Seafood

Richmond Oysters

Seafood Platter and Garden Salad

(natural oysters, smoked trout rillettes, Morton Bay bug, prawns, mussels, baby octopus, local scallops, soft shell crab, salt and pepper calamari, grilled fish)

★★★★☆

Golden Gaytime

(honeycomb parfait, peanuts, chocolate)

★★★☆☆

Creme Brulee

(macaroon, salted caramel, chocolate)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I was truly impressed with the newest branch of Richmond Oysters (which is unexpectedly located in Oakleigh). Spacious and modern, this place emanated a sophisticated yet comfortable feel, and I loved all the live seafood that was on display. Service was excellent (friendly and attentive), and the food was fresh and tasty. We came here with a $99 Cudo voucher which made this meal a bargain (a bottle of wine was also included!), and we left feeling extremely full and content.

Richmond Oysters

66 Portman St, Oakleigh, VIC

(03) 8592 4676

Intro

Mesa Greek Cuisine

Fresh Bread with Home-made Dips (tsatziki, melizanosalata, tarama)

The bread was surprisingly outstanding! Crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. Perfect with the tasty dips.

★★★★☆

Smyrneika Soutzoukakia

(baked beef rissoles in a fresh tomato saltsa)

★★★☆☆

Gigandes

(lima beans baked with tomatoes, onion herbs)

Hearty and full of flavour.

★★★☆☆

Chicken Wings with Olives and Tomatoes

Delicious fall-off-the-bone chicken.

★★★☆☆

Saganaki

(grilled Dodoni kefalograviera cheese)

★★★★☆

Fried Calamari

★★☆☆☆

Chargrilled Prawns

These were fabulously smoky.

★★★★☆

Fish Of The Day

Soggy and extremely salty.

★☆☆☆☆

Horiatiki Salad

(tomato, cucumber, peppers, feta, olives, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic)

★★☆☆☆

Lamb Cutlets, Gyros, Chicken Skewers

Although the presentation could have been better, the meats were tender and quite tasty.

★★★☆☆

Galaktobouriko (custard in filo pastry), Baklava (filo pastry layered with nuts syrup) and Seasonal Fruit

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Talk about being well fed! As delicious as everything was, we struggled getting through this seven-course banquet and ended up having to take some of it home. We dined with a Groupon voucher so the total was only $55 for 2 people, making this a bargain. The service was prompt and friendly, and the atmosphere warm and inviting.

Mesa Greek Cuisine

265 Johnston St, Abbotsford, VIC

(03) 9419 3388

http://www.mesagreekcuisine.com.au/

Rochford Wines Yarra Valley

Cured Kingfish, Avocado, Threaded Chilli, Nettles

★★★★☆

Heirloom Carrots, Quinoa, Seeds, Dates, Smoked Almonds, Orange Blossom Labne

★★★★☆

Roasted Quail, Sweet Corn, Pickled Grapes, Lardo, Scotched Quail Egg

★★★☆☆

Confit Octopus, Cauliflower Skordalia, Crispy Onion, Spiced Hazelnut

★★★★☆

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb, Carrot Hummus, Spring Slaw

★★★☆☆

Leg of Corn Fed Chicken, Jerusalem Artichoke, Farro, Guanciale

★★★☆☆

Baked Apple, Freeze Dried Custard, Oat Crumble, Milk Sorbet

★★★★☆

Salted Caramel Tart, Pear, Ginger Praline, Mascarpone

★★★★☆

Overall:

A fresh and exciting transformation has taken place at Rochford Restaurant with the recent appointment of Head Chef Raki Andriana. With over a decade of experience in the food and wine industry, Raki brings forth French style techniques and Middle Eastern influences to the iconic Yarra Valley winery. The menu’s new direction aims to create delicious flavours that match their award winning wines. Add to that breathtaking views of the Yarra Valley and the nearby Dandenong Ranges, Rochford Restaurant is undoubtedly a wonderful place to visit.

Rochford Wines Yarra Valley

878-880 Maroondah Highway, Yarra Glen, VIC

(03) 5957 3333

http://www.rochfordwines.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Rochford Wines Yarra Valley.

Salt House

Korean Style Beef Carpaccio with soy gel, pickled ginger and kimchi

★★★★☆

Beetroot and Belvedere cured Salmon with kohlrabi and horseradish slaw and watermelon radish

★★★☆☆

Vegan Cottage Pie with beetroot salsa and mint salad

★★☆☆☆

Peruvian Style Quinoa and Borlotti Bean Salad

(quinoa, borlotti beans, coriander, mint, roasted red peppers, blistered tomato, chilli and lime dressing)

★★☆☆☆

Sticky Sesame Soy Beef with cold soba noodles and pickled ginger salad

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Located at Marina Point, Salt House offers stunning views of the ocean, marina and surrounding mountains. Add to that professional service, elegant atmosphere and a $28 lunch set menu, this place makes for a pleasant dining experience.

Salt House

6/2 Pier Point Rd, Cairns, QLD

(07) 4041 7733

Home

Satoru’s Japanese Restaurant

Sushi Set

(salmon, tuna, prawn, calamari, scallop nigiri and sushi roll)

★★★☆☆

Bento Plate

(prawn and salmon dumplings, chicken spring roll, calamari tempura, teriyaki chicken and sushi roll)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We visited for lunch on a Saturday and had a lovely cheerful man (I’m assuming he’s the owner) both prepare and serve our food. The seafood was fresh and the bento plate unique (this was the first time I’d ever heard of prawn and salmon dumplings). I can see why this place is the most popular Japanese restaurant in the area.

Satoru’s Japanese Restaurant

Shop 1, 108 Old Pacific Hwy, Oxenford, QLD

5665 9295

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

Sea Salt

Grilled Fish Burger (grilled fish of the day, salad mix, tomato, tartare sauce) served with chips

= ★★

Crumbed Chicken Burger (crumbed chicken, cheese, salad mix, tomato, Japanese mayo) served with chips

= ★★

Overall:

The burgers and chips were merely okay, and I must admit that I got food envy seeing people on other tables with their sashimi and sushi rolls. Service was fast and the atmosphere was casual and typical of a fish and chip shop.

Sea Salt

364 Lygon St, Carlton

9347 4777

Man Mo @ WTC

River side of World Trade Centre, 38 Siddeley St, Docklands 9077 9598

Prawn Dumplings

Tasty filling, soft thin dumpling skin

★★

Cantonese Roast Duck

Deliciously crispy skin with tender juicy meat. If only the portions were bigger.

★★★

Curry Laksa

★★

Overall:

As soon as we entered Man Mo we couldn’t help but be impressed by the refined decor. This place was without a doubt one of the more fancier Chinese/Malaysian restaurants that I’ve dined at. There was initially a bit of confusion with our booking but the staff here were very helpful, and sorted everything out in no time. A wide selection of dishes are available here however the dishes are somewhat pricier than your typical Chinese/Malaysian restaurants. Note that parking rates at the World Trade Centre during weekdays is outrageous. If only diners at Man Mo could get their parking validated.

manmo 2

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Harvey Publicity. All food ratings & review are purely based on my own experiences and how I felt about the service, food and quality at the time of visit

Miss Katie’s Crab Shack

238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne 9329 9888

Crispy Fried Clarence River Organic School Prawns

Katie’s Crunchy Corn

Katie’s Fried Chicken & House Baked Cornbread

Seasonal Jambalaya

Thoughts:

Crispy Fried Clarence River Organic School Prawns – crunchy prawns dusted in corn masa flour and smoked paprika, served with lemon and hot sauce. A very addictive dish = Excellent

Katie’s Crunchy Corn – baby corn ‘chips’, salted ricotta, chilli and coriander. A bit pricey considering how little food you get = Good

Katie’s Fried Chicken – covered in an array of marvellous spices, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, served with ranch sauce and terrific fries that were crunchy and well seasoned. Don’t forget to try the chicken with their BBQ sauce = Excellent

House Baked Cornbread – deliciously light and fluffy with a hint of sweetness = Excellent

Seasonal Jambalaya – a pleasant combination of new season okra, local mussels, prawns, and spicy kranski = Good

Overall:

Delightfully quirky and nautical themed (which includes a giant plastic shark head that sits in the middle of one of the tables), this laid-back place serves up pretty darn good food. The tables were covered with newspaper which makes sense as eating here can become quite messy. Service was friendly and orders were taken at the kitchen counter. My only gripe with this place is that they use styrofoam boxes to serve up some of their food. But apart from that, I really enjoyed my visit to Miss Katie’s Crab Shack.

Note that this place is cash only.

Beletti Restaurant Cafe Bar

161 Lonsdale St, Dandenong 9793 1600

Chai Latte

Duck Risotto

Linguine E Gamberi

Thoughts:

Chai Latte – when it comes to chai lattes, this place has always been highly ranked on my list. Perfect for those who like their chai lattes to be sweet, aromatic and not overly spicy = Excellent

Duck Risotto – a generous amount of oven roasted duck pieces cooked with arborio rice, mushrooms, peas (which the dish could have done without) and red wine sauce = Good

Linguine E Gamberi – a light and tasty combination of linguine, prawns, cherry tomatoes, onions, basil, rocket, olive oil, chilli and garlic = Good

Overall:

The food can sometimes be a hit or miss depending on what you order, but the chai latte is always good (for my taste anyway). The service is attentive and the decor quite elegant. Note that this place is in the Entertainment Book.