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★★

Dainty Sichuan, South Yarra

December 15, 2011
★★, Chinese, Dinner, Eating Out, South Yarra
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176 Toorak Rd Map 
South Yarra, VIC 3141
03 9078 1686

My sister loves Sichuan food and we used to frequent Dainty Sichuan when it was located on Corrs Lane in the CBD, now taken over and renamed Sichuan House.

One of our favourite dishes to order would be thier ‘Sui Zhu Yu’ which directly translated means Water Boiled Fish. It is a pot of Sichuan style boiled fish with lots of chilli and ‘hua jiao’ Sichuan Peppercorns.

However since moving to their new location along Toorak Road, they started having hotpot as well which we decided to try that day.

Hot Pot here is good, soup’s flavorsome but don’t drink too much of it or you would have to put up with an insatiable thirst after from all the salt/MSG.

We also ordered their Chilli Chicken and Meat Paos.

Their Chilli Chicken has been decreasing in portion over the years, with more dried chilli than actual chicken pieces. As I don’t like to eat chicken/pork/fish skin, ( haha yes even pork crackling) I personally am not a fan of this dish, however my cousins really like it.

The Meat Paos were mediocre, wouldn’t recommend getting them.

Overall, still one of our favourite places for Sichuan Food. Also, good for large groups.

Rating:
★★         good, recommended
$ to $$       $15-25 per main

Dainty Sichuan on Urbanspoon

Hoboken; Waffle On; Cup of Truth, Melbourne CBD

December 7, 2011
★★, ★★★, ½, Breakfast/ Brunch, Coffee, Eating Out, Lunch, Melbourne CBD
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3 Hosier Lane Map
Melbourne, VIC 3000
03 9078 2869
hoboken.com.au

Hosier Lane is known for its graffiti-covered walls and Hoboken is located right along this popular colorful laneway. Since I was heading out for lunch with Mum, I thought why not head to Hoboken and at the same time show her the amazing artwork along Hosier Lane.

We went on a quiet wed morning for lunch, we were served immediately and the service was nice and friendly.

Menu is simple, more suited for a light breakfast/lunch. 

We had the Red Beans & Rice $8.50 and a Cheese & Tomato Croissant $7.50.

Coffee was good, Hoboken uses Coffee Supreme.

The Croissant was alright, the Red Beans & Rice portion were on the smaller side. Taste wise however was disappointing. They were lacking in flavor and the rice was dry and difficult to eat.

They do provide several Hot sauces to go with the beans which i gladly tried.

Overall, Hoboken is a good spot for coffee but I would give it a miss for food. Unless you are after something light.

Still feeling peckish after lunch, we headed towards Waffle On located on Degraves St. A favorite among the working crowd during lunch hours for their $9 Baguettes takeaway, they also serve (duh waffle on) yummy waffles with a topping of your choice $4.

Shop 9, Degraves St Map 
Melbourne, VIC 3000
04 0140 8168

The waffle was warm, soft and covered with a layer of chocolate. Yums

We also headed to Cup of Truth prior for another coffee. It is one of my favorite spots for takeaway coffee.

Best way to find it is to walk down Flinders St, before turning right into Degraves St, you will spot a stairs heading underground ’Subway to Station’. Head down the stairs and you will spot Cup of Truth.

12 Campbell Arcade Degraves St Subway Map 
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Hoboken Rating:

½                  mediocre, nothing special

$ to $$       $15-25 per main

Hoboken Cafe on Urbanspoon

Waffle On Rating:
★★         good, recommended
$              under $15 per main

Waffle On on Urbanspoon

Cup of Truth Rating
★★★     excellent! 

$              under $15 per main

Cup of Truth on Urbanspoon

Monk Bodhi Dharma, St. Kilda

November 26, 2011
★★, Breakfast/ Brunch, Coffee, Eating Out, Gluten Free Friendly, St. Kilda, Vegan, Vegetarian
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202 Carlisle St Map
Balaclava, VIC 3183
03 9534 7250
monkbodhidharma.com.au

Walk down the lane beside Woolworths towards the parking lots, you will come across Monk Bodhi Dharma which is this red brick block. Serving wholesome vegetarian food, vegan options if needed and a varying Daily Lunch Special of Sambar/Stew/Curry.

