong Dumpling Bar – Prahran
Posted: May 1, 2012 Filed under: Asian, Chinese | Tags: chewy texture, Chinese, Commercial Road, Dimsim, Dumpling, dumpling bar, Food, Melbourne, Prahran, South Yarra, travel, yumcha 2 Comments »As Melbourne fast approaches Winter, with a deep chill in the air, leaving the house becomes a task in itself. My desires to travel to uncharted and unfamiliar restaurant territory is quashed precisely for this reason. You may have found yourself in this recent situation, deciding on a particular spot for dinner, coming to the conclusion to go with an old favourite after a lengthy discussion. Further, a place that allows bookings can prevent one from potentially catching pneumonia while standing in a queue for hours on end. Thus, we decided on Hu Tong Dumpling Bar in Prahran. Local – Check. Booking – check. Reliable – check.
This, my friends, is no ordinary door. This is both the entrance to the Hu Tong eatery and a gym work out all in one. If I was you, I would consider a few bicep curls before attempting to push your way through the heavy metal displayed above. Once we entered the restaurant we were glad to have a reservation. Even though we dined on a weeknight, Hu Tong attracts a variety of locals and families looking for a reasonably priced - it was very busy. Undoubtedly, you will notice a ‘dumpling-preparation viewing station’ as you enter the main dining room. Take a minute to watch the cooks prepare excellent dim sum, in a multitude of varieties, which you will surely be chomming minutes later.
You will notice some of the most elegant restaurateurs in Melbourne sipping Chinese tea and chatting the night away, in the friendly spacious environment. While our numbers weren’t large enough to constitute a round table (my personal favourite), we did notice the unfortunate lack of the ‘lazy susan’ that saddened me ever so slightly. You will love the menu, which, in Japanese fashion, has many photos next to the available dishes. Usually, this does not bode well for a restaurant but in this instance I let it slide.
To begin warming our engines, we dined on vegetable dumplings (12 pieces for $16.80). The interesting green wrappers, with its chewy texture provide a casing for the insides, which formed a piece of vegetable mash. Vinegar, soy and chilli dipping sauce varieties all available for your coating pleasures.
Now we really start to get into the good stuff. The wontons with hot chilli sauce (8 pieces for $12.80) – a must order. These are very soft dumplings and the oil/soy/chilli sauce in which they are bathed matched perfectly with each parcel. Make sure to try to use a soup spoon to get some of the sauce with the wonton when eating. Amazing! Note: these were not very spicy, I would say more on the mild side of hotness.
The staff will always recommend Hu Tong’s signature dumpling dish of Shao-long Bao (8 pieces for $12.80). Often staff will talk up a dish that often does not match expectations. This is not the case here. I have had these every time I’ve visited Hu’s and you will not regret ordering these. To break it down, these are pork dumplings with captured broth inside the wrapping. Not only are they delicious, but fun to eat as well. A must order. On the back of the menu is an in depth depiction of how to eat these dumplings. A good read, to ensure no spillage of the broth and full eating pleasure.
Peking Duck (Half a duck – 8 pieces for $33.00). Another great appetizer, Hu Tong excel in preparing this dish. Soft duck, crispy skin, warm pancake and a dash of plum sauce. Two pieces each really hit the spot, (especially because they were slightly on the smaller side). Once piece is never enough. There is a funny guide on the back of the menu with steps on how to eat the duck too. Bloody obvious though – chom it in the mouth in one go. Obviously!
Diced chicken in chilli sauce with peanuts ($22.80). This was an appealing and inexpensive large sharing dish. No unique chomming experience here, just a reliable Chinese plate that pleased all. Note: I had to remove the plethora of dried chilli skins from my helping – good practice of chop sticks. The waiter informed us that no vegetables would arrive with our main course but from the photo above it looks like either we got lucky or he gave us wrong information. Either way, it’s always good to have some vegetables – right?
The shredded beef with home made BBQ sauce ($28.80) can be viewed above. These beefs strips were heavily glazed and fried but totally addictive. Without question, the small amount of beef within the batter was of a poor standard. Nevertheless, myself and fellow chommers did not leave any left overs. The photo is quite deceiving in that it looks like a small serve, when in truth the mound of beef was built tall rather than wide.
