November 4, 2015May 6, 2018 by Helen Le

Delicious Afghan Feast

We discovered how scrumptious and delicious Afghan food was a few years ago when we decided to visit the Afghan town of Dandenong, where there are an abundance of Afghan restaurants to choose from. Ever since we had our first taste, we’ve never looked back! So I wanted to share one of my recommended restaurants to go to if you are ever in town or wish to try out the cuisine.

Pamir Restaurant, which is located in the heart of Dandenong on Lonsdale Street serves up authentic and hearty dishes of Afghan food. On arrival, the entrance is narrow and leads you upstairs to their open and spacious restaurant. Once you enter you’ll notice the beautiful and extravagant decor and surroundings. The furniture is handcrafted with solid wood and complimented with Afghan artwork and decorations throughout. Staff are very welcoming and friendly and like to check in and make sure you are happy with everything.

On this occasion we ordered one of their banquet specials which was $35 AU per head and included a bit of everything. It came with steam cooked mantu, Afghani traditional rice, chicken and lamb kebab skewers, meatball Kofta, salad, dips and bread. All the dishes were amazing but the chicken kebab skewers in particular were to die for – the chicken itself was so super soft and tender. I also really enjoyed the Afghani rice here, the sweetness of the cranberries made it really appetizing.

The steamed mantu which are like Afghan dumplings with minced meat are also always a hit. Served with yoghurt, they tasted like soft, fluffy pillows, bursting with flavour. And of course I loved snacking away on the dips and warm bread which was probably why I felt so stuffed in the end but I couldn’t stop!

Overall, all the dishes were exceptional and we are always so full after an Afghan meal because they are ever so generous with their servings. As previously mentioned, the staff are all so friendly too which makes the whole experience worthwhile. I highly recommend checking it out as they never seem to disappoint us!

Pamir Restaurant
Approx $40 AUD per person
Website: www.pamirrestaurant.com.au
195 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong VIC 3175
Phone:+61 3 9792 0197

October 8, 2015May 6, 2018 by Helen Le

Spilt Milk

We discovered Spilt Milk a few weeks ago and ever since then I have been dying to go back. Located in Carnegie, Melbourne, it is a very small and cute cafe with small wooden furnishings and open windows that you can sit along and people watch while you enjoy some food and a coffee. We arrived around 2:00 pm for a very late lunch so was able to sit down straight away. Staff were very friendly and handed us the menus for our perusal which consisted of menu items named after animals. We immediately noticed the price which was a lot cheaper than other good brunch/lunch places which is always a plus.

Because of my love for potatoes, I instantly zeroed in on the Rhino which was a baked jacket potato with chicken (you can also opt for tuna), avocado, corn, sour cream, chives, truffle salt and chilli jam on the side. It was delicious! It felt like a very gourmet version of a spud but all the ingredients went so well together. I tried really hard not to scoff my dish too quickly as I wanted to savour every bite. Davin ordered the Salmon which had smoked salmon, smashed avocado, fetta, capers, red onion, dill, olive oil and lemon on toasted light rye. His dish was also very nice too and the ingredients were very fresh. We both agreed however that the Rhino was the highlight. I allowed Davin to have an extra bite of mine because I could tell he was longing for mine after the first bite. I also ordered a latte which was also quite nice and the temperature was perfect. Staff were also very friendly and efficient and were happy for a chat. They also asked us how the food was and made sure we were happy with everything when we were paying for the bill. Overall it was a very cute cafe with great quality food and prices were very reasonable. Definitey drop by if you are ever in the area, I may even see you there!

Spilt Milk
Approx $20 AUD per person
288 Neerim Rd, Carnegie VIC 3163
Phone:+61 3 9571 8880

September 27, 2015May 6, 2018 by Davin Lee

Yum Cha at Tao Tao House

Since it’s Sunday today, I thought it was only fitting that I post a yum cha review! Last weekend, Helen and I were really craving for some yum cha when we woke up. I was kind of sick of the bad quality yum cha we’ve been getting around our area, so I quickly jumped online to see if there were any other alternatives. I came across Tao Tao House through my research and quickly learned that the chef had worked at Flower Drum for nearly 20 years. He also worked at Golden Dragon Palace afterwards, another very reputable yum cha place. Quite an impressive resume there, I quickly called up Tao Tao House to make a booking.

When we arrived I noticed that Tao Tao House was a lot smaller than other yum cha places we go to. Normally yum cha establishments are huge with a sea of people, but this had a more smaller and intimate feel. The interior had a bit of a purple colour scheme happening with purple chairs and purple table clothes. A little different from other yum cha places, but it was quite nice and I quickly got used to it. The waiter seated us down straight away with some jasmine tea. One thing I hate about a lot of other yum cha places was the wait to get the first dishes on the table. No such problem here, a lady walked by with a tray of food and we were well on our way!

