new addition to Gertrude st, Cutler & Co

This is a new addition to Gertrude street, found between Nicholson and Brunswick street. 

We walked past the restaurant twice before realising we were standing in front of it. The signboard wasn't very apparent, or maybe it didn't catch our attention standing amidst some unique boutiques. 

having made a very last minute reservation, our table was only booked for us from 6-8pm. we went there at 6pm, and we were the first customer of the night.

We ordered the "entrees selection ($28) where you get a selection of entrees at smaller serving. here are the entrees. 

                                                              pimientos de padrón ($9)

'Os Pimientos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non' - Galican for 'Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not'.
The most famous produce of Padrón, which are small green peppers from the capsicum family. They are served fried with olive oil and salt. Most taste sweet and mild, though some are particularly hot and spicy.

wood grilled quail

Spread on a smear of parnsip and vanilla purée (!), upon which were heaped fresh figs, leaves, pomegranate seeds, the portions of quail and a curious little pastry cigar.

        salad 

Mackerel

we finished most of the courses by 8 . we were then moved to the bar table and enjoyed dessert and coffee there. 

water chestnut icecream

boy o boy, what an pleasing imprompty dinner plan we had for the night. I'm still drooling over the wood grilled quail, that i think was the highlight of the night. It was divinely tasty..

corica apple strudel

This is indeed my favourite food in Perth. it's so awesome that I actually get friends to bring it over to Melbourne when they fly from Perth. 

two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be given one. the following pictures should speak for themselves. 

if you ever visit Perth, dont forget Corica .. 

Fog

Fog is a very nice restaurant down Greville street, just off Chapel street. during the day, I love spending my time walking around Greville street, It's one of those places where I know i could not get much shopping done, but I just love to be in the artsy fartsy atmosphere.

anyway, Fog was recommended to me by a friend who insisted that they have the best dessert in town. Having spent the last 3 years of my Melbourne life having dessert in Greco, I was absolutely ready for a change of venue.

Fog is definitely a heart-melter. I had a hard time choosing my dessert , and was deciding to choose two of out of the three short-listed one. 1) mexican chocolate molten cake, 2) passionfruit and chocolate chip souffle 3) Creme Brulee .. 

at last, we decided to go for all three.. 

reviews as such.

1) creme brulee-- was so so..

2) passionfruit and chocolate chip souffle --- it was a bit disappointing. perhaps I was looking for a more chocolatey flavour. 

3) mexican chocolate molten cake- this was absolutely wonderful. it was made of 80-85% melted dark chocolate. and the ice cream served with it complimented the flavour really well. this dish was priced at $18 each. it's pricey, but the dessert is definitely worth the money.. 

service and atmosphere is worth 5 star. it's good as a girls night out venue, as it has big dining area, long bar table and a little open air area. What more , It's located right next to Boutique.. 

Fog 

142 Greville street 

Prahran

Kenzan @ GPO

Kenzan is located down Postal lane at GPO. This is a great spot for a quick but quality japanese lunch.however that said, this place is rather pack during lunch time. Kenzan is famous for it's hand rolled sushi.Each sushi is carefully wrapped with the rice and seaweed separated by a plastic sheet, to ensure that seaweed is crispy at the time of eating.  

I had unadon yesterday. it's simple but very satisfying. I didn't manage to take any photos of the dishes, as I was too hungry by the time the food arrived.

Kenzan 

@ GPO. 

open monday till saturday

Tom Phat, Brunswick

I've seen this place, Tom phat , on review a lot of times.but never gotten around to go there, because , as the name suggested, I''m not really a big fan of fusion thai and western food.I mean in the description it said, omelette served with chinese sausage is one of their most popular dishes. I mean how awkward does that sound... nevertheless.. 

