Tao’s Restaurant

Tao’s Restaurant is an Asian fusion restaurant located at Bulleen. A great suburb, but I mainly come to Bulleen when I need to fix Helen’s watch. I got her a vintage Omega many years ago, and it’s been nothing but trouble! An Omega watchmaker works from Bulleen, so you could say I know my way around the area by now. Well anyway back to Tao’s Restaurant, these guys were one of the original pioneers of Asian fusion. They were doing Asian fusion before it was cool. Unfortunately time may have caught up with them and it feels as though they’ve been left behind. Over the years, the quality of their food has been on a slow and steady decline…

Helen and I used to love coming to Tao’s on special occasions because they represented a great value to quality ratio. To this day, I still don’t think their prices are too bad, if only they had kept the same quality as the good old days. We came on a weekday which was $48pp for a set menu. It came with a starter, entree, main and even a glass of wine. Normally the price is $78 and you’d get a soup and dessert too, minus the wine. Our last experience wasn’t the best, but we thought we’d give them another chance.

The starter had always been an opportunity for Tao’s to show off their delicacies. On this occasion we got an oyster shot, an oyster in the shell with scallop trims and some Edamame beans. The oyster shot was nice, it was refreshing and a great palate cleanser. The oyster in the shell wasn’t as enjoyable. For whatever reason, there was a lot of onion in there, and that overpowered the oyster. Instead of tasting the sweetness of the oyster, I was tasting the sweetness of the onion! And the Edamame beans… what the hell happened there!?! Was this a classic case of cost cutting? I found it comical that this was presented as one of the starters!

For the entree I got the sashimi, whilst Helen got the pork belly Shabu Shabu. The sashimi was high quality, clean and fresh. The inclusion of the abalone was a pleasant surprise, I guess this made up for the pitiful Edamame beans in the starter. Helen’s pork belly on the other hand was overcooked and tough, total opposite of what you’d expect pork belly to be. My main was probably the most uninspiring of all the courses. My porterhouse came out on a hot stone, which was on a bed of rocks. Presentation was on point, but that was the only positive. I had enough sauce for two steaks, but even then the steak was extremely bland. It tasted like sauce from a packet which had been poured over an unseasoned steak. To add insult to injury, it was also very chewy, and hard to swallow.

Like a Chinese wedding banquet, they always finish off with a fried rice. This fried rice had always been consistent in the past, so I was eager to finish on a high note! To my disappointment even the fried rice was a let down this time. That full flavour, dry scallop punch was missing, hell even the salt was missing! It was closer to the end of plain rice as opposed to fried rice.

I know I’ve been a bit critical in this review, but it’s only because I know what Tao’s Restaurant was capable of in the past. It’s disappointing to them relegated to our mediocre/will not visit again category. I think there’s other similarly priced Asian fusion restaurants these days that offer better quality food, and for this reason, I am unable to pass on my recommendation.

Tao’s Restaurant
Approx $80 AUD per person
Address: 201 Bulleen Rd, Bulleen VIC 3105
Phone: +61 3 9852 0777
Website: http://silk2.org/taos/

Tao's Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Holla

Recently we were invited to dine at Holla for brunch. Located in Richmond, we were warmly welcomed and seated at a nice corner table at the front of the cafe giving us a view of the rest of the place. I instantly liked the decor. It looked modern with high ceilings with white wooden beams and an abundance of green plants and lights hanging from above. Wooden tables with black trimmings throughout the restaurant finished the touches of a lovely cafe.

We started off with a couple of cocktails. Davin ordered the Bramble which had gin, blackberry, lemon and crushed ice. I ordered the Lychee and Chilli Mojito which had bacardi, lychee, lemongrass, Thai basil, mint, lemon and fresh jalapeno. Davin’s cocktail was nice but we both agreed that the Lychee and Chilli Mojito was pretty special. How often do you get a chilli kick in your cocktail? And the lemongrass, basil and mint made it one refreshing drink.

For food we had The Szechuan Scallion which had Szechuan spiced brisket, tofu miso puree, Chinese leaves and shoots, scallion pancake and a fried egg. The flavours were good however we thought the brisket meat itself was quite tough. Perhaps it was the spices that toughened it up but we were expecting the texture to be a lot softer.

