Woodland House

Davin and I will use any excuse to celebrate by eating out somewhere nice. So recently when it reached the mark of 13 years since we’ve been together we quickly agreed we needed to celebrate through some fine dining! Forget the presents, we just want to eat something amazing! We ended up making a reservation at Woodland House in Prahan.

For those that don’t know, this restaurant was formerly known as Jacques Reymond, one of our favourite 3 hat restaurants during its time. We were lucky to have dined there and met Jacques before he decided to step down in 2014.  So of course we were super excited to return to a place we really enjoyed, even though it was under a new name and ownership. We knew that Woodland House had 2 chef hats and the reviews were very positive.

Upon entering we saw that they had kept the restaurant looking like the house that we remembered it a few years ago. We loved that about the restaurant, that it has this modern, homey and intimate feel to it. We really felt like we were dining in someone’s home. The staff were super attentive and friendly, opening doors, pulling out chairs and checking on us. They were also SO quick! They asked us if we preferred tap or still water, and as soon as we said that tap water was fine within a few seconds they were back pouring us our water. We ordered a couple of glasses of champagne to start off with and a bottle of red for dinner and within an instant the drinks were there! We barely had time to take a few snaps before they were back to serve us!

The menu offered a tasting menu or an a la carte. From Tuesday to Thursday they also offered from the a la carte of 4 courses for $90, 5 courses for $110 or 6 courses for $130. It allowed us to pick any of the dishes on the a la carte menu which was great because it meant if Davin and I got a few different dishes each we had more to try! Being as greedy as we are, we opted for the 6 courses. Now we don’t want to bore you with every single dish that came out so we’ll just talk about the highlights. But before we go into that, we have to say that hands down every dish was fantastic. Every single dish was cooked to perfection, flavoured and presented beautifully. We could not really fault any of the dishes and it is clear how meticulous and carefully thought out each of the dishes were.

The Murray Cod, spanner crab and smoked sour cream dish was an exceptional dish. We absolutely love cod and have had this fish a number of times especially when we were in Europe. It has such an interesting texture for a fish, almost like a scallop. And this is probably why Woodland House ingeniously presented the cod to look like a scallop! It was cooked to perfection and the lovely sauce poured over it was flavoured but not too intrusive. It complemented and ensured the cod was the hero of the dish.

The green peas, cured pork fat, abalone and sardine dressing dish was a truly balanced dish. The sardine dressing was like a silky smooth sauce and flavoured well. Again it didn’t overpower the star of the dish, the abalone which was paper thin and the softest we’ve ever had!

The Sancho kangaroo, pickled beetroot and currant reduction was also another highlight. The kangaroo was cooked perfectly, rare to medium rare, and they had these cute little mushrooms we’ve never had before which had a lovely bouncy texture to it.

The corn fed duck, grilled octopus and sweet pepper was also another amazing dish. The skin on the duck was so crispy and flavoured. The grilled octopus was an interesting combination with the duck but it worked.

The Cape Grim short rib, witlof, preserved plum and horseradish dish. The beef was cooked for 7 hours and it was melt in your mouth soft. The bitterness of the witlof gave it an interesting flavour.

We also had a number of desserts which included the chestnut with sesame, beetroot and yoghurt sorbet, and the pear souffle with salted liquorice icecream and star anise. Both desserts were delicious and presented beautifully.

We were also served some complimentary additional desserts. What stood out from this for us was the miso butter icecream which was SO good! It was light and buttery with a subtle strawberry jam which was not too sweet. To add to the delightful experience they allowed us to take home the remainder half bottle of our red wine.

We were thoroughly impressed with Woodland House. From the attentive service, to the top quality presentation and well balanced flavour of the dishes, it is truly an all out experience that we would highly recommend to anyone that wants to fine dine or celebrate something special.

Woodland House
Approx $130 AUD per person
Address: 78 Williams Rd, Prahran VIC 3181
Phone: +61 3 9525 2178
Website: woodlandhouse.com.au

Woodland House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

OMI

There has been quite a bit of chatter lately in the foodies world about this amazing new place that offers top restaurant quality food in the food court of Chadstone Shopping Centre. Yes, you heard right. The food court. A place where you would generally go for some cheap, fast food, sit down at one of the public tables to gobble it all up and then get up and continue your shopping. But ladies and gentlemen, there has now been a shift in this normality. A stone has been thrown into this peaceful lake of food outlets and it is trying to change how we perceive how food courts should be!

With all this chatter, we were super excited to be heading to OMI, located in the old food court on the ground floor of Chadstone. Keeping in mind that these guys have only been opened for 2 months, they were already getting some great reviews from the foodie community.

Their menu was simple, with only about 10 items to choose from. From reading their menu, their specialty is wagyu beef which they source from renown local suppliers so we had to make sure we ordered one of their wagyu dishes. Their 65 degree sous vide egg, and their flavoured Japanese rice is featured in most of their dishes and it looked aesthetically pleasing!

I ended up ordering the Black Truffle Wagyu which was $15.90 and Davin ordered the Salmon Salted Egg, also $15.90. We ordered the Truffle Fries to share for $6.90, and the Green Tea Creme Brulee which was $4.90. With an iced lemon tea for our drink, our total bill for this dinner came out to be about $40. Now, we don’t always list out prices for each individual dish but I felt that it was important for you to see how very cheap this meal was for the quality of food they were offering! After we placed our orders we were given a buzzer to take away and we sat down at one of the public tables nearby.