So when A asked me to pick a place for lunch, I went thru my " brunch secrets " melbourne pocket guide, and came across Tom Phat again!!  I pulled the card out and thought, yeah why not give it a try since it was only a short 8 minutes drive away from my place. 

to my pleasant delight, the place looks very sheek and nice, with wooden furniture emblazoned the place ( to be honest, I have a thing for woody furnitures. it gives a place it's masculinity, yet homey and clean touch) . and not only that, I waited for A for an hour. i didn't realise I waited for him for that long, because they had lounge- music on. So i was just sitting there chilling out , and as usual read my newspaper while waiting!! it's pretty atmospheric, especially for someone like me who just finished exams, and couldn't be bothered doing anything else apart from chilling out. 

anyway back to the food, 

This is their top dish of the year, and it was voted 2007 Tom phat's best dish in the cheap food guide. it's roti & omelette. and yes roti, is indeed roti canai served with free-range egg omelette, with bacons, mushroom. this dish was $10.90 

anyway, it was the other dish i was trying to show in this photo, but i dug in to quick, and ate it before i took a photo. ( pardon me , can't really blame someone who hasn't had anything to eat for the last 12 hours.. )I had big breakfast: nice big portion of 2 poached eggs served on top of toasts, baked tomatoes, mushrooms, rockets.. and did i miss out anything.. hmm.. This was $14.90. 

anyway , i'm very impressed with the photo quality. they were taken using my phone!! lol:P) 

Tom Phat 

184 Sydney road,Brunswick

Shira Nui

I heard of this place from a friend,B ,who visited Melbourne a while ago. As he was only here for a visit, he didn't remember the exact location quite well. and all that I could gather from him was how great the food was.

So, when L invited me for his birthday dinner last week, I went ecstatic when he mentioned that we were going to Shira nui. cos it sounded exactly like what B pronounced!

Shiranui is located 30mins out of the city in a suburb called Glen Waverley. Glen Waverley is not new to any Melbournians arounds. as it's famous for its cafe strip which opens till late.and some of the asian restaurants there are pretty good too. 

Shira nui won a one hat award last year, and is famous for its omakase menu. Omakase means the chef will dip into his impressive sushi repertoire to feed you. and all that he requires is for you to tell him that you're full. It's especially good for someone like me, because i'm always pretty indecisive when it comes to food. 

so we had 8 dishes altogether that night... 

tuna belly sushi : apparently considered as the wagyu part of fish.    

                                                               salmon sushi 

beef sushi 

'

mackerel under white sea weed 

 ark- shell clam sushi 

                tempura sushi  

and well, as you could see, I did not label the last two. I didn't quite remember what they were but one of them was king fish! the bill came up to $366.00 for four people.

Shira-nui

247 Spring vale road

Glen waverley. 

Westin hotel balcony

If ever you're in the city one day and not knowing where to go when the sun is shining brightly outside. 

May i kindly suggest Westin hotel's balcony? It's the best chill out place you can ever have in the city. The balcony opens to a view of Collin street, Swanston street. On top of all,They have quite an exensive list of drinks on the menu too!! 

Westin hotel

Swanston Street.

Greco's Cheesecake!

It's that time of the year again. this blog is getting some love finally! 

 Greco's  is my favourite place for dessert. There are two Greco's in melbourne, one's located in Crown casino, and the other one on Chapel street. frankly speaking, I prefer the one on Chapel as it is less crowded,less busy and as you would expect, the service is much better. On top of that, there's a lot of one hour free parking spot along Chapel street. the one in crown casino is always really packed, and I rememebr the last time i was there, I was asked by the waitress a zillion times if my friends were going to arrive any time soon ( I had a big table to myself while waiting for my friends to rock up) .

 Greco's is very popular at night because of the late opening hours, (11-12a.m on weekdays, and 1-2am on weekends).I normally go there for dessert eventhough they have a tapas bar  and serve lunch and dinner.  In terms of dessert, they have almost everything to satisfy your insatiable appetite. e.g meringue,  sticky date pudding ,baklava,various type of cheesecakes.

 As a cheesecake lover, I must say the cheesecakes are immaculate. My top favourites are Mars Bars cheesecake, Honey comb cheese cake, Mixed berry cheesecake and Sticky date pudding served with Ice- cream. 

 a little tip though, is that the takeaway price and dine-in price for cake differs by $2.00 . well, at times like this, I guess it's better off taking away desserts! 