We also got the Crab Crumpets which had a whole crispy soft shell crab, kasundi, 2 poached eggs, hollandaise, bacon crumb and avocado crumpets. You have to give them kudos for their creativity and pushing for out of the norm. We thought this was a really nice dish. The crispiness of the soft shell crab was spot on, the kasundi sauce was delicious and we loved those bacon crumb bits.

We ended the meal with a sweet dish, the Croffle S’mores which were croissant waffles (yes you heard right!), with raspberry pistachio parfait, strawberry curd, fresh berries, pistachio crumbs and rose syrup. Croissant waffles are something I’ve been noticing quite a bit lately but I think this was the first time we’ve had a chance to try it. The pistachio parfait was sandwiched between the crispy croissant waffles and it balanced out the sweetness of the rose syrup and strawberry curd. It was a great dish to finish up with.

I also ordered a latte which was served at the right temperature and was strong and not too milky, just the way I like my coffee!

Overall we had a pretty good experience. Staff were super friendly and efficient, ambience was great, and the food and drinks were nice with unique elements incorporated which seemed to work.

Holla
Approx $30 AUD per person
Address: 284 Victoria St, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: +61 3 8394 3487
Website: hollamelbourne.com.au

Holla Coffee Roasters Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Rock Sugar

We were recently invited to dine at Rock Sugar, located in South Yarra and were happy to accept given the hype we’ve been hearing about it. Upon entering we were instantly welcomed with pink neon lights and Britney Spears – Stronger playing in the background. Those two nostalgic factors alone won me over! Loved the vibe and I’ve always been a R&B girl at heart.

We were seated at a spacious table that juts out from the bar and started off with ordering a couple of their recommended Rocktails. Davin ordered the Elderflower Power which had gin, elderflower, mint, yuzu and butterfly pea flower. I ordered the ‘Chee ‘Chee Martini which had lychee, vodka and sake. Both drinks were delicious and presented beautifully.

Now if you’re looking for authentic Thai cuisine then this is not the place for you because it’s Thai fusion and you need to embrace it! We were overwhelmed with all the great dishes on the menu. We also noted that all peanut ingredients were bolded in the menu which I thought was a great idea. For those who may have allergies, they can easily spot the dishes to avoid.

For starters we ended up ordering a few dishes which included the spiced thai tuna tartare, sriracha butter corn on the cob, smoked ocean trout betel leaf, and the hiramasa kingfish. The raw dishes were fresh and SO appetising! They were modern dishes but the Thai flavours that you know well such as lime, fish sauce and chilli still shined through each of them. The corn on the cob was delicious and you could really taste the sriracha with every bite.

For mains we ordered the red curry with a duck leg, pineapple, young bamboo, snake bean and asparagus. The flavours of the red curry was spot on, the vegetables were still crunchy and just the way we like it. We’ve never had asparagus before in a Thai curry so that was new for us. We could have done with a bit more duck than just the leg because we felt like there wasn’t much meat to share. Other than that it was a lovely dish.

We also ordered the pork belly as the second main to share. The pork itself had pretty much over 70% of that lovely melt in your mouth fat. The combination of that and the nam prik hot sauce went well together.

After all that we decided to share one dessert between us and ordered the Mango Tango which included coconut panna cotta with peanut and almond cookie crumble. This was a beautifully presented dish and so easy to eat. It was light and wasn’t too sweet. We loved it and it was the perfect finish to a great meal!

Overall we loved their interesting, Thai fusion dishes and the vibe of the restaurant itself. Highly recommend if you’re looking for some great food and drinks that may be a bit different to what you’re normally used to.

Rock Sugar
Approx $50 AUD per person
Address: 477 Malvern Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: +61 3 9826 2688
Website: rocksugar.com.au

Rock Sugar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Khao by HWKR

I’m generally the one that least craves for Asian food when we go out. It might have to do with the fact that I’ve grown up eating rice my whole life and so when we do head out to eat, I always feel like Western cuisines. I guess it doesn’t explain why Davin still has his cravings every now and then though!

But on this cold night when we were warmly invited by HWKR to try out their new Winter menu, the menu items listed for Khao by HWKR looked appetising indeed for Asian fusion.

The first dish we ordered was the Balinese-style barramundi with jimbaran spiced butter sauce, pickled cucumber, sambal and jasmine rice. We were delighted to see that the fish wasn’t fried but baked, and served on a banana leaf – because everything tastes better when it’s served on a banana leaf!

