European

The Diplomat

Rolled oats, almond and mixed seed granola with chai panna cotta, berries, lychee, coconut yogurt and a mocha infused quinoa

Seriously good. Although a bit more yogurt would have made this even better.

★★★★☆

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Potato rosti with smoked salmon, yuzu mayonnaise, grilled asparagus spears, avocado and wasabi cream and a Japanese boiled egg

The yuzu mayonnaise and the avocado and wasabi cream really brought this dish to the next level.

★★★★☆

Green tea and mango smoothie

★★☆☆☆

Pear, honeydew and rhubarb mixed juice

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Comfortable bright open space, easy-going staff, colourful and well presented food. The menu here is unique in that every item (aside from the toast) has its own interesting and delicious twist. I must return soon to try their other dishes.

The Diplomat

4 Railway Parade, Highett, VIC

(03) 9939 6289

Public Inn

Roast duck breast, heirloom carrot, aged balsamic and bergamot, beetroot, kohlrabi

I initially mistook the carrots for chillies. Those tricky carrots.

★★★★☆

Ocean farmed cobia, green beans, miso and black garlic, sweet potato, ice plant, fermented chili and bisque

★★★☆☆

Rare Wagyu sirloin, smoked olive and Parmesan, lemon, thyme, potato beignet, beef gratin pastry, fennel

★★★★☆

Lemon and vanilla wild rice, black pepper ice cream, caramel popcorn, apricot syrup

The ice cream on its own was very peppery and needed to be eaten with the sweetened rice to balance the flavours out.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Located in what was once Castlemaine’s original fire station, Public Inn is a charming bistro and bar that offers marvellous food and exceptional service. Certainly worth a visit if you are in the Castlemaine area.

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Public Inn

26a Templeton St, Castlemaine, VIC

(03) 5472 3568

http://www.publicinn.com.au/

Ciao Cielo

Bacalhau ravioli with broad beans, capers and dill

A pretty yet unmemorable dish.

★★★☆☆

Fried calamari, dried oregano, rocket, garlic aioli

Light crispy batter, fantastic use of oregano.

★★★★☆

Truffled potato dauphine, truffle pecorino

Golden balls of fluffy potato that practically melt in your mouth! I couldn’t eat very many though as they were quite rich.

★★★★☆

Pan fried potato gnocchi, roasted pumpkin, walnuts, dolce blue, spinach

★★★☆☆

Rockling fillet, peas, goats curd, roasted fennel

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The food was good but I was expecting amazing after reading all the positive reviews about this place. The decor was sleek however all the tables were positioned quite close to one another due to the venue being so small. Service was fine except there was one particular waiter who kept on wanting to clear our plates even though we hadn’t finished.

Ciao Cielo

171 Bay St, Port Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9645 1568

http://www.ciaocielo.com.au/

Polish Rye Crust Bakery

Breakfast Bagel

(hard boiled eggs, cheese, mayonnaise, tomato, beetroot, spinach, capsicum)

The freshly baked bagel was simply outstanding.

★★★★☆

Salt stick with cream cheese and cucumber

This may not look or sound very special but out of everything we sampled, this was actually my favourite. The lightly salted bread was perfect and worked fabulously with the cream cheese and cucumber.

★★★★★

Vegetarian Pierogi

(Polish dumplings that contained potato, cheese, spinach)

These smelt delicious and were pleasantly crispy on the outside, however the filling was somewhat lacking. If only these dumplings were served with some kind of sauce.

★★★☆☆

Cherry Cheesecake

The light cheesecake and the decadent chocolate cherry layer were nice separately but sensational together.

★★★★☆

Orange Zest Babka

I’m not an expert in babka, so I wasn’t sure if the dry crumbly texture was intentional or not.

★★★☆☆

European doughnut with plum jam

Wonderfully soft and fluffy with a slight yeasty taste.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The bread here is AMAZING! And with more than 50 types of Polish and European breads available, there is something suitable for everyone! With so many menu items on offer and such friendly service, I can see myself returning over and over again.

Polish Rye Crust Bakery

101-103 Foster St, Dandenong, VIC

(03) 9706 9194

http://www.polishryecrustbakery.com.au/

Cumulus Up

Oysters

= ★★★

Fried chickpeas with spiced salt

= ★★★★★

Olives and pickles

= ★★★

Smoked ocean trout, Jerusalem artichoke and lemon

= ★★★★

Kitchen charcuterie selection (smoked brisket, prosciutto, salami)

= ★★★

Cracked wheat & freekeh salad with barberries

= ★★★

Lentil Salad

= ★★★

Duck waffle, foie gras, prune

= ★★★★

Roast potatoes and confit garlic

= ★★★

Lettuce and candied walnut salad

= ★★

Confit duck leg, parsnip and sauce Bourguingnon

= ★★★★

Chocolate ice cream sandwich, salted caramel

= ★★★

Overall:

I got really excited as soon as I saw ‘Fried chickpeas’ on the menu as I’ve had them before at Cumulus Inc and found them to be totally amazing. Looking through the menu there were so many things that we wanted to try so we decided to go with the Chef’s Selection. Now this turned out to be the best decision ever as the food was sensational and there was just so much of it! The staff were helpful and professional, and the decor was rustic yet very sleek. If you like Cumulus Inc then you would no doubt like its smaller upstairs sibling. This is certainly a place I would happily return to.

Cumulus Up

45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

8658 3110

http://cumulusinc.com.au/up

Pierre’s

Tasmanian oysters

★★☆☆☆

Chicken and duck rillette, fresh baguette, cornichons, apricot puree, lemon

★★☆☆☆

House cured ocean trout, radish, beetroot, goats cheese

★★☆☆☆

Cape Grim scotch fillet, shoestring fries, green salad, red wine jus, cafe de Paris butter

★★☆☆☆

Cape Grim eye fillet, celeriac puree, wild mushrooms, tawny port reduction

Basically a pile of mushrooms with a TEENY TINY piece of average tasting steak underneath.

★★☆☆☆

Duck a l’orange – confit duck leg, roasted chat potatoes, braised green beans, orange glaze

Overpowering orange glaze.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Extremely disappointing considering the number of awards they have received. The food was mediocre and pricey, the service was average and the red lighting gave this place a darkroom sort of feeling.

Pierre’s

88 George St, Launceston, TAS

(03) 6331 6835

Mister Jennings

Frozen kangaroo, wasabi, nashi

As soon as I began chewing this icy cold dish, I realised that frozen meat is not something I enjoy. The idea is for the meat to thaw in your mouth thereby changing its flavour and texture. It was an interesting experience but not for me.

★☆☆☆☆

GMS sirloin

★★☆☆☆

Pork, lime pickle, silverbeet

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Small portions, efficient service, orderly decor. Not a place I am likely to return to.

Mister Jennings

142 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9078 0113

http://misterjennings.com.au/

360 Bar & Dining

100 Market St, Sydney NSW 8223 3883

House-made focaccia with honey, garlic and rosemary

Pacific oyster, cucumber and gin martini, avruga

Baked eggplant, buffalo mozzarella, basil, 25 year old balsamic vinegar

Prosciutto, rockmelon, rocket, gorgonzola dressing, roasted hazelnuts

Wagyu beef cheek raviolo, shiitake, oyster and swiss brown mushrooms, master stock

150 day grain fed Angus beef tenderloin (Darling Downs, Queensland)

Seared king salmon fillet, roasted cauliflower, citrus and cauliflower puree

Vanilla and rhubarb panna cotta, genoise sponge, poached rhubarb

Overall:

I had been wanting to dine at a rotating restaurant ever since I first saw the Sit-N-Rotate restaurant in an episode of The Simpsons back when I was kid. It looked like it would be so much fun and you would never get bored because the view outside your window would be constantly changing. So with a location 305 metres above sea level, it comes as no surprise that the views from 360 Bar and Dining are absolutely fabulous! The floor-to-ceiling windows and unique rotating floor provides amazing, uninterrupted 360 degree views of Sydney and beyond.

It was quite a bizarre experience stepping out of the elevator and into the restaurant and feeling the floor move beneath my feet. I initially felt a little wobbly (like I was on a boat) but thankfully adjusted after some time. In all honesty I was there for the experience and the view, and not really the food. Thus I was delighted when it turned out that the food here was actually quite good! I later discovered that the Head Chef was in fact Ashley Hughes who has previously worked with Marco Pierre White at L’Escargot as well as alongside Jamie Oliver at The River Café in London.

Each dish was beautifully constructed and contained fresh ingredients that marvellously complemented each other. The dish I enjoyed the most was the wagyu beef cheek raviolo (the mushroom stock was bursting with flavour and the delicious beef simply melted away in my mouth). Service was friendly and the decor was refined. Note that the restrooms don’t stay in the same spot as the restaurant rotates.

The Panama Dining Room and Bar

Level 3/231 Smith St, Fitzroy 9417 7663

Salmon rillettes served with herb salad and toast

= Not bad

Spiced wagyu beef and prosciutto meatballs

Full of flavour, great balance of meat and breadcrumb, lovely rich sauce

= Good

Fried cauliflower with ras el hanout (spice mix from North Africa), golden raisins, fromage frais and argan oil

Deep frying pretty much anything will make it taste better

= Good

Slow cooked Western Plains pork scotch fillet with Jerusalem artichokes, grilled pine mushrooms, parsley puree and buttermilk

Tantalisingly tender pork with a wonderful combination of ingredients

= Good

Steamed broccoli with Mt Zero black lentils and pecorino (left), Green salad with buttermilk, tarragon and shallot dressing (right)

= Not bad

Yellowtail kingfish fillet with confit fennel, grilled saffron calamari, fennel puree and saltfish croquette

The Yellowtail kingfish fillet was extremely salty, while the calamari and croquette were unmemorable

= Not bad

Chestnut gnocchi, pumpkin and parmesan puree, morel mushrooms, spinach and salted ricotta

Delicately light gnocchi that had a mild chestnut flavour, complementing the other ingredients of this dish fantastically. If only the portion size was bigger!

= Good

Overall:

If you manage to survive the arduous journey up two very steep flights of stairs, you will encounter an unobtrusive grey fire exit door with a small blue ‘Panama Dining Room and Bar’ sign above it. Enter these doors and you will find a funky bar, a pool table, lots of casual seating and a formal dining area. We went on a busy Saturday night and the bustling atmosphere made it very difficult to talk (I found myself yelling throughout the whole night and left with a sore throat). Service was friendly however the food took a little while to come out. I think I would prefer coming here for drinks as opposed to dining here in the future.

Coco Lounge

93 Kingsway, Glen Waverley 9560 9705

South Carolina tacos

Falafel burger

Seafood spaghetti

Thoughts:

South Carolina tacos – 2 soft shell tacos with dry shredded pork shoulder, spicy BBQ sauce and plenty of coleslaw = Not bad

Falafel burger – warm brioche bun with an extremely thick home made falafel patty, caramelised onion, tasty cheese, beetroot, tomato, lettuce and chilli aioli. A really filling burger = Not bad

Seafood spaghetti – pan seared prawns and scallops with preserved lemon oil and lots of baby peas = Not bad

Overall:

I have been to this place numerous times and have always found the food at dinner to be nicely presented but merely average tasting, whereas the food served at breakfast is quite good. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is casual. There is also an upstairs lounge bar which opens every evening from 5pm until late. Note that this place is in the Entertainment Book.