Happy 4 10

Tempura Udon

★★☆☆☆

Kyoza

(deep fried vegetable dumplings with seasonal salad)

★★☆☆☆

Stir Fried Spicy Pork Set

(stir fried spicy pork, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★☆☆☆

Grilled Salmon Set

(grilled salmon with chef special teriyaki sauce dressing, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★★☆☆

Bibimbap Set

(mixed fresh salmon and cooked prawn, flying fish roe with special chilli sauce, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

A good variety of Japanese and Korean fare at a place that has fast service and a playful atmosphere. A gorgeous mural and K-pop playing on a big screen can be found in the front courtyard, while many hanging baubles can be found all over the place within the inside dining area (a bit of an odd decorating choice). The food was decent and each table had a handy buzzer that could be pressed whenever you required a waiter’s attention.

Happy 4 10

82 Sheridan St, Cairns, QLD

4041 2502

Baba Sus

Hong Kong Egg Waffles

(vanilla custard, green tea ice cream, berry compote, pistachio praline)

Although these were not like the egg waffles I’ve eaten in Hong Kong (which were distinctively crispy on the outside and very light on the inside), they were still undeniably good. These tasted more like pancakes…really delicious pancakes.

★★★★☆

Corn and Zucchini Croquettes

(house cured salmon, herb aioli, asparagus, frisee, poached egg)

★★★☆☆

Crispy and creamy croquettes, perfectly poached egg, not a lot of salmon.

Overall:

Deciding what to order here was no easy task. Every menu item sounded delicious with most of them having Asian influences. I really like places that have a unique menu, and when you add good food and good service onto that, Baba Sus makes for a place that is worth visiting over and over again.

Baba Sus

15-17 Bardolph St, Glen Iris

9939 6141

Miel Container

Miel Beef Pattie Burger (grass fed beef patty with brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, onion jam, bacon, bush tomato chutney, dill mayo, tasty) served with beer battered chips

I initially had some trouble biting into the burger because of the extremely thick burger buns, but once I managed to do so I was met with a juicy smoky beef patty and an abundant amount of sauce. The chips on the other hand were quite dry but well seasoned with salt, rosemary and thyme.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Located in a bright red shipping container, this small eatery provides solid burgers, ordinary service, and plenty of free hand sanitizer for its customers.

Miel Container

Cnr of Mary Street and 96 Albert Street, Brisbane CBD, QLD

0423 466 503

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

When I was in Queensland…

It was so nice being able to escape Melbourne’s FREEZING COLD winter weather! With world class beaches, national parks, rainforests and tropical reefs, I spent a lot of time exploring the outdoors and of course enjoying the beautiful warm weather.

Food reviews to come!

Green Island

Cairns Tropical Zoo

Palm Cove Beach

Palm Cove Passion

(salted caramel, apple crumble and passionfruit ice cream with caramel sauce and crushed nuts)

Cairns Botanical Gardens

Four Mile Beach

Kulki Boardwalk

Dubuji Boardwalk

Jindalba Boardwalk

The Reef Marina

Daintree Ice Cream Company

(wattleseed, passionfruit, coconut and yellow sapote)

Mossman

Mossman Gorge

Great Barrier Reef

(unfortunately my camera died before I reached all the nicer coral reefs)

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Paronella Park

Millaa Millaa, Ellinjaa and Zillie Falls

NeNe Chicken

Are you a fan of Korean Fried Chicken? If the answer is yes then you have to try NeNe Chicken! The name “NeNe” translates to “Yes! Yes!” in Korean, and this store first opened in 1999 in South Korea. Since then they have expanded to over 1000 outlets in South Korea, and have recently opened their first Australian store in Melbourne Central. Being a huge fan of Korean Fried Chicken, I was thrilled when NeNe Chicken finally opened.

Original Fried Chicken

You can’t go past the original. And the Korean mustard gave each bite some tasty edge.

★★★★☆

Oriental Green Onion

Original chicken designed to be eaten with fresh crunchy green onion and soy/wasabi sauce.

★★★☆☆

Snowing Vegetable

Don’t be fooled by the name, this was definitely fried chicken and it was seriously good. The powdery coating was mildly sweet and almost tasted like corn.

★★★★☆

Swicy

Sweet, spicy, and very addictive.

★★★★☆

Freaking Hot

Adequately named, this one is not for the faint-hearted! You have been warned!

★★★☆☆

Overall:

NeNe Chicken offers a variety of crunchy, juicy fried chicken coated in a mouth watering selection of secret recipe sauces. All of their fried chicken is served with coleslaw and radish, and I love the fact that they offer disposable gloves so that you can enjoy your fried chicken with your hands, minus the mess. Unfortunately there is very limited seating at the Melbourne Central store so I am looking forward to the opening of the dine in venues at Box Hill and High Point. So the next time you are in the mood for fast quality Korean Fried Chicken, you know where to go.

NeNe Chicken

Melbourne Central, Level 1, Corner of Swanston Street and La Trobe Street, Melbourne

9654 0772

http://www.nenechicken.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of NeNe Chicken and Wasamedia Pty Ltd.

Servery & Spoon

Morning Super Salad

with kale, broccoli rice, toasted quinoa, beetroot, avocado, super seeds and a poached egg

Tasted healthy but lacked flavour and texture.

= ★★

Buttermilk French Toast

with quince, lemon curd labna, sugared pecans and date maple

= ★★★

Eggs

Crispy Dukkah Crusted Eggs

with smashed avocado, crumbled feta and grilled orange on sourdough

Not sure if the grilled orange was necessary but the rest of the dish was delicious!

= ★★★★

Overall:

Well presented food, friendly service, open inviting space. Be sure to try the Crispy Dukkah Crusted Eggs.

Servery & Spoon

137 Waverley Rd, Malvern East

9571 7495

Rae’s Restaurant, Balgownie Estate

If you are thinking about taking a break this winter to visit Victoria’s pre-eminent wine region (only an hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD), I strongly recommend dropping by Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa. This outstanding resort received the prestigious hotel industry award for “Best Regional Accommodation of the Year” at last month’s 2015 Tourism Accommodation Australia (VIC) Accommodation Awards for Excellence, and the on-site restaurant offers a marvellous dining experience. Executive Chef Graham Taute and his team at Rae’s Restaurant (the on-site dining venue) have a real passion for using fresh local ingredients, and incorporate the best of local produce into their menu. I recently had the wonderful opportunity of sampling their new winter menu for 2015.

Seafood Chowder

(prawn, scallop, salmon, white fish, herb oil)

Creamy hearty comfort food with a substantial amount of seafood in it. Utterly delicious and perfect for winter.

= ★★★★

Hand Rolled Potato Gnocchi

(smoked ocean trout, fennel, minted pea puree, Balgownie Estate chardonnay cream)

The gnocchi was soft and fluffy, while the sauce was smooth and flavourful.

= ★★★★

Vine Smoked Chargrilled Boneless Rib-eye

(with chips, green beans, Bordelaise sauce)

A solid steak with very tasty Bordelaise sauce.

= ★★★

Beer Battered Fish of the day

(with smoked paprika dusted chips, baby leaves, celeriac remoulade)

Light and crispy batter, moist steaming fish, crunchy golden chips. Simple and satisfying.

= ★★★★

Overall:

With a delicious new menu, roaring open fire and spectacular views of the surrounding Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley, Rae’s Restaurant is certainly worth a visit this winter.

Rae’s Restaurant

1309 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen

9730 0774

http://www.balgownieestate.com.au/restaurant/rae-s-restaurant.htm

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Balgownie Estate and Tyrrell PR.

Izakaya Jiro

Grilled Lobster Tail

Sweet tender lobster that was marvellously seasoned.

= ★★★★

Kushiyaki Combo: Yakitori (chicken thigh skewer), Gyu Kushi (beef fillet skewer), Tsukune (chicken ball skewer), Ebi (prawn skewer), Zucchini skewer

The meat skewers were smoky and well marinated, while the zucchini skewer was so-so.

= ★★★

Sashimi Moriawase

Fresh and tasty.

= ★★★

Overall:

Delightful Japanese cuisine however portions were disappointingly small. This place made it onto Melbourne’s Best Cheap Eats 2015 list and while the food was relatively cheap, you sure don’t get much of it (eg. $4.50 for an Ebi prawn skewer). Just a heads-up.

Izakaya Jiro

830 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn

9818 7163

Home

Rice Paper Scissors

Crispy Barramundi ‘Yam Pla Foo’

(tapioca dusted barramundi with a green apple and roast cashew salad and nahm jim dressing)

= ★★★

Betel Leaf ‘Miang Kham’

(topped with a tiger prawn, banana blossom and toasted coconut salad)

= ★★★

Crying Tiger ‘Seua Rong Hai’

(chargrilled beef with a spicy citrus dipping sauce)

= ★★

Balinese Roast Duck ‘Bebek Betutu’

(baked in banana leaf and spices served with coconut sambal and betel leaves)

= ★★★

Crispy Coconut Wafer ‘Banh Xeo’

(filled with pork, prawn, bean shoots and fresh herbs)

= ★★

Banana Roti

(sugar banana, Nutella and peanut filled roti served with condensed milk)

= ★★

Kaffir Lime Splice

(kaffir lime and Thai basil granita with homemade coconut ice cream)

= ★★★

Overall:

Fresh colourful dishes that are designed to be shared, bustling atmosphere and efficient service. Rock Paper Scissors is another one of those places that don’t take bookings for dinner so unless you get there at 6pm, expect a wait. We went on a Wednesday night and waited for more than an hour to get a table. Was it worth the wait? Nah, not really.

Rice Paper Scissors

19 Liverpool St, Melbourne

9663 9890

http://www.ricepaperscissors.com.au