Anyway we dug into this dish and it was SO good! The lovely spiced butter sauce was subtle but you could taste the heat from it. The fish was cooked to perfection and that sambal! It’s probably one of the best I’ve had. I kept scooping more of that hot sauce onto the fish and rice. The pickled cucumber was very lightly pickled and provided the right coolness you needed to a beautifully well rounded and spicy dish!

The second dish we ordered was the Filipino roasted lamb ribs which came with burnt coconut sauce, pickled cucumber, toasted coconut and jasmine rice. The meat from the ribs literally just fell off the bone. I remember picking up one of the ribs with my hand and before I could do anything the lamb had just fallen onto my plate. It was so tender and soft. The burnt coconut sauce complimented it so well. It wasn’t too overpowering and was more like it’s equal friend in providing the perfect combination of flavours.

In the end we didn’t even know which dish was better. They both provided a burst of spice and flavours that made it so easy to scoff up with the jasmine rice. We couldn’t fault the dishes at all and we will certainly be thinking about this place on another cold night when we feel like something warm and appetising.

Khao by HWKR
Approx $20 AUD per person
Address: 137 A’Beckett St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9018 7135
Website: www.hwkr.com.au

Khao By HWKR Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Workshop Brothers

Glen Waverley is always brimming with cafes and restaurants, old and new, so it is hard to keep up with it sometimes when you’re out there! We finally decided to check out Workshop Brothers one weekend which is a fairly newish establishment right in the heart of it all.

Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was the colour and the interior. The theme was pink with rose gold trimmings! It was dramatic but it worked! I’ve never seen a place like it but it was done quite stylishly, and it was packed with people!

Although it was bustling, we got a table straight away and perused the menu. We both ordered some fresh pressed juices. I got the kale, spinach, celery, lemon and apple juice. It was really nice and refreshing, and the lemon in it worked. Davin got the watermelon juice which was also great. They both quenched our thirst.

For food Davin ordered the Workshop Migoreng. It was a dish he couldn’t say no to as it was so unique. It had pork belly, seasonal vegetables, balinese sauce, egg noodles and a fried egg. It was so delicious and flavoured that it took us back to Asia. Davin thought it was probably a tad on the salty side after a while, but it was fine for me.

I ordered the slow cooked beef cheeks with rosemary hash, spiced cabbage, apple slaw, bearnaise and poached eggs. I was drawn to it because it had ‘Urban List Top 50’ noted in brackets next to this menu item. And wow, what a dish! It was pretty amazing! The beef cheeks were so soft and tender, the rosemary hash was cooked and flavoured well, the spiced cabbage and the sweetness of the apple slaw balanced out the dish. The bearnaise sauce was nice and light and the eggs were poached perfectly. I couldn’t fault the dish! It looked heavy when it was brought out but it wasn’t at all and I gobbled it up pretty quickly.

One thing I regret not trying out was their coffee as they claim to have amazing coffee, so I’ll have to come back and try it out next time. I have to also mention that the service there was fantastic. Staff are super on the ball and even though it was fairly busy, the food and drinks came out pretty fast.

Overall it was a really great experience and we’ll definitely be back. They are also open for dinner so next time we’ll check out their dinner menu!

Workshop Brothers
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 97 Kingsway, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Phone: +61 3 9017 3586
Website: workshopbrothers.com.au

Workshop Brothers Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Diplomat

The Diplomat was a cafe which Helen and I visited many years back, before we started blogging. One of the positives of food blogging is that it allows us to keep a record of all the places we’ve eaten, so they won’t be forgotten. The Diplomat was one of many places which fell off our radar, and you could say that it was by pure chance that I found these guys again! I went to Highett to buy some steaks for dinner, and just happened to be hungry (as usual). Walking along Highett Road, none of the places appealed to me. As I got closer to the train tracks, memories flooded back of this cafe which had really good food. Without a moment of hesitation, I got myself a seat at the communal table, and it wasn’t until I looked at the top of the menu that I actually remembered the name of this place!

