Postmistress, Brunswick West MELB

Hello 2021, a year much anticipated by many in light of a rather “uneventful” 2020. Personally, my daily routine is still in motion despite the lockdown (no working from home unfortunately).

First blog post of the year dedicated to a lovely Italian eatery secretly located in Brunswick, known to the local residents. Service was attentive but did decline slightly when the restaurant got busy with the dinner crowd.

E’purpette - pork and veal meatballs. A mouthful of protein generously coated in Napoli sauce. Well seasoned it was.

I can’t recall the name of this dish but I believe it’s the Zio Peppe with pork sausage meat and a hint of chilli. I could easily polish off the entire pizza myself, it was really tasty and worth the extra calories.

Asparagus risotto - on the daily special and one that both the sister and I were pleasantly surprised by. Championing the humble asparagus, this dish was a wonderful celebration of both indulgence and flavour. May be slightly heavy for those who are not used to having cheese incorporated into their meals but worthy of a try in my opinion.

Tiramisu - an Italian meal is not complete without a serve of this caffeinated dessert. The sister too enjoyed this dish as it was not too sweet and had a good cream to caffeine ratio.

Overall a good experience and am looking forward to a second visit in the future.

Kalimera Souvlaki Art, Oakleigh MELB

Every now and then I crave for a high protein meal and when that does happen, I jump straight to looking at a few restaurants that I know would not disappoint.

Highly regarded as one of the better souvlaki restaurants in Melbourne, it comes as no surprise that the bulk of their menu consists of a choice of meat with carbs in the form of chips and freshly made bread. One has the choice of either chicken, pork or minced lamb; each served either in the form of a wrap or platter.
 

My friend had the pork platter whilst I opted for lamb. Both were served with a side of chips, bread, thinly sliced raw onions, tomatoes and a dip. Not accustomed to eating raw onions, I understood it’s role of refreshing one’s palate from an otherwise rich meal after a bite of the combination.

I would like to say that we had tzatziki although it does taste creamier in comparison. Lamb mince kebabs were well seasoned and had a very strong grilled fragrance to it. I was expecting it to be dry but on the contrary, it was juicy. I’d recommend trying this out if red meat is a favourite of yours.

 Pork souvlaki too did not disappoint and had the same amount of juiciness with a notch less smoky aroma to it compared to the lamb. In both instances, I didn’t think the overall meal was too greasy at all and would happily drop by again whenever I need an energy boost.

Spicy Flames, Mount Waverley MELB

A little impromptu walk along blackburn road and I came across an Indian eatery that my friend was keen on for their value for money meals. 

At $10 for rice and curry, one would get a good serve of rice with chicken/lamb curry and three small serves of vegetables be it beetroot, kale, potatoes or beans. Slightly a bit more salty for my palate, this portion could feed me for 2 meals.

Chilli squid - priced at $15, I didn’t think I was getting a lot but was surprised when the lady behind the counter was genuinely trying to fit as much as she could into a 500ml takeaway container. Again, a little salty for me but nevertheless, it was delicious and would go well served with rice.
 

Axil coffee roasters , MELB

I can be spontaneous on some days and this particular day was no exception. My body refused to let me sleep in even for an extra hour and so, I texted my walking pal to see if he was keen on going for a morning walk.

He replied almost instantly that he was going to the CBD to move a few items into his apartment and asked if I would like to join him. Yes, he threw in the promise of freshly baked croissants from South Melbourne market, a deal almost too good to resist.

So fast forward, we picked up our croissants and he parked near Melbourne central where I intended to plant myself at a cafe and catch up on reading. I passed by Axil on my way to use the lavatory and immediately headed there after using the washroom. 

I was surprised (and secretly pleased) that they have opened a branch in the CBD as this means I have yet another favourite outlet within my vicinity. 

 
Buckwheat and pistachio bircher muesli with rhubarb, strawberry and coconut sorbet - I was not in the mood for savoury options that particular morning and opted to have a fresh and lighter meal to accompany my cup of coffee. 

I rarely do eat muesli at a cafe as it is something that I can easily whip up in the comfort of my own kitchen but I have to admit that Axil does it well. The sorbet was a perfect addition to the muesli and gave it a refreshing boost. Not overly sweet nor bland, I would happily reorder this.