I’m a little confused as to why Hu Tong is ranked as the third best Melbourne restaurant on Urbanspoon. Don’t get me wrong I have enjoyed all my visits to this spot, but number three – I don’t think so. Here we have a solid mid-range Chinese restaurant, that is family friendly and open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. It is a reliable spot to hit up some classic Chinese food out of the city- just off Chapel Street. Take it from The Chommery; do not hesitate to order more dumplings – that’s where the money’s at!. It’s called a ‘dumpling bar’ for a reason.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Chinese
Noise: Loads of
Bookings: Yes
Suitable for: All
Dress: Smart casual
Price: $40 a head (not including alcohol)
My View: Superb dumplings found here
Address: 161 Commercial Road, Prahran (The Cullen Hotel)
Phone: (03) 9098 1188
Website: www.hutong.com.au
Axil Coffee Roasters – Hawthorn
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: Cafe | Tags: Coffee, coffee roasters, Coffee Roasting, culture, Food, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Melbourne cafe, restaurants, travel Leave a comment »Axil Coffee Roasters is a brilliant cafe and could very well be one of the best in Melbourne. Need I say more? Probably not. Will I waffle on for a bit and talk about my experience? Yes. If your goal for logging on to this post was to decide whether or not to try the lovely Axil, I would say, yes, go! If you keep reading, I have warned you that I like to have a good waffle. Mmmmm waffles.
A grand looking entrance that fronts onto to Burwood Road and is situated a few metres away from the corner of Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn. The only outside seating can be seen in the above photo. Personally, I think you will have a much more enjoyable Axil experience sitting within the beast.
A bright open dining area that makes use of the signature Melbourne exposed ventilation and hanging lights among other pleasant features. You may notice the great hanging pot plant display that divides the space between the eating-in customers and the abundance of staff working their butts off behind a long work bench on the right hand side.
The soy latte was creamy, bubble free and smooth($4.00). I wouldn’t expect anything else from a cafe that not only has their own Axil coffee products station, but also a full roasting factory at the rear of the premises. You can tell that the crew behind this joint are most definitely into coffee, as well as coffee related paraphernalia.
How can anyone go past a steak sandwich ($17.00)? But really, a classic Aussie favourite that dates back to when Captain Cook first discovered Australia. Served in toasted turkish bread with rocket salad and other nice insides, not to mention a decent quality fillet. The side potato salad with mayo and red onion was a nice companion. If the other sangas are also getting served in halves, could be an option to split with a friend to sample a second.
You may have heard of the BigMac index, more recently the iPod index. The latest one of all, taking Melbourne by storm is the smashed avocado and fetta index. Now that this breakfast dish has become a staple addition to pretty much every cafe in Melbourne, we can make our own measures and conclusions of each one. Lo and behold, the smashed avocado ($14.50) at Axil was pretty damn good. This was the consensus of the group and not just the humble opinion of The Chommery. Points were awarded for the second piece of sourdough, the overly generous serving of mash and the complementary lemon.
Doesn’t the combination of greens, white, red, yellow and a few more shades of green just look magnificent. Even if this dish tasted like crap – which it certainly did not, I would have to give votes just for the amazing use of colour. These were the fritters ($17.00). A careful incision was made by no one else but a budding surgeon on this poached egg. He deemed it to be impeccably cooked.
A pasta/gnocchi dish is a very upmarket (dinner-esque) offering for a cafe – I wanted one of my fellow chommers to order it so we could see how Axil’s fared. We ordered the veal ragu with gnocchi (yes – I know that is penne ($21.00). The penne was a late substitution and we were all a little worried when we were informed of this by our bubbly waitress. The pasta was cooked exactly to our liking, al dente, and none of that watery soggy stuff either. The small cubes of veal were almost falling apart off the fork as you took each mouthful. What a great variation to standard cafe fare – a beautiful dish.
The food just kept getting better and better. The lamb wrap ($17.00) was really sensational. The lamb had been prepared in a similar fashion to the veal, in that it was as soft as cake – too good. An amazing (possibly home-made) tomato salsa and humus dressing formed a bed for the tabouleh to rest on top. My only criticism is that after I had been peer pressured to fold up the wrap and start eating it like a man, the package became much smaller. This in turn, meant my eating experience was much quicker.
I took the time to find the real definition of the word axil. Until earlier I thought it had something to do with bikes and levers. Dictionary.com defines it as ‘the upper surface of a branch or leafstalk and the stem from which it grows’ (WTF is correct). I tried several times to combine this with a witty ending note for my post using the name in some sort of pun. The result was negative. I will leave you on this note.
No more waffling, time to get serious. Axil Coffee Roasters is the bomb. Go and enjoy a beautiful breakfast or lunch.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Cafe
Noise: Not quiet
Suitable for: All
Dress: As you like
Price: $15 – $25 a head
My View: One of Melbourne’s best Cafe – well in my top 10
Address: 322 Burwood Road, Hawthorn
Phone: (03) 9819 0091
Website: http://www.axilcoffee.com.au/
Huxtable – Fitzroy
Posted: April 24, 2012 Filed under: Asian, International, Modern Australian | Tags: Collingwood, Fitzroy, Melbourne, north of the yarra, Smith Street Leave a comment »As a restaurant lover/blogger/nutter, I feel as though I breached an unspoken rule when I visited Huxtaburger before I dined at Huxtable. The predicament I had put myself into was something along the lines of watching The Dark Knight before watching Batman Begins. Nevertheless, in a very timely manner, I moved swiftly to correct this. Now I can sleep at night knowing that Huxtable has been conquered.