Greco

Crown casino or Chapel street. 

Il Solito Posto

It was a lovely day with the temperature peaking at 33 degree yesterday, and I simply could not justify having dinner at home, eventhough I probably should have as exam's round the corner. Il solito posto is located in the city, and the place itself is small but gives off an english cottage home  feeling. 

this hub is separated into two sections: fine dining/bistro. Bistro only serves a handful of pasta dishes, entrees and desserts. the pasta I had last night, was probably the best I've ever had. I had Cassercia served with chicken, mushroom, pancetta, spring onion and cream at a price of $ 27.50. and It was absolutely amazing.

Tiramisu is a must have too! 

Its definitely the"must go place of the month!". This has also made me realized that there are a lot of hidden gems in Melbourne city itself. 

Il solito posto

113 Collin street,Melbourne 3000

Rockpool Melbourne

orange creme brulee

brussel sprouts in burnt butter

four taste of the sea sashimi

36 months aged rib eye on the bone wagyu beef

What better way to spend a significant day than having a wholesome meal at the world reknown Rockpool, Melborune.

Rockpool, Melbourne is located at Crown casino. There's also another one in Sydney located in The Rocks. Being well known for its signature waygu beef steak, I went in with rather high expectation.

The place is dimly lit, with tall wine racks adorning the walkway towards the main dining hall.High ceiling, dark wood wall panelling, the place looks absolutely wonderful and filled with elegance.All Tables were decorated with a table lamp, and the leather seats were amazingly comfortable.

Below is a little description of what we had

1) Four taste of the sea : appetizer portion, a bit small for sharing. the sashimi were very fresh

2) brussel sprouts: well flavoured, and portion went well as a side dish to wagyu beef

3) aged rib eye on the bone wagyu: we ordered "for two "portion. meat was amazingly succulent, juicy, cooked till medium rare. and serve with own choice of condiments. I had it with squeezes of lemon juice. D let out sighs of contentment everytime he chews his meat, It was amazingly satisfying.

4) creme brulee: orangy zest taste, very nicely caramelised. not too sweet, and the texture was soft.

5) portugal wine: somelier helped us with this, it went very well with the beef, dry and smooth.

customer service: absolutely amazing.

It was a great dining experience, and I absolutely love this place. Bill came to $174.50. A bit pricy but for world fine dining standard, and the fond memories. It's totallly worth it.

Rockpool Melbourne

walk in reservation is feasible, but prior reservations are highly recommended to avoid long waits.

for more info:www.rockpool.com

little crew's rating : worth five chef hat ratings!

McDonald breakfast

I know i shouldn't be writing about food all the time. but I really can't help it, as food is probably the biggest indulgence i have at this present time.

Just a little insight to my life, A very good friend of mine,D and I drive around Melbourne every sunday to source for the heartiest breakfast. However, recently, Since he started working on Sunday, We haven't had much time to wander around. a perfect example would be today, Kept in mind the fact that D is a bit unreliable when it comes to time, I've pre arranged a breakfast venue which is near his work place so that we could enjoy breakfast and coffee quickly before we disembark in our separate ways. As it turned out, Bistro D'Orsay is closed on sunday, and none of the restaurants nearby were opened.As we were pressed for time,  We had no choice but ended up in McDonalds.

McDonalds, is definitely a great place to grab a quick coffee, muffins ,burger and hash brown. Actually that said, I think it would only be a great fast food place in most of the asian countries, where Western breakfast is hard to get. In Melbourne, streets are filled with worthy cafes. 

Sadly to say however, My MacBreakfast was not a very emotionally fulfilling breakfast. The muffin is a bit too soft, too moist and crumbles too easily. The cappucino that I had was decent but it could have been better. The good thing about is is that it's everywhere. On the contrary, the quality is not as fine, 

little crew's rating: i'll leave that up to you. :)

Vue de monde

1950s coffee jug 
bouillabaisse 'en cinq minutes' et tartare d'ecrevisse 
5 minute bouillabaisse with tartare of crayfish, buffalo milk skin, finished with aromatic herbs and a touch of theatre.

consomme froid a la tomate 
delecated tomato consomme with gazpacho jelly.

tataki de boeuf wagyu 
tatki of Wagyu beef with soya yuzu noodle and sweet corn puree

asume bouche 
pea and jamon soup with a jamon tartare served with a confit quail yold on a lettuce raft.

