Montalto Restaurant and Winery

33 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South 5989 8412

Ricotta dumplings, roasted pumpkin, oyster mushroom, kale & pinenuts

Beef eye fillet, celeriac puree, asparagus, glazed shallots

Three pepper duck breast, whitlof tart

Overall:

The views that can be seen of the vineyard are simply stunning, and there are plenty of interesting sculptures scattered around the estate. Service was a bit slow even though they weren’t particularly busy at the time (weekday lunchtime). The food was beautifully presented although portions were smaller than what I would have liked. The dishes we ordered used fresh ingredients and were good but nothing spectacular. Would I come back just for the food? Probably not. But would I come back for the amazing views, unique sculptures and the wine? Perhaps.

Eden Espresso

121 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern 9509 9119

Olive Bread Benedict

Middle Eastern Eggs

Thoughts:

Olive Bread Benedict – 2 slightly overcooked poached eggs served on Noisette’s Kalamatta Olive Sourdough with a slice of fresh tomato, baby spinach, crispy grilled bacon and drizzled with a lovely home-made hollandaise sauce. I probably would not have ordered this had it not been for the olive sourdough which definitely made this dish extra yummy. I love olive sourdough = Good

Middle Eastern Eggs – 2 poached eggs served in quite a spicy tomato concasse, topped with squeaky pan-fried haloumi, chorizo, spring onions and a side of crusty Turkish bread = Not bad

Overall:

A nice place for breakfast if you happen to be in the area. The service is quick and there is heaps of seating room (tables and couches inside, a small back room as well as an outside courtyard).

Hobba

428 Malvern Road, Prahran 9510 8336

Bubble and Squeak

Smashed Avocado (with a side of smoked trout)

Thoughts:

Bubble and Squeak – comes with half a roasted tomato, a fried egg, a thick slab of bacon, sourdough toast and some enticing brown butter hollandaise sauce = Not bad

Smashed Avocado – a huge serving of creamy, lemony avocado with Yarra Valley fetta that comes with a free range 63˚C slow poached egg on some delightful pumpkin grain toast = Good

Overall:

I’m slowly working my way through the Herald Sun’s list of Melbourne’s 25 best breakfasts and came here to try out their Bubble and Squeak (which disappointingly turned out to be just okay). The service here was average, but what made this place stand out for me was the actual building and its decor. This cafe used to be an old warehouse and still has an industrial feel to it with its exposed brick walls, super high ceilings, wooden beams and concrete floors. This all just added to the charm of this place and made for a really funky dining atmosphere.

Mehfil Indian Restaurant

291 Corrigan Rd, Keysborough 9798 7544

Mango lassi

Pakoras (Cauliflower and spinach fritters)

Paneer Pakora (Cottage cheese fritters)

Beef Madras, Baingan Ka Bharta and Chicken Butter Masala

Masala Kulcha (Naan stuffed with potatoes, onions, green peas, cheese and coriander)

Garlic Naan bread

Thoughts:

Mango lassi – very thick with a subtle hint of mango = Not bad

Pakoras – hot crispy batter that contained lots of spices. I preferred the cauliflower fritters over the spinach ones as the spinach fritters were simply batter = Not bad

Paneer Pakora – crispy on the outside, soft cottage cheese on the inside = Not bad

Beef Madras – spicy beef curry that was cooked with capsicum, coconut milk and a touch of vindaloo = Good

Baingan Ka Bharta – tasty eggplant curry that was cooked with onions, tomatoes and an abundance of peas = Good

Chicken Butter Masala – chicken cooked in a tandoor oven that is simmered in a sweet tomato sauce and is finished with butter, cream and cashew nuts = Good

Masala Kulcha – there was hardly anything stuffed into this naan bread except for a paper thin scraping of potato. However the naan bread itself was yummy = Not bad

Garlic Naan bread – tantalising naan that had been brushed with crushed garlic = Good

Overall:

Although this place may look ordinary from the outside (plain red brick building that looks like a house), it certainly serves up some tasty North Indian and Tandoori cuisine. Keep in mind that the level of spiciness of the food is mild unless you specify that you want it medium or hot. Although the service is friendly, it can sometimes be a bit slow depending on how busy they are at the time. Note that this place is in the Entertainment Book.

Lasagne

Recipe from: Best Recipes

Overall:

Delicious lasagne that didn’t turn out too wet or too dry, and tasted even better the following day!

