Stokers Coffee Lounge

1033 Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe 9497 4488

Raspberry and white chocolate pancakes

(All the pancakes here look pretty much the same hence the one photo)

Overall:

The pancakes themselves were quite thin (almost crepe-like), made fresh to order and had a variety of fillings available (both savoury and sweet). The atmosphere was dim and cozy with wooden tables and benches scattered around, an old wooden upright piano sitting in a corner waiting to be played and an open fireplace in the middle of the room. Although the food and the service here is average, this place is open until 2am (except on Sundays when it is until midnight), making it a great place for a late night nibble.

India Delights

59 Mahoneys Rd, Forest Hill 9877 7593

Masala Dosa

Egg roti with dhal and curry sauce

Hor Fun

Keow Teow Goreng

Aloo Ghobi

Butter Chicken

Nasi Goreng

Chicken Nasi Briyani

Curry Laska

Roti Bomb

Roti Tissue

Thoughts:

Masala Dosa – thin indian pancake with a curry, potato and onion filling, served with coconut chutney, sambar and curry = Good

Egg roti – generous serving = Not bad

Hor Fun – soft flat rice noodles, chicken, prawns, squid, fish cake and shallots all covered in a delicious egg gravy = Excellent

Keow Teow Goreng – smoky flat rice noodles wok fried with egg, chicken, prawns, vegetables and bean shoots = Good

Aloo Ghobi – a rich creamy curry of potato and cauliflower = Good

Butter chicken – chicken cooked with tandoori, onion, sweet chilli, tomato and of course butter = Not bad

Nasi Goreng – generous serving, rice was a bit too dry = Not bad

Chicken Nasi Briyani – saffron rice served with chicken curry = Good

Curry Laksa – combination of hokkien and rice vermicelli noodles in a rich spicy coconut curry soup served with chicken, prawns, fish cakes and fried tofu (my favourite as they are able to soak up lots of the soup!) = Good

Roti Bomb – sickly sweet thick round roti = Not bad

Roti Tussue – crisp paper thin roti drizzled with condensed milk, sprinkled with sugar and chocolate powder. Yum! = Excellent

Overall:

Although named India Delights, this is in fact a Malaysian/Indian restaurant. While the decor is not the best (eg. giant asian folding fans hung up on the walls next to posters advertising Pepsi), the food here is cheap and very tasty. I’ve noticed that a lot of Malaysians and Singaporeans eat here so I’m guessing that they find the food to be quite authentic. Service here is fantastic with lovely staff who are friendly and very accommodating.

Shanghai Street Dumplings, Wontons and Noodle

64 La Trobe St, Melbourne 0405 427 910

Boiled pork dumplings

Fried chicken and prawn dumplings

Shanghai fried noodles

Pork dumplings in chilli oil

Thoughts:

Boiled pork dumplings – juicy pork filling with thick dumpling skin (compared to the fried ones which was a bit strange) = Not bad

Fried chicken and prawn dumplings – enjoyable crisp dumplings with plenty of visible prawns pieces = Good

Shanghai fried noodles – thick chewy shanghai noodles with a strong aroma of chinese mushroom = Not bad

Pork dumplings in chilli oil – moderately spicy chilli oil soup that brings out the flavour of the dumplings = Not bad

Overall:

If you are in the mood for dumplings and do not want to line up for ages at Shanghai Street Dumpling on Little Bourke St, then this is the place for you. This sister restaurant of Shanghai Street Dumpling produces food that is fast and cheap, while the service here is slightly below average. I also have to mention that when we tried to order another chicken and prawn dumplings dish, we were told that they had run out! What kind of dumpling place runs out of dumplings? (and this happened around 6:30pm!) On a more positive note, this restaurant does take reservations but just remember that it is cash only.

The Grain Store

517 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 9972 6993

Apple, rhubarb & ricotta pancakes

Chilli & fennel sausage, winter vegetable hash

Lemon meringue pie

Thoughts:

Pancakes – Extraordinary! The combination of tangy rhubarb curd, sweet apple puree, crunchy oat and honeycomb crumble and the fluffy ricotta pancakes was simply fantastic = Excellent

Chilli & fennel sausage – the egg was perfectly poached and sat upon the winter vegetable hash which was a mix of potato and sweet potato chunks. The chilli and fennel sausage was ordinary but the pear and cider relish was quite tasty = Good

Lemon meringue pie – lemon curd, marshmallow, tamarillo salsa, basil and two squares of buttery pastry made up this deconstructed pie. Despite having all the right ingredients there on the plate, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing = Not bad

Overall:

A wonderful brunch place that is hidden among dull office buildings found at the west end of Melbourne’s CBD. The food here is fresh, local, organic, and not to mention beautifully presented. The staff are friendly and there is a relaxed country kitchen feel here with its light open space and naturally colourful decor (fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers) that can be seen throughout the dining area. Best of all, this place takes reservations!

