Axil Coffee Roasters, Hawthorn MELB

Melbourne is truly a brunch lover's playground as there's so many variations to choose from be it your typical big brekkies loaded with bacon and poached eggs; to something a little Asian inspired such as ramen or congee to a dessert party with hotcakes or the prettiest muesli bowls you would have laid your eyes on.

I rarely get the opportunity to brunch out each in the morning and am really thankfully for H who made the effort to bring a rather overly enthusiastic and annoying me here. The cafe was already packed full of hungry brunch-ers at 11.30am but we still managed to get seats after waiting for about 10 minutes.

Coffee ~ aromatic best describes my cup of caffeine that day. Have also found out that Axil does barista classes so for those keen on picking up a few handy lessons, you know where to go;)

Scrambled eggs with bacon and cured trout ~ this picture probably doesn't do this plate of food any justice. $10 for a plate of golden, scrambled eggs with toast - you're definitely getting your money's worth on eggs, that's for sure;)

Ferrero rocher chocolate waffles with hazelnut parfait, toasted hazelnuts, crushed wafer biscuits and gianduja chocolate curls. I was torn between ordering this or the equally notorious pancakes but I have stuck to my gut feelings and went ahead with the waffles. Didd not disappoint at all. Good dose of chocolate that's drenched in a savoury and nutty parfait to combat against excessive sweetness from the waffles. Highly recommended and only set back is I was looking forward to two pieces of waffle haha;P

Overall, a very enjoyable brunch session made possible by H and good food + coffee :) Life is indeed good.

Europe: Slovenia

Europe. When I hear this word, I think about all the major cities such as London, Paris or Berlin. After stepping foot in the lesser known countries, I surprised myself by how little I knew about these countries and myself.

Slovenia is definitely not one of those must see places for tourists. I would describe it as a skiing paradise or even a retiree's escape rather than a happening destination for those seeking an adventure. However, I found solace in this lesser known retreat, Lake Bled, and realized that I actually like being high up in the mountains despite my obvious fear of heights.

The view from Mount Vogel was simply stunning and one that I will remember for a long time.  Lake Bohinj was equally stunning, especially with Mount Vogel as it's backdrop image. Most of our time was spent in the Park Hotel and we were fortunate enough to be able to sleep with an amazing view of the island church.

Buffet breakfast ~ something I became accustomed to, noting that I am not a morning person at all! All things healthy to kickstart the morning:)

Not to mention Lake Bled's famous cream cake which is similar to Australia's vanilla slice but probably not as rich.

Find out more about this place here my travelling diary:)

Hofbrauhaus, MELB CBD

Having travelled and staying in Europe for around two months, I have learnt so much about the countries that I have visited be it culturally or historically. Whilst I would love the opportunity to actually live and work there, for now, I will have to settle for what European experience Melbourne has to offer until my next trip there.

One of the countries that I fell heads over heels with was Germany. Perhaps due to their down to earth practical characteristics or their impressive workmanship or perhaps, their bar culture. A meeting point for locals which also doubles up as venues for celebrating or experiencing good local fare.

We got here before the dinner crowd settles in and managed to secure seats for ourselves. I'd imagine this place can get pretty busy on Fridays and weekends so do make reservations to avoid disappointments. Service is relatively efficient and menu wise, it's a meat lover's paradise.

Schweinshax'n ~ pickled roasted pork knuckle on a bed of sauerkraut with potato dumpling, mashed potato, potato salad, house made jus and German mustard. A plate big enough for two individuals and lots of tender, juicy pork meat to share. 

Wiener schnitzel ~ served with potato salad, lemon and garlic-herb mayonnaise. Having tried a Viennese schnitzel in Vienna before, I found this to have a very strong pork scent compared to the one I had in Europe. Still delicious nonetheless and again, probably enough to be shared among two individuals.

I would strongly suggest ordering a couple of plates of food and sharing it around the table if you would like to sample more from the menu. And while you're at it, I would suggest having a jug of refreshing, cool beer too:)

TGI Fridays, MELB CBD

TGI Fridays has been around since I was in college many, many years ago and back then, it was one of those places that I often associate with celebratory events such as birthdays, simply because it was
THE place to be for us. And so, when the opportunity comes around, thanks to the many restaurant discounts from the Entertainment Book, I was able to revive this fond memory once more.

 
Buffalo wings ~ Each piece of chicken wing is coated with a mildly spicy sauce prior to being deep fried and comes served with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. $16 for 6 wings was steep but in terms of flavour, it was good nevertheless.