Soba noodle salad

I went to a potluck a little while ago and a friend of mine made this amazing salad. It was light, crunchy, sweet, tangy and had a distinctive sesame flavour to it. I was desperate for the recipe and when I asked for it, my friend simply stated that it was all in the dressing: Roasted Sesame Kewpie Japanese Dressing.

So this dressing can be found at asian grocery stores, particularly the ones that stock Japanese and Korean items.

Recipe:

Soba noodles
Kewpie Japanese dressing
Carrots (cut julienne)
Cucumber (cut julienne)
Baby Spinach leaves
Sesame seeds
Hard boiled eggs (optional)

Method:

1. Cook soba noodles according to package directions

2. Once the noodles are cooked, drain under cold running water for a few minutes minutes until they feel silky

3. In a large bowl combine the noodles, carrots, cucumber, spinach, hard boiled eggs (sliced) and Kewpie dressing. Mix well.

4. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds

Radio Mexico

11 Carlisle Street, St Kilda 9534 9990

Corn on the cob

Calabaza picante taco

Albondigas

Quesadillas

Thoughts:

Corn – every time I venture to a new Mexican place, I always try the corn. (On a side note my favourite places so far in terms of Mexican grilled corn are The Black Toro and Mamasita) So I found the corn here to be wonderfully sweet and smoky, with just the right amount of cheese on it (ie. enough to flavour but not overpower) = Good

Calabaza picante taco – a delightful combination of spicy roast pumpkin, corn, goats curd and pepitas (chipotle roasted pumpkin seeds) = Good

Albondigas – mildly spicy meatballs (that contained beef, pork and rice), salsa, homemade crema, served with green rice. This was my first Mexican green rice experience, and I am hooked! This rice was full of flavour and was simply delicious! = Good

Quesadillas – corn tortillas with a cheese filling that gets toasted on the barbeque. There are two filling options available: the first being potato and chorizo, the second being bean, corn and roasted capsicum. Both were tasty but I probably enjoyed the vegetarian one more = Good

Overall:

Quick service, relaxed atmosphere, a funky place serves up some pretty tasty Mexican food. Note that this place does not take bookings.

Tanabe Japanese Restaurant

479 Main St, Mordialloc 9588 2881

Kushikatsu

Tempura

Salmon and avocado hako sushi

Sushi moriawase

Thoughts:

Kushikatsu – crumbed pork and onion skewers that were sweet and tender = Good

Tempura – really light and crispy, some of the best tempura batter that I’ve had in a while = Good

Salmon and avocado hako sushi – you can’t go wrong combining fresh salmon with creamy avocado = Good

Sushi moriawase – included fresh tuna, salmon, white fish, prawn and egg. Each piece had a small amount of wasabi between the rice and the top layer, giving it a tasty kick = Good

Overall:

Enjoyable food, simple decor, Japanese chefs in the kitchen and friendly Japanese waiters who are extremely polite and attentive.

Samurai

804 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn 9819 4858

Green tea milkshake

Takoyaki

Gyoza

Samurai sashimi

Steak teriyaki

Thoughts:

Green tea milkshake – essentially green tea ice cream in a cup which meant that it was super thick, super sweet and super fantastic = Excellent

Takoyaki – slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside = Good

Gyoza – strong aroma of ginger, and I found parts of the dumpling skin to be thick and chewy = Not bad

Samurai sashimi – fresh slices of tuna and salmon = Good

Steak teriyaki – tough pieces of slightly overcooked steak drizzled with teriyaki sauce, served with rice and salad = Not bad

Overall:

This busy little place attracts quite a crowd as the the service is quick and polite, and the food is quite reasonably priced (especially the lunch and dinner boxes).

Two Brothers

558 Mitcham Road, Mitcham 8838 8145

Breakfast tortilla

Ando’s baked beans

Pina colada pancakes

Thoughts:

Breakfast tortilla – pulled pork and beans in soft mini gluten free tortillas topped with a poached egg, a tiny amount of avocado salsa, chilli oil and mint. This was my first time eating a gluten free tortilla and I must say that I am not a big fan. Although they were soft, they still tasted dry and not quite right = Not bad

Ando’s baked beans – baked beans with goats cheese, baby herb mix and a poached egg served with multigrain bread = Not bad

Pina colada pancakes – light, fluffy coconut pancakes served with a deliciously tart yet sweet lemon and lime curd, grilled pineapple, a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, coconut flakes and macadamia nuts = Good

Overall:

A bright welcoming atmosphere, friendly service, delicious pancakes. Note that this place is closed on Sundays.