The buzzer went off fairly quickly and Davin went off to collect our food. We were shocked at the speed of them preparing and plating up the food! It came out looking just like the photos on the menu! By now I’m sure you’re dying to know the verdict of the food? It. Was. Truly. Amazing. We were in total awe at how good the food was. The wagyu beef was full of flavour and really tender. Davin’s salmon was cooked to absolute perfection and the sauce that came with it was delicious. The 65 degree egg in each of our dishes was also cooked to perfection and oozed out its lovely yolk when broken. Their Japanese rice was so flavoured, and I know I’ve said the word perfection a number of times now but it really was that. Both our dishes were complemented with some edamame beans and pickled vegetables which went really well. The truffle fries were also delicious and completed our meal. So we literally scoffed everything pretty quickly because it was SO good. We were so content after and shared the green tea brulee which was surprisingly also very nice. It had good strong flavours of green tea and wasn’t too sweet which was great for us.

We literally finished everything within about 15 minutes and couldn’t stop talking about how great the food was, and what good value! We’ve been going on for ages about not having many good local Japanese restaurants around, and so I think this is one place we will be visiting very often. When we got up to leave and started walking, one of the staff from OMI saw us, smiled and asked us how the food was. We told her it was really good and thought it was lovely that she asked us! You don’t normally get that type of service at a food court!

So my lovely readers, we encourage you to check this place out because it’s a game changer. And where else can you show up in thongs on a hot day to order such amazing, high quality food for these type of prices? Please, experience it for yourself and check it out!


OMI
Approx $20 AUD per person
Address: Chadstone Shopping Centre (B064)
Phone: 0490 743 219
Website: omigroup.com.au

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

Nyala African

One night a couple of our friends called us up to see if we were free to catch up for dinner. We in fact did happen to be free and so our friends left it with us to choose a place. Now this happens quite often these days as we’ve been the ‘go to’ for restaurant recommendations for quite some time and we were fine with that. However on this particular night, with dinner only an hour away we went into this frantic panic mode of ‘where can we take our lovely friends where we also haven’t been’?! This is a predicament we’ve been finding ourselves more often these days. It’s easy to recommend our favourite restaurants that we frequent all the time. But it’s getting harder to find a good restaurant which no one has yet been to.

Anyway we told our friends we would handle it, and after some frantic searches and calls we decided to settle on Nyala African. So Davin and our friends have never been to a proper African restaurant before. Davin has tried African cuisine at a food festival but this would be his first proper dining experience. Our friends have never tried it. However I was lucky to have dined with a friend a number of years ago at an Ethiopian restaurant so had a bit of an idea of the type of food they would serve.

Located in the heart of Fitzroy, the entrance of the restaurant produced a narrow set of stairs which we climbed up to the next floor and opened up into a spacious restaurant. The decor had lots of dark wood and African images scattered throughout. With no air conditioning on a hot day, we sure felt like we were in Africa! The staff were super friendly. And when I say staff, I mean just one person who was managing the whole floor! However he seemed to be really on top of everything and was super friendly and accomodating. He talked us through some of the African beers they had on their specials board so we ordered a couple of them and a bottle of Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon.

The menu was extensive and had so many interesting dishes which I wanted to try. To make things easier for everyone we decided to go with one of the banquets so we could try a bit of everything. There were a few banquets to choose from and we ended up picking the one for $38 per person.

The banquet started with some dips and very thin flat bread which one of our friends described it as similar to flat sheets, which I thought, very true! The dips were Tahini – made from sesame paste, yoghurt, lemon juice and olive oil, Deberja – cooked eggplant with tumeric, coriander cumin, capsicum, garlic and yoghurt, and Lentils – Berbere chili, onion, fresh garlic and spices.

All the dips were yummy but out of the 3 we absolutely loved the lentils dip as it was really flavoured and had a spicy kick to it. We asked if we could have a bit more of the lentils dip because it was so good and he promptly brought out a very generous serving of it.

Then came the Baboutie and Cauliflower dishes. The Baboutie consisted of flavoured minced beef with sultanas and nuts mixed through it. This was a really flavoured and appetising dish! The cauliflower was fried and had a thick, soft layer of batter around it. We found this to be quite plain as there wasn’t really any seasoning and the batter around it had a texture we’ve never had before.

For the mains we had 4 meat dishes served with rice, couscous, salad, vegetables and Injera, traditional Ethiopian bread which has this soft, spongy texture, traditionally made from teff flour.

The meat dishes included the Doro Tibs which consisted of boneless pieces of chicken marinated in herbs and spices, sauteed in mild chili, with Nyala Awazi sauce. This chicken was oh so soft and tender and literally just breaks away from your fork. It actually reminded us of the soft chicken you get from Malaysian restaurants.

We also got the Beg Tibs which had marinated and spiced lamb cubes sauteed with fresh tomato, rosemary and white wine on a sizzling plate. The lamb was super flavoured and we loved it. Then came the two beef dishes, the Domeda, a hearty dish from Gambia, which included beef, peanut butter, potatoes, herbs and spices, and finally the Nyala Special which is a traditional Ethiopian stew with lean boneless beef, fresh ginger, garlic and homemade chili with other spices. Both beef dishes were nice and very spicy! The servings were also very generous and between the 4 of us we couldn’t even finish all the food so we were able to take plenty away for the next day.