It’s lovely inside, plenty of light coming in from the floor to ceiling windows, an abundance of indoor greenery, wooden furniture, edison bulbs, what’s not to like about this place! The setting is comfortable without trying too hard, a lot of other cafes could learn a thing or two. Another thing worth mentioning is that they are extremely kid friendly here. I was seeing colouring books and crayons flying out to the tables as fast as the food. It’s great to see that in an age full of technology, that they’re still trying to entertain the kids the old school way! From the looks on the kids faces, they appreciate the gesture. Prams were also not an inconvenience as they were parked neatly inside.

I decided to get a refreshing juice, instead of a latte. And refreshing it was indeed… one of the most balanced juices I’ve ever had! They’ve got the ratios down pat, the ingredients consisted of apple, kiwi, lime and coconut water. I do make some juices at home, but once there’s ingredients like kiwi and lime involved, I’ll just leave it to these guys. I only wish I got more of it! Or they could at least try to fool me with a tall and skinny glass!

There’s a lot of clean and healthy foods on the menu, which would appeal to health conscious people. I got the wood smoked salmon served with soba noodles, salad with brocollini, edamame, bean sprouts, spring onion and soy broth. The soy broth was full of flavour without being salty, and this transferred to the soba noodles, which was submerged in the broth. Never did I feel like the soba noodles were lacking in flavour. Same thing applied to the salmon also, I could taste the wood smoke but it was never overpowering. The salmon had a soft flakey texture and was very tender. I suspect that the salmon would have been cold smoked or a smoking gun was used. Overall a very enjoyable dish, and something I would order again.

It was nice to visit an old friend, and they were every bit as good as what I remembered them to be. The Diplomat serves some of the finest foods in the area, and their welcoming nature to families with kids is just an added bonus. The staff here are cheery and energetic. They also looked like they were enjoying each others company, this culture shines through to their service. I look forward to returning again with Helen, so I can eat some of her food too!

P.S. Quick shout out to Jules! I know you’re probably reading this review right now licking your lips… we’re expecting an email from you!

The Diplomat
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 4 Railway Parade, Highett VIC 3190
Phone: +61 3 9939 6289
Website: thediplomatcafe.com.au

The Diplomat Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Jamu

We recently met up with the lovely Bearabbit over the Easter break to experience Jamu after our initial plans didn’t work out (we forgot to take into consideration the fact that a lot of restaurants were closed for the public holiday!). Anyway Jamu has been popping up a lot lately and describe themselves as modern Australian with Asian influences so it peaked out interest to check it out.

Upon arrival, the restaurant looked modern and spacious with wooden decor and floor to ceiling windows. The staff were super friendly, talking us through the menu and even making some recommendations. The menu looked amazing. It had so many unique dishes that we pretty much wanted to order everything! We finally settled on sharing ALL five entrees on the menu which included the cheeseburger springroll, chicken wings, hiramasa kingfish ceviche, raw ora king salmon and the raw beef.

I swear all the entrees were delicious. The cheeseburger springroll was so special and stood out for me. Who wouldn’t say no to trying that? It literally came out looking like a large springroll, was so crispy on the outside and tasted exactly like a cheeseburger on the inside! Their raw dishes, the kingfish ceviche, the raw ora king salmon and the raw beef were all so fresh and were very well balanced in flavours. They also had an element of crunch to it such as puffed rice to provide a layer of texture to their dishes which I loved. The chicken wings came with a dollop of salted egg mayo to dip in which was also quite nice.

For mains we also decided to share the char siu pork, the softshell crab and the roast bendigo chook. The char siu pork was probably our least favourite dish for the night. Even though it was sous vide, it was still quite dry. However it was an interesting new take on a traditional dish. The roast bendigo chook came with com tam sauce and pickled carrots and was flavoured quite well. The chook was so tender and moist, it was a great dish. The softshell crab was fabulous and had a lovely chili sauce with roasted tomatoes and mantou buns. The spicy kick of the chili sauce combined with the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes made it one killer dish. The mantou buns were also great for soaking up the lovely sauce.

Finally (and yes we still had room for it!) we got around to dessert. Given there was 4 of us we decided to share all 4 of the desserts on the menu! My favourite was the mango mousse with coconut granita and mango sorbet. It was a really refreshing dish. The taromisu was also a very unique concept and something we’ve never had before, a take on the tiramisu but using taro instead. It was actually quite nice and not too sweet.

Overall, from the fantastic and unique dishes, to the friendly staff, and of course great company we were in, it resulted in a lovely dining experience. The prices were also quite reasonable however one thing to note is that they do apply a 15% public holiday surcharge fee, a detail we didn’t realise until right at the end.