We quickly filled our table with food. The dishes we ordered were Har Gau (prawn dumping), scallop siu mai, chive prawn dumpling, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, chicken feet in black bean sauce, BBQ pork puffs, Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings), prawn rice noodle roll and Chinese egg tarts. All the dishes were extremely high quality, and I was very impressed with both the taste and texture of each dish. Some of my highlights include the Har Gau, the prawns were very fresh inside and you could taste the prawn pieces in the dumpling. At some of the other yum cha places, the prawn in the dumpling can taste mushy. The Chinese broccoli was really crunchy and blanched perfectly. The oyster sauce was light, and flavoured the broccoli nicely without being salty. The chicken feet was so good! As soon as I tried one, there was a burst of flavour in my mouth. The prawn rice noodle roll had a very thin outing which just dropped over my chopstick when I picked it up. A lot of places make the rice noodle roll way too thick, which can taste very doughy and non appetizing. The prawns inside were once again very fresh. As much as we wanted to finish with a mango pudding, we were just too full. We enjoyed some fresh Chinese egg tarts for dessert. The pastry was very light and flaky. The egg filling inside was silky smooth and actually tasted like egg, and not just a sweet filling. Simply delicious…

It felt like there were a lot of staff there for a smallish place. We never had any trouble getting anyone’s attention, which can sometimes be a problem at really busy yum cha places. The customer service here was actually really good. They were not only switched on and very efficient, but also spoke nicely and were very friendly. A very pleasant surprise in the yum cha scene. The food kept coming out with next to no waiting time, and we got full pretty quickly. The price at Tao Tao House is a little more expensive, we found ourselves paying about $20 more between the two of us compared to other places. No complaints though, as the quality of the food justifies the price. This is the best yum cha I’ve had outside of Hong Kong. The search for great yum cha certainly doesn’t end here, I will continue to try other yum cha places in Melbourne and will definitely keep you guys up to date. I highly recommend Tao Tao House and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!

Tao Tao House
Approx $50 AUD per person
815 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9818 0968
Website: www.taotaohouse.com.au

September 19, 2015May 6, 2018 by Helen Le

Mrs Kim’s Grill

Last weekend we were hungry but we were feeling too lazy to travel far for a good feed. So while we were driving aimlessly and naturally heading towards the city, we suddenly thought of the travel cooking show we watched earlier on South Korea and had a sudden urge for Korean food. So we turned off into Carnegie knowing there would be a few options there. Mrs Kim’s Grill stood out as a bright modern place amongst the other restaurants so we were naturally drawn to it. I discovered that it had only opened in 2013 by a Korean migrant who has been using traditional methods of marinating meat and who has been wanting to share her traditional food with everyone. She started off marinating meats for events and BBQs and when she gained a loyal, regular stream of customers, decided to open her own restaurant.

The interior was also furnished with modern decor and it looked really clean and spacious inside. We were seated upstairs and handed nice modern looking menus to peruse. The first thought that popped to mind was that prices were quite reasonable for Korean BBQ compared to others we’ve been to, particularly in the CBD. They have the a la carte menu where you can pick from a range of Mrs Kim’s marinated meats, or you can also choose from their set menu options where you pick the meat of your liking and it is served with a salad, soup of the day, butter vegie parcel and rice. Each set menu is $39 and is for 2 people. We settled on the Moo set which consisted of the marinated Gaibi beef ribs (350g) and skirt steak (250g). We also ordered an extra serving of the chilli marinated chicken (200g). Of course we can’t forget the unlimited complimentary side dishes that always comes with Korean food.

The staff were very efficient, fast and friendly. They brought out the BBQ equipment and cuts of meat pretty fast and started cooking and cutting the meats for us. The side dishes particularly the kim chi was quite good and the rice was super moist. But the highlight was of course the meats. The meats were so nicely flavoured and SOFT! They practically melted in my mouth. I was quite impressed with the quality of the food and overall service. Not to mention the reasonable price for the quality that was served. I also like the story behind the opening of this restaurant so we’ll definitely be back when we have another craving for Korean!

Mrs Kim’s Grill
Approx $30 AUD per person
136 Koornang Rd, Carnegie VIC 3163
Phone: +61 3 9563 4424
Website: www.mrskimsgrill.com

September 5, 2015May 6, 2018 by Helen Le

Crabapple Kitchen

Crabapple Kitchen has been one of those places where we’ve walked or driven past numerous times while we were heading somewhere else but we’ve never actually thought to stop by and try out. Well today was finally one of those days! Upon arrival we already noticed that it was very busy however the waitress offered us seats at the bar which we were perfectly fine with it. Not very long after though a table opened up so we were able to move to it which probably worked out better in the end due to the amount of food we ordered! My first impression of the surroundings was that it was a very cute cafe. The decor was lovely with the brick walls, pictures of cows and chalk boards. I was also surprised at how deep the restaurant was when we moved to a table.

Breakfast is served all day and they also offer a lunch menu. I started off with my regular latte but also ordered their citrus sunrise juice which had ruby grapefruit, watermelon and orange. The coffee was okay, it could have been a little stronger but the juice was delish! For starters we ordered the crabapple sliders for two which had spanner crab, granny smith apples, radish, mustard cress and Kewpie mayonaise in a brioche bun – it was very nice and refreshing and the brioche bun was toasted warm and crispy. We also ordered the spanner cerviche which was accompanied with salted cucumber, sheep’s milk yoghurt, seaweed caviar, fried shallots and kale salsa verde. The presentation of this dish was exceptional and all the ingredients combined together quite nicely making it a very lovely dish.

For mains we ordered the Istanbul Turkey breakfast experience which consisted of a large chargrilled flatbread, spiced ground lamb, dukkah poached egg, garlic yoghurt, salad of freekah, red onion, tomato and harissa – each bite I took was a burst of flavours. We also ordered from the lunch menu the Ripal’s roasted pork neck stuffed with pine nuts, raisins and sage, sweet corn puree, braised winter greens and chorizo crumbs. The pork neck was reasonably soft and the sweet corn puree was very tasty and went well with the dish.

Crabapple sliders for two – spanner crab, granny smith apples, radish, mustard cress and Kewpie mayonaise in a brioche bun & Spanner cerviche with salted cucumber, sheep’s milk yoghurt, seaweed caviar, fried shallots and kale salsa verde

Ripal’s roasted pork neck stuffed with pine nuts, raisins and sage, sweet corn puree, braised winter greens and chorizo crumbs

Service overall was quite good, the staff were attentive, friendly and switched on. One thing I do regret is not trying out their wines as they won the award for 2015 Australia’s Wine List of the Year and it felt like everyone around me was drinking wine. However what a great excuse to come back to not only try out their wines but perhaps check out their Friday Night Flights. They apparently offer a five course dinner for AU $45 a person so if we do try it I’ll definitely let you know!

Crabapple Kitchen
Approx $45 AUD per person
659 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9078 5492
Website: www.crabapplekitchen.com.au

August 30, 2015August 30, 2015 by Helen Le

Milk the Cow

If you are a lover of wine and cheese then you must drop by Milk the Cow and check it out. How can anyone resist such a catchy name? It proudly states that it’s the first late night cheese shop and stays open as late as 1am on Friday, and Saturday and late most other days. They stock over 150 cheeses from around the world and have an ever changing selection. You can order cheese takeaway or sit and pick from the many cheeseboard combinations they offer, you can also pair it with a boutique wine from their wide selection. If you’re feeling overwhelmed they offer cheese and booze flights where they have already carefully chosen a set of cheeses and drinks to match. Don’t like wine? They have cheese flights for beer, cider, whisky and even sake! The cheese flights and cheesemonger boards change every Tuesday so if you’re a cheese lover like myself you know you’ll be experiencing something different each time you visit.

However not only do they offer a great selection of cheeses, if you’re feeling a little hungry you can also order the cheese fondue, baked Camembert or Mac’n’cheese with a twist. By now you’ll notice that the theme is cheese! There are two locations, we went to the one located in St Kilda but there is also one located in Carlton.

When we arrived recently on a cold Friday night it was buzzing inside so we set ourselves up outside which was fine as they had heaters to keep us warm. Once we were seated, we were served complimentary glasses of mulled wine which I thought was a nice touch. Since I’m a die-hard cheese lover, I was so excited and overwhelmed when the menu was placed in front of me. I just wanted to order everything! Common sense took over so our party of 5 decided to settle on the Creme de la crop cheeseboard which consisted of their very best and rarest cheeses with Spanish quince paste, muscatel clusters, freshly baked bread and housemade lavosh. We also ordered the baked Camembert and Mac’n’cheese with Perigold truffle oil and Courvoisier VS cognac. Oh, and of course we got a couple of bottles of red. The cheeses from the Creme de la crop cheeseboard were exceptional and the hot dishes hit the spot for the cold day. Overall a great experience and will definitely revisit when I’m craving some good cheese with a glass of wine, or two!

Milk the Cow
Approx $ 45 AUD per person
157 Fitzroy St
St Kilda VIC 3182
Phone: +61 3 9537 2225
Website: www.milkthecow.com.au

August 6, 2015August 24, 2015 by Helen Le

Brunch at The Parlor

Ahoy there – poached eggs, house cured salmon topped with hollandaise served on a potato roesti

If you live around the South East Bayside area and you’re looking for a good brunch place without having to travel into the city, The Parlor Milkbar & Kitchen is worth the visit. I often sleep in pretty late on the weekends which normally means I wake up with my tummy growling and begging for food straight away. The Parlor is a short drive for us which means a faster satisfied belly! It is open for breakfast and lunch daily and for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Staff are super friendly and very welcoming. On our most recent visit there were no more seats inside however staff were more than happy to turn on the gas heaters outside and give us a couple of blankets if we were happy to sit out on the outside deck. With the heater and blankets we were pretty toasty warm. I usually order the Ahoy there which has poached eggs, house cured salmon topped with hollandaise served on a potato roesti. The house cured salmon is super fresh and the potato roesti had the perfect crispiness to it. The servings are also quite generous.

My husband ordered the baked eggs with house baked beans, chorizo, fetta and sourdough which is always a favourite. Order it if you are exceptionally hungry as it is very filling! The coffee is great too and there are a selection of cakes available inside which you can peruse at your pleasure if you’re after something sweet. We have also tried items from the lunch and dinner menu and they are also exceptional. The roast chicken, quinoa, broccoli, grapes, mixed leaf, goat’s cheese and almond salad is a favourite of mine. The combination of ingredients makes it a high quality, tasty dish.

So if you live in the area or do happen to be around, do drop by!

Baked eggs, house baked beans, chorizo, fetta and sourdough

The decor is clean and modern and includes a fireplace inside to provide that touch of cosiness.

The Parlor Milkbar and Kitchen
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 40 Weatherall Road, Beaumaris Victoria 3193
Phone: +61 9515 4514
Website: www.theparlorkitchen.com

July 30, 2015August 24, 2015 by Helen Le

Saint Crispin

For the last year or so when people approach me asking for a restaurant recommendation where they can experience a touch of fine dining without having to pay an arm and a leg for it, I have said to them hands down Saint Crispin is the place to try. Although this Modern Australian restaurant only opened in 2013, it quickly gained a chef hat. I remember after dining there raving (and probably rambling) to my husband about how amazing the food was and that they were definitely on their way to two hats. Fast track a year and lo and behold Saint Crispin was awarded two hats 2014! Located in Collingwood, the restaurant is beautifully furnished with an open kitchen, marble bar and an exposed brick wall giving the interior a rustic feel when you walk in. The cleverly thought out contemporary menu changes regularly based on seasonal produce and presentation of each dish is impeccable with perfect combinations of ingredients. You are given the option to choose either two courses for $50 AUD, three for $65 AUD, or try the chef’s tasting menu of five courses for $100 AUD. If you’re feeling really hungry, there is also the option of seven courses for $130 AUD. I generally find the three course for $65 AUD perfect for me. Once you are finished with dinner, I recommend you head up the narrow staircase above Saint Crispin and down the slim corridor to the hidden gem of a bar Thomas Olive for a drink. You can ask one of the friendly waiters in the restaurant who can escort you up. The little cosy bar is French influenced and has a good range of cocktails to choose from. And hey, if you’re still feeling peckish you can order some snacks or dessert straight from the Saint Crispin kitchen!

Saint Crispin
Approx $65 – $130 AUD per person
Address: 300 Smith St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Phone: +61 9419 2202
Website: www.saintcrispin.com.au

July 12, 2015May 6, 2018 by Helen Le

Simply Spanish

We came across this by chance as we had plans to go to another tapas restaurant in South Melbourne however they were booked out and didn’t allow walk-ins. A quick search on the internet for another place close by brought this little gem up which was only about a 5 minute walk away. Nestled just on the edge of the South Melbourne market it was buzzing when we arrived and as we sat down we felt like we were in Spain all over again with the smells and the atmosphere of the streets of Madrid. You have the option to sit indoors or outdoors but outside is where the buzz and experience is.

The tapas were delicious and served in just the right quantities. I recommend the garlic prawns, fried balls of goats cheese served with beetroot relish, the squid ink and tiger prawn paella, pork belly and the sauteed mushrooms. However everything we tried was impressive. If you have been to Spain and you want to have a taste of it in Melbourne then Simply Spanish is the place to be.