The Parlor

The Parlor Tasting Board

An ample selection of lunch times dishes which included hommus, house made polenta chips, pork belly,prosciutto, steamed broccoli, roasted capsicum, cured salmon, calamari, roast chicken, and ciabatta. Sharing this huge tasting board is definitely recommended.

★★☆☆☆

Ricotta Hot Cakes

Creamy ricotta hot cakes served with berry compote, poached pear, maple syrup and mascarpone.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Random location (on a suburban street surrounded by houses), charming decor, friendly service, ordinary food.

The Parlor

40 Weatherall Rd, Beaumaris, VIC

(03) 9515 4514

http://www.theparlorkitchen.com/

Assaggi Italiani

Lasagna D’Oro

Homemade lasagna that was remarkably cheesy and had a very thin sauce.

★★☆☆☆

Capricciosa Pizza
A scatter of bocconcini, ham, mushrooms and olives on a tasty thin crispy crust.

★★☆☆☆

Straccetti “Signora Antonella”

The pasta was al dente, the Italian sausage had a strong fennel and anise taste, while the spinach and cream sauce was rather insipid.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

A warm and inviting atmosphere, wonderful service, an impressive pizza oven, uninspiring pizza and pasta. Note that this place is closed on Mondays.

Assaggi Italiani

99 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern, VIC

(03) 9500 1624

http://assaggiitaliani.com.au/

Meatmaiden

20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket with Tasmanian pepper berry rub (200g)

Quality house-smoked brisket that was meltingly tender.

★★★★☆

Lobster Mac Cheese

This classic macaroni and cheese dish was creamy but heavy, and had a surprisingly reasonable amount of lobster in it.

★★★★☆

Southern Fried Chicken with tequila mayo

Ordinary chicken served with bland mayo.

★★☆☆☆

Pulled Pork Shoulder

Sweet tender pork that was full of flavour.

★★★☆☆

House sausage, parsley, pickled red onion

Very dense and smoky.

★★☆☆☆

Crispy skin baby snapper, charred cauliflower, green bean salad

Well cooked, light and satisfying.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Meatmaiden is the sister restaurant to barbecue shack Meatmother in Richmond, and I must say that comparatively the meat served here is just as good or if not better. For 30 days the meat is dry-aged in order to achieve its greatest flavour and tenderness, and brisket is smoked for up to 20 hours in their custom built smokers. The 20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket was certainly a highlight and is something that I would easily return for. Service was good and the atmosphere casual. Note that this place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Meatmaiden

195 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9078 7747

Home

Base Camp Northcote

Onion Bhaji

Crispy fried onion rings served with sweet tamarind chutney

★★☆☆☆

Butter Chicken

Tandoori roasted chicken tikka cooked in a rich tomato butter cream sauce

★★★☆☆

Cheese and Garlic Naan

We couldn’t decide whether to get the cheese naan or the garlic naan, so our waitress suggested that we get both. It was a great choice as this naan was simply soft and delicious!

★★★☆☆

Baigan Aur Mirchi Ka Salaan

Eggplant and capsicum in a slightly piquant sesame, tomato and coconut sauce

★★★☆☆

Pilau Rice

Fragrant and delectable

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The food here was certainly impressive and the portions were good, while the service was prompt and the atmosphere casual. This place is one of the better Indian restaurants that I have been to in a while, and undoubtedly worth a visit.

Base Camp Northcote

102 High St, Northcote, VIC

(03) 9482 1168

http://www.basecamprestaurant.com.au/

Meatmother

Wagyu Brisket and Charred Corn

The wagyu was tender and smoky, while the corn was fantastically buttery and perfectly charred.

★★★☆☆

Spare Ribs and Mac Cheese

Fairly average ribs that were a bit dry and required extra sauce. The Mac Cheese was also quite average (although I am comparing it to the delicious Lobster Mac Cheese I had at Meatmaiden).

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

This cosy little barbecue shack is a great place to head to for all you carnivores out there. Each day meat is smoked over oak for up to 12 hours which allows for the flavours to really sink in. Meat trays are offered at dinner which include the choice of one meat, one side and a serve of Texas toast (thick buttery golden brown toast). Bun trays are also available at dinner which come with the choice of a bun and a side. Service here was easy-going and the atmosphere very relaxed. Note that they only take reservations for groups of 8 people and over, and that this place is closed on Mondays.

Meatmother

167 Swan St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9041 5393

http://meatmother.com.au/

When I was in North Vietnam…

Pho bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

A trip to Vietnam is incomplete without pho.

Pho Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

I had pho almost every morning and found the broth to be simple and light. Although less ingredients are used compared to South Vietnamese pho, I found North Vietnamese pho to be delicious!

Ha Long Bay

Hạ Long Bay

Cá kho to (Vietnamese caramelised & braised catfish)

Nem cá (deep fried fish spring rolls)

Thien Cung Grotto

Buddha’s hand fruit

I saw these being offered at quite a few Buddhist temples and found their appearance to be completely bizarre. Although I didn’t get to sample any of this fruit, I discovered that aside from representing Buddha’s hands in prayer, they also represented good luck, happiness and longevity.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Sen Xanh Jelly Fish Salad

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The Presidential Palace of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Chùa Mot Cot (One Pillar Pagoda)

Văn Mieu (Temple of Literature)

The Huc bridge and Hoan Kiem lake

Thang Long Water Puppet Show

Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Pork Roll)

When I was in Turkey…

The Republic of Turkey (as it is officially known as) is a country with a vast history with cities uncovered dating back to the Neolithic Period (or New Stone Age). It is a country bordered by eight countries and three seas, and sits in two different continents (Europe and Asia). It is a place that I found to be truly fascinating and unique.

Kaymakli Underground City

Pigeon Valley

Turkish rug in the making

Turkish rugs

Börek

(Filo pastry with spinach and feta cheese)

Göreme

Turkish ceramics

Whirling Dervishes

Sultan Han

Mevlana Museum

Pamukkale

(The weather was extremely foggy and I could hardly see a thing which was hugely disappointing as the pools here are meant to be stunning)

House of the Virgin Mary

Ephesus

Asklepion

Troy

Hagia Sophia Museum

Obelisk of Theodosius

Spice Bazaar

(Where I sampled and purchased many varieties of Turkish delight!)

Bosphorus Bridge

Simit (Turkish bread ring)

Dolmabahçe Palace

(The largest palace in Turkey and a must visit if you are travelling through Istanbul. The interior is BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL however photos are not permitted once you are inside)

The Republic Monument (located in Taksim Square)

Chicken doner kebab sandwich

Topkapi Palace

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque)

Künefe

(A sweet cheese pastry that is baked until golden and crispy, steeped in a sweet syrup, and topped with ground pistachios)

A La Folie

Raspberry vanilla macaron

Praline petits choux, Rose delight macaron, White peach and blood peach petits choux, Salted caramel macaron

Chai latte & Soy latte

Overall:

A delightful French patisserie that specialises in macarons and petits choux. The macarons were good however the petits choux were simply marvellous. Light and delicate choux pastry filled with delicious crème patissière and topped with a colourful fondant. My favourite was the praline petits choux. Unfortunately the drinks we had were very watery so I suggest that you stick to the pastries. Definitely try one of their petits choux the next time you are on Chapel St.

A La Folie 2