For dessert we tried all 3 on the menu which was Sweet Couscous – a Moroccan dessert with slivered almonds, sultanas, icing sugar, unsalted butter and icecream, Tafach Mooz – an East African dessert with layers of bananas, brown sugar, cream cheese and cinnamon, and finally the last dessert was chocolate and vanilla icecream. The desserts overall were probably our least favourite as they didn’t stand out as being very special. We were also so full from the meal we couldn’t really finish them!  We also had some Ethiopian coffee with our dessert which as expected was quite different to our usual lattes, but hey – when in Rome, I mean Africa!

Overall it was a great experience. Particularly if you haven’t tried African cuisine before, I would recommend it if you are ever interested in getting a taste!

Nyala African
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: 356 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Phone: +61 3 9419 9128
Website: Nyla.com.au

Nyala African Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cosi Bar Ristorante

Not too long ago we were in the mood for some Italian and decided to check out Cosi in South Yarra. Ratings for the restaurant were quite high and positive so off we went. Cosi is a fine dining restaurant with a lovely intimate feel. Upon entering you’ll notice the dim lights and white table cloths. Staff were also very friendly and efficiently seated us.

For mains I ordered the Tagliatelle with blue swimmer crab, tomato and smoked butter. This was SO delicious! Oh the flavours from the smoked butter and the generous chunks of crab meat. This was a dish to die for and we would happily order this again. The pasta was also super fresh.

Davin ordered the Spaghetti Marinara with white wine, chilli and garlic. This was also a really nice dish and had generous amounts of prawns and mussels. However we both agreed that my Tagliatelle dish was the winner.

For dessert we decided to share the basil panna cotta with berries and chocolate. We loved this! The panna cotta had the perfect wobbly texture and really tasted like fresh basil. It was an interesting and refreshing dish. I believe they may change the flavour of the panna cotta so it may not be available anymore. However we were so glad to have had the opportunity to try the basil flavoured one.
We thoroughly really enjoyed our experience at Cosi and felt the quality of their food was top notch. We will definitely be back when we feel like some fine dining Italian!

Cosi Bar Ristorante
Approx $60 AUD per person
Address: 68 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: +61 3 9867 39999
Website: cosirestaurant.com.au

Cosi Bar Ristorante Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Meat Me Souvlakeri

On a Friday night in Oakleigh, Meat Me Souvlakeri is absolutely packed and rocking! They were definitely dominating that night when it came to souvlaki around that area. Although they were packed, they have an abundance of tables and chairs so it didn’t take very long for us to be seated.

For starters we ordered the saganaki which came out super quick and with a wedge of lemon. The saganaki was fried perfectly and was not too salty.

Davin and I both ordered the Gyros Plate with chicken, chips, salad, tzatziki and pita. The plate came out looking delicious! The chicken was super soft and tender. It had this lovely oregano seasoning throughout it which made it just a little more special. It terms of flavour it probably could have done with a bit of salt because it was slightly on the plain side. However some table salt fixed that pretty easily. The chips were really good, super fresh and crisp, and the pita bread was hot and fluffy. I also really liked the tzatziki which was really refreshing. It was a huge plate and they were very generous with the chicken. Davin was able to polish his plate off but I took some leftovers home from mine.

Davin also ordered a Freddo Cappuccino which was really good and took us back to our Greece trip not long ago when that’s all we were drinking during those hot sunny days.

Overall, a great place to check out if you’re in the mood for a meaty dish!

Meat Me Souvlakeri
Approx $35 AUD per person
Address: 24 Eaton St, Oakleigh VIC 3166
Phone: +61 3 9568 5555
Website: www.meatmesouvlakeri.com.au

Meat Me Souvlakeri Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella Bar

Davin and I were reminiscing how good the pizzas were in New York the other day which led us to of course have a sudden urge to eat some. Now, we have been hearing about how amazing D.O.C Pizza and Mozzarella Bar is in Carlton but just never got around to visiting them. Given our sudden craving for a good pizza, we thought what better time to check it out than now?

So off we went one very warm night. As soon as we got there we could see how popular it was. It was packed inside and out! We were lucky to be seated inside straight away as we noticed on our way out after our meal that a queue of people was developing outside, waiting to be seated.

Upon entering the first thing that came to mind was that it was a very simple, non-pretentious looking place. The decor was minimalistic, with wooden chairs and tables crammed inside and no paintings on the walls. It was all about the food, and food is what we came for!

I ordered the Pizza DOC which had San Marzano tomato, fresh DOP buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. I’ve always liked my pizzas with minimal toppings. Davin who has always had a weak spot for seafood ordered the Pizza Tiger Prawns which had San Marzano tomato, tiger prawns, mozzarella, endive and fresh chilli. We also ordered a Caprese salad which had heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, black sea salt, pesto and balsamic glaze.

The food came out very quickly, and the pizzas looked amazing when they were placed in front of us. As soon as we took a few bites we both agreed that it was definitely the best pizza we’ve had so far in Melbourne. It didn’t have that special light, crispiness of a base like NYC, but it was pretty damn good! The base was very thin just how we liked it and the toppings were super fresh. Davin’s Tiger Prawn pizza had a generous amount of fresh chilli which gave it a lovely spicy kick and the prawns were top quality.

However we both loved the Pizza DOC just a little bit more because their fresh DOP buffalo mozzarella combined with the simplicity of the other ingredients was out of this world. It was one kick ass pizza!

The Caprese salad was also really good and the heirloom tomatoes were lovely and sweet. We couldn’t get enough of their delicious buffalo mozzarella.