 Croque monsieur - as it name suggests, this dish is basically a pressed sandwich filled with cured meat and topped with melted cheese, fried egg and a small side of salad. As always, Axil did not disappoint. Prepared with utmost care and attention to detail, it was not overly moreish and was cooked to perfection,

Yu Kitchen, Chadstone MELB

As the situation of COVID-19 worsens day by day, be it from panic buying to travel bans in place, it is only imperative to keep supporting each other and the local economy (not by panic buying tho!).

Many Asian establishments have been alienated in the process and unfortunately, this resulted in job losses and restaurant closures which makes it all the more important to reconsider avoiding places unnecessarily.

Located above Calia, this restaurant is currently offering a lobster banquet for 4, of which, the sister was extremely keen to try. Priced at $198, we thought the it was reasonably priced albeit portion wise, it is probably more suited for 3 individuals.

 Double boiled winter melon pork rib soup - flavourful and well seasoned.

 Lobster wok tossed with ginger and onion noodle - the highlight of the entire menu. Well presented and adequately prepared.

 Special fried rice - am a big fan of fried rice and loved this dish. Who knew the addition of tiny tobiko eggs would make the dish more flavourful.

 Wok tossed chicken with wild mushrooms and water chestnuts in black truffle - sceptical about the addition of black truffle but was impressed at how fragrant the dish was. Am a big fan of mushroom dishes and this was no exception. Chicken bits were well marinated, juicy and perfectly coated with the black truffle sauce.

 Wok tossed seasonal vegetables - nothing wrong with a bit of fibre in the diet!

Mango and chia seed pudding - not sure if this was a pudding as it tasted more like a sweet dessert soup, popular among Chinese restaurants. Having said that, kudos to the extra effort taken with cubing the honeydew(?). Not overly sweet and very refreshing.

Piggery Cafe, Kallista MELB

Seeing as a long weekend was ahead of us, we decided on walking along the 1000 steps pathway located in Dandenong. On the way there, we found out that JB isn't quite ready yet to exit his house and so, the two of us, being hungry as always, decided to drop by a nearby cafe.

Piggery has been quite highly rated thus far and I can see why. The cafe is surrounded by lush greeny and ample of room for both kids and adult to roam around.

Coffee - I found it a tad weak and would recommend a cappuccino or espresso for those wanting a stronger kick of caffeine to kick start their day.

Scrambled eggs - nicely scrambled altho a little too salty. Good amount of chilli folded into it but nonetheless, a tasty afternoon treat for us.

Half chicken - Chicken is my staple at home and one that I would not order at a restaurant nor cafe because I am secretly sick of it haha. Having said that, we thoroughly enjoyed this dish thanks to its smoky, grilled aroma. Very tender and juicy chicken too it was!

Shanghai Red, Chadstone MELB

A very late Chinese New Year dinner with the potato pal and rather impromptu too. I vaguely recalled having weak arms post weight lifting at the gym and was in need of some sugar asap else my arms will be the root of my grief over the coming days.

After a change of initial plans, we dropped by a new-ish Chinese restaurant in Chadstone and as usual, went amok ordering whatever caught our eyes.

Crab roe and soft tofu stew - an interesting dish that undoubtedly has to go with a steaming bowl of jasmine rice. Tasty it was although at times, the dish had a gloopy texture to it, usually from the addition of cornstarch.

Xiao long bao - no strange to the dumpling scene, this is something that I would like to sample at every dumpling restaurant, if conditions permit :p Well seasoned and filled with delicious broth. A must eat when served hot.

Crispy king prawns tossed in salted egg yolk glace - a really yummy dish despite having a thick outer coating. As per usual, goes well with rice to subdue the saltiness from the salted egg yolk.

Anada, Fitzroy MELB

At one of the casual pharmacy stints that I have worked at, I stumbled upon a fellow foodie who recommended this restaurant to me. Curiousity got the better of me and it did not take long before we made our way here.

Service was top notch in every aspect and ambience wise, I found it soothing and easy to communicate with my partner at the table.

Mushroom croqueta, queso Urgelia and truffle - a little disappointed with the portion size here as it was rather small for $5 per piece. The sister ate at this restaurant a few weeks before and upon comparing photos, the difference was far from marginal. Delicious nonetheless but would reconsider before reordering.

Grilled sardines, shallots, preserved lemon, olive and aioli - I like grilled sardine dishes and was quite fond of this dish. Flavours were balanced and the saltiness from the fish complemented the aioli's creaminess.

Seafood paella, octopus, calamari, mussels and blue grenadier - A yummy dish and one that I would have liked more of. There is something magical about the contrasting textures of warm, soft grains of rice against a thin bed of crunchy fried rice.

Stuffed lamb cutlet, smoky eggplant and seeds - another dish that I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I would have liked more of. Meat was juicy and well marinated, pairing well with the smokiness of the eggplant puree.

Can't recall the name of this dish but it was akin a solid form of pudding. Tasty and not overly sweet.

Lupino, CBD MELB.

After visiting Italy back in 2018, I was blown away by the stark difference between authentic Italian pasta vs what we get in restaurants or commercially from supermarkets. I am no pasta connoisseur but I will try to avoid pasta related dishes for fear of disappointment.

Now Lupino was one of those restaurants on my radar prior to visiting the pasta motherland and admittedly, I am guilty of procrastinating a visit despite the many possible opportunities. Seeing as I would be in the CBD area on my day off, I decided to pick up the phone and book a table for the sister and myself.

Bread and butter - a staple in most restaurants although I was surprised that butter was served as opposed to olive oil. Just an observation.

Cauliflower fritto, aioli and white anchovy - the sister was keen on ordering this despite not knowing that was a fritto. Gamble well paid off as I found myself repeatedly dipping pieces of golden, crunchy fritto in the creamy aioli. Not entirely sure about the addition of thin slivers of white anchovies came with the dish but I gather it may be to reduce the overly oily sensation on one's palate?

Baked polpette in sugo - Sugo had a strong aroma of pureed tomatoes and was almost paste like in texture which worked well for coating each piece of meatball.

Cavatelli, Italian sausage, zucchini and saffron - I loved the aroma oozing from this dish and until this day, cannot find a better way to describe it. Floral like with a tinge of savoury and aromatic from what went into the making of the sausage mince. Pasta was delicious although can't say it reminded me of Italy. Close tho!

Ricotta gnocchi, pomodoro and buffalo mozzarella - I am a big fan gnocchi dishes although I tend to lean towards more potatoes in the gnocchi as opposed to a blend. Dish was tasty and portion wise, perfect. Would have liked this dish to come with meat tho but nevertheless, I knew what I was getting myself into:)

Tiramisu - not overly sweet nor alcoholic/ over caffeinated.  Loved every bite of this and even the sister who hardly sticks her fork into desserts was coming back for seconds.

The Food Republic Cafe, Blackburn

Impromptu lunch outing with the siblings before we partake in the mad afternoon rush at the grocery store. Ample space at the cafe and one that welcomes pets into the cafe itself.

Soy latte - thoroughly enjoyed this cuppa.

Eggs benedict - the boring sister's choice of brunch/lunch.

Duck fusilli pasta - a little bland in my opinion. Shredded duck meat tossed with pasta and topped with thin slices of cheese and a handful of spinach. Could do with some seasoning.

ZIMT, Surrey Hills MELB

I have been meaning to drop by this cafe for some time but never did had a good enough reason to do so until last Sunday. Seeing as there's no afternoon classes at the gym, I dragged the sister out with me to satisfy my sweet tooth.

With a glistening array of cakes and tarts coated in, be it, chocolate ganache, buttercream or even a thin layer of syrup, choosing just one item to share between the two of us was no easy feat. And so, I left the decision with the sister.

Vanilla milkshake - missing the refreshing, creamy, indulgent taste of a milkshake and we can't work out what could be missing. May possibly be due to an incorrect ratio of milk and cream?

Pistachio, cherry and chocolate cake - this piece was indeed very decadent and I found it a little too sweet for my liking. Whilst I liked the pistachio cake layer, I thought the chocolate mousse layer was not necessary as it overpowered the subtle aroma of the pistachios. The cherry(?) layer was strangely enough lacking and a little different in comparison to what others have photographed and posted on Zomato?

A second visit may be necessary to suss out the other goods for sure!