When I was in Western Australia…

Covering one third of the Australian continent, Western Australia is a vast state filled with astonishingly diverse landscapes and incredible natural diversity. Its capital city Perth is considered to be the world’s most isolated continental capital city and I spent a sizeable amount of time driving from place to place. But it was worth it.

Food reviews to come!

The Pinnacles

Fremantle Market 2

Fremantle Markets

Nilgen Lookout

Town Hall – York

Penny Farthing

Penny Farthing Sweets – York

Mount Brown Lookout

Canola Fields

Wave Rock

Little Salmon Bay – Rottnest Island

West End

Cape Vlamingh – Rottnest Island

Quokkas

Quokkas – Rotttnest Island

Bathurst Lighthouse – Rottnest Island

John Forrest

John Forrest National Park

National Park Falls – John Forrest National Park

Swan View Tunnel – John Forrest National Park

Hovea Falls – John Forrest National Park

Kings Park

Kings Park – Perth

DNA Tower – Perth

The Perth Mint

Busselton Jetty

Cape Leuwin

Cape Leeuwin

Hamelin Bay

Lake Cave

The Margaret River Chocolate Company

Okra

Cassava crackers with sambal

You can’t go wrong with fresh complimentary crackers.

★★★☆☆

Eggplant with Homemade Sambal

★★☆☆☆

Ayam Merah Nonya

(red curry chicken with kaffir lime leaves)

Mildly spicy, tender chicken.

★★★☆☆

Pad Thai

(rice noodles with chicken, prawns, bean shoots and peanuts)

The tastiest Pad Thai I’ve had in a while. The noodles were cooked perfectly and unlike many other places, the dish wasn’t laden with sugar.

★★★★☆

Duo Seafood

(scallops and prawns with palm sugar and chilli)

From the menu description I thought this dish would predominantly comprise of scallops and prawns, not vegetables.

★★☆☆☆

Twice-cooked Black Pepper Duck with Champignon

Cooking the duck twice removed it from all its flavour, while the sauce had a disagreeable liver taste to it.

★☆☆☆☆

Overall:

Apart from the Pad Thai, the food was unremarkable. The staff however were very attentive as our dishes were taken away as soon as we were done with them and our water glasses were constantly being refilled (I don’t think my glass ever reached half empty). Note that this place is in the Entertainment Book.

Okra

159 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East, VIC

(03) 9813 1623

http://www.okrahawthorn.com.au/

Heroes Burger Diner

All Star Burger

(beef patty, cheese, bacon, egg, house BBQ sauce, sweet onion, tomato relish, American mustard, tomato sauce, added beetroot, house baked brioche bun)

Heavy and overpoweringly sweet.

★★☆☆☆

HFC Burger

(crispy fried chicken, tasty cheese, coleslaw, jalapeños, chipotle sauce, house baked brioche bun)

Also a heavy burger, but at least I could taste all the ingredients in this one.

★★☆☆☆

Curly Fries

Dry and ordinary.

★★☆☆☆

Salted Caramel Milkshake

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The decor here is awesome. Colourful comic strips line the walls and toy figures of heroes and villains are peppered throughout the diner. Service was quick and the food was well priced but ordinary. The burgers we sampled were overloaded with sauces which quickly led to soggy burgers. We also left the place smelling strongly like the grill (Korean BBQ style) so I think that the ventilation here could be improved.

Heroes Burger Diner

Shop 14/6 Fordholm Rd, Hampton Park, VIC

(03) 8768 8868

Dexter

Fried Chicken Bun

The green chilli slaw tasted very Asian-like (in a good way) and complemented the juicy fried chicken.

★★★☆☆

Burnt Sriracha Corn

Nicely charred and smoky tasting.

★★★☆☆

Shoestring Fries with BBQ Rub and Aioli

Light, crisp, non-greasy, addictive.

★★★★☆

Hot Meat Donuts

As soon as I saw these on the menu, I was intrigued…

Would the flavours of the pulled pork and the sweet crispy donut go together? Well they sure did! What was great was that the donut’s sweetness didn’t overpower the pork, and that the sweet and mildly spicy accompanying sauce made these donuts taste even better.

★★★★☆

Kurobuta Pork Loin with Mash, Pickles and Slaw

Perfectly cooked flavoursome pork.

★★★☆☆

Cured Beef Brisket with Mash, Pickles, Slaw and Charred Sourdough

Enjoyable beef but I still prefer slow cooked brisket to cured brisket.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Bright and inviting space, prompt service, great food.

Dexter

456 High St, Preston, VIC

(03) 9973 3577

http://www.dexter.melbourne/

Lot 3

Soda fountain with house-made sodas

Yuzu Soda

Zesty and aromatic, this soda was undeniably refreshing.

★★★★☆

Chai Latte

Creamy, subtly sweet and spicy.

★★★★☆

Refried Pasta In Red Sauce

Hearty with a delicious sweetness from the caramelised onions.

★★★☆☆

Pressed Pork Jowl In A Bun

Fantastic combination of flavours, crunchy tender pork.

★★★★☆

Eggplant Parma In A Bun

A very palatable burger except the eggplant was extremely soft and just went everywhere with every bite.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Located in the former train master’s house at Ripponlea Station, Lot 3 is a unique eatery that offers uncomplicated quality food. The owners previously worked at Attica and take pride in hand making almost everything on their menu here at Lot 3. Although there are only a handful of items on the menu, the menu does change weekly. The staff were lovely and the space is small and simple with only 16 seats available. I envy the commuters of Ripponlea Station and their easy access to this gem of a place.

Lot 3

3 Glen Eira Ave, Ripponlea, VIC

(03) 9972 9523

The Black Toro

Coconut Kingfish Ceviche – young coconut, tomato, cucumber, chilli

This basically tasted like an amazing curry dish – fresh and creamy, with a bit of heat from the chilli.

★★★★☆

Grilled Corn On The Cob – chipotle mayo, ground masa, lime

I love grilled corn and whenever I see it on a menu somewhere, I always order it and then compare it to the corn here at The Black Toro. It’s been years since I’ve had this and after my first bite I felt super ecstatic as the corn was still as incredible as I remembered it to be.

★★★★★

Spicy Pulled Pork Tacos – soft corn tortilla, sriracha mayo, cabbage slaw

These were some tasty tacos and I really appreciated how they were served on a warm plate so that the tortillas would remain soft and warm for longer.

★★★★☆

Salmon Tartare – avocado puree, radish, toasted black sesame, puffed rice chicharon

The salmon needed a bit more seasoning otherwise this was a light and enjoyable dish.

★★★☆☆

Crispy Pork Hock – masterstock braised pork, guajilo chilli caramel, green apple salsa verde, butter lettuce

Sticky, sweet, and full of flavour. I made such a mess wrapping my pork up but it was totally worth it.

★★★★☆

Dessert Tasting Plate

Can’t pick a dessert? Why not try everything!

★★★★☆

Passionfruit Tart – berries, toasted meringue, mint

Beautifully presented with a lovely balance of sweetness and tartness. Meanwhile the combination of the smooth filling, the fresh fruit and the dehydrated fruit provided delightful texture variation.

Deconstructed Peanut Butter Cheesecake – chocolate ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, honeycomb

Best eaten with a little bit of everything on your spoon, as the peanut butter was extremely rich on its own.

Chocolate Brownie – salted caramel, popcorn, vanilla ice cream

These brownies were phenomenal – extremely smooth and highly decadent. They tasted amazing on their own, and the other additions were merely added bonuses.

Arroz Con Leche – coconut rice pudding, saffron spiced pear, cinnamon, walnut

Creamy and satisfying.

Overall:

Always a great experience. The food, service and ambience is brilliant, and the grilled corn is still my absolute favourite in Melbourne!

The Black Toro

79 Kingsway, Glen Waverley, VIC

(03) 9561 9696

Home

Seoul Soul

Chargrilled Pork Belly

Dry and chewy.

★★☆☆☆

Stir Fried Beef Noodles

★★★☆☆

Kimchi Fries with Cheese

Spicy and delicious.

★★★☆☆

Seafood Pancake

★★★☆☆

Deep Fried School Prawns

Crispy and addictive, especially with the accompanying sweet chilli sauce.

★★★★☆

Bong Bong Grape Drink

I loved how this came with actual grapes in it!

★★★★☆

Overall:

Small place with quick service and tasty Korean fare. I’d visit again if I was in the area and was after a quick Korean meal.

Seoul Soul

323 Victoria St, Abbotsford, VIC

0478 768 760

http://www.seoulsoulgroup.com/#organic-korean-cuisine

Two Little Piggies

Pea & Ham – crisp roasted pork belly, poached free range eggs, green pea veloute, sourdough toast

Heavenly succulent pork with a beautiful crispy crackling. The pea veloute was also superb and the eggs were well poached.

★★★★☆

Little Pig Cubano – Mojo pulled pork, Grandmother ham, Blackjack cheddar, pickles, dijon mustard

A wonderful union of delicious ingredients made this a very enjoyable (and very filling) sandwich.

★★★★☆

Majestic Fries – duck fat and mustard aioli

Generous serving of light crispy fries.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Relaxed vibe, simple decor, easy going service. With a porcine influenced menu and an enticing charcuterie selection, the owners of this place are clearly passionate about meat. Choosing what to order was extremely difficult as everything sounded absolutely amazing. In the end I really enjoyed what we had picked out and will certainly return to sample some more dishes.

Two Little Pigs

146 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, VIC

(03) 9939 4042

HealthBreak

It’s lunchtime at your workplace and you are starving. You want something that tastes good, is cheap and healthy, and gives back to the community. But where can you find such a thing? The answer is HealthBreak!

HealthBreak is a gourmet delivery service that provide Melbournians with lunches that are nutritionally wholesome, of high quality, support local producers and are made in kitchens by artisans. They are a not-for-profit social enterprise that aim to fight hunger in Melbourne. With each meal purchased from HealthBreak, a donation is made to a local food charity such as Second Bite, FareShare, Oz Harvest or Foodbank Victoria.

For more information about HealthBreak visit: healthbreak.com.au

I was recently approached by Rob Anderson who is the CEO and co-founder of HealthBreak to sample one of their meals for myself. I decided to try the spinach and ricotta ravioli in napoli sauce. The meal was delivered chilled and was ready to eat after a quick zap in the microwave. The ravioli itself was soft and surprisingly non soggy, while the napoli sauce tasted fresh and healthy.

The menu changes weekly and meals are delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays. A lunch meal and health drink combo will only set you back $13.50 and delivery is free. So why not try HealthBreak for lunch and in doing so, help out some people in need.

The General Food Store

Arabesque

(poached eggs, grilled halloumi, beetroot relish, hazelnut dukkah, baby spinach, toasted sourdough)

★★★☆☆

El Capitan

(pan fried chorizo, spring onion, pea and chard, white bean puree, poached eggs, toasted sourdough)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

This cosy cafe has a teeny-tiny kitchen so it was understandable as to why it took some time for our food to come out. The menu is small and changes monthly as they use seasonal ingredients that are mainly sourced from local and greater Victorian food regions. Note that this place doesn’t take bookings but if you call up 20 minutes before you arrive, they will reserve a table for you.

The General Food Store

377 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd, Emerald, VIC

(03) 5968 3580

http://www.thegeneralfoodstore.com.au/