For dessert, we ordered their old school mixed gelati and the flavours really made us nostalgic as it tasted so much like the icecream we had when we were young. Davin also ordered an Affogato which was really good and had the perfect amount of bitterness of the coffee and sweetness of the icecream.

Overall we had a really good experience. The food was great, the staff were super efficient and on the ball, and the pizzas were amazing. We will definitely be coming back when we’re in the mood for some good pizzas.


D.O.C Pizza & Mozzarella Bar
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: 295 Drummond St, Carlton VIC 3053
Phone: +61 3 9347 2998
Website: docgroup.net

DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Matsuzaka

On a Sunday night we decided to look for a local Japanese restaurant. We always struggle to find good Japanese food without having to travel into the city which is really frustrating.  We came across Matsuzaka in Caulfield South which looked promising so off we went!

The restaurant itself looked quite traditional from the outside. Upon entering we realised how spacious it was inside too. There were plenty of wooden tables and chairs, with Japanese inspired paintings featured on the walls, and Japanese music playing in the background.

The menu was quite extensive and had a lot of items to choose from. We felt a bit overwhelmed by the abundance of choices!  We ended up ordering the sushi and sashimi platter to start with which was really good. The sashimi was very fresh and the vinegar rice was done perfectly. We also decided to order a soup each.

I got the Osuiomono soup which had seafood, seaweed and mushroom, and Davin got the Tamago soup with egg and mushroom. Both soups were really nice and flavoured, however we both agreed we liked the Tamago soup more as it was more flavoured and the egg made it more special.

We also ordered the Kanimushi which were their original steamed crab dumplings. This was a bit disappointing. It tasted really mushy, and more like those fish balls you normally get in hot pot. It definitely didn’t feel like a special dish, and I let Davin finish most of it.

For mains, I ordered the Unagi Bento which had grilled eel in a sweet soy sauce, sashimi, deep fried tofu, salad and steamed rice. The grilled eel was flavoured really well, the sashimi was super fresh just like the sashimi we had as part of our entree platter. The deep fried tofu was surprisingly cooked to perfection! It had that lovely crispiness to it on the outside and was complemented with a light sweet sauce. Overall it was a good bento box.

Davin ordered the Oyakodon which had grilled chicken fillet pieces with egg and onions in soya sauce on rice. Now we have to say that we have been quite fortunate to try the real deal when we were in Tokyo, and this traditional dish was SO good there. We weren’t of course expecting the Oyakodon to be at the level of our experience in Tokyo here at this restaurant, but hopefully it would have some resemblance of it.

Unfortunately we can’t say it had any resemblance to the dish. In fact when it came out, Davin almost called the staff back to say it looked like the wrong dish! Upon closer inspection it did have the chicken, egg and onions but it was presented very differently. The chicken was too sweet and overall the dish didn’t taste the best.

I also ordered a Saketini which is their Japanese version of a martini. However it tasted it a bit light and diluted to me so I probably wouldn’t order it again.

In conclusion, the experience was okay. We weren’t wowed by the experience but I guess if we were really craving Japanese and didn’t want to travel too far we would consider coming back here again.

Matsuzaka
Approx $35 AUD per person
Address: 809 Glen Huntly Rd, Caulfield VIC 3162
Phone: +61 3 9523 9904

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

Punch Lane

Snapseed

We have been going to Punch Lane now for quite a number of years. It’s been one of our favourite go to places and one that we always recommend to people when asked for suggestions. Nestled on Little Bourke St in the CBD, Punch Lane is the ideal restaurant for an intimate first date.

Snapseed(5)

Upon entering you will step into a cosy, dim lit place with leather chairs and wooden decor. It gives you a very classy, European feel. Staff are extremely alert, efficient and friendly here so they’ll look after you straight away.  But of course we come back here time and time again because of the food! The quality of each dish is top notch and they have never disappointed us. The menu does change but some highlight dishes over a number of recent visits include this amazing cured salmon, twiced baked cheese soufflé, venison tartare, pan roasted scallops and their duck! They recreate their duck dish so it’s slightly different every time we go but still so delicious!

Snapseed(3)

Snapseed(2)

Snapseed(1)

Each dish is carefully and beautifully presented, and the flavour combinations of each dish is faultless. Nothing is ever too salty or too sweet. They offer a set menu of 5 courses where you can put yourself in their hands to feed you and give you a bit of a tour of their menu. They also have a great selection of wine and cheeses, if you can fit it in! Overall we highly recommend Punch Lane if you ever want an intimate setting for a date with fabulous food! You will definitely not be disappointed!

Snapseed(4)

Punch Lane
Approx $80 AUD per person
Address: 43 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9639 4944
Website: punchlane.com.au

Punch Lane Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

White Mojo Plus+

Snapseed - Copy (2)

We’ve heard good things about this cafe in Glen Waverley for a while now so finally decided to check it out one weekend. Upon entering, the first thought that came to my mind was that this place was huge inside! Although there were plenty of tables, they were smart to maintain the spacious feel which I liked. The decor inside was white with pastel coloured chairs and lots of green plants, flowers and large, clear bulbs hanging from the roof, giving it a very elegant feel.

Snapseed(1) - Copy - Copy

We were greeted by a friendly staff member and placed on a waiting list however was called in within a few minutes and seated fairly quickly. During those few minutes we managed to snap a some photos of their donuts and cakes in the window.

Snapseed(2) - Copy - Copy

Snapseed(4) - Copy

As soon as we were seated the staff member took our order of two lattes. We then perused the menu. Davin ordered the Mushroom Ragout which had seasonal mushroom, truffle oil dust, smoked almond and poached eggs on toast. This was really nice however my dish was the highlight. I ordered their award winning dish, the Double Cheese Chilli Scrambled Egg. The scrambled eggs had parmesan and chedder, smoked belly bacon, chilli mayo, toasted sweet corn and ink brioche. Oh my gosh, what a dish! The brioche bun was perfect and not overly sweet. The scrambled eggs were cooked just how I like it, still runny. With the melted cheeses and chilli mayo, they were top notch scrambled eggs. But the star of the dish was that smoked belly bacon. It was SO good! Soft, full of flavour but not too salty. It was really delicious.

Snapseed(5)

So we were really pleased with the food. However when we heard the table next to us following up on their coffees we realised that we hadn’t got our coffees either! Davin had already finished his meal and I only had a couple of bites left. It was really strange for coffees to take that long. Generally you would receive the coffees before the food arrives given it was the first thing we ordered. Then we also noticed that staff were bringing out coffees to tables that didn’t order coffee! There just seemed to be a lot of confusion around he coffee orders. Anyway just when I was about to follow up on our orders they finally came around with it, after we had literally cleared our plates. The coffee turned out to be really good. Perfect temperature and decently strong. If it wasn’t for the very long wait for the coffees we would have rated this place higher. However it has to be taken into consideration.

Overall the food was really delicious, the coffee was good and staff were really friendly. If you do order coffee though, expect a bit of a wait!

Snapseed(4)

White Mojo Plus+
Approx $30 AUD per person
Address: 83-85 Kingsway, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Phone: +61 3 8522 2911
Website: www.whitemojo.com.au

White Mojo Plus+ Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Perfect Drop

Snapseed

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had an awesome holiday and celebrated it just like how you wanted it. For us, we took a road trip and spent our NYE in Daylesford dining at an amazing restaurant called The Perfect Drop in our true foodie style!

As soon as we parked outside we were awed by how lovely and quaint the restaurant looked from the outside. I loved it! Inside it maintained that homey and intimate feel with a fireplace and tables scattered across a number of the rooms. The ambience was perfect.

Snapseed(1)

Staff were very efficient and attentive, seating us right away and providing us with the menu. Given it was NYE, it was a set menu of 7 courses and a glass of bubbly for $125 AUD per person. We started off with a zucchini veloute with almond foam. Basically it was like a soup in a small shot glass. It was a nice start to get our appetite going.

Snapseed(5)

Then came the quinoa and tomato salad in a vegetable soup with goats cheese mousse. All the flavours of this dish just bursted in our mouth and our taste buds were hyped!

Snapseed(3)

The scallop carpaccio dish came next, and this was certainly one of the highlight dishes for us. The fresh scallops sat on a bed of apple, celery and vanilla salad, with a scoop of oyster icecream on top. Yes you heard it! Oyster icecream! At this point we were thinking wow this place is brave. They were pushing the limits of ingredients and we loved it. The whole dish worked. The icecream really tasted like oyster and the sweetness of the apple salad balanced out the rest of the dish. It was a fantastic dish.

Snapseed(6)

The next course was the scampi with confit tomato in a bisque with red berry granita. The scampi was cooked to perfection and the tomato was so deliciously sweet. Combined with the bisque each bite was heaven. We could of have a lot more of it!

Snapseed(2)

The final main was the lamb loin and shoulder with ratatouille cannelloni and crispy mash. This was also a well thought out and delicious dish. Both the lamb loin and the shoulder was cooked beautifully medium rare. But I also really enjoyed the complements of the crispy mash and the ratatouille cannelloni which was so different but worked. They were both presented like little cigars with a surprise inside.

P1050557

Finally with dessert we were served a raspberry sangria with rosewater foam. This was served in a little glass and it was a nice little taster to prepare us for the main dessert.

Snapseed(7)

The final dish of the night was the chocolate sphere with salted caramel and passionfruit icecream. It was to die for and presented so beautifully. The sphere was made of lovely dark chocolate with delicious fresh cream inside. The passionfruit icecream also complemented it so well. We probably ate this dish too quickly because it was so good!

Well after the final dish, we both agreed that we really couldn’t fault this place at all. The food was spectacular and every dish amazed us. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, from the food, to the ambience, to the service. So if you’re ever in Daylesford and you want to do some fine dining, check it out!

Snapseed(4)

The Perfect Drop
Approx $125 AUD per person
Address: 5 Howe St, Daylesford VIC 3460
Phone: +61 3 5348 1100
Website: theperfectdrop.com

Perfect Drop - Wine Bar & Food Lounge Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Moroccan Soup Bar

IMG_0348

We’ve been meaning to venture out to Moroccan Soup Bar for some time now as we’ve heard nothing but great things. Davin has always been a bit hesitant given it focuses on vegetarian dishes and he sure loves his meat, however I have especially been really appreciating vegetarian dishes lately so was keen!

We ended up checking it out with our dear friends who are vegetarians for dinner one night. Nestled in Fitzroy North, they only take bookings for 6 or more people so we thought we’d just see how we’d go with lining up for a table. Surprisingly for a Saturday night we got a table fairly quickly. The only thing I didn’t like was that we were told we would have to vacate the table within an hour. Understandably it was packed and bustling and there were probably other people waiting This didn’t give us much time at all, particularly as we all recently came back from our travels and wanted to catch up on everything. The food came out super quick but it felt really rushed and we felt pressured to leave too quickly.