Japanese curry

Recipe:

any meat of your choice (cut into large chunks)
1 large onion (roughly chopped)
2 large potatoes (cut into large chunks)
3 carrots (cut into large chunks)
1 capsicum (or any other vegetable you have on hand, chopped)
3 cups of water
100g of Golden Curry sauce mix
soy sauce

1. Heat pan with oil, fry the onion until it becomes clear, add your meat

2. Once the meat is cooked, add the vegetables and water, bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

4. Add the Golden Curry sauce mix and stir continuously until it dissolves.

5. Add a dash of soy sauce for more flavour.

6. Take off the heat and serve with rice.

Overall:

Simple, tasty, perfect for a weekday meal. (Note that the “Hot” Golden Curry sauce mix is NOT hot at all)

The Town Mouse

312 Drummond St, Carlton 9347 3312

Goat’s cheese profiterole, caraway, thyme & honey

Crisp beef cheek, whipped white soy cream, black garlic, parsnip & yuzu

Slow roast red cabbage, prune, parmesan & red apple

Duck breast, caramelised yoghurt, sprouted wheat, elk leaves & wild mushrooms

Thoughts:

Profiteroles – creamy goat’s cheese encased in crisp pastry accompanied by the sharp taste of caraway and thyme. Regrettably, these were served cold = Not bad

Beef cheek – a combination of exotic ingredients that unfortunately resulted in an okay but unmemorable dish = Not bad

Red cabbage – who knew that you could serve cabbage this way? The sweetness of the cabbage, prunes and apples together with the saltiness of the parmasean resulted in a unique cabbage dish = Good

Duck breast – the duck was a bit chewy but everything else on the plate was delicious. The sprouted wheat provided an interesting texture = Good

Overall:

The menu is small (with everything fitting onto one page) but the ingredients that the chefs use are interesting and adventurous. The food here tastes fresh and is beautifully presented, while the service is good but can be a bit slow at times. The place itself is quite small with all of the seating being bar stools, and the decor feels cool and modern with its shiny black tiles and low hanging lights.

Luxbite

38 Toorak Road, South Yarra 9867 5888

Meringue Monster

(green tea sponge, pistachio, watermelon yoghurt, sour strawberry mousse, meringue)

Passionfruit Tart

(Passionfruit curd, meringue, kaffir lime sherbet)

Endless Love

(lychee ganache, rose cream, lychee, fresh raspberries)

Lolly Bag Cake

Thoughts:

Meringue Monster – terrific combination of flavours! The only thing that could have made this cake even more delectable was having a less dry and powdery green tea sponge (which is only noticeable if you eat this layer alone) = Excellent

Passionfruit Tart – the tangy passionfruit curd together with the sweet meringue and hint of kaffir lime resulted in a very refreshing tart. Just note that the pastry is quite solid and takes a bit of muscle to cut through = Good

Endless Love – fresh and delicate with a hint of tanginess from the raspberries = Good

Lolly Bag Cake – made famous by Masterchef, this cake is made up of seven layers that include: 2 layers of joconde almond sponge brushed with banana sweet syrup (banana lollies), freckles crunch with popping candy (chocolate freckles), spearmint leaf buttercream (spearmint leaves), mandarin Jaffa ganache (jaffas), musk stick marshmallow (musk sticks), topped with a delightful redskin glaze (redskins). A very sweet and unique creation, the best part about eating this was trying to determine which layer was which lolly = Good

Overall:

The desserts on offer here are pretty amazing: well presented and of course taste fantastic! There is a curious Asian influence with some their flavours; their macaron selection includes pandan, green tea pistachio, rose and lychee, and bamboo oolong tea. The decor here is modern with high ceilings, striped walls and a long marble communal table. Service is quick and friendly although seating is limited so expect a wait or grab a takeaway instead.

The Pour Kids

1e Winter St, Malvern 9077 3847

Duck for cover – Italian-style pork sausage, burnt butter gnocchi, fried egg and swiss chard

Stacks on – Grilled chorizo sausage, hash brown, guacamole, sour cream and roasted corn relish

Thoughts:

Duck for cover – don’t be fooled like I was, contains no duck. The gnocchi was soft, had good texture but was covered with large salt granules making them slightly crunchy which was a bit strange = Not bad

Stacks on – the chorizo sausage was overcooked and thus was dry, chewy and extremely salty. The hash brown however was terrific! = Not bad

Overall:

A bright and friendly looking place (think lots of primary colours) that has good service and a small menu of quirky named dishes (eg. Leeky coq, Bck-bck-begerk). Just note that portions are on the small side and that the chai lattes here have no sweetness to them whatsoever.

Dandenong Pavilion

61a Princes Hwy, Dandenong 9793 2133

Calamari, wild rocket and onion, tartare sauce

Chilli Prawns – Pan fried black tiger prawns, tomato, chilli, basil, finished off in white wine & parsley

Risotto Pescatore – Mixed seafood, pan fried with tomato, spring onion & garlic

Vegetable Risotto – Roasted mediterranean vegetables & baby spinach, finished with napoli, white wine, spring onion & garlic

Mediterranean Chicken – Chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese, semi dried tomato & spinach, served on scallop potatoes

BBQ Pork ribs – American back ribs with BBQ sauce, chips and salad

Chicken Florentine – Combination of diced chicken breast, creamed spinach and cheese, wrapped in puff pastry and oven baked, with mushroom sauce, served with chips and salad

Creme brûlée with mixed berries, berry sauce & chocolate flakes

Waffle Stack – Three waffles, layered with vanilla custard, chocolate fudge sauce, mixed berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Thoughts:

Calamari – light and crispy, lemony and peppery, a great starter dish = Good

Chilli prawns – light tomato based dish that was mildly spicy = Not bad

Risotto Pescatore – strong tomato taste, generous serving size, came with lots of seafood = Not bad

Vegetable Risotto – strong tomato taste, generous serving size, very tasty roasted vegetables (this is one of the few vegetarian dishes that I actually sometimes crave) = Good

Mediterranean Chicken – chicken was slightly dry while everything else was fairy average. (note that you have to allow for 25 minutes if you decide to order this dish) = Not bad

BBQ Pork ribs – soft tender pork that tasted so-so = Not bad

Chicken Florentine – rich chicken filling, crisp buttery pastry, creamy mushroom sauce. Add these together for an amazing dish. (note that if you prefer your chips to be more crunchy than soft, ask to have them served on the side) = Excellent

Creme brûlée – the caramel surface did not crack properly which was disappointing, creme brûlée itself was average, mixed berries were sour and the chocolate flakes had lost their flavour and tasted old = Not bad

Waffle Stack – thick tantalising waffles that had a good balance between sweet and sour = Good

Overall:

A place that you would not expect to find in Dandenong. This restaurant attracts quite a crowd as the food is consistent, the atmosphere is very welcoming and the service is always great.

The Last Piece

7/2 Stadium Circuit, Mulgrave 9545 3040

Spiced school prawns with saffron aioli

Chunky chips with aioli

Hunter & collectors pizza – tomato, roasted chicken, peppers, flor di latte, olives and mushroom

I like italian sausage pizza – tomato, fior di latte, pork & fennel salsiccia, broccollini, cherry tomato and oregano

Penne grande with pork & fennel sausage, broccolini, cherry tomatoes, fresh chilli and white wine

Chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice cream

Flourless orange cake with blood orange sorbet

Spanish doughnuts with vanilla custard and nutella

Thoughts:

Prawns – the batter was unfortunately too hard and was difficult to cut, but the saffron aioli was nice = Not bad

Chips – regular chunky chips = Not bad

Hunters and collectors/I like italian sausage pizza – freshly made thin pizza bases with a decent amount of topping = Not bad

Penne – pasta was a bit undercooked = Not bad

Chocolate fondant – dense and tasted quite eggy, while the salted caramel ice cream was overly salty = Not bad

Orange cake – extremely moist and left a distinct orange peel aftertaste, while the sorbet was sweet and citrusy (tasted just like blood orange soft drink) = Not bad

Spanish doughnuts – are a different shape and are slightly more dense than regular doughnuts, but otherwise taste pretty much the same = Not bad

Overall:

An average pizza and pasta place located in a newly developed residential area that happens to overlook Waverley Park oval (where the Hawthorn football club train). Service was good (although our waitress wanted to clear our plates time and time again before we had even finished eating), and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed.