Piccolina Gelateria, Collingwood MELB

A little impromptu visit to an ice cream shop to cool off on a hot summer day. My fridge is already loaded with all sorts of ice cream flavours to help me combat against this dreadful weather but that still does not stop me from venturing out in search for random flavours.

Located along Smith street with only a few seats available for patrons, this wouldn't be the best place to catch up with long friends and rather, more so suited for those wanting to catch a quick breather before moving onto other tasks for the rest of the day.

Chocolate mint and peanut butter gelato - chocolate mint had a strong minty taste but my favourite would still be the richly flavoured peanut gelato hidden underneath it. Gelato is certainly yummy and worth a try if you are in the area!

Chayo, Clayton MELB

I am a big fan of Asian desserts and whenever a new outlet pops up within my vicinity, it won't be long until I make my way there. The weather was a blistering 34C that Sunday but being sleep
deprived did not stop me from crawling here after a filling lunch at a nearby dumpling restaurant.

The cafe is small and offers a decent selection of Japanese mains but what I was really after was a taste of their matcha drinks/desserts. Would love to a cool matcha/yuzu drink but decided on a warm up instead.

Matcha latte - not overly sweet or creamy and had a good aroma of matcha in it. I do like my caffeinated drinks sweet but hey, I wouldn't mind another cup of this.

Strawberry shortcake - having been to Japan a couple of times and both times, failed to have a slice of strawberry shortcake. Henceforth, this piece would make up for it despite strawberry texture from both countries being far from similar. Overall a really yummy slice that had the right balance of sweetness and tartness.

Bentwood, Fitzroy MELB

Fitzroy never ceases to amaze me with their wide array of brunch/lunch options and despite numerous visits, there would always be one or two places that I have yet to visit.

 Latte - needed a good cuppa to kick start the day, especially when one is sleep deprived.

 Nutella crepes with strawberries, fried bananas, peanut butter, hazelnuts and vanilla ice cream.

 Braised lamb roll with pickled cucumbers, feta, dill, cabbage and harissa mayo - a good roll (or wannabe burger?) and probably could have tasted better with a little more seasoning in the braised lamb.

 Chilli scrambled eggs with bacon, coriander, cherry tomatoes, mint, fried shallots and parmesan on sourdough - I liked the overall flavour combination and thought that again, it would have been better with slightly more seasoning. Scrambled eggs were a little dry and almost akin an omelette in my humble opinion.

Bentwood beef burger with bacon, smoked cheese, BBQ glaze, mustard, thousand island dressing, lettuce, onion and tomato, served with fries and shake. A pretty good deal for $24. Burger was good and fries was fried to crispy perfection. Probably the least greasy burger I have had and something I would recommend for those wanting to keep an eye on their calories. We had the strawberry shake which could do with a tad more strawberry oomph in it.

Tall Timber, Prahran MELB

First day of 2019 spent having brunch with the fatty at Prahran. Finding a cafe outside of the CBD area was a challenge as most cafes were closed for the public holiday and those that are opened, well, do expect a little surcharge on the bill.

Wagyu beef burger - served with double smoked bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar, gherkins and lettuce. Twas yummy and unpretentious. Probably a good idea for those trying to recover from a hangover.

Chunky chips with roasted garlic aioli - am a sucker for chips and this fed me well.

Eggs benedict with smoked ham hock terrine and champagne poached apple. I actually quite enjoyed the terrine myself and would have liked a little more of it piled onto my plate. Overall tasty and pretty standard for a brunch spot.

Ohsso, Glen Waverley MELB

Finished gym on Friday and in need of food which led us to the closest available place to feed our hungry bodies - Kingsway. Have not had Korean food for a while and it was only fitting to dine at Ohsso, a Korean eatery that had opened up a few months ago.

Kimchi pancake - a little odd shaped and in need of more seafood bits that it's supposed to come with but still satisfying nonetheless.

Side dishes - a small selection of vegetarian appetizers.

Pork bimbimbap - overall not too bad although I would have liked a little more oomph coming from the vegetables which may have been just blanched with water.

Kimchi jjigae - Would have liked a little more flavour coming from the broth and probably a little more ingredients besides onions in it.