Vue de monde , a french restaurant ,is probably one of the most highly talked about restaurant in Melbourne. Given that it's $250.00 per head for a degustation menu, I am really not surprised that the thought of eating a pair of jeans worth of food would linger in a person's mind for the next couple of days,or  perhaps years. My dining experience at Vue de Monde was an unforgettable one. It was embellished with understated luxury, great wine, delicious food and awesome company. The ambience was immaculate.

I was honoured to be invited to a good friend's 21st a while ago, and It was held at Vue de monde. Given that it was a private function, we were allocated in a rather cosy dining hall, fitted with modern furniture, and an attached bathroom. We were taken care of very greatly that night by the waiter. Our wish were their commands, that made the night ever more enjoyable. 

Before each dish were served, the waiter would introduce the dish in great details. not knowing much about gastronome, I was left staring into thin air. nevertheless, I knew the food was immaculately prepared. As they were all artfully crafted by the chef, it took me awhile to interpret the ingredients of dishes at times.I'm sorry but I'm really not someone who would look into fine details of food. especially when precious ingredients were finely sculptured. The fact that the ingredients were precious was already a great indicator that it's rarely to be seen on dinner plate, let alone finely sculptured food that makes it beyond recognition. on the flip side,The great thing about having a degustation menu, is perhaps the fact that wine is matched to accompany each course. I had such a good time enjoying all the different wines that I could hardly reach the door by the end of the night. 

I would strongly recommend Vue de monde as a place for catching up with friends, while enjoying great food. You are in there to get every pennies worth. 

Vue de Monde

430 little collin street

96913888

little crew's rating 19/20

Golden Monkey on Hardware lane

Hardware lane off Lonsdale street is a rather popular night spot in Melbourne. It's normally packed on Friday and Saturday. This little lane is swamped with good eateries and award winning pubs.It is however quite an experience for a first timer, It's one of those places where it's hard to get out without being roped by one of those very keen restaurant solicitors.

Golden monkey at the very end of the street is a must go place. It's won Australian Best pub of the year in 2007, and They have a very extensive list of beer, cocktails, tequilas ranging from $7.00-$24.oo. I absolutely love the fact that being the rather indecisive me when it comes to selecting cocktails, the bartender could artfully construct cocktails that go well with my mood at that particular time. 

Impressive drinks list aside,There are also plenty of reasons to be cheerful about Golden Monkey. Down a long flight of steps from Hardware Lane, The bar is a dimly lit cavern filled with Chinese wooden furnitures, and large red hanging shades and rice paper lanterns hanging off the ceiling, candles burning on low tables,and waitresses moving around dressed in themed outfits. Last night, they were all dressed in french maid costumes, which made the place looked absolutely stunning. 

give it a try this weekend at Golden Monkey. Be there a bit early to beat the queue. 

Golden Monkey 

389 Lonsdale Street

Phone: 96022055

Mart 130

poached egg, spinach, salmon, and hollandaise sauce on toast sourdough

scrambled egg and toasted sourdough

front view of Mart 130

Tram stop 130 is a fine food station. This is indeed my favourite spot for breakfast. My first visit there coincided with Formulae one Grand Prix 2008. As it overlooks the stadium, I enjoyed my breakfast that morning while listening to all the cars vrooming by...Marvellous. 

It's a rather small cafe with a back deck that overlooks Albert Park. There is not much space to move around in the place, but it is so cosy and warm there. Inside the mart, the shelves are stacked high with organic juices and all the free ranges goodies. Almost everything here is house-made. My personal favourite is their raspberry pie and Bircher Muesli $7 .Corn fritters is apparently a must have as well. 

and the great news is the food is on the cheap. House made baked beans with ham hock on sourdough toast ( excellent, well done toast), is under $9. Poached free range eggs with asparagus , mushrooms, hollandaise and chives, under $10. or pancakes with berries and lemon yoghurt , under $10. 

Coffee is absolutely amazing. 

Mart 130

107A Canterbury Road

Middle Park 

Telephone number : 9690 8831

My little crew rating: 19/20 

Movida- spanish restaurant

One of the things that I regret the most when I was in Barcelona was the fact that I did not get to visit a Tapas bar.Being a rather poor travelling student, chinese food was what we indulged in throughout the entire christmas holidays.I could still remember vividly that main streets of Barcelona are inundated with Tapas bar. 

Not knowing what a Tapas Bar serve, I visited Movida without expecting much. I remember walking out of the restaurant after that in amazement, wanting for more. Movida is situated in the heart of the City of Melbourne. its located in a small alley way off Flinders street. Being rated the best spanish restaurant in Melbourne, It was undoubtedly packed with people. It's a contemporary fine dining place. Tapas dishes came in small portions. So it would be great to go with a group of friends, and order a few tapas dishes to share.  This lunch did set me $50 back. 

1 Hosier Lane,

Melbourne

My little crew rating: 18/20

St Ali's specialty coffee & cafe

mushroom on sourdough bread

St Ali's Big breakfast

Cappucino

This warehouse-like cafe is located at a small alley way down yarra place, in South Melbourne. it's unprominent from the main street, and so it took us quite a while to figure out where it is located exactly. St Ali's is famous for its coffee, 20 or so different single origin beans and blends are roasted on sites. As soon as you enter the cafe, thick aroma of coffee linger in the air. and you can see tables filled with people, with waitress hurrying around the room.  As a muffin-addict, I was very content with the selection of cakes and pastries. We ordered, mushroom & sourdough to share, and a big breakfast. knowing that we're going to share our breakfast, the kitchen was very kind to split the breakfast proportionately into two portions to save us the fuss of having to fight over our mushroom and sourdough and perhaps the spinach. isnt' that what breakfast is meant to be, eating it in peace and quiet?!

St Ali's specialty coffee & cafe

12-18 yarra pl

south melbourne

9686 2990

open 7 days a week

my little crew's rating : 17/20

Lavish or Simple

Ever wondered whether you could seal the deal with a simple wedding?

You never know till you try.....

Who on earth would have guessed the girl who used to sit in front of her tv 24 hours, would actually get her ass off and start running....

 

I took up running in an attempt to lose weight in December and has been running religiously since then.  This has taken a turn recently, by training to run even longer distance. My personal goal now has been set at completing a marathon hopefully by beginning of next year if not earlier. At the look of things, it seems a bit bleak. Merely for the fact that time is not on my side. Not to mention, the laziness in me at times as well. 

Pertaining to this, I was told that I had to run at least 10-20km 2-3 times and a 30km run each week to be able to train myself up for a marathon run. oh my...

To mark my commitment towards long distance running, A very thoughtful friend has given me a picture of me running at the start of the 14.14km race I recently completed. Now let's hope that's the start, and many more photographs to be added to the collection. 

 

Coffee & Art

After two weeks of exams, I'm totally exhausted. It has seriously came to a point where I don't feel like striving hard anymore...two more days , and two more days only till I fly free like a bird, I constantly reminded myself.

Eversince coming to Melbourne, I've embraced the coffee-a-day culture, Just like most of the people I know. 

 Some people drink it to keep them awake, some just like the aroma,the taste where as some view it as an art.There's constantly heated debate about the best coffee place,and often you'll find these conversations inconclusive. Nonetheless, It serves well as a platform where great cafes were brought up..

 Taste and aroma of a coffee is so individualized,that is sometimes a reflection on the person's past experience and character. 

 I once heard this story about a prominent man ordering his coffee : not only did he opted for a skinny milk latte, he also demanded that his coffee to be of little froth and ordered, soy milk and honey as sides for his coffee. 

What would your coffee be like?!

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/11/14/1131816834997.html