Miss Korea Kitchen 288

We were recently invited to dine at Miss Korea Kitchen 288 in Nunawading, which offers an all you can eat buffet for $19.80 per person. Yes, you did hear right. It is less than $20 bucks per person for ALL YOU CAN EAT! Where can you go for all you can eat for that price tag these days?

Upon arrival at 7:30 on a Saturday, it was absolutely packed! There was a queue that snaked right outside. When we got there, the guy who greeted us told us said it was really hectic and he had a table for us in mind but it was completely packed so we waited a bit until a table became available. While we waited, we noticed how big the actual restaurant was. It was a very open and large space and every table was pretty much occupied. The buffet area was a long table to the left of the restaurant and because it was so busy, I think there was a struggle to keep up with topping up the food!

Anyway, we were finally seated and up we went to scout out the food. We were impressed to see a lot of authentic Korean dishes on the buffet menu. Think bibimbap, bulgogi, kim chi, Korean fried chicken, dumplings, salads and all those lovely side dishes you would normally get at a Korean restaurant, just to name a few! They also offer seasonal seafood dishes so on this occasion we got some fresh prawns.

The verdict? The food was pretty good! All the dishes were full of flavour and the ingredients were fresh. You sometimes worry about the quality of the food when you go to all you can buffet restaurants. However this place maintained a standard. The Korean fried chicken had that nice crunch on the outside whilst it being moist on the inside. It had all these different tasty sauces to go with it. The kim chi was was flavoured well and the perfect amount of spiciness. And all the bulgogi was flavoured and tender. My favourite however was the lovely soups. I had a few bowls of their spicy seafood soup and their spicy beef soup. We would have liked to try their seaweed soup but it was all out and didn’t get topped up again.

By 8:30 PM, the desserts were already looking quite scarce. Their dessert table was supposed to have ice cream sticks, tarts, pancakes and canned peaches. We would have liked some ice cream but it was all out so we had some of their canned peaches. Dessert was probably not their strong point in terms of quality and availability.

Overall however, we really enjoyed the food and for the amazingly affordable price, the quality of the food was quite good!

Miss Korea Kitchen
Approx $20 AUD per person
Address: T50/51 Brand Smart Premium Outlet Centre, 288 Whitehorse Rd, Nunawading VIC 3131
Phone: +61 3 8806 4922
Website: misskoreakitchen.com.au

Miss Korea Kitchen 288 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Oyster Bar & Grill

We were at Crown for a few nights over the Easter break and decided to check out Oyster Bar & Grill, a more casual yet sophisticated dining area located in a corner area of The Atlantic. The main reason for this visit of course was for the $2 oysters! Yes, you heard! Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday they do $2 oysters until sold out. When we caught wind of this, we knew we had to be there. It reminded of us when we were in New York and downing $1 USD oysters during happy hour. Ahh memories…

Anyway, we ended up going back there TWICE during our stay because the oysters were THAT good! They were so fresh and delicious. They weren’t too big and came with a lovely shallot vinaigrette which I of course drowned the oysters in because I can’t get enough of it. Davin probably ate half a dozen and I had about a dozen to myself because I love oysters that much.

We also ordered a crab toast which consisted of hand picked spanner crab and avocado cream. It was delicious and again the crab was super fresh.

As a main we ordered the King Prawn Spaghetti to share, the dish was cooked to perfection. The pasta was al dente, the prawns were fresh and the sauce was well flavoured with chilli, garlic, lemon and parsley.

Overall, the food was of very high quality. The restaurant itself had a great ambience with a classy feel to it and the staff were very friendly and efficient. The only thing I’ll note is that there was a bit of confusion at the end when we paid our bill. Firstly, our Crown membership card didn’t seem to work so the guy that took our payment told us we needed to take our bill to the Crown Rewards front desk so that they could add the reward points onto our card. He also told us that we couldn’t obtain free parking because The Atlantic was not a Crown restaurant (we were advised that if you dined and spent $50 or more at a Crown restaurant that you get free parking). That was fine for us.

So we took our bill to the Crowns Reward desk and they told us that the restaurant should have provided us with a manual adjustment form so that they could add the points onto our card and that we SHOULD have got free parking for dining there. They were kind enough to add the free parking to our card but we had to walk back to the restaurant to ask for the manual adjustment form to get our points. We ended up speaking to someone else at the restaurant who dealt with it for us. We saw him talk to the original guy we spoke to who seemed to shake his head like he didn’t even remember us. Oh well, other than that it was a great dining experience.