Coffee was good although the Soy latte was a tad clumpy.

Food wise, we had the Yucatan Peasant Beans $14.50, Umami Mushrooms $18.50 and the Lunch Special which was Mysore Spinach Pea & Potato Sambar w/ Rice $14.50.

The Yucatan Beans were a tad dry but nonetheless flavorsome with its mixture of beans, and vegetables. The Sambar was equally yummy and both dishes were really filling. I wasn’t a fan of their chilli jam which was more of a watery nature than jam. It tasted sour-ish and lacked punch compared to other chilli jams I’ve tried.

The Umami mushrooms were on the pricier side but tasted delish. Served with thyme on a housemade polenta bread, WH really enjoyed this dish. However, would’ve preferred if the portions were more  generous for a $18.50 price tag.

Overall, a good place for vegetarian food brunch/lunch and good coffee.

Gluten Free Friendly

Vegan Friendly

Rating:
★★         good, recommended
$              under $15 per main

Monk Bodhi Dharma on Urbanspoon

Horn, Collingwood

November 25, 2011
★★, Collingwood, Dinner, Eating Out, Gluten Free Friendly, Melbourne
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20 Johnston St Map
Collingwood, VIC 3066
03 9417 4670
thehorncafe.com.au

I was meeting some friends up for dinner and feeling rather adventurous, I suggested we try Ethiopian food.

Settling on Horn located at Collingwood, the place is rather spacious with a courtyard located around the back. They also have live performances Thursday to Sunday. As we went on a Wednesday, we missed that opportunity.

We made bookings just in case and arrived around 7.30pm. Surprisingly, we were the only ones there. The lady who served us was helpful and nice.

We told her that it was our first time having Ethiopian food and she gladly explained to us the various dishes and how we were supposed to eat (with our hands).

We had the Doro Wot (chicken cooked in red onion sauce), Keysir Wot (vege dish – beetroot, potato, carrot and spinach), a Lamb stew/dahl type dish , and the Ethiopian Donuts for dessert . The dishes came with Injera, which is an Ethiopian food staple. Looks like a pancake version of crumpets with tiny holes and tastes sour-ish.

The wait for food was quite long even though we were the only ones there.

Food wise, all three dishes were savory and tasty. Especially enjoyed the Doro Wot. Dessert was really good as well. Cinnamon, pine nuts & sultanas shallow fried in donut batter, served with ice cream & maple syrup. Nice crunchy exterior and soft centre, it was a good dish to end the night.

Overall, food was good and it was a good experience. But just be ready to wait as the food does take a long while.

Gluten Free Friendly

According to Science of Bread “ Injera is made with teff, a tiny, round grain that flourishes in the highlands of Ethiopia. While teff is very nutritious, it contains practically no gluten”

I’m not too sure about this as the restaurant might use other ingredients as well (best to just check).

Vegan Friendly

 

Rating:

★★         good, recommended

$$           $15-25 per main

Horn on Urbanspoon

Pho Dzung City Noodle Shop, Melbourne CBD

November 25, 2011
★★, Dinner, Eating Out, Gluten Free Friendly, Melbourne CBD, Uncategorized, Vietnamese
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234 Russell St Map
Melbourne, VIC 3000
03 9663 8885
 

Located along russell street, I’ve walked past this place many times.

Had pho cravings but unwilling to head to Mekong (I think the last time I visited that place was around 3 years ago?, it was so MSG laden that I actually woke up with a puffy eye the next day, due to water retention from the excessive MSG or sth. I’m not kidding!)

So decided why not try Pho Dzung City Noodle Shop instead.

I had the Special Beef/ w/ Chicken Combo (minus Tendons & Tripe, forgot to mention no blood D: )and K had the Beef Combo.

Tastewise, the noodles were good, salty but still not that bad. Portions were good as well.

The beef was tender, especially the rare beef (which I would recommend getting as it continued to cook in the hot soup resulting in a perfect state of ‘done-ness’ ahah). Also liked the sausage peppercorn.

