caramelised onions

Laurie Dee’s

Chili Cheese Fries

(fries topped with mild beef chili, cheese sauce and diced onions)

★★★★☆

Chicago Dog

(tomatoes, pickles, diced onions, relish, cucumber, mustard and celery salt on a butter toasted bun)

★★★☆☆

The Laurie Dee

(minced patty, caramelised onions, melted cheddar, special D’sauce, tomato, lettuce, diced pickles, relish)

★★★☆☆

Strawberry Shortcake Sundae

(vanilla custard with a base of shortbread crumbles, topped with real strawberry sauce, coconut flakes and whipped cream)

★★★★☆

Overall:

So the way it works at Laurie Dee’s is that you order and pay at the counter, receive a ticket number, and collect your food on a tray once your number is called out. The place wasn’t full at the time and we waited around 15-20 minutes for our number to be called out. As for the food, it was simple, greasy, and somewhat messily thrown together. There was almost a fast food quality about everything so as long as you know that this is what you are in for, you won’t be disappointed.

Laurie Dee’s

Epping Plaza Shopping Centre, 571-583 High St, Epping, VIC

(03) 9408 0196

http://www.lauriedees.com.au/

Oasis Bakery

Archie’s Avocado

(smashed avocado with feta, Oasis Bakery’s Archie’s Blend #2, charred corn, quinoa, salmon, poached eggs topped with duqqa and zaatar dressing)

I can appreciate this place trying to deviate from the conventional smashed avo dish but the Archie’s Blend just didn’t do it for me and neither did the smashed avocado, which was intensely sour.

★★☆☆☆

Carnival Hotcakes

(two buttermilk hotcakes, salted caramel sauce, honey popcorn, toasted marshmallow and fairy floss)

These were some pretty good hotcakes! And although I have a big sweet tooth, I recommend sharing this dish otherwise it can be a bit overwhelming.

★★★★☆

Roast Pumpkin Parcel

(roast pumpkin, caramelised onions, basil, pine nuts, spinach, halloumi)

Somewhat bland and