IMG_0350

There is only a verbal menu or alternatively you can pick from 2 banquet menus which were $25 per head or with some additional tapas, $30 per head. We were keen on the $30 banquet given Davin and I are such big eaters however the staff convinced us to try the $25 banquet first as she told us it would be plenty of food.

Boy was she right! Unfortunately given there wasn’t a written menu, we can’t go into too much detail about the ingredients of the dishes. However we can say that every dish was packed full of wholesome flavour.  We started off with a plate of dips and vegetables which included yoghurt, hummus, carrots, eggplant, olives and potato. It was very yummy.

IMG_0352

IMG_0353

Then came the main dishes which came out sharing style. There were a number of dishes which had combinations of rice and vegetables, and a vegetable stew. Our favourite dish however was the chickpea yoghurt bake. The combination of the chickpea yoghurt with the crunchy textures within the bake made it one killer dish! It was delicious!

IMG_0354

For dessert, a number of sweets were offered on a plate such as turkish delight and baklava, We were also given a lovely aromatic mint tea to have during our meal and turkish coffee to have with the desserts.

IMG_0349

Overall it was a good experience. The food was very impressive and full of flavours. Staff were also very attentive. As mentioned above, a little more time would have been appreciated as an hour just felt way to rushed when you’re catching up with friends over dinner. The price was also very reasonable for the amount of food you get. So if you’re keen to try some great wholesome vegetarian food, it’s worth checking out.

IMG_0355

Moroccan Soup Bar
Approx $25 AUD per person
Address: 183 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Phone: +61 3 9482 4240
Website: moroccansoupbar.com.au

Moroccan Soup Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Calia

P1050480

Hey everyone! It feels like it’s been loooong time since we’ve published a post. We’ve been super busy travelling, working on other projects and then studying for my final exam ever! Now that’s done, we’re back into the swing of things such as our love for food.

Calia has been a place that we have wanted AND have attempted to get in to try for a while now. Located at Emporium Melbourne in the CBD, the Japanese menu has been designed by Michelin star chef Francisco Javier Araya. The reviews for this place has been high and the photos of the dishes looked amazing so we were dying to check it out. Attached to the dining area is also a retail concept space which stocks and showcases high quality, luxury food and food related products.

P1050464

However they are only open until 7.30 pm from Saturday to Wednesday and 9.30 pm from Thursday to Friday, and they don’t take bookings. Therefore you really just have to show up and try your luck at putting your name on the wait list. They take your number down and text you when it’s ready. However there are no guarantees you’ll get in because like us when we first tried, if it reaches almost closing time then you’ve missed out for the night. Their dining area is not huge either so the only tip we have is to get there as early as possible.

On this joyous night we decided to get there at 5.30 pm, and lo and behold, we were seated within about 20 minutes! We were so excited! While we were waiting we just browsed around in their retail store which had items ranging from wine, cured meats and truffle slices to tea pots, whiskey glasses and honey dippers.

P1050463

Once we were seated we perused the menu and realised we pretty much wanted to try almost everything because it all sounded amazing! After some time though we narrowed it down. From the grazing menu we ordered the Alaskan king crab claw baked in miso mayonnaise, Unami fries, raw scallops dressed in wasabi ponzu sauce, baked scallops (cause we just had to try both versions!), and ox tongue with yakitori sauce.

P1050473

P1050476

The Alaskan king crab claw was a bit disappointing as it was dry and had no crab flavour at all. I think they relied heavily on the very strong miso mayonnaise. It was probably our least favourite dish of the night. The Unami fries were absolutely amazing! They were crunchy and flavoured with seaweed and the perfect spices. We couldn’t stop eating them! The raw scallops were SO fresh and their light dressing ensured the scallops itself were the hero of the dish. This was one of my favourite dishes of the night and I took my time savouring it. The baked scallops were also delicious and the creamy mayo sauce they baked it in was perfectly balanced in flavours.

P1050479

P1050482

P1050472

What surprised us the most however was the ox tongue. When it came out we were wondering if it was really ox tongue or whether it was actually beef as they were presented on skewers as thick square shaped pieces. I guess we were envisioning thin slices of meat being ox tongue. But oh my gosh they were ox tongue and they were so soft! The meat literally melted in our mouths. They were SO good! The best ox tongue we’ve ever had! We also enjoyed it with this special green matcha beer they recommended which went down really well.

P1050471

P1050478

For the mains we ordered the marbled Sukiyaki bowl which had premium Marble 9+ wagyu slices with a 63 degrees egg and rice. This dish was SO tasty! The wagyu was so soft and flavoured perfectly, a spoonful of the wagyu, the rice and the egg was heaven. We also ordered the Ochazuke Samon which had grilled sustainably caught Tasmanian salmon with a dashi tea broth. The tea broth was lovely however the salmon was a bit dry. We recently had a similar dish with the tea broth in the U.S which was better.


P1050484

P1050483

With dessert we ordered the chocolate lava cake which oozed of warm matcha ganache. This dessert was to die for and we loved that strong bitterness of the dark chocolate. Really yummy dessert. We were also given a complimentary dessert which was their newly created crepes filled with the loveliest yuzu flavoured cream. It was really good and I would definitely order that again.

The service was good and there were a lot of staff to attend to their diners. Food came out super quick. We did struggle a bit in communicating with one of the staff because his English wasn’t that good, but other than that they were really friendly and accommodating. The prices for high quality food such as this are also VERY reasonable.

Overall it was a great experience and we’re really glad we got the opportunity to try their food.

P1050467

Calia
Approx $40 AUD per person
Address: Shop 8, Level 3/287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9662 1688
Website: calia.com.au

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

Rare Hare and the Jackalope experience

P1040478

A couple weekends ago we visited Rare Hare, a restaurant out in Mornington Peninsula, which is part of a fairly brand new establishment called Jackalope.

Jackalope is a unique one stop shop getaway which includes a luxury art hotel, a vineyard and wine tasting cellar, a fancy cocktail lounge called Flaggerooot, a fine dining restaurant called Doot Doot Doot and a more casual style restaurant called Rare Hare. You literally don’t need to go anywhere else and could spend the whole day here. Or even stay there the night if you want to!

Anyway on that day our focus was Rare Hare because we had heard good things about it. Now Jackalope has only been around since April this year so it is VERY new and yet the word was already out there about how amazing the place was. In fact the day after we visited, it was featured on TV on Postcards.

Rare Hare only takes bookings for groups of 8 or more so we decided to show up at 2 PM on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch. The restaurant was still buzzing! We were told it would be about an hour wait and I provided my mobile number so they could text me once our table was ready. This gave us time to explore the grounds. First stop? Straight to the wine cellar of course for some wine tasting!

P1040455

The wine cellar entrance is attached to the restaurant and so after we put our name down on the waiting list we walked straight through the door into a huge open warehouse space with an abundance of wine barrels from floor to ceiling lined up against the walls and perimeter of the warehouse. It was quite a sight! Outdoor heaters were set up in the warehouse for warmth near the wine tasting table. Staff there were very friendly and chatty. And surprisingly all the wines were quite good! We’re not Chardonnay drinkers and almost passed on tasting it but the friendly staff convinced us to give it a go, and guess what? It was so good we ended up buying a bottle! We also purchased a Shiraz and a Brut to take home and was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the wines.

With still time on our hands we then went to check out their cocktail lounge which is located just inside the Jackalope hotel. As soon as we entered we were like wow! This is a glamorous cocktail lounge you would probably normally experience in the city but not out in Mornington Peninsula! We seated ourselves at the bar which had a lovely marble finish and ordered a couple of cocktails. Behind the bar there was an abundance of colourful bottles of liquor. They also had a bar food menu so we decided to order the truffle mac and cheese croquettes, which were AMAZING. The batter was so crispy and the filling oozed of delicious goodness.

P1040459
P1040462

P1040464

It was not long after I got a text advising us our table was available so off we went to Rare Hare. It was still packed when we were seated and handed the menus. Everything on the menu looked great. We started off with their pacific oysters and got half a dozen with a migonette sauce. We enjoyed it with their lovely 2012 Wllow Creek Vineyard Brut which went really well with it. The oysters so fresh! In fact they were so good we ended up ordering another half a dozen! We also ordered some cured meats and the cured trout with horseradish creme which were both delicate, fresh and delicious.

P1040468

For mains we ordered the kingfish, rare venison, chargrilled squid and beef cheeks to share. There isn’t even any point in describing each dish because every single dish was faultless. The presentation of the dishes were beautiful and the flavours were spot on. They really focused on highlighting their fresh produce and we were really impressed with the quality of their food. We also got the meringue which had lemon verbena, fennel seed custard and rhubarb for dessert which was also spectacular. What more can we say? We are super happy that we found this gem and we’ll definitely be back for more of their amazing food.

P1040469

P1040470

P1040471

P1040472

We ended up finishing the great day by sitting on their comfortable chairs outside with a final glass of sparkly (tea for Davin as he was driving), watching the sunset before we headed home. It was a perfect day.

P1040476

Rare Hare
Approx $60 AUD per person
Address: 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North VIC 3926
Phone: +61 3 5931 2501
Website: rarehare.com.au

Rare Hare Wine & Food Store Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Stocked Food Store

IMG_7424

It was one of those weekends again where we thought we would go check out a new cafe in Toorak however it happened to be closed on that day so we walked along Toorak Rd and came across the Stocked Food Store. The delicious and healthy looking salads in their window certainly got our attention and so we walked right in without hesitation!

IMG_7421

IMG_7422

The place was buzzing! It is not a huge space so when you walk in, it is quite narrow, particularly as there are generally lots of people coming in and getting takeaway. On one side there is the deli which serves up a variety of gourmet cheeses, meats, dips, salads, soups and other pre-made meals on display which you can take home such as fish pies, quiches, lasagnes, salmon patties, meatballs, cauliflower cheese – the variety feels endless! All their food is freshly made in their store and there is an abundance of healthy dishes. On the other side, shelving covers the whole wall and is filled with jars of other goodies, crackers and all other packaged items.

IMG_6530
IMG_7426

Right at the end of the narrow store is just one communal table in which you can eat in. We’ve done this twice now and have always managed to get a couple of seats as most people pop in to buy takeaway and leave. On this occasion Davin ordered the salmon with a broccoli and green bean salad and I ordered the salmon pattie with a salad to eat in. Both dishes were delicious and were quite generous portions! I’ve also had their quiche and potato salad which was good too.

Because the food was so good we then decided to get some takeaway for dinner so we got the chicken and vegetable soup, a fish pie which was made with fresh prawns, salmon and rockling, the cauliflower cheese, one of their gourmet salads, some cold meats and this beautiful hard cheese washed in a balsamic vinegar. I also got a lemon tart – yes they do dessert and have a range of options too! The food was divine! It made having dinner at home just as good (if not, even better in some cases) as dining out. In fact all we could think about after the lunch was having dinner at home! If the store was closer to home we would definitely be popping in more often to grab food on our lazy days. You could even host a dinner party easily by ordering their pre-made dishes. Prices are more on the expensive end however you are paying for quality and fresh produce.

Highly recommend if you’re in the area to check out this food store. We’ll definitely be back!

IMG_6531

Stocked Food Store
Approx $30 AUD per person
Address: 549 Malvern Rd, Toorak, Melbourne VIC 3144
Phone: +61 3 9826 3333

Stocked Food Store Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Paris Go

IMG_6791

Well it’s definitely been a while, so we’re sorry it’s taken this long to write up another post. With work, study and all these other side projects, we have been busy bees! Anyway, you all should know by know how much I LOVE French cuisine. So of course I had to write up on yet another French restaurant we recently came across.

Paris Go is located amongst other great restaurants on Rathdowne Street, Carlton. However the high ratings and reviews on Zomato did make this restaurant stand out just a tad so we had to check it out.

IMG_6799

Upon entering, you see white tablecloths, white wooden banisters and white walls. The walls however are complemented with artfully, colourful framed French posters, paintings and mirrors which I kind of wanted for our house. A mixture of wooden chairs and French velvet button chairs are scattered throughout the restaurant.

Now right here, I have to say how super friendly and fantastic the staff were. From the moment we arrived until we left, they were nothing but attentive, switched on, accommodating and friendly. Kudos to them for providing such awesome customer service throughout our experience.

IMG_6795

IMG_6796

But of course onto the important part: the food. We started off with my favourite, oysters! They were served three ways: natural, baked in cheese, and natural with a yummy green, possibly garlic type sauce. They were fresh and delicious! We then ordered the King George whiting dumpling in a prawn sauce which was something we’ve never had before and was very interesting! They were fluffy and the sauce was full of prawn flavour. We also couldn’t say no to the steak tartare which had a special dash of cognac. The flavours of this steak tartare was perfect. Sometimes you come across steak tartare which are more on the plain side. However this one was packed with flavours without it being too flavoured, if that makes sense! Our final entree was the fresh steamed southern Tasmanian mussels in a champagne sauce and oh my gosh, these were also super fresh and flavoured really well too. We were impressed. So far so good!

IMG_6797

IMG_6801

Ok so you’re probably wondering, how can we possibly fit in mains after ordering FOUR entrees? Because we decided to share everything we decided to only order one main in addition to the four entrees. This ended up being the 250g eye fillet with bearnaise sauce and the staff were very lovely to split the steak in half and serve it on two individual plates so that we got our own steak and sauce. It also came with french fries which we shared. The steak was cooked rare, just how we liked it and the bearnaise sauce was really nice. Oh and we also ordered a lovely bottle of French red to go with the food: Cotes Du Rhone, 2012.

IMG_6803

Although we were pretty full, we couldn’t help but have a peek at the dessert menu. Being a total sucker for lemon type desserts, I quickly zeroed in on the caramelised lemon tart so it was settled pretty quickly. The tart had just the right amount of tang with dollop of cream. We gobbled that up quite efficiently too.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for some traditional French food. Lots of ticks to great food and fantastic service!

IMG_6793

Paris Go
Approx $70 AUD per person
Website: parisgo.com.au
Address: 116 Rathdowne St, Carlton, VIC 3053
Phone: +61 3 9347 7507

Paris Go Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Crux and Co.

IMG_7941

South Melbourne seems to be one of our favourite places lately, as yet again we came across another lovely eatery there! As soon as I walked into The Crux and Co. I instantly loved the place. It has a nice modern, and clean feel to it with the light woods and white decor, making it feel really spacious inside. Staff were very friendly and let us choose where we wanted to be seated so we sat down at a table that had comfy cushions for our backs.

IMG_7853

IMG_7953

IMG_7946

I started off with a latte which was pretty nice, it had the perfect level of bitterness and didn’t come out scorching hot, so I could drink it straight away. Davin got an iced coffee after seeing quite a few of them come out and that was really good too. It was not sweet at all and had a good balance of coffee and milk. I also ended up getting a fresh orange juice with my meal. We loved the glasses the drinks came out in.

IMG_7951(1)

IMG_7948

Now onto the food. It was pretty amazing. Davin ordered the smoked salmon and ricotta on house-made croissant with fennel salad and balsamic reduction, which was delicious. The croissant was fresh and had a lovely crunch to it. Add the combination of the salmon and the ricotta cheese, it made it a really enjoyable dish. I ordered the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, broad beans, bonito, with a tobiko and siracha mayonaise on squid ink toast. This was also a really yummy dish and I easily gobbled this up fairly quickly. The presentation of the dishes was also pretty without being pretentious and trying too hard, something we’ve seen at quite a few other cafes lately.

IMG_7944

Finally we couldn’t pass on dessert because they had so many lovely desserts displayed in their glass cabinet. I settled on a lemon eclair which was so good and hit the sweet spot for me. Service was also outstanding and the staff were very friendly. We will definitely be back!

IMG_7943

Crux and Co.
Approx $30 AUD per person
Website: thecruxandco.com.au
Address: 35 Albert Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004
Phone: +61 3 9820 1081

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