However, would’ve preferred if the waiter actually asked which size we wanted. He gave us mediums, K managed to finish his but I couldn’t finish mine (small would’ve been just right).

Overall, a good place for pho in the CBD.

Rating:

★★         good, recommended

$              under $15 per main
Pho Dzung City Noodle Shop on Urbanspoon

Danny’s Burgers, Fitzroy North & Andrew’s Hamburgers, Albert Park

November 23, 2011
Albert Park, ★★, ★★★, Dinner, Eating Out, Fitzroy North
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360 St Georges Rd Map 
Fitzroy North, VIC 3068
03 9481 5847
 

A favourite amongst the locals around that area, it was bustling during dinner time on a weekday.

With only a few counter seats, Danny’s Burgers are best for takeaways.

They have hamburgers (1 meat up to 3 meat + filling options), chicken burgers, steak sandwiches, and an option for lamb burger and vege burger (no pattie, just vege).

The guy at the counter messed up our order. He missed out one burger on our first order, resulting in us having to join the long queue again, and he also added egg on our burgers despite us very clearly saying we wanted tomato (on both orders).

Service is relatively quick,  but because of our second order, we had to wait quite a long while as it was really busy.

 

We had the Hamburgers single & double, and chicken burgers.

 

Taste wise, hamburgers were yummy, meats were flavorsome. However, did find it lacking in sauce which made it a bit dry.

The chicken burger was pretty good as well, but KK mentioned that the meat was on the drier side.

Also, The buns here are toasted, whereas at Andrew’s (refer below) it’s grilled.

Overall, Danny’s burgers are good, worth a try.

Rating for Danny’s Burgers:

★★         good, recommended

$              under $15 per main

Danny's Burgers on Urbanspoon

 

Another great place for burgers is

Andrew’s Hamburgers

144 Bridport St Map
Albert Park, VIC 3206
03 9690 2126
andrewshamburgers.com.au
 

 A hotspot for burgers, Andrew’s serve a variety which includes traditional Beef Burgers, Chicken Burgers, Vegetarian Burgers (w/ pattie).

For takeaways only, the burgers here are delicious.

The meat is juicy , buns are grilled and options for extras (or you can always just get The Lot which comes with everything).

Would recommend getting the Hamburger + egg + pineapple. Real yummy and satisfying burgers.

Overall,

Although personally, I prefer Andrew’s Hamburgers, both places are still good!

Rating for Andrew’s Burgers:

★★★     excellent! 

$              under $15 per main

Andrew's Hamburgers on Urbanspoon

Shanghai Street Dumpling, Melbourne CBD

November 22, 2011
Asian, ★★, Chinese, Dinner, Eating Out, Melbourne CBD
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342 Little Bourke Street Map
Melbourne, VIC 3000
03 9600 2250
 
 
 

We had the Chicken + Prawn Shanghai XiaoLongBao $9.80 & Pork Shanghai XiaoLongBao $ 8.80. Also, the steamed Vegetable Buns $4.80, Chili Beef on Rice $9.50, Beef Braised Beef  in Noodle Soup and Beef slices Noodle Soup (around $8.80 to $9.50).

 

The Pork XiaoLongBaos were juicy and delicious!

The Chicken and Prawn ones were just alright, was rather dry. Didn’t enjoy the Vegetarian Buns, looked and tasted like it it came from the frozen section of the asian grocer.


The Chilli Beef on Rice was just alright, with the beef pieces rather chewy.

Both noodles were good, especially the braised beef which was soft and the broth the soup was yummy.

Overall, a bit hits and misses but real yummy Pork XiaoLongBaos and food’s still good. Prices are cheap and portions are good as well.

Rating:

★★         good, recommended

$              under $15 per main

Shanghai Street Dumpling on Urbanspoon

Yu-U, Melbourne CBD

October 26, 2011
Asian, ★★, Eating Out, Japanese, Lunch, Melbourne, Melbourne CBD
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137 Flinders Ln Map
Melbourne, VIC 3000
03 9639 7073

Yu-U is a bit tricky to find as many previously have noted. They don’t have any noticeable signage outside, closest thing to a signage would be the small frame hung on the wall right outside thier door.

The restaurant has a sleek modern japanese style with a large bar type table in the middle. The place is quiet and relaxed. Me and TT went for thier Lunch Set $18

I had the Grilled Beef Set $12, whilst TT had the Salmon Set $18 + Sashimi (2nd main) $12 and both with seasoned rice $2 (each).

Sashimi (chef’s selection) $12

Grilled Beef Patty Set w/ Seasoned Rice $20

TT really liked the Sashimi and commented on its freshness. Both of us prefer the Grilled Beef Patty over the Salmon Curry.

The Beef Patty was tasty and went well with the garlic soy sauce. The Salmon Curry however was very mediocre, the curry lacked ‘pow’ and tasted quite flat. Portion was also rather small.

Curry Salmon Set w/ Seasoned Rice $20

The seasoned rice was yummy, moist and cooked with bits of mushroom and veg.

However, we found a strand of hair in with the rice.  We notified the staff and she apologized and removed the bowl promptly. She did return with a new bowl of rice but it was quite a long while later.

Overall, food is pretty good and it’s a nice hidden lunch spot in the city.


Rating:

★★         good, recommended

$$           $15-25 per main


Yu-U on Urbanspoon

Munsterhaus, Fitzroy North

October 1, 2011
★★, Eating Out, Fitzroy North, Lunch, Vegetarian
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371 St Georges RdMap
Fitzroy North, VIC 3068

Being a fan of vegetarian food, searched up Urbanspoon and found this place.

Went there for lunch on a Saturday, place wasn’t busy with a couple of other patrons.

With the same concept as Tofu Shop, where it’s a selection on dishes and prices are charged on the different sizes of plates.

Sizes from Small $9, Medium $12.50 and Large $16, with order placed and paid for at the counter.

We decided to go with the Small $9 and two Lattes ( one soy)

Service is nice, mentioned to the girl at the counter that it was my first time there and asked her how it worked.

Basically, you can choose your dishes till your plate’s full.

Being ol’ greedy me who wants to try everything, I told her I would like to try as much as possible and she pilled both of our plates up with different bits of each dish.

(topped with tofu dip on one and hummus on the other)

Tastewise, the food was yummy. Can’t remember each individual selection but generally it was tasty.

Portions were alright, larger than Tofu Shop’s.

However, a huge let down was their coffee which I would highly recommend on skipping as it was terrible.

Overall, real yummy vegetarian food + like that you could choose as many or as little selection as you want (as long as your plate allows).  Just remember to get your coffee elsewhere.

Rating:

★★         good, recommended

$              under $15 per main

Munsterhaus on Urbanspoon

Borsch, Vodka & Tears, Prahran

September 30, 2011
★★, Dinner, Eating Out, European, Melbourne, Prahran
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173 Chapel StMap 
Prahran, 3181
(03) 9530 2694
www.borschvodkaandtears.com

Went for dinner with a booking on a weekday, it was quite busy when we arrived. The place is small but cosy, dimly lit with a nice ambiance.

Service was friendly and quick to take our orders, however did feel a bit rushed as the staff were also eager to clear our plates. Food arrived shortly after we placed our order which was a pleasant surprise.

We had the Polish Borsch $14.50, Honey Vodka Prawns $15.50, Panfried Polish Dumplings $14, Hungarian Lamb Stew $16.50 and the Polish Gnocchi w/ Wild Mushrooms $15

Panfried Polish Dumplings $14

The dumplings were interesting, we choose to try all 3 filling options (Beef, Mushroom, Cheese). They tasted somewhat like a cross between Ravioli and Dumplings.

 

Polish Borsch $14.50, Honey Vodka Prawns $15.50

Hungarian Lamb Stew $16.50, Polish Gnocchi w/ Wild Mushrooms $15

The Borsch was hearty and the Lamb Stew as well. The Vodka Prawns cooked in honey vodka, coriander and sweet chilli made a good combination. The Gnocchi was creamy and yummy.

Overall, all the dishes were good, but some dishes on the pricier side considering the portion.

Recommended dishes to try is the Polish Gnocchi and The Borsch.

Rating:

★★         good, recommended

$$           $15-25 per main

Borsch, Vodka & Tears on Urbanspoon
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