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

The Baker’s Wife

The Lamb

(crisp spiced lamb shoulder, pumpkin hummus, fried chickpeas, beetroot relish, paprika yogurt, cucumber and mint salad)

= ★★★

The Bubble and Squeak

(Bubble and squeak croquette, Italian sausage, roast tomato, fried egg, sourdough, house relish and house BBQ sauce)

I really enjoyed the croquette but the sourdough and the sausages were simply tough and dry.

= ★★

The French Toast

(The Baker’s Challah, rhubarb and strawberry compote, spiced ricotta and Canadian maple syrup)

= ★★

The Cheeseburger

(150g beef patty, Swiss cheese, brioche bun, pickled cucumbers, American mustard, lettuce, tomato and chips)

= ★★★

The Barramundi Roll

(crumbed barramundi fillet, brioche bun, fennel, apple and celery slaw, fried capers, dill aioli and chips)

Delicious combination of ingredients. Plus the barramundi fillet was very tasty and had great crunch.

= ★★★★

Nutella Donut, Hot Jam Donut, Raspberry and Custard Cruffin, Chocolate Cruffin

I definitely liked the cruffins more than the donuts…

= ★★★

Nutella Donut

…although the donut fillings were delightfully bounteous!

Overall:

Warm inviting atmosphere, average service, good selection of pastries and muffins (which are baked fresh on the premises).

The Baker’s Wife

414-418 Burke Rd, Camberwell

9809 1133

Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen

Kick-Ass Beef Burger (200g fresh-ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, bacon and double American cheese served with crinkle-cut chips)

I didn’t order fries! Where were my crinkle-cut chips? Meanwhile the burger was enjoyable but not memorable.

= ★★

Mustard & Gravy Pulled Pork Sliders (slow roasted Moroccan-spiced pork shoulder over coleslaw served with crinkle-cut chips)

Fries again! Not that they were bad, just not what I ordered. The juicy pork and crunchy coleslaw combination with the sliders was tasty though.

= ★★★

Overall:

An alright place for drinks and a quick bite. Come for the $9 lunch specials.

Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen

243 Swanston St, Melbourne

9663 2916

http://gloriaswanstons.com.au

Jinda Thai Restaurant

Green Apple Salad (deep fried soft shell crab topped with green apple salad dressing)

★★★☆☆

Pad Thai with prawns

★★★☆☆

Tofu Combo (tofu and mixed vegetable tempura served with crushed peanuts and sweet chilli sauce)

★★☆☆☆

Yellow Grilled Chicken Curry

Great for those who can’t do spicy.

★★★☆☆

Red Roasted Duck Curry

★★★☆☆

Minced Chicken Larb (hand roasted then grounded rice, crushed dry chilli, mint, red onion)

★★★☆☆

Cha Yen (Thai iced tea)

Just like it is in Thailand: intensely sweet.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

There was only one reason why I wanted to come here: crepe cakes. So when we were told that the maker of these popular desserts was on holiday in Thailand and that there were no crepe cakes available that night, I was DEVASTATED. The waitress tried to tempt us with some of their other desserts but none of them seemed on par with the crepe cakes. But luckily the other food we sampled that night was thoroughly enjoyable so I didn’t leave the place feeling completely disappointed. I was told by a friend that portion sizes had reduced over time, so we simply ordered an extra dish to compensate. The atmosphere was lively while service was average as it was difficult getting the staff’s attention at times. In any case, I must return one day for those sought after crepe cakes!

Jinda Thai Restaurant

7 Ferguson St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9419 5899

Cheesey Bites

Cheesy Bites

(baby spinach, mushroom, capsicum, pineapple, chicken, chilli flakes, sweet chilli sauce, mozzarella cheese with creme fraiche base)

Super Supreme

(beef, salami, mushroom, capsicum, onion, pineapple, mozzarella cheese, oregano)

Garlic Prawn

(baby spinach, tomatoes, garlic sauce, prawns, mozzarella cheese with creme fraiche base)

Chicken Kebab

(chicken wrapped in pita bread with salad and garlic sauce)

Lasagna

(pasta layers with bolognese sauce)

Overall:

One of the simple joys in life is having food delivered to your doorstep. It’s fast, it’s easy, and you get to stay in your pyjamas! So I was delighted when I was approached by EatNow to try out their services. In case you have never heard of EatNow, it is one of Australia’s leading online food delivery services and operates in over 4,400 restaurants Australia-wide. Here’s how it works:

Head to the EatNow website
Enter your suburb or postcode
Choose from a list of restaurants who are a part of your local EatNow community
Order your meal from the online menu
Decide when you would like your meal delivered, including the time you would like it to arrive. (You can also choose to pickup your meal in person)
Checkout and pay.
You will then receive instant SMS confirmation as to when your order will be ready

Easy as that!

Now let’s talk about Cheesey Bites. Firstly the staff here were very considerate as they called me early on to let me know that my delivery was going to be about 10 minutes late. The delivery guy was friendly and the food arrived hot. The pizzas were a little bit soggy but had adequate amounts of topping on each and tasted fine. The chicken kebab on the other hand was extremely soggy, while the lasagna came with a lot of mysterious liquid floating on top of it. Although the food here is great value, I think I’d rather try someplace else the next time.

Cheesey Bites

135 Springvale Rd, Springvale

9558 4144

http://www.cheeseybites.com.au

Le Bon Ton

Onion Rings – beer battered and jerk seasoned

Nicely seasoned onion rings with a thin crunchy batter.

= ★★★★

Fried Chicken – Southern style buttermilk soaked tenders with cracked pepper white gravy

Each bite brought to mind KFC chicken.

= ★★

Mac & 3 Cheese – Cheddar, American and Swiss

Dry and pungent.

= ★★

The Smoker’s Lot – (left to right) Otway Ranges pork shoulder, Chicken basted in apple BBQ sauce, Jalapeno and cheddar hot-link sausage, Riverina Angus beef brisket

Each meat was deliciously smoky and tender. However everyone’s clear favourite was without a doubt the sausage: spicy, juicy, with portions of deliciously melted cheese.

= ★★★

Overall:

Decent food, decent service and I really liked the old West saloon vibe that they had going on. I must really try one of their burgers the next time I come here as I’ve heard many good things about them. And here’s a fun fact for you. The name “Le Bon Ton” actually originates from a Louisiana saying “Laissez les bons temps rouler” or “Let the good times roll”, which is often used as a fun and festive way to get people riled up and let them know that the party is starting. So altogether now: “Le Bon Ton!”

Le Bon Ton

51 Gipps St, Collingwood

9416 4341

http://www.lebonton.com.au

Fandango

French toast with bacon, cinnamon baked apple, maple butter and maple syrup

= ★★

Curried Eggs (fried eggs, Indian spiced chickpeas, brinjal vegetable pickle, minted yogurt cheese and roti)

Each bite needed a bit of yogurt with it otherwise it would have been a tad dry.

= ★★★

Beetroot Eggs (poached eggs, beetroot and feta relish, spinach, sourdough)

Simple and delicious!

= ★★★★

Overall:

Great portions, friendly service, and a homely retro vibe. There are only 12 seats in this small cafe but there are also seats available in their courtyard (which is only accessible through the alleyway behind the cafe). So if you ever feel that the wait is too long at Auction Rooms, travel a few metres down the street and give this charming place a go.

Fandango

97 Errol St, North Melbourne

9329 0693

http://www.fandangocafe.com.au

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

Little Rogue

Pandan Coconut Crepe Cake

I love crepes and I love cake so unsurprisingly I found this fusion to be AMAZING. The soft paper thin crepes were fantastic, and the combination of pandan and coconut is always a winner.

= ★★★★★

Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwich

Quality chocolate cookies with a deliciously smooth salted caramel filling.

= ★★★★

Overall:

Located down a small cobbled laneway, this tiny unassuming cafe offered some pretty terrific desserts that included Butterbing cookie sandwiches, Mille & B crepe cakes and Kwak scrolls. The staff were friendly, the decor funky and earthy, and atmosphere very laid back. A must visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Little Rogue

12 Drewery Lane, Melbourne

0433 739 148

Double Happiness

(left to right)

No. 1 – vodka, orgeat, lime, pineapple juice. No. 3 – sparkling ale, lemon juice, sugar syrup, peach bitters. No. 6 – plum wine, mint, lime, cloudy apple

Overall:

How could I say no to bubble tea cocktails? Each delicious cocktail came in a familiar sealed plastic cup and was served with coconut jelly and popping boba. I am now convinced that popping boba will make any cocktail taste better and of course be more fun to drink. If only more places added them to their cocktails. This place had a strong Chinese communist theme going on but the general vibe was really cool and relaxed so I stopped noticing the decor after a little while. Unfortunately there is limited seating at this intimate bar however reservations can be made for groups.

Double Happiness

21 Liverpool St, Melbourne

9650 4488