Jack Daniel's platter ~ three different combinations to choose from but we settled for steak, ribs and shrimps. I am not much of a carnivore compared to my siblings which makes it all the more reason to believe me when I become fond of a particular plate of protein. The sauce used to glaze the meat had a good proportion of sticky sweetness as well as acidity which compliments the meat very well. Bonus points for having an extra serve of sauce on the side, just for those double dippers like yours truly;)




Beef short ribs ~ prepared using a tangy BBQ sauce coating every inch of the ribs, this is the one to go for if you are a meat fanatic. So tender to the point whereby one requires minimal physical work to tear it apart, this might be your next sharing platter option if you do dine here.

Oh and did I mention they do have happy hour drink days as well?;)

Zagar's Charcoal Grill, Burwood MELB

We all learn something new everyday and mine would be to never judge a book by its cover. Located upstairs and with the capacity to seat 20 people at most, this must be one of the smallest restaurants that I have been to.

Service was efficient, friendly and attentive. I believe this is a husband and wife team manning the kitchen and the floor, a task that is often tricky and stressful to juggle but they have managed well. Food came out from the kitchen in good timing and everyone around me appears contented.

For entree, we had a starter size of the filet mignon. It was well rested and evenly grilled to a medium rare consistency, one of the better ways to enjoy a good piece of steak. Came with a garlicky bearnaise sauce, a light Asian inspired sauce and a much more peppery robust tasting sauce - feel free to find out that is to your liking:)

Bowl of chips ~ a tad expensive at $14.50 but it was homemade and one cannot go past a good bowl of chips.

Every main dish comes with a good serve of potato salad and coleslaw to freshen up your palate. Pretty simple and boy, does this concept remind me of a similar meal that I had in Bordeaux last year.

Porterhouse steak ~ done medium rare beautifully and kudos to the chef for allowing this piece of meat to bask in all it's natural glory.

Zagar's sausages ~ homemade sausages that are bursting full of meaty flavours with each bite. Also every grilled all over with a lovely exterior crisp and juicy filling, do give this a try if you are not feeling too peckish for the night.

Overall, Zagar exudes an unpretentious atmosphere and one can easily get used to dining here on a weekly basis. Good wine coupled with great food and exceptional service, can not fault this place at all.

Bottega, CBD MELB

When there's friends there's always good food. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my DSLR camera and so, had to resolve to using my iphone to capture the moment. Italian, anybody?:)

Crusty bread served with butter ~

Green and gold taglioni, prawns and octopus, chilli and bisque ~

Pan roasted kingfish, aqua pazza, fennel, tomato, mussels and tarragon ~

Truffled pasta ~

House made ricotta gnocchi, Kidden Park goat ragu, pecorino ~ soft pieces of gnocchi blanketed by a layer of heart warming ragu and topped with paper thin pieces of cheese. Every element complimented each other well and seasoning was on the spot.

We found that in terms of portions, it was a little small and was not filling enough for the gents on our table. Nevertheless, probably a good spot to dine in if you want to unwind and if you have a not feeling too peckish.

Mobile uploads: February drinks

February came and left in a blink of the eye. Despite being snowed under work and assignments, I am thankful that the fun events on happened towards the end of February and so, I was able to get most of my work done prior to playing!

A close friend of mine visited Melbourne a couple of weeks ago and being such an amazing friend (ha ha...), I allocated an entire day to spend with her. Here are snippets from my iphone:)

Waffee ~ waffles + coffee. Always a sucker for waffles and am slowly beginning to appreciate caffeine, this is my favourite morning stop when I need an instant pick me up. The buttery scent of freshly prepared waffles is enough to make me slow down the day's pace. Call it zen, maybe?

For dinner, we dined at Om nom dessert bar, a swanky little place tucked along Flinders Lane and probably where you want to impress your date at. Savoury food here is decent but the desserts are the standout dishes here. Lots of effort went into constructing these treats and so..best enjoyed slowly:)

Tired face from lack of sleep in the last few days but thankful that I am still pumping with adrenaline :p #nofilter so #dontjelly hahahah

Made Ipoh kai si hor fun and decided to give it to someone. Said person was happy and so am I:)

Decided to try out a different type of Korean instant noodles. Mild flavours it was.

Leftover hor fun and so, fried hor fun was it for dinner.

Dropped by Goldilocks with a bunch of friends and was introduced to the term speakeasy bars aka hidden bars. Good concept and definitely worthy of a bar crawl haha.

Hihou ~ yet another speakeasy bar inspired by Japanese flavours. Not bad although wished I had sampled their food.

Lastly, here's a good way to end February: $2.50 for a large cup of Gong Cha bubble tea. Choose from chocolate, taro or coconut. Each comes with toppings and such an amazing bargain. I need more of these now.