Modern Australian

Liar Liar

Quinoa and potato rosti with smoked salmon, avocado, poached egg and hollandaise

Perfectly poached egg, decent serving of avocado and salmon, and deliciously crispy rosti with the quinoa providing great texture.

★★★★☆

Zucchini, herb and chilli fritters with smoked salmon, tomatoes, feta and yogurt dressing, and served with mixed leaves

The fritters were massive, and they were also quite moist and herby.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

A place worth visiting for breakfast/brunch/lunch if you happen to be in the Hawthorn area. The service is fast and everything on the menu looks delicious.

Liar Liar

90 Kinkora Rd, Hawthorn, VIC

(03) 9818 8864

http://www.liarliarcafe.com.au/

Stokehouse City Restaurant

7 Alfred Pl, Melbourne 9525 5555

Spiced zucchini fritters, fetta, dukkah yoghurt

= Not bad

Twice cooked half duckling, cucumber, orange and chilli

= Not bad

Jerusalem artichoke & goats curd tortelloni, burnt butter, rosemary and sunflower seeds

= Not bad

Roasted pumpkin, goats cheese, olive & hazelnut crostata, cavolo nero puree and watercress

= Not bad

Overall:

We went to the downstairs “casual bar and eatery” and found the food, service and ambience all to be so-so. There is also an upstairs “fine dining restaurant” where the menu seems much more enticing than the menu offered downstairs (which isn’t surprising as the menu upstairs is crafted by The Age Good Food Guide’s 2014 Young Chef of the Year, Ollie Gould). So if I ever do come back, I’ll be sure to dine upstairs as opposed to downstairs.

Trunk Diner

275 Exhibition St, Melbourne 9663 7994

Golden Gaytime Milkshake

I liked this creamy toffee/honeycomb/vanilla milkshake. But then again I find the Golden Gaytime Krushers available at KFC to be equally as likeable.

= Good

The Wagyu Burger
175 gram freshly ground Wagyu beef served medium-rare, grilled brioche, baby cos lettuce, purple onion, tomato and house-made pickles

A tiny ordinary tasting burger that needed self assembling? No thanks.

= Not bad

“Huevos Rancheros”

Two fried eggs, chorizo, Mexican mixed beans, goats fetta, salsa, avocado, jalapenos and toasted tortilla

= Not bad

Overall:

Average food, good variety of milkshakes (eg. Tim Tam, Lamington, Golden Gaytime), quick service, buzzing atmosphere.

Champions Bistro

37 Springs Rd, Clayton South 9544 9929

Smoked oyster, apple, horseradish

Beef tendon, salted macadamia praline

Duck liver, rye crisp, mountain pepper

Charcoal chicken wing, celeriac, scallop, lemon pith, miso foam

House baked sourdough with butter

Hapuka, nettle broth, broccoli leaf, pork fat

Kangaroo, native plum, sorrel, dried berry

Pynegana cheddar, mustard sheet, muntries

Tangelo, black garlic, brioche, fromage blanc sorbet

Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, dehydrated chocolate mousse, fragrant tea jelly

Overall:

Things I knew before dining here:

1. former Vue de Monde chef Clinton McIver heads the kitchen

2. reviews have been very complimentary and at one point this place was booked out for months in advance

With this in mind, I walked in with fingers crossed hoping that this place would live up to its expectations. Unfortunately for me it did not. Although I enjoyed everything that was offered on their tasting menu, nothing in particular sent my tastebuds into a frenzy. However the menu here is constantly changing depending on seasonality and other aspects so perhaps it was just the current menu that failed to impress me. I also found each course to be quite small and left still feeling hungry.

On a more positive note the service was terrific and I loved the simple unpretentious atmosphere (this place is unexpectedly located at the Clayton Bowls Club and the dining area offers a nice view of the bowling green).

I am still undecided as to whether or not I want to venture here again. Perhaps so once the menu has completely changed.

Ten Minutes By Tractor

1333 Mornington-Flinders Rd, Main Ridge 5989 6455

Olive and multigrain bread served with caramelised Myrtleford butter, pink salt and olive oil

Yellow beetroot, quinoa, goats curd

Grilled pear, quince, brioche

Red Hill Somers Soft goats cheese, roast pumpkin, chickpea, green beans, hazelnut vinaigrette

Roasted Whiting fillet, fried mussel, confit tomatoes, fennel, olive oil pomme purée

Mustard glazed quail, onion & pearl barley risotto, peppered pancetta and mulled wine apples,

served with freshly baked brioche

Roasted wallaby loin, beetroot, parsnip, chestnut cream, quinoa, fig jus

Tamarillo sorbet

Michel Cluizel chocolate & hazelnut pavé, honey ice cream, poached pears

Brie and crackers

Overall:

We opted for the five course degustation menu which turned out to be the right choice as we were already quite sated by the fourth course. The food was beautifully presented and each dish comprised of fresh, well complemented ingredients. However the standout item for me was without a doubt the EXTRAORDINARY caramelised Myrtleford butter! Served warm, it was exquisitely creamy yet light and had a delicious hint of sweetness to it. The cheese served here was also divine and is well worth trying. The decor was polished, and the service was professional yet slightly stand-offish. The dining room offers splendid views of the winery but only seats around 50 people so reservations are recommended as this place does get busy. It was a lovely experience but the only reason why I would come back would be for the butter.

Markov

350 Drummond St, Carlton 9347 7113

Wagu burger (free range bacon, cheddar, beer pickles, avocado, relish) served with fat chips

= Not bad

Pan fried rock ling, pancetta, peas and chick pea chips

The rock ling was nicely fried while the chick pea chips were melt-in-your-mouth soft and reminded me of tofu (in a nice way)

=Good

Deliciously fiery fried chicken wings that were covered in hot sauce, served with ranch dressing

=Good

Overall:

Step through the front bar and you will find yourself in a simple gastropub that has friendly staff, a succinct menu and plenty of beer.

Captain Melville

34 Franklin St, Melbourne 9663 6855

Haloumi stuffed zucchini flower

Gnocchi

Pulled Pork Bun

Fried Chicken

Quinoa Salad

Thoughts:

Haloumi stuffed zucchini flower – chickpea batter, eggplant puree, pomegranate & za’atar = Not bad

Gnocchi – ricotta and basil gnocchi, yellow tomato sauce, smoked tomatoes, roast red onion and olives = Not bad

Pulled Pork Bun – western plains pulled pork, BBQ sauce, crunchy coleslaw, pickles and onion rings = Good

Fried Chicken – crispy fried chicken (which was well fried but lacked any taste) served with sriracha mayonnaise = Not bad

Quinoa Salad – golden beets, grilled asparagus, shanklish cheese and honey yoghurt = Not bad

Overall:

Unexceptional food, average service, relaxed atmosphere.

Lake House

4 King St, Daylesford 5348 3329

Olive crisps, churros and olive aioli

Tuna sashimi, sea lettuce, buckwheat, avocado, bonito aioli, nori, mojama

Freshly baked grain roll, flaxseed crisps, white bread rolls

Eel, pancetta, beets

Mt Mercer pork, fermented pickles

XO braised pastured beef, grilled bug

Brioche french toast, Holy Goat cheese, poached pear

Lollipop

(lemon curd covered with Italian meringue)

Chocolate mousse, raspberry sorbet, fresh raspberries

White chocolate and cranberry squares with almond biscuits

Overall:

A trip to Daylesford is never complete for me unless I dine at this outstanding restaurant. Situated upon Lake Daylesford, this place offers impressive views of both the lake and of surrounding wildlife (which includes a local kookaburra family who fly in everyday to be fed). The decor here is absolutely beautiful and service is very professional. The menus are altered twice each season to ensure the usage of the best available produce. We chose to get the Summer Tasting Degustation and found every single dish to be superb with all the fresh ingredients and amazing flavours. Definitely worth a visit the next time you are in Daylesford!

Cutler & Co.

55-57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy 9419 4888

Seaweed and tapioca cracker with eggplant puree and black sesame

Rye toast with crème fraîche, smoked trout and Avruga cavier

Kingfish sashimi, green strawberries, sorrel and apple

Peas, baby zucchini, toasted seeds, onion and bergamot

WA marron, buttermilk potato, fermented carrot and Espelette

Smoked duck breast, boudin noir, beetroot and sour cherry

Wood grilled beef rib, kohlrabi and sesame

Cream, watermelon and lychee granita

Earl grey ice cream, chocolate, cherries and brandy jelly

Overall:

I was very excited to finally try out this place as I am a fan of chef Andrew McConnell having previously dined at his other restaurants Cumulus Inc. and Golden Fields, and absolutely loving the food. Located in an old metal works factory, this restaurant occupies a large interesting space filled with stripped back brick walls, high ceilings, exotic ferns and warm wooden tones. We decided to get the degustation menu (which changes quite often) and were quite impressed with the food served. The only problem with having really delicious degustation food is that before you know it, your plate is empty and you are left wanting more! This is definitely a place that I would visit again.

Montalto Restaurant and Winery

33 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South 5989 8412

Ricotta dumplings, roasted pumpkin, oyster mushroom, kale & pinenuts

Beef eye fillet, celeriac puree, asparagus, glazed shallots

Three pepper duck breast, whitlof tart

Overall:

The views that can be seen of the vineyard are simply stunning, and there are plenty of interesting sculptures scattered around the estate. Service was a bit slow even though they weren’t particularly busy at the time (weekday lunchtime). The food was beautifully presented although portions were smaller than what I would have liked. The dishes we ordered used fresh ingredients and were good but nothing spectacular. Would I come back just for the food? Probably not. But would I come back for the amazing views, unique sculptures and the wine? Perhaps.