Shujinko, Glen Waverley MELB

The sister can be very predictable with her food choices and is no stranger to the many ramen restaurants around Melbourne. Affordable, delicious and filling best describes her regular choice of restaurant, with the exception of her intermittent fine dining indulgence.

Post-work grocery shopping followed by devouring a bowl of heart warming ramen best described last Thursday's outing.

Chicken karaage - fried chicken that arrived piping hot at our table.

Shujinko ramen - rich pork broth and a good serve of grilled pork belly.

Tsukumen - I am a fan of tsukumen aka Japanese dipping noodles whereby both broth and noodles are separated. Generous serve of chopped pork belly came with the broth. I found it a little salty towards the end of my meal but overall, had thoroughly enjoyed it.

Gyoza - a little different from the Chinese version that I am used to but nonetheless, delicious it was.

The Bakers Wife. Camberwell MELB

Ten more days until 2019 is over and here we go again in 2020. To put simply, this year had been a roller coaster of highs and lows, both to their extreme ends and thankfully, there had always been a supporting hand for comfort and for celebration.

Here's to more than a decade of friendship with Mr. Potato, an easy going and trustworthy friend who brings out the food monster in me every single time without fail.

Cafe's interior is spacious, notably insta-worthy, with lush greenery surrounding patrons and a line up of baked goods ranging from filled doughnuts to slices neatly arranged at the front counter, making it almost impossible to walk out without one on hand.

Chilli scrambled eggs, bacon and tempura enoki mushroom served atop ciabatta bread. Scrambled eggs were creamy and had a reasonable amount of spiciness to it. The addition of saltier ingredients like the bacon and tempura complimented the milder tasting eggs well. Wouldn't mind re-ordering this dish again.

French toast with berries, lemon curd, burnt mascarpone, poached pear, pistachio praline and a serve of maple. Not sure if it was a good idea for the dishes to appear at the same time as our eyes were fixated on this dish. Pretty as a picture and delicious it was, in a sugar-rific sense. Not too sure if the burnt mascarpone was necessary but aside from that, both of us had no trouble drenching our toast with syrup and topping it off with lemon curd to balance off the sweetness.

Black angus beef burger - a simple burger done well with minimal attempts at making it overly extravagant. Thick cut chips were crisp and piping hot upon arrival at our table which allowed us to slowly enjoy our meal without having to worry about the possibility of cold, soggy chips.

 

Cafe Carpenter, Malvern East MELB

A long overdue catch up which led me to choose this quaint little cafe located along Waverley road. While it was not overly crowded when we appeared, I would recommend making reservations to avoid disappointment.

Having said that, outdoor seating can be considered, granted the weather permits it. Akin an izakaya aka Japanese pub scene, whereby diners can sit close to the bar for dinner and a chat with staff members, the atmosphere felt welcoming.

Spoilt by a myriad of alcoholic beverage choices, locally and internationally sourced, we declined having a few drinks for fear of not being in the right mental state at work the following day. As compensation, we fed ourselves well that night.

Japchae - Korean stir fried noodles tossed in vegetables and thin slices of beef. Not too bad but can do better with a little more seasoning.

Bossam - steamed pork belly served with lettuce, kimchi, carrot, cucumber and ssamjang soy paste. A little pricey for the portion served but aside from that, I liked the fact that a leaner cut of pork belly was used. Less guilt involved post consumption.

L.A galbi - marinated BBQ beef ribs served with lettuce and ssamjang sauce. One of my favourite dishes for the night. Sticky, sweet and savoury flavours marred well in this dish. In hindsight, I wished this came with the option of a larger serve.

Seafood okonomiyaki - another highlight for the night as we can't get past how crispy and generously stuffed the pancake was. Perfect balance of chopped cabbage and seafood bits, drizzled in a sweet sauce and kewpie mayonnaise.