Jamu
Approx $50 AUD per person
Address: 2 Dyer Street, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: 0431 261 221
Website: jamudining.com.au

Jamu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Little Chloe

Amongst the many brunch places in Melbourne, we’ve yet again found another winner. Little Chloe is located on the more quiet end of Malvern Rd in Malvern East so parking wasn’t an issue when we arrived. This meant fast and easy access to glorious food!

Upon entering, my first impression was that it was quite spacious for a cafe. The decor was modern and clean, and we were greeted by friendly staff and seated straight away. We were excited by the menu because it had unique items that you wouldn’t normally see for a brunch style cafe.

In addition to the usual fresh juices, they also had drinks such as the house made lychee ice tea which consisted of earl grey tea, raw honey, lemon and lychee popping pearl. I couldn’t say no to that and there were certainly no regrets! The tea was deliciously refreshing. What I loved most about it was that it was not sweet at all and it was only the lychee popping pearls that added hints of sweetness to the tea which perfected the drink.

Davin ordered the Expresso on tonic which was Yuzu infused. Again it was nothing like we’ve ever had before and was quite nice. The tonic was served cold, and it allowed us to pour in the hot expresso when we were ready. The combination of the two actually worked.

For food, I ordered the Tasmanian smoked salmon which came with mango and lime chutney, smashed avocado, potato rosti, feta and a poached egg. This was a really good dish! Not only was the serving quite generous, every ingredient seemed to work together. The smoked salmon was not too salty, the chutney provided a nice sweetness to each bite, the potato rosti was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, and the egg was poached perfectly.

Davin ordered the Breakfast ramen. Yes, you heard right! They had ramen on the menu and so Davin couldn’t resist. It came with a soft boiled egg, mixed Asian mushrooms, chicken and dashi broth, pickled ginger and seaweed. Davin also got the extra optional pork belly. The ramen came out in a generous large bowl with a deliciously flavoured broth. The noodles were cooked well and the pork belly was flavoured. The chicken was however on the dry side. Overall it was a hearty bowl of goodness.

I also ordered a piccolo just to get a taster. It was nice and strong. I’ll have to come back next time and try a latte too. In fact, we will definitely be back again for their great food and drinks! Highly recommend!

Little Chloe
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 1810 Malvern Rd, Malvern East VIC 3145
Phone: +61 3 9885 2194
Website: littlechloe.com.au

Little Chloe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Korean / American fusion @ Little Oscar

We were recently invited by Little Oscar to come check out their restaurant and were of course delighted and accepted! Thank you again Little Oscar for the awesome food and great hospitality, let’s get straight into it!

Little Oscar is very new and only opened a couple of months ago in Brunswick, specialising in  Korean-American fusion. Yes, you heard right! Our interest was piqued, and boy were we pleased!

P1030298

We loved the layout of the place as soon as we entered. From the rustic bricks, modern wooden decor and ropes woven throughout the restaurant, to the live band that was performing; it had a really chilled out vibe about it.

Little Oscar Feature photo

 

P1030283

Our waitress was super friendly, talked us through the menu and took our orders. The food also came out really fast. We ended up ordering the Little Oscar Burgers, which consisted of a wagyu beef patty, cheese, lettuce, onion jam, pickles, tomato and their Little Oscar sauce, the Gangnam Style was the Korean influenced burger with fried chicken, Asian slaw, kimchi and roasted sesame seeds. Both were mini burgers and served in lots of two. They were both really nice, the wagyu beef patty was well flavoured but the fried chicken burger stood out for us. They do their chicken exceptionally well, crispy on the outside whilst soft and moist on the inside.

P1030278        P1030280

So of course we had to get their popular KFC (Korean fried chicken) which was sooo good! Again it was crispy and moist but the flavours of the seasoning was just spot on too. It wasn’t overly salty or sweet so we could devour heaps of it. We also got their Little Oscar’s battered onion rings with their special chilli creamy sauce. They were probably the best onion rings we’ve ever had! They were freshly deep fried and so crispy and flavoured, we couldn’t stop eating them! To complement the mains, we ordered the sweet wekame (seaweed) and organic silken tofu salad which provided a healthy acidic touch to our meal. Tofu was silky and textured.