Oyster Bar & Grill
Approx $65 AUD per person
Address: 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006
Phone: +61 3 9698 8888
Website: http://theatlantic.com.au/eat/oyster-bar-grill

Oyster Bar & Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Budapest Restaurant and Palinka Bar

We recently went to a Hungarian restaurant in Elsternwick called Budapest Restaurant and Palinka Bar with Bearabbit and co. We had never tried Hungarian cuisine prior to this so it was a first for us which got us very excited!

To ensure we experienced the best of their dishes, we decided to order the Budapest Banquet which consisted of three courses. At $42 per head, it did not sound like a bad idea at all!

Before the food arrived, we ordered one of their Palinka Sampler Flights. We learnt that Palinka is the protected Hungarian name for pure fruit spirits. We ended up ordering the Palinka Premium Honey Selection which consisted of 3 x 15ml shots of honey infused Palinka. It sure warmed us up!

We started the first course with Grandma’s Homestyle Chicken Soup and Chopped Liver with Pickled Onion and Farmers Rye. The chicken soup was so good and it really felt like we were eating grandma’s soup because it gave us such a warm and homey feeling. Davin loved it so much and slurped it all up in a flash! The chopped liver was like a lovely chunky pate and was really flavoured. I generously lathered my bread slices with it!

The second course was huge and included the Hungarian Goulash with Nokedii Dumplings, Chicken Schnitzel on Peasant Potatoes, Cevapici Balkan Sausages with braised red cabbage, and Crumbed Mushrooms stuffed with Dilled Goat’s Cheese and Csiki Sauce. Oh. My. Gosh. What a feast it was! Everything was so scoffable and flavoured really well. The goulash was delicious and the chicken schnitzel was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

The peasant potatoes were amazing! Now I am a big fan of all things potato and I don’t want to toot my horn but I think I make a pretty good mashed potato. These mashed potatoes were exceptional, so flavoured with the addition of herbs mashed throughout. I could not stop eating it!

The sausages were super flavoured and also went well with the mash. We also loved the stuffed crumbed mushrooms. I like all things cheese but this goat cheese with dill was a match made in heaven.

The third and final course was the strudel of the day which they are well known for and did not disappoint. The pastry was lovely and crumbly, and overall it was not too sweet.

As you can tell, we thoroughly enjoyed the food and nothing really disappointed us! We will definitely be back when we’re in the mood for some Hungarian!

 

Budapest Restaurant and Palinka Bar
Approx $50 AUD per person
Address: 273 Glen Huntly Rd, Elsternwick VIC 3185
Phone: +61 3 9530 0859
Website: budapest.com.au

Budapest Restaurant and Palinka Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Desserts by Night

If you’re a dessert fan and ever in Springvale one day then it’s worth checking out Desserts by Night to satisfy your sweet tooths! Davin and I were in the area for dinner with Hello.imnikki and partner when we decided to check out this newish place to see what it was all about. We learnt that it also had a sister branches at other locations.

As we were walking towards the place, from across the road we weren’t actually sure if it was open or not. They had garage like roller shutters that were a quarter down and we couldn’t see any lights on. However when we got closer we realised that they were open. Yay! The cafe itself was very large and spacious with plenty of chairs and tables.

Being really full still from dinner, we decided to order a few desserts to share. The pear shaped dessert was called The Helen which Hello.imnikki ordered. Of course I couldn’t resist trying it given it was my name! It was shaped just like a pear so delicately placed on a bed of chocolate. We cracked the outer layer of white chocolate to find lovely chunks of pear and cream inside. It was probably more on the sweet side for me but a nice and pretty dessert nonetheless.

The Mango Pudding was my type of dessert. Firstly because I love all things mango, but also because it was a light and not too sweet type of dessert. It had fresh mango, mango coulis, lychee foam, condensed milk, vanilla crumble, tuile biscuit and mango sorbet. A dream dessert for a mango lover and all the components went perfectly together.

Finally we also tried their special which was the Pinata. Now if we weren’t already impressed with the presentation of the desserts so far, then this really wowed us. The dish came out on this wooden contraption where a white chocolate sphere dangled above the rest of the dish. The idea is to crack it open with your spoon, releasing flakes of goodies over the dessert. On the main dish was a coconut cheesecake, with berries and pineapple and passionfruit sorbet. It was a really refreshing dish!

