Vanilla and Ricotta Cannoli
★★★☆☆
Mini Ricotta Cake
★★★☆☆
Coconut Nutella Bigné
★★★★☆
Iced Chocolate
Half the glass was simply cream.
★★☆☆☆
Overall:
I had really been looking forward to the cannoli and the ricotta cake after reading all the rave reviews. Although they were tasty, I didn’t find them spectacular. In fact nothing we had was spectacular which was a bit disappointing. Perhaps we just came on an off day.
Pasticceria Papa
145 Ramsay St, Haberfield, NSW
(02) 9799 9531
Spaghetti alle vongole
Light and full of flavour.
★★★★☆
Curly pasta, slow cooked duck ragu, porcini, shaved pecorino
Rich and comforting, this dish was incredible from the first bite to the very last.
★★★★★
Overall:
We originally had set our sights on Thirty Eight Chairs, but after discovering that they weren’t open for lunch that day, we decided to try Mr Bond which is their sister restaurant and right next door. We were seated in the courtyard which was fine except some fans would have been nice as it was such a hot day that I became stuck to my chair in no time. Service was friendly and the food authentically Italian. A great experience but I’m still keen on trying Thirty Eight Chairs one day.
Mr Bond
2 Bond St, South Yarra, VIC
(03) 9827 5553
Mushrooms and Chorizo
(with smashed avocado, beetroot hummus, poached egg and feta on quinoa and soya toast)
★★★☆☆
Green Bowl
(kale, kiwi, cucumber and coconut smoothie with black chia seeds, house granola, coconut flakes and seasonal fruits)
Simple, colourful, guilt-free.
★★★☆☆
Iced Matcha
Check out the huge clumps of undissolved matcha powder.
★★☆☆☆
Overall:
I liked how the menu here was divided into 3 sections: ‘The Light’, ‘The Healthy’ and ‘The Rich’. Of course my eyes immediately went to ‘The Rich’ section and I had to convince myself that ordering from ‘The Healthy’ section would be just as good. Service was helpful and I really enjoyed sitting outside under the shade of the large leafy trees.
Le Petit Prince
1A Mercer Rd, Armadale, VIC
(03) 9824 6404
Pastrami on rye with pickled fennel and manchego
★★★☆☆
Chicken, tarragon, aioli, celery, walnuts and watercress
★★★☆☆
Pannacotta Lamington
★★★★☆
Overall:
We visited Flour and Stone early on a weekday morning and discovered that their baked savoury items were still in the baking process. At least we were able to get our hands on one of their popular pannacotta lamingtons which was indeed very moist and very delicious! The place itself is teeny-tiny though, so getting takeaway might be the better way to go if you are not keen on being right up close to all the other customers around you.
Flour and Stone
53 Riley St, Woolloomooloo, NSW
(02) 8068 8818
http://www.flourandstone.com.au/
Eggs Blini
(buckwheat blini, citrus cured salmon, asparagus, chives, salmon caviar, maltaise sauce)
★★★☆☆
Breakfast with the Sakumas’s
(miso grilled king salmon, smoked eel croquette, 63° egg, radish petit salad, kewpie mayonnaise)
★★★★☆
Lost In Devonshire
(Devon’s style French toast, peanut butter, raspberry jelly, vanilla cream, chantilly, peanut butter cookies, freeze dried strawberry and maple ice cream)
★★★☆☆
Ruby Heart Berry
(juniper berry, rosehip, hibiscus flowers)
★★★★☆
Overall:
Good service, nicely presented food, normal looking cafe in the front area, odd army-like decor and graffitied walls in the back area.
Devon Cafe
76 Devonshire St, Surry Hills, NSW
(02) 9211 8777
Pad Thai
(stir fried thin rice noodles with chicken, dried shrimps, bean sprouts, garlic, peanuts and chives in a tamarind and palm sugar sauce)
We found this a bit too sweet otherwise a very delicious pad Thai!
★★★★☆
Larpb Gai (spicy minced chicken salad)
Fresh tasting with a real spicy kick.
★★★★☆
Gaeng Keaw Gai (green curry with chicken, apple eggplants, kaffir lime leaves, chilli and basil)
★★★★☆
Mhu Bhing (grilled pork skewer) and Gai Satay (chicken satay skewer)
Both were good but I probably enjoyed the pork more so than the chicken.
★★★☆☆
Todt Mun Goong (prawn cakes with pickled plum relish)
Excellent crispy batter and a flavoursome dipping sauce.
★★★★☆
Gai Todt (crisp fried coconut milk marinated chicken with smoked chilli relish)
I was curious to see whether the chicken would taste any different with the coconut milk marinate. It didn’t. Just tasted like normal chicken.
★★★☆☆
Traditional Thai Drinking Cups
Cha Nohm Yen
(sweet iced tea with caramelised milk)
Milky, sweet and oh-so-delicious!
★★★★★
Overall:
Hands down the best Thai food I’ve had outside of Thailand and my mum’s kitchen. The menu here is huge and chock-full of authentic Thai dishes. The atmosphere was bustling, the service quick, and the staff all Thai. I have nothing else to say but CHAT THAI, PLEASE COME TO MELBOURNE!
Chat Thai
20 Campbell St, Haymarket, NSW
(02) 9211 1808
Celeriac Fritters
(served with house smoked salmon, pickled fennel, dill aioli and poached eggs)
The fritters themselves were somewhat dry and bland, so had to be eaten together with the runny egg yolk and the dill aioli. But the standout of this dish was undoubtedly the house smoked salmon which was absolutely delicious!
★★★★☆
Miso Mushroom
(roast field mushrooms, crispy enoki, cassava, parsnip puree with poaches eggs on rye)
There was only one thing that stopped me from liking this dish, and that was the EXTREMELY salty mushrooms. Everything else was great though.
★★★☆☆
Chips with chipotle mayonnaise
Crunchy golden chips that really satisfied the chip craving I had.
★★★★☆
Overall:
Generous servings, friendly service and great coffee. It’s always particularly exciting to discover decent brunch places this side of town.
Cote Terra
17 Station St, Oakleigh, VIC
(03) 9939 6805
Crispy fried whiting, tahini sauce, dukka
★★★☆☆
Sigara boregi with haloumi, feta and kasseri
★★★★☆
King prawns, olive oil, lemon myrtle salt
★★★★☆
Fried cauliflower, sweet onions, currants, pine nuts
★★★★★
Fish of the day
★★★★☆
Macadamia baklava ice cream sandwich
★★★☆☆
Overall:
Modern Middle Eastern fare at its best. The food was fantastic as was the quick friendly service. We had no idea what to order and our waitress was extremely helpful with her recommendations. I am certainly returning and am also looking forward to visiting the owners’ other restaurant The Moor’s Head.
Rumi
116 Lygon Street, Brunswick, VIC
(03) 9388 8255
Poutine
(chips, bacon, cheese, gravy)
★★★★☆
Polenta Chips with Smoky Ranch Sauce
★★★★☆
Grilled Corn Cobs with Smoky Ranch Sauce and Parmesan
★★★☆☆
Southern Fried Chicken with Honey Butter, Sweet Potato Fries and Homemade Slaw
★★★☆☆
Mushroom Ragout
(wild mushrooms, potato mash, spinach, garlic, rosemary, thyme)
★★★☆☆
Overall:
Formerly known as Fat Rupert’s, Bondi @2026 is the kind of place you’d want to hang out at after a long day at work or a day at the beach. The vibe here is really laid-back and the food pretty terrific. And if you go between 4pm-7pm, beers and wines are only $5!
Bondi @2026
249 Bondi Rd, Bondi, NSW
0421 866 735
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.
Public Inn
26a Templeton St, Castlemaine, VIC
(03) 5472 3568
DAMMIT JANET I LOVE FOOD 