P1030289

Finally for dessert we ordered the Hwarang which had sweet wekame seaweed and sesame jelly with mango, coconut ice cream with pomegranate and desiccated coconut. Again it didn’t disappoint and we scoffed this dish up pretty quickly! The combination of fresh fruit and sweetness was perfect.

Overall we were really happy with the food, service and vibe and would highly recommend this place to anyone. Staff were so nice and Lorance in particular was so great and informative to chat to. Little Oscar is a young but upcoming place to eat good food, drink and chill. They’ve got all the core elements in place to make a successful place blossom and we have no doubt they will do well!

P1030277

Little Oscar
Approx $25 AUD per person
Website: www.littleoscar.com.au
Address: 41 Lygon Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
Phone: +61 3 8383 3165

Little Oscar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Jimmy and the Wolf Head East

P1020426

Helen and I were invited to a ‘Beergustation’ dinner at Orient East. This event was named Jimmy and the Wolf Head East. The event consists of an eight course dinner with beer pairings from two breweries, Wolf of the Willows & Brewcult. Their marketing team emailed us and asked if we wanted to come. Even though we’re not huge beer drinkers, we were happy to attend!

(Note: this event was not sponsored, so we did have to pay $65 per person just like everyone else).

Orient East is attached to a hotel. Now restaurants attached to flashy hotels are quite a big thing in Asia and Europe. They are seen as more prestigious and generally offer decent food. Unfortunately in Australia, restaurants attached to nice hotels don’t seem to have the same stigma. We were eager to see if Orient East fell into this same category.

We got there and I must say things weren’t off to a good start at all. They didn’t have our booking! How they can offer us an invitation but not even have our names on the booking is mind boggling. Later they told us that they outsource their marketing to a third party company so there must have been some communication breakdown. All is forgiven as everyone makes mistakes and they did provide good service.

P1020419

When we were finally settled, we waited a few more minutes for others to join us in the event and we were off! There was a sheet of all the dishes and beers for the night. The menu looked very appetizing indeed and we were mildly excited. I won’t go through all the courses in detail as I don’t want to bore you, however I will make a mention of some of the dishes we really enjoyed.

I was initially a bit concerned as I was worried that since it was Asian fusion and a beer event, that they would tailor the food more towards Caucasians. The fact that they served ox tongue as the second course definitely proved otherwise whilst also earning my respect. This is a very brave dish to serve, and shows that they are willing to venture out to what most would consider ‘the norm’. It certainly tasted better than it looked. The ox tongue was soft and succulent, flavours were spot on. I haven’t had some good ox tongue in a while, this dish was well executed. Other stand out dishes include the golden sand chicken wings and the lamb ribs.

P1020401Ox tongue with miso mushroom and black pepper praline

P1020433Lamb ribs – Szechuan rub and 5-spice shaobing biscuit

They certainly left the best dish to last though! The dessert was a doughnut with salted duck egg yolk custard. We saw this on the menu and was thinking to ourselves that the ingredients sound like a recipe for disaster. After we took our first bite, Helen and I just looked at each other with our eyes wide open! This could possibly be one of the best desserts we’ve ever had. It’s funny cause we’ve eaten at numerous hatted and Michelin star restaurants overseas, but we were blown away by this dessert because it’s seriously right up there. It had a tinge of saltiness and wasn’t overly sweet at all. It had a golden crispy outer layer and piping hot egg custard oozing out from the inside. My only regret was that the waitress said that all these dishes were a one off for this special event, therefore I am saddened by the fact that I will never get to eat this dessert again. I really wanted to take mum here to try it too.

P1020444

Beers were spectacular. These craft beers are certainly different from the mainstream stuff. Hearing the guys from Brewcult talk about each of their beers so passionately was a great experience. They explained what tastes to look for and even serving temperatures. Even though we are both primarily wine and whiskey drinkers, we really enjoyed the beers. They were also extremely generous with the portions.

P1020439

If any of you guys were wanting to taste some nice Asian fusion food, I’d highly recommend Orient East. Even though you won’t get to order the same dishes we had for this event, I’m sure they’ll produce high quality foods for their normal dinner seatings. Alternatively keep an eye out for their next food event and we may even see you there!

Orient East
Approx $40 AUD per person
Website: http://www.orienteast.com.au/
Address: 348 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004
Phone:+61 3 9685 2900

Orient East Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato