Abacus, South Yarra MELB

I am a fan of hearty meals that are unpretentious when it comes to taste and aesthetics. Being a melting pot of food hubs, it can be a little tricky to find THE restaurant, that suits my preferences, amongst the many restaurants Melbourne that has to offer, especially in heavily populated suburbs such as Richmond or Fitzroy.

Albeit having been to South Yarra quite a few times, there are still many food outlets that I have yet to visit along Chapel Street, Abacus being one of them. Admittedly, I have passed this restaurant on a few occasions throughout my stay in Melbourne.

After being seated, both of us felt very relaxed and were fans of the restaurant's settings. The idea of having clear window doors left wide open allowed a cool breeze to ventilate the facility and having some greenery cleverly located in the centre and scattered around gave one the impression of space and privacy.

Homemade iced lemon tea - very similar appearance to a jug of freshly poured beer but non-alcoholic in this case. Just the right sweetness consistency and perfect for the warmer weather.

Portobello mushroom fries with chilli jam and malt vinegar - this is probably the most concrete (and possibly only) reason for me to become vegan. Fooled was I to think that the mushroom pieces would turnout mushy and wet, in fact, they were the complete opposite.

Portobello's meaty texture gave me the impression of biting into a juicy piece of meat, only that it was healthier. Highly recommended and one that I would love to have almost every week if only I lived nearby.

Chicken liver parfait, kumquat, pistachio, pickles and lavosh - another dish that I thoroughly enjoyed and wouldn't mind having it on it's own. I am not a big fan of liver dishes but had I not been told, I would not have been able to guess what it was.

Smooth textured, pairing really well with the sweet kumquat pieces and slightly acidic pickles, I found myself constantly intrigued with each bite as one can easily mix the various textures and flavours with each mouthful, almost akin a little surprise on the palate.

Kingfish tartare with avocado, chilli, citrus and roe - a brilliant dish to have during the warmer weather and one that is freshly light on the palate. Kingfish had a subtle sweetness to it and went down well with equally fresh, mellow flavours of the avocado, chilli and roe pieces.

There's no need to raise alarm flags upon seeing chilli being listed as part of the dish as it's use was carefully added to the dish, taking care not to overpower the other ingredients.

Aylesbury duck breast with plum and goat's curd - I must have duck whenever it is an option on the menu as I find it challenging to prepare at home. Abacus delivered in terms of flavour and cooking precision of the duck.

Pairing duck with sweet plum pieces and sauce is a classic combination but when goat's curd is tossed into the mix, I found it brought a savoury element to what may have been an overall sweet dish.

Scotch fillet with native pepperberry and roasted garlic - this has to be the best piece of medium rare scotch fillet I have had in Melbourne. Well rested and seasoned with an inviting charred aroma to it, the chef had showcased this piece of meat well, taking no shortcuts to it's preparation.

Decently sized too, both of us mutually agreed that it was well priced on the menu. Trust me on this.

Geelong lamb shoulder with jerusalem artichoke and pickled orange - also another type of meat that I hardly prepare at home and one that I look forward to when dining out. Our plate had been generously topped with soft, juicy and flavourful pieces of lamb that may have taken hours to prepare (finished by us in a fraction of that time).

On any given hungry or bad day, this is the dish to have to keep any negative emotions at bay. Again, unpretentious food done well, perfectly sized for sharing amongst a group of friends.

I shall end this post with a rather (at least I think so) drool worthy picture of the scotch fillet for your judging.

The folks at Abacus were very accommodating with our requests for the night and albeit being invited by the restaurant for a review, I daresay the restaurant need not my recommendation as it had fared very well in the food and service department.

Do yourself a huge favour now and try out their mushroom fries and liver parfait if I had not already convinced you enough. Alternatively, speak to their friendly staff members for recommendations. Trust me, disappointment does not exist here.

Komugi, Ringwood MELB

Birthday week commenced with me being able to boss the fiance around on what I want to eat as someone is fearful that a terrible meal would turn the house upside down. Probably one of the few moments I can eat a cake and not feel guilty about it!

Komugi is fairly new in Melbourne's cake shop game and that week was perfect for trying it out.

Green tea tiramisu and oreo cake - hmmm... whilst I love the idea of a non-caffeinated version of tiramisu, it fell short on flavour. The cream cheese (?) filling between the sponge layers did not have much taste to it and could not rely on the dry sponge for salvation.

In comparison, the oreo cake tasted better although only marginally. It was fresher in terms of taste but not memorable enough for me to make a second trip to Eastland mall for it.

Estelle Bistro, Northcote MELB

Reaching a milestone in age should be celebrated in the grandest fashion thinkable and for me, this year fell nothing short of surprises. When the fiance asked where would I like to celebrate dinner at, all I could think of was the numerous delicious meals I had overseas slightly over a month ago.

 A constant place much discussed about, we decided on dinner here and found the service faultless and attentive. So what do we think of Estelle?

Entree - quail, pear, mulberry and macadamia. A delicious entree to kick start our meal. Sweet and sour flavours contrast well on the palate and when paired with a crunchy element, this would have been my favourite dish for the night.

Baramundi - again, I have failed to take note of an accurate description of this main dish. A clever play on colours and textures when pairing fresh seafood with vegetables.

Spring lamb, asparagus, eggplant and hazelnuts - Once again, the vegetables were brilliantly showcased on the plate but I would have liked the lamb to have a share in the spotlight as I found it lacking when compared to the other characters.

Mayura station wagyu rump, wild garlic and nori - meat was well seasoned and cooked here and paired well with the subtle, sweeter flavour of the char grilled spring onion.

The staff were kind enough to present us with a mango, coconut pavlova dish as it was my birthday :) Simple and indeed a light way to sum up our meal.

Chocolate, hazelnut and mandarin - a little disappointed with this one as I felt it needed a little more love to make it a standout dish. Combination of flavours sounded promising but fell short upon presentation.

Paradai Thai II, Carnegie MELB

A strange week it had been when we made our way to Carnegie, one that left us too drained to have a proper conversation. Weather was still freezing which made it the perfect excuse to tuck into some hot and spicy fare.

Chicken spring rolls - deep fried minced chicken served with a side of sweet chilli sauce. Not too bad although would like to see a bit more meat in each roll.

Pla rad prik aka deep fried fish fillets served with fried egg noodles and sweet sour tamarind sauce - fish fillets were fried to golden perfection but aside from that, I thought the tamarind sauce was a tad too salty to my liking. Fried egg noodles were served as small, broken crumbs, raising the question as to whether these were leftover bits from previously.

Pad ruammit aka stir fried mixed vegetables with chicken in garlic and oyster sauce - a simple dish but again, I found it bordering on the saltier side of the scale.

Red duck curry - curry had a good aroma to it and had a good mix of sweet and spicy flavours. Only downside was that again, it was too salty to my liking and had to be mixed with a lot of rice to "dilute" it out.

Singapore: Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Kaya toast is a must have to complete a Malaysian/ Singaporean breakfast alongside soft boiled eggs and a cup of coffee/ tea. A concoction of sweet coconut jam, thickened with eggs and infused with pandan leaves, undergoes consistent stirring for a few hours, depending on the volume, before it can be bottled up ready for consumption.

The sister and I headed to a popular kaya toast chain, Ya Kun, for our early morning fix prior to catching the train to Orchard. Service is prompt being that most of the items are prepared in advance such as eggs and tea/coffee. 

Kaya toast was crisp and slathered with margarine and kaya. Wouldn’t mind having a bit more kaya on the toast as I like my toasts with thick spreads. No qualms about the beverages tho!

Korea: Myeongdong Kyoja SEOUL

Myeongdong Kyoja was one the many places I found whilst randomly searching the neighbourhood for good and affordable bites on my last day in Seoul. With two branches located in Myeongdong, diners do not have to wander far to recharge from shopping around the area.

Seeing as I was travelling by myself, I chose to have a later lunch to avoid the lunch queue and albeit being very popular on the internet, I was surprised to know that small groups can be easily accommodated as their turn over rate is relatively quick.

For those interested, I was observing from a single diner table aka a communal table with a divider between patrons. Cutlery is kept in the drawers and sauces/condiments are placed on the table.

My order was taken as soon as I sat down, not sure if it was because they assumed, I was a local and hence, did not require a menu. Thankfully, I had a dish in mind that I have been craving for which was kalguksu aka knife cut noodles.

Served with four dumplings and a generous dollop of minced meat, I was immediately hooked on the dish after slurping a spoonful of handmade noodles. I would have loved to order a plate of mandoo (dumplings) but was concerned the portion might be a tad overwhelming. Broth was flavourful, dumplings were well seasoned and noodles had a good bite to it.

Having read ravings about their house made kimchi, I do agree it was tastier compared to the others but also verging on the spicier side of the scale. As per norm, kimchi refills are available upon request.