We were overall certainly impressed with all the desserts they had to offer, particularly the flavours and the beautiful presentation of their dishes. A place we will definitely think of again after dinner one night!

Desserts by Night
Approx $20 AUD per person
Address: 317 Springvale Rd, Springvale VIC 3171
Phone: +61 3 9540 3453

Desserts by Night Springvale Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

King Chooks

After the gym one week night we decided to find something quick and nearby for dinner as we were starving! So we hopped onto Zomato and came across a charcoal chicken shop called King Chooks in Blackburn with very good reviews.

Being a charcoal chicken joint, you don’t really expect much so the outside was the usual tacky looking shop and the inside was no different. But of course we were not there for ambience and great decor. We were there for the food!

We both ordered Chook Combos, and I ordered a quarter chicken with scallop potatoes and the beetroot salad. Davin ordered a half chicken with chips and the caesar salad. The chicken was quite impressive! The skin was thin, crispy and flavoured to perfection – not too salty and not too plain. The chicken itself was really nice and moist, and fell of the bone. My scallop potatoes were creamy and flavoured well too. The highlight however was Davin’s chips! They were so crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The seasoning on the chips was also perfect and we couldn’t get enough of it!

Davin’s caesar salad was also good however my beetroot salad was so sour. Yes, sour! I think they drenched it in some sort of vinegar dressing and overdid it which is unfortunate because if it wasn’t for my beetroot salad it would have been a perfect meal.

Overall however, great chicken and perfect chips so we’ll definitely come back when we’re in the mood for some charcoal chicken!

King Chooks
Approx $15 AUD per person
Address: 9/96-98 Canterbury Rd, Blackburn South VIC 3130
Phone: +61 3 9878 9688

King Chooks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Le Charme De Saigon

We had the pleasure of being invited to Le Charme De Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant which recently opened on Little Bourke St in Chinatown, Melbourne CBD. We dined in the lovely company of Bearabbit, Tim.E and Simmy.

I instantly loved the decor of the place upon entering. Recently renovated, the walls and trimmings were painted a dark modern teal, with lovely lotus lamps, and tree like lights hanging from the ceiling. It certainly had a nice charm to it!

We started the night off with some cocktails, Davin ordering the Salted Caramel Expresso Martini, and I ordering the Ultimate Lychee Martini. My lychee martini was really nice and refreshing. Davin’s cocktail was on the sweet side and didn’t have that strong coffee flavour we generally look out for. It may have been that the salted caramel and kahlua was overpowering the coffee itself.

For food, we started off with a tasting plate called ‘A Little of Everything’. It had spring roll, viet sausage, shrimp cake, chicken skewer and prawn crackers. This was a lovely appetising starter dish and everything was fried to perfection. The batter on everything was light and crispy.

We then had the lamb san choy bow and DIY crispy duck with bao (steam bun). Both the lamb and duck was fried with crispy skin. The sauces that went with both dishes were probably more on the sweet side for us. The duck in particular was quite dry, however we understand this dish cooked authentically is supposed to be this way, therefore knowing that, it made more sense to us.

The Saigon curry beef brisket stew with baguette came up next. This was a delicious dish! It brought back memories of my grandma making Vietnamese curry for me when I was little. The sauce was flavoured to perfection and it had a lovely consistency with the perfect amount of heat to it! I loved dipping the bread and scooping up all the curry sauce. The beef itself was a bit tough however overall it was a great dish.

The North Viet supreme soup with fish fillet was also really nice and flavoured. It was an appetising dish. Davin’s favourite dish of the night however was the stir fried clam with X.O sauce. I have to say it was a really tasty dish! We haven’t had this in a while and it was full of flavour. It even had the lovely crunchy chinese donuts mixed in and soaked with the X.O sauce.

We also really liked the Saigon seafood rice broth, the seafood was really fresh and we loved the crispy rice in the broth which gave it a different texture with each bite. This is a dish we would definitely order again!

Overall we had a great experience, and the food was good. Being Vietnamese however, I do note that a lot of the dishes are more Chinese or Malaysian than authentic Vietnamese. Perhaps it should be labelled more as an Asian restaurant than Vietnamese. Anyway, if you’re ever around this area, check it out and let us know your thoughts!