Huxtable is positioned nicely on Smith Street, Fitzroy, situated in arguably one of Melbourne’s current top eating precincts, almost rubbing shoulders with some of my favourite restaurants including Huxtaburger, Gigibaba and Easy Tiger. With the addition of Huxtable to this diverse range of hot-spots, I couldn’t recommend a visit to this neck of the woods more highly. To all the south siders - don’t think it’s too much of a trek! I used to feel the same as you but I am now a better man after migrating my eating to north of the Yarra.
The menu was separated into ‘bites’ (small mouthful starters) and the larger dishes, which were ’to share’. The sharing plates were further divided into sub-categories of land, earth and sea. After reading through the menu for the third time, a long discussion ensued. Several small bites were ordered to whet our palates while we mulled over the main courses. A long thinking process was essential, as almost the entire offerings were very ‘up our alley’. To describe the cuisine, I would have to say Modern Australian/International – meaning a mix of food from here and there. We decided on two land and one sea dish for the mains – Excellent choice.
The meal could not have started on a better note. The jalapeno and cheddar croquettes ($3.50 each) were excellent. We broke the ’no fried food’ rule, but they were lightly fried and small so it didn’t count! These were served hot and as you bite through the outer crust, the rich cheddar combined with the fresh jalapeno flavour gave a mexican feel to the dish though its really the texture that makes it memorable - the centre was smooth and delicate with a creamyness. Yum.
The steamed tofu with chilli, ginger and black bean dressing ($4.50 each) were very nicely presented. These were a pleasant two mouthfuls or so, but don’t know if I will be ordering them again. Need to try all the ‘bites’ on the menu before I will repeat the order.
Now, small burgers/sliders/buns have to be one of the most popular appetisers in Melbourne right now. Buttered brioche-esque rolls, mayonnaise with pork belly, chicken or lobster – I mean seriously, how could these not be appealing? Huxtable’s version, the XO bun with crab, jalapeno and Thai basil mayo ($6.50 each) are up there. Crunchy exterior of the bun, with delicate pieces of crabby-mayo mooshyness inside. Bang – all over in 10 seconds. But what a 10 seconds it was!
Tograshi spiced tuna tartare, avocado and crisp nori ($23.00). Delicate, playing dice sized pieces of tuna, spiced up for my liking. Loved the toasted nori slices. I wanted a few more though. The avocado was possibly mixed with sour cream, and was in a paste-like form. Personally, I felt it wasn’t necessary. The tuna is where the money’s at.
Unbelievable main course coming right up. The wagyu and pea eggplant curry, coconut, shallot and lime leaf salad ($26.00) was ridiculous. We were expecting this to be in more of a soup-like curry form. Quite clearly from the photo above this was not the case. It is almost as if the soft pieces of wagyu had been cooked in a curry but served by draining most of the curry part (none of that was complaining, just blabbering). The fresh coconut slices on the top were not just aesthetically pleasing but added a great edge that gelled well with the whole shabang. My partner in crime described this dish as more of an indian flavoured goulash/stew. If you can’t tell – order this bad boy.
Roasted duck breast, quinoa, hazelnut, pickled cherries and goat’s cheese ($27.00). This is a dish to write home about folks. Thick, succulent pieces of lightly seared duck resting on a bed of toasted quinoa. I have never had quinoa served like this before, it provided a good crunch to the meal and combined with the melted goat’s cheese, it made for a stunning course.
Huxtable offers a great range of dishes, using premium quality fresh produce which all contribute to a vast array of flavours. One couldn’t decide between an australian or asian influence, rather a mixed blend that will appeal to all. I cannot say that I would recommend Huxtable for people who tend to watch the hip-pocket nerve when dining out. Luckily enough Huxtaburger (amazing burger joint), diagonally across from Huxtable is a great alternative. For The Chommery, Huxtable could be my top dinner for 2012 thus far. Pick a nice evening, to be on the safe side book ahead, take comfort in our suggestions. Huxtable is excellent.
The Important Details…
Cuisine: Modern Australian / International
Noise: Relaxing background buzz
Bookings: E-mail or phone – 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Suitable for: Kids allowed, doubt they will appreciate the quality
Dress: Smarter casual than usual
Price: $65 per head including a glass of Pinot
My View: A fabulous eatery
Address: 131 Smith Street, Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9419 5101
Website: http://huxtablerestaurant.com.au/