Overall? Thumbs up to this place, worth a visit for those in the vicinity and are looking for a quick bite!

Singapore: Odette

Odette has been on the sister’s list for some time and seeing as this trip is meant to be a celebratory one, it seemed appropriate to have it at the right location. Reservations can be made up to 2 months prior to arriving and there’s a dinner or lunch option.

After a little navigating and some assistance from a kind security guard, we found ourselves at the restaurant’s doorsteps located in the heart of the national gallery. Service was prompt, attentive and friendly. The waiting staff knew when we needed help (for example, with the WIFI) and even noted my preferred cutlery arrangement.

Even our bread crumb mess was turned into an understanding exchange of giggles. Diners can choose between a vegetarian or regular degustation, with the additional option of wine pairing and an extra appetizer/ main lobster meal.

First up was an assortment of miniature appetizers, starting from edamame tartelettes to gruyere filled breadsticks to salsa canapes. Tartelettes were a refreshing option to start with as their mild taste allowed us to transition smoothly to the stronger tasting cheesy breadsticks. 

I was expecting a crunch from the breadsticks but was pleasantly surprised to note that it had a softer texture which I preferred. Canapes were faultless and each piece had a plump sized prawn flesh underneath the hill of dressed vegetables.

 Next up was a delectable bowl of what appears to be chawanmushi (steamed Japanese egg) infused with mushroom tea and a small side of mushroom brioche. Loved every spoonful of this airy concoction and would love to have the recipe for it. Truly one of the best steamed egg dishes I have had and one that I daresay, salivate, over from the mere thought of it.

Olive bread, sourdough and truffle croissant – A brilliant combination of bread, each with their own unique texture and flavour profile. The sister had seconds of the truffle croissant whilst I chose the olive bread. 

It had a slightly salty exterior but interior wise, it was pillowy soft and filled with a nice aroma of olives. Personally, I did not think butter and olive oil were needed in this case!

Marukyo uni – spot prawn tartare, mussel cloud and caviar, served with a side of uni canapes. A very fancy dish that champions milder, sweet tasting seafood flavours that work harmoniously together. Every single ingredient was neatly and symmetrically presented on the plate.

Trondheim bay scallop – horseradish cream, dill mayonnaise, scallops and rice and seaweed crackers. Albeit simple and a no brainer flavour combination, I loved every single bite of this dish be it from the soft scallop texture to the addition of small pickles to the fragrant cream dolloped onto the scallop medley. 

Faultless once more.

Heirloom beetroot variation – basically beetroot done many ways. A brilliant play on the many textures of beetroot paired with cheese, one might even consider becoming a vegetarian after tasting this dish. The sister’s favourite dish for the night.

Rosemary smoked organic egg – another clever play on visuals and on soft textures. I have a newfound interest in soft/creamy types of food now.

Bouillon paysan – foie gras, abalone and shitake dosed in broth. I was slightly dubious about the foie gras having had an unpleasant experience once but thankfully, the amount used in the dish was not overwhelming. 

In fact, most of the ingredients here had been sliced to be similar in size and shape, making it easy for pairing on a spoon.

BBQ king – squid, saffron, fish and prawn. Simple but I fancied this a lot being that each individual flavour had been showcased well. I do like the sauce served here as it was fragrant and flavourful, quite possibly from a good dose of saffron.

Kampot pepper crusted pigeon – served with bessenay cherry, pickled onion and black garlic. The sister and I were curious about this small box that has been making its way around the dinner tables and when it came to ours, we realized it was the next meal. 

Kudos for having it smoked and texture wise, it was could be easily sliced with the knife.

Yuzu tart – the prettiest tart I have seen and one that has a few layers of flavour over it starting from shiso to basil, yuzu curd and lastly, a buttery biscuit. My taste buds were instantly awakened by the strong aroma of yuzu and basil that was evident even before I took a spoon of it. Another winner in my books and one that I would love to have the recipe for.

Petit fours – a simple treat to end the night. Little ice cream balls followed by canelé, tarts and Japanese melon. Whilst not as mind blowing as the previous dishes, I do agree that it was a good way to cap off our night. Simplicity enjoyed slowly over a cup of coffee or tea and one that also helped to bring our elevated spirits (from all the yummy food!) back to earth.

Overall, I do highly recommend Odette for anyone who happens to be in Singapore and if they are a fan of fine dining. Price wise, it was indeed justifiable for its quality and service.

Would I visit again should time permit? You bet I would ;)