Le Charme De Saigon
Approx $35 AUD per person
Address: Shop 3, 178 Little Bourke Street, CBD, Melbourne
Phone: +61 3 9663 3321
Website: le-charme-de-saigon.business.site

 

Le Charme De Saigon Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Fish & Burger Co.

We were recently invited to the VIP launch dinner at The Fish & Burger Co. in Doncaster. The restaurant was rocking when we arrived and it was very modern and spacious with plenty of tables and chairs.

We were provided with a range of different dishes to try which included the beef, chicken and prawn sliders, mac and cheese croquettes, nacho waffle fries, chilli cheese fries, crispy fried chicken, grilled calamari and salads.

The sliders were delicious and so easily scoffable! The chicken sliders were particularly good as the chicken was crumbed with a nice slaw and ranch sauce.

We also loved the mac and cheese croquettes. They came out piping hot, crispy on the outside and oozing of the lovely mac and cheese components on the inside.

The chilli cheese fries were also nice and full of flavour. It had large chunks of jalapenos and spring onion throughout and the chips also came out fresh and crispy. The nacho waffle fries were a bit too soft and doughy for us so we much preferred the fries.

Our least favourite dish was probably the fried chicken as it was quite salty. It had a sweet and spicy marinade with sesame seeds, spring onion and a chilli mayo sauce. However all we could taste was the salt.

There are a range of salads to choose from and we had the quinoa, pumpkin and pomegranate salad and the kale and roasted sesame salad which are both good options if you are looking for something a bit healthier.

We were also invited to try their mains which included burgers and seafood plates however we were too full after trying their smaller dishes so we moved straight onto dessert!

Right at the front of the restaurant and as soon as you enter, there is a gelato and shake bar for those with a sweet tooth. I ended up getting the expresso gelato in a cup and Davin ordered the lemon sorbet in a cup. The gelatos were nice but probably a bit sweeter than the gelatos we’re used to. Having said that we are not the biggest sweet tooths so some may love that it’s sweeter. Overall if you’re looking for a cool place to hang out and enjoy some burgers, seafood and gelato, check it out!

The Fish & Burger Co.
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: 1001 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster East VIC 3109
Phone: +61 3 9842 1011
Website: thefishandburgerco.com

The Fish & Burger Co Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Quan Lua

Being Vietnamese, I’ve grown up eating Vietnamese food at home and at the restaurants in Springvale where I’ve had the pleasure of being served authentic dishes. Don’t ever expect any customer service and a clean environment when you’re eating in these restaurants. You’re there for the food and that is it! However over the past few years I have noticed a lot more modern looking Vietnamese restaurants popping up in Springvale.

We recently discovered a fairly new restaurant called Quan Lua that opened up with apparently really good Bun bo Hue. Now for those that don’t know, Bun bo Hue is a spicy Vietnamese noodle soup from Hue, a city in central Vietnam. Davin and I have both had our fair share of this dish in our lifetime and so when a friend of ours told us how good it was there, it certainly piqued our interest.

Located on Buckingham Avenue along a strip of other restaurants and shops, Quan Lua is a smallish no nonsense restaurant. When you enter, you know it’s the real deal when there are only true blue Vietnamese customers dining inside.

For drinks I ordered the iced kumquat drink which was delicious. Davin has never been a fan of kumquat in general but I love it. He stuck to just hot tea.

But we were there of course for their famous Bun bo Hue so we ordered 2 bowls of it and excitedly waited with much anticipation. They came out in large generous bowls piping hot with the usual sides of lime wedges, mint, bean sprouts and other greens to mix in with your Bun bo Hue. The first thing we noticed was that it was packed full of goodies to devour! They definitely didn’t cheapen out as the bowls had lots of beef and pork slices, cubes of pig blood and large pork knuckles.

The first thing I always do when eating a soupy dish is to take a sip of the broth to get a sense of the flavours. The broth was so beautifully flavoured. It had the perfect amount of spiciness combined with the lovely sour and salty flavours to make it a killer broth. The noodles were also perfectly bouncy and not too soft. Coated in the flavoured broth, I enjoyed slurping up every bit of noodle. The beef and pork portions were generous with the right amounts of fat attached to it, however it was the pig blood that was really special. These cubes of blood was so delicate like jelly, and so fresh! I don’t think I’ve ever had pig blood that fresh before.

Verdict? Probably the best Bun bo Hue I’ve had in a long time! Highly recommend! However if you do feel like another soup noodle dish there, I also recommend their country style chicken noodle soup which is also amazing. The broth is herbal based and also really flavoured. The chicken literally just falls off the bone too!

Quan Lua
Approx $15 AUD
Address: 23A Buckingham Ave, Springvale VIC 3171
Phone: +61 (0)401 211 888

Quan Lua Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Belleville

We were recently invited to Belleville, a restaurant and bar located in a rustic warehouse type building near Chinatown. Think dim lights, chandeliers, scuffed walls and floors, loud music and a DJ to create a casual vibe.

Davin and I started off with a couple of drinks and I ordered a dry martini with olives, and Davin ordered a glass of the Champagne Collette.

For starters we ordered the duck ham with taleggio cream, pickled black berry and sour dough crips. We’ve never had duck ham before but the texture and flavours were nice. Davin thought it was probably on the salty side. We also got the chargrilled calamari with ‘ndjuda, cavalo nero and mussels. This was a really nice dish and the seafood was fresh.

With mains we decided to order the Tasmanian salmon with cauliflower, golden raisins and citrus beurre blanc, and their famous rotisserie free range chicken with jus and miso butter. The salmon was nice and cooked well. The rotisserie free range chicken however was a bit of a let down. The chicken skin was on the salty side and tasted more like one of those charcoal chickens you could get from a takeaway shop. It didn’t stand out for us.

We also ordered sides with our mains and got the rotisserie sweet potato with creme fraiche, aged gouda and chives. This was delicious! It came out piping hot and we loved it. We also loved the chargrilled greens with citrus butter and pecorino. It was so flavoured and the greens had a lovely crunch to it.

Overall, Belleville has a great vibe for if you want to have a couple of drinks and food with a bunch of friends in a casual setting.

Belleville
Approx $45 AUD per person
Address: 1 Globe Alley, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9663 4041
Website: belleville-melbourne.com

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

Secret Kitchen (Doncaster)

There is an abundance of places to choose from in Melbourne when it comes to yum cha. We absolutely love yum cha and have grown up with it, often making it a family affair. Anyway not long ago we were advised to try out Secret Kitchen. There are a number of franchises scattered across Melbourne but we ended up going to the one recommended, located in the Doncaster Westfield shopping centre.

As with traditional yum cha, trolleys of glorious food is pushed around the restaurant right to your table for your choosing. We picked our usual favourites which included varied dumplings, chicken feet, tripe, and a noodle dish.

All the dishes were of very high quality and fresh! We particularly liked the noodle dish, which is something we don’t normally order or even see at other yum cha restaurants, but it was delicious! So flavoured but it didn’t taste overly oily. It was so easy to scoff.

The dumplings were all good with generous delicious filling and the perfect, bouncy outer skin. Sometimes you get dumplings where the outer layer is so thick that’s all you can taste, but that’s not the case here!

We also ordered the silken tofu with ginger syrup dessert, one of my favourites! The tofu was certainly silky smooth, with a nice subtle ginger flavour. The syrup was also not too sickly sweet.

The egg tarts were freshly baked with the perfect eggy flavour, and again not too sweet.

Overall it was a great yum cha experience. Service was also really good and staff were super efficient. We will definitely be thinking of Secret Kitchen when we’re craving some yum cha in the future!

Secret Kitchen
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: ShopL2-2003/619 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster VIC 3108
Phone: +61 3 9840 2248
Website: secret-kitchen.com.au

Secret Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Matilda 159 Domain

For those of you that know me, you will know that Scott Pickett’s Saint Crispin restaurant has been one of my favourite restaurants for a long time. It’s one of those restaurants that I normally recommend when people ask me where they can get a taste of some quality food with great ambience, that’s not too ridiculously expensive.

So saying I was excited was a real understatement when I found out that Davin had booked for us to dine at Scott’s newest restaurant, Matilda 159 for my birthday. Located in South Yarra, where Saint Crispin is more upscale, this particular restaurant has a focus on food cooked over open fire and hot coals providing a more casual and feeling of comfort.

