Beef

Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill

80 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin 95550909

Hummer burger (180g grass-fed beef pattie, tomato, jalapeño, spanish onion, cucumber, tasty cheese and Fat Bob’s “Hummer” spicy mayo) with fries and tomato relish

Jackie O burger (180g grass-fed beef pattie, tomato, spanish onion, fontina cheese, cos lettuce, mustard, tomato sauce and Fat Bob’s special sauce)

Popcorn chicken with sweet chilli mayo

Overall:

Fat Bob’s had been on my places to eat list for awhile and I was very excited to finally get my hands on one of their burgers. The verdict? Solid burgers that will satisfy any burger craving. Although the beef patties were bland, it didn’t matter as the other ingredients (especially the tasty sauces) made up for this lack of flavour. I fancied the Jackie O burger more so than the Hummer burger as the ingredients in the Hummer burger reminded me of the ingredients you get in a Subway sandwich. Similar to the beef patties I found the popcorn chicken and the chips to also be bland, requiring the sauces to provide flavour. Service was friendly (note that you place your order at the counter) and the decor was perfect for a burger joint (plenty of signs, posters and glowing neon lights). Definitely give this place a go if you are in the area and have a hankering for a good burger.

Jyu-Jyu

339 Clayton Rd, Clayton 9562 6269

Tori no Karaage

Salmon Sashimi

Spicy Ramen

Takoyaki

Jyu Jyu Upgrade Bento

Beef Una Bento

Thoughts:

Tori no Karaage – crunchy deep fried chicken that lacked flavour = Not bad

Salmon Sashimi – thickly sliced = Not bad

Spicy Ramen – Beef, egg, corn, seaweed and hot spicy sauce served in ramen soup. This dish was actually spicy making it a nice winter warmer = Not bad

Takoyaki – soft creamy octopus balls drizzled with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise = Good

Jyu Jyu Upgrade Bento – gyoza that tasted like it had been reheated, remarkably sweet teriyaki chicken, sukiyaki beef, salad and rice = Not bad

Beef Una Bento – a modest portion of grilled eel on rice, salad and sukiyaki beef = Not bad

Overall:

Simple tiny place, friendly Japanese staff, cheap average food.

Nshry

129a Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park 9682 1077

Umami Burger

Corn and Zucchini Fritters

Coffee Syphon

Thoughts:

Umami Burger – 200g Wagyu and Angus beef (cooked medium rare unless otherwise specified), umami rub, brown mushroom sauce, gruyere, caramelised onions, oven roasted tomato and a parmesan crisp between a sweet brioche bun with a side of beer battered chips, coleslaw, cornichons, spicy chip dip, tomato sauce and wasabi kewpie. Don’t be fooled by the petite size of this burger as it is quite heavy and filling. The beef patty itself lacked flavour but the other ingredients made up for it. The chips were satisfying (crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside) and the selection of side dips were great. (I particularly enjoyed the wasabi kewpie) = Good

Corn and Zucchini Fritters – a generous serving of crunchy panko crumbed corn and zucchini fritters topped with smoked salmon, avocado, a perfectly poached egg and wasabi kewpie = Good

Overall:

Nshry (pronounced ‘noshery’) offers beautiful beachfront views and a tasty unique Japanese inspired menu. You have to work a little bit to get the attention from the staff but at least the food comes out quickly. This place is quite small and the tables inside can get a bit cramped on days when the weather isn’t so good so best to come along on a warm and pretty day.

Ramen Burger

Recipe:

1 pack of ramen or instant noodles
2 eggs
1 beef burger patty
1 slice of Tasty cheese
1 slice of canned beetroot
handful of rocket
tomato sauce

Method:

1. Cook noodles according to directions on the package. (I didn’t add any noodle seasoning but you can if you want to) Drain the noodles and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Whisk 1 egg into a bowl and add the noodles. Mix well to ensure that the noodles are coated with the egg. Divide the egg-dressed noodles in half and place each half into a ramekin or other round container. Cover the noodles with plastic wrap, and place a can of soup or heavy bowl on top to press it into shape. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

3. Add oil to a pan and once the oil is hot, cook the noodle buns until each side is golden brown.

4. Cook the burger patty on a pan and once it’s cooked to your liking, place the cheese on top so that it melts onto it.

5. Fry 1 egg sunny side up.

6. Time to assemble the burger! The order I did this was: noodle bun, tomato sauce, burger patty (cheese side up), fried egg, beetroot, rocket and second noodle bun.

Overall:

A burger that looks terrific and tastes terrific!

Nieuw Amsterdam

106-112 Hardware Street, Melbourne 9602 2111

House baked sourdough

Black kingfish ceviche

Chicken waffles

Smokey beef brisket

Rabbit meatballs

Grits fritters

Baked eggplant

Peanut butter sandwich

Pumpkin donuts

Thoughts:

House baked sourdough – tasted more like regular bread than sourdough as it did not have that mild sour taste. However this bread did have a crispy yet oily crust reminiscent to that of pan fried pizza base = Good

Black kingfish ceviche – served with daikon, dashi dressing, crunchy quinoa and finger limes. A fresh and cool combination of flavours and textures = Good

Chicken waffles – strong flavoured pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin and orange caramel = Not bad

Smokey beef brisket – juicy pieces of beef served with carrot remoulade = Good

Rabbit meatballs – dry gamey meatballs, undercooked tagliatelle, sofrito, and roast tomato sauce. Note that this dish is no longer on the menu = Bad

Grits fritters – marvelously fluffy fritters served with a variety of sweetcorn and heirloom beetroots = Good

Baked eggplant – served with grilled tofu, mushrooms and spiced yogurt = Good

Peanut butter sandwich – served with cherry ripe ice cream, peanuts, salted caramel and chocolate sauce. It’s such a shame that this dessert is no longer on the menu as it was delicious! = Good

Pumpkin donuts – crispy deep fried donuts served with Kentucky bourbon whipped cream. The donuts by themselves are quite dry so need to be eaten together with the cream = Not bad

Overall:

Great food, good service, dark and sleek atmosphere. This place is absolutely worth visiting.

Mrs Kim’s Grill

136 Koornang Road, Carnegie 9563 4424

Moo set

Oink set

Thoughts:

Moo set – 350g of marinated Galbi beef ribs, 150g of Skirt steak, tomato and avocado salsa salad = Good

Oink set – 250g of chilli pork belly, 150g of pork neck fillet, smoked salmon and onion salad = Good

Note that each set comes with butter and garlic potatoes, corn, soup of the day (which was soy bean paste soup), and rice for two.

The complimentary side dishes that are served with all meals include: homemade kimchi, pickled onion, spring onion salad, ssamjang soy bean, dipping sauce, and pepper and garlic salt.

Overall:

Really delicious and well marinated meat! In fact everything here was very tasty. My only complaint is that the meat sets need to be bigger so that there is more meat to be enjoyed! The atmosphere is casual and the staff are efficient and friendly.

Wah Kee

338 Clayton Rd, Clayton 9544 5156

Rendang Daging

Curry Laksa

Salt and Pepper Squid

Stir fried Chinese water spinach

Eggplant with Bean sauce

Char Hor Fun

Cha Kueh Teow

Thoughts:

Rendang Daging – steak pieces cooked in spices and desiccated coconut = Not bad

Curry Laksa – a bland mix of noodles, fish cake, chicken, roast pork and fried bean curd in a coconut milk curry soup = Not bad

Salt and Pepper Squid – well seasoned pieces of delightfully crispy squid = Not bad

Stir fried Chinese water spinach – simple and not overly oily = Not bad

Eggplant with Bean sauce – the eggplant skin was a bit too chewy, but apart from that it was quite a tasty dish = Not bad

Char Hor Fun – stir fried rice noodles with pork, chicken, squid, prawns and vegetables, topped with egg gravy = Not bad

Cha Kueh Teow – stir fried rice noodles with shrimp, roast pork, egg, bean shoots and chilli = Not bad

Overall:

The food here is typical of a Chinese-Malaysian restaurant with no particular dishes standing out. The staff are friendly and the service is quick. Note that they are closed on Tuesdays.

Lake House

4 King St, Daylesford 5348 3329

Olive crisps, churros and olive aioli

Tuna sashimi, sea lettuce, buckwheat, avocado, bonito aioli, nori, mojama

Freshly baked grain roll, flaxseed crisps, white bread rolls

Eel, pancetta, beets

Mt Mercer pork, fermented pickles

XO braised pastured beef, grilled bug

Brioche french toast, Holy Goat cheese, poached pear

Lollipop

(lemon curd covered with Italian meringue)

Chocolate mousse, raspberry sorbet, fresh raspberries

White chocolate and cranberry squares with almond biscuits

Overall:

A trip to Daylesford is never complete for me unless I dine at this outstanding restaurant. Situated upon Lake Daylesford, this place offers impressive views of both the lake and of surrounding wildlife (which includes a local kookaburra family who fly in everyday to be fed). The decor here is absolutely beautiful and service is very professional. The menus are altered twice each season to ensure the usage of the best available produce. We chose to get the Summer Tasting Degustation and found every single dish to be superb with all the fresh ingredients and amazing flavours. Definitely worth a visit the next time you are in Daylesford!

Cutler & Co.

55-57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy 9419 4888

Seaweed and tapioca cracker with eggplant puree and black sesame

Rye toast with crème fraîche, smoked trout and Avruga cavier

Kingfish sashimi, green strawberries, sorrel and apple

Peas, baby zucchini, toasted seeds, onion and bergamot

WA marron, buttermilk potato, fermented carrot and Espelette

Smoked duck breast, boudin noir, beetroot and sour cherry

Wood grilled beef rib, kohlrabi and sesame

Cream, watermelon and lychee granita

Earl grey ice cream, chocolate, cherries and brandy jelly

Overall:

I was very excited to finally try out this place as I am a fan of chef Andrew McConnell having previously dined at his other restaurants Cumulus Inc. and Golden Fields, and absolutely loving the food. Located in an old metal works factory, this restaurant occupies a large interesting space filled with stripped back brick walls, high ceilings, exotic ferns and warm wooden tones. We decided to get the degustation menu (which changes quite often) and were quite impressed with the food served. The only problem with having really delicious degustation food is that before you know it, your plate is empty and you are left wanting more! This is definitely a place that I would visit again.

Joe’s Bar and Dining Hall

64-66 Acland St, St Kilda 9525 3755

Greenvale Farm Pork Sliders

Bucket of JFC

Harissa chicken salad

Romsey range beef burger

Sausage sizzle kransky

Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Thoughts:

Greendale Farm Pork Sliders – pork, pickled cabbage, BBQ sauce and apple puree. The hint of sweetness from the apple puree completed the taste of these yummy sliders = Good

JFC – four huge pieces of crispy (boneless!) chicken served with chipotle mayo = Excellent

Harissa chicken salad – tender harissa chicken, beetroot, goats cheese, rocket, pepita seeds and quinoa. I normally don’t order salads but I’m so glad that we did because it was surprisingly fantastic! = Excellent

Romsey range beef burger – deliciously juicy Romsey range beef, lettuce, cheese, red onion, pickles, mustard mayo and tomato sauce. A tasty no frills basic beef burger = Good

Sausage sizzle kransky – salty kransky served with cider onions, vermont cabot cheese, bourbon mustard and cabbage = Not bad

Mac ‘N’ Cheese – macaroni pasta with vermot cabot cheese and a sage and garlic crust = Good

Overall:

It’s a shame that this place always seems to be quiet whenever I pass by because the food here is something worth talking about. Not to mention that you get also get complimentary chipotle popcorn! The staff here are great however service from the kitchen can be a bit slow. The atmosphere is average but if you go on a friday or saturday night, there is a house DJ (who is awkwardly placed on the far side of the room near the toilets) that plays from 9pm till late.