We were seated at the lovely bar where we could watch the bartender work away on mixing cocktails and drinks. We ordered some red wine and perused the menu. Everything looked amazing on the menu and I wanted to try it all! But we finally settled on a few starters which included some oysters with bone marrow crust, a salmon roe tartlet with bonito cream and the ox tongue with horseradish and sauce gribiche. Not surprisingly, every dish was assembled together with so much precision and care. They were beautiful dishes visually and tasted even better!

We also ordered the kangaroo tartare and dressed spanner crab with prawn butter and flat bread. The tartare was really good, but the spanner crab was the true highlight. It was so deliciously soft, juicy and buttery. We couldn’t get enough of it and felt like we needed one each!

For mains, we ordered the whole tiger flathead with fennel and squid ink, and the Rangers Valley wagyu bavette 7+ with burnt carrot and wattleseed. We also ordered some broccolini with aged cheddar and marble potatoes cooked in hay for side dishes. We couldn’t really fault any of the dishes. They were perfect in flavour and presentation. The fish was cooked well and wasn’t dry, the beef had just the right pinkness inside. All the carefully chosen ingredients to complement the mains went so well together.

Finally for dessert, we could not resist ordering their popular Pink Lady apple tarte tatin with smoked vanilla bean because it was all we could smell throughout the night! It was the most amazing, sweet and buttery pastry smell that kept wafting by us every time someone would walk by to serve this dessert. And when it was finally placed in front of us, it did not disappoint! The pastry was so crispy and light. The sweetness of the apples and the smoked vanilla bean made each bite heaven!

Overall we had such a great experience. From the food and ambience, to the service. It was amazing and we will definitely be back!

Matilda 159 Domain
Approx $80 AUD per person
Address: 159 Domain Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: +61 3 9089 6668
Website: matilda159.com

Matilda 159 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

@ The Catch Carnegie

We were recently invited to @ The Catch Carnegie, a fish and chip shop which has a small dining area for customers to dine in if they don’t want to take away. Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by all the workers and seated straight away by Nick in the lovely and casual dining space. Nick set down the menus for us to peruse and gave us a bit of a background regarding their business which is family owned, and focused on fish and chips with some modern touches.

We started off with some fish cakes. Now firstly, let me say that I am generally not a fish cakes type of person. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to eat anything and everything. But I’ve never thought, ‘hey I feel like some fish cakes’. They’re not my favourite thing and I’ve never come across any that have really wowed me. But this perception of fish cakes all changed when I tried theirs. They have two varieties, an Asian inspired one, and the Greek style fish cakes. We were able to try both varieties and they were so delicious! The fish cakes were so nice and crispy on the outside, and full of wonderful flavours on the inside. Best fish cakes I’ve ever had! Yes, big call. But true. They also came with homemade dipping sauces that went so well with them. I’ve now converted into a fish cakes person.

The first main we got was the Hook which came with a fish of the day, potato cakes, dim sim, chips and salad. On this occasion we got a lovely NZ Whiting for the fish which was cooked perfectly. The batter was light and crispy, and the fish itself was fresh and plentiful inside the batter. Their thick cut chips were top quality, and their potato cakes were amazing! Again the batter was so crispy on the outside, yet so fluffy and full of potatoes on the inside. So good! It came with a tasty Caesar salad and their homemade aioli sauce.

We also got the Bowler burger, which had a fried fish of the day, lettuce, coleslaw and homemade aioli. The fish in the burger was also just as fresh and the quantity so generous! All the components of the burger went well together and it was so filling.

Overall, we couldn’t fault the food. Everything placed in front of us was fresh, tasty and top quality food. However not only was the food good, but the service was also fantastic there. Every person that walked into their shop received a warm welcoming from all the workers behind the counter. And when Nick spoke to us so passionately about their family business, and how they just love to have fun, talk to customers, and also give to the community, it really showed in their food and service. Highly recommend if you’re ever in the area!

@ The Catch Carnegie
Approx $20 AUD per person
Address: 158 Koornang Rd, Carnegie VIC 3163
Phone: +61 3 9569 0888

@ The Catch Carnegie Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Son of Tucci

We decided to look for a more local and suburban brunch place over the weekend and came across Son of Tucci in Mount Waverley which was rated extremely high on Zomato. So off we went to check it out!

The place was buzzing when we arrived with lots of people inside and even outside given it was a nice sunny day. The cafe itself was quite spacious and decked out like many of the modern brunch places these days, with wooden tables, brick walls and indoor plants scattered around. Staff were friendly and seated us right away at the window.

For drinks we both decided to order their fresh juices. I got the Rita which had apple, beetroot, lemon and ginger. Davin ordered the Nice melons juice which had watermelon, passionfruit and orange. Unfortunately when they brought out the drinks they served Davin with just a fresh OJ instead of the Nice melons so we had to let them know. They were kind enough however to let us keep the OJ and make the correct order so we appreciated that they fixed it up for us.

For food I ordered the Breaky Tasting Plate which had a mini Tucci bowl, Sriracha maple bacon, smashed avocado with a poached egg, and the cauliflower and ricotta fritter with carrot, honey and cumin hummus, dukkah and kale. It was basically a bit of a showcase of some of their main dishes.

The Sriracha maple bacon was delicious and I loved the cauliflower and ricotta fritter. It went well with the crunchiness of the kale and the hummus. The only thing I felt was missing was perhaps a piece of toast because it didn’t feel filling enough without it. The mini Tucci bowl had pineapple, pear, mango and banana smoothie topped with berries and granola. It was okay and was very strong in banana flavours. That probably overpowered all the other fruits.

Davin ordered the Poke Bowl with cured salmon for extra. This is where things went a bit sour. The poke bowl had sushi rice, red slaw, cucumber, avocado, edamame, grilled corn, golden beetroot, carrot, cashews and crispy shallots. Presentation wise it was fine but it was the sushi rice that was most disappointing. It was probably the worst rice we’ve ever had. Davin took the first bite and looked at me and said the rice didn’t taste right. When I tried it, I was really surprised. It tasted so old I was worried the rice had gone bad. Now being Asian ourselves and growing up with eating rice daily we know that for certain dishes like fried rice it’s recommended you use overnight rice. However this tasted more like a week old rice. There was a sourness to it but we couldn’t tell if that was the vinegar because there was just a hint and not enough of it, or if it was from it being so old. Not to mention that sushi rice is generally cooked fresh and should be full of moisture. This rice was so old and dry. It was hard to eat and unfortunately put a damper on the whole dish. Davin ended up just picking out the salmon to eat and left the rest.

Given the circumstances, overall it was a pretty average experience for us. The dishes didn’t wow us either so I guess it may not be one we may visit again anytime soon.

Son of Tucci
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 5 Hamilton Walk, Mount Waverley VIC 3149
Phone: +61 3 9807 0709

Son of Tucci Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Tina’s Noodle Kitchen (Box Hill)

One cool night we were wandering around Box Hill looking for a place to eat when we came across Tina’s Noodle Kitchen. It was bustling with people so we knew something good was brewing inside! Like most Asian restaurants in Box Hill, it is purposely built for you to get in, eat your meal, and get out. We were fine with that!

We scanned the menu and saw quite a few items we wanted to order but finally settled on a few to share. We started off with the pickled vegetable threads and the beef skewers which included beef, tripe, stomach, ox tongue and mixed veggies in a spicy chilli oil sauce. The pickled vegetable threads were SO good! The vegetables were pickled to perfection and were so appetising, I couldn’t stop eating them! The beef skewers were also really nice however be warned, they are spicy!

We also ordered the wonton in spicy soup. Did I say the beef skewers were spicy? Because the wontons were even spicier! So deliciously flavoured though if you can handle the heat!

For mains Davin ordered the spicy stewed lamb ribs with rice set which came with soup and a side tofu salad. The lamb ribs were of course also spicy! I guess you can see a theme here. The spiciness numbed our tongues but we kept wanting more because the meat was so succulent and fell of the bone.

Given it was called Tina’s Noodle Kitchen, I had to order a bowl of soup noodles. There were so many different bowls of noodles to choose from. I was so overwhelmed! Of course a lot of them (okay probably most of them) were in red hot spicy soup. With all the other spicy dishes we had already ordered, I decided to order a less spicy dish to balance it out. I picked the soup noodles with braised pork belly and pickles. I was relieved to see the soup broth was not coloured red and that I could sip on the broth without my tongue going numb! It was a delicious broth, and the pork belly and pickles complemented it well. But what most impressed me were the actual noodles. They were soft, but not overcooked soft because they held their kind of bouncy texture at the same time. They were the most interesting noodles I’ve ever had. I loved it and couldn’t stop slurping up these noodles. Oh and did I mention the serving size? The bowl that came out for the soup noodles was HUGE!

Overall we had a great experience and the food was good. Just be prepared for a very spicy, tongue numbing night! But if you love eating spicy then this is the place for you!

Tina’s Noodle Kitchen House
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: Box Hill Central, 1 Main St, Box Hill VIC 3128
Phone: +61 3 9041 7548

Dainty Sichuan - Tina's Noodle Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Aunty Franklee (Hawthorn)

We recently dined at Aunty Franklee in Hawthorn, a place we’ve had on our list for some time given we’ve heard great things about it. And boy did they not disappoint! Specialising in Malaysian cuisine, the first thing I noticed when I entered the restaurant was how lovely the decor was. Bright lighting, white polished floors with outdoor furniture and a colourful corner for kids to hang out and play made it feel like you were dining at a cute outdoorsy place even though it was indoors. Loved it!

As usual, we ordered with our eyes and not with our stomachs! Everything on the menu sounded amazing. We finally settled with sharing the chicken skewers, grilled “bakars” short beef ribs, char kuey teow, and the old fashioned bak kut teh (soup). We could not fault any of the dishes!

The short beef ribs were braised in lovely herbs and spices, and finished on the chargrill. They were so juicy and tender, falling apart when you touched it. The dish was served with this delicious pickled purple cabbage and peanut sauce, and was not short on flavour at all.

The char kuey teow dish was what surprised me. We’ve had plenty of char kuey teow in the past but this was probably the best I’ve had in awhile. For those that may not know, char kuey teow is a popular stir fried Malaysian noodle dish. This one wowed us with its wok fried silky flat rice noodles with prawns, fish cake, chinese sausage, egg, chives and bean sprouts. It had lovely smoky flavours and was one of those dishes where we just gobbled up very quickly because it was so good!

Now the old fashioned bak kut teh (soup) was on another level of its own. It was SO delicious! It was a pork bone broth with 23 different herbs braised for 6 hours, and was full of flavours which included cloves, cinnamon, liquorice, pepper, garlic, and other chinese herbs. It was a lovely rich tasting broth which had dried squid, pork, tofu and mushrooms. As soon as I took the first sip of the soup, I felt like I was transported to someone’s house, eating their family’s homemade soup in which the recipe may have been passed down from generation to generation. I was no longer in a restaurant. You know the soup is amazing when it makes you feel this way.

To finish we had their papaya ice cream which was homemade with papaya, coconut and condensed milk. We’ve never had papaya ice cream before but it was really nice! The tropical flavours of the papaya made it really refreshing!

The service was also excellent. The staff were really friendly, and the food came out super quick for us. Adding to the fact that every single dish that came out was delicious, this is a place we will certainly think of when we’re in the mood for some great Malaysian cuisine.

Aunty Franklee (Hawthorn)
Approx $30 AUD per person
Address: 64 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9818 6719
Website: auntyfranklee.com

Aunty Franklee Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Foodstore Cafe

We were recently invited to The Foodstore Cafe, located on a large corner block in Hawthorn. As many of you know, we frequent Hawthorn quite a bit when it comes to food! The cafe itself is large, bright and spacious with wooden tones and white tiles along the walls and tables.

We were provided with an extensive menu and additional specials menu to peruse. We started off with a couple of lattes which were served at the right temperature. The coffee itself was great and had a decent strength to it. I do hate it when I am served coffees that are too weak and milky but this one was perfect.

I decided to order the Baked Shakshuka w/ Eggs which had aromatic spiced five beans with tomato, feta, capsicum, mixed veg stew, tahini yoghurt, crispy lemon kale with two poached eggs served with multigrain toast. The portion was very generous and it was delicious. It was also very filling! With all the ingredients in baked eggs, sometimes it can be on the salty side however this dish was flavoured perfectly.

Davin ordered the Salmon Benedict which had smoked salmon, crispy kale, avocado smash, fried capers and two poached eggs on multigrain toast topped with smoked paprika hollandaise. This dish was presented beautifully – I liked the bits of crispy kale sprinkled all over plate like a garnish. Taste wise it was also a very nice dish and the flavours complemented each other well.

We also ordered the Green Machine juice which included green apple, kale, celery, spinach, banana and coconut water. It was delicious and we finished the drink fairly quickly!

Overall the food was great and the service was also excellent. The staff were also very friendly and efficient.

The Foodstore Cafe
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 464 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9819 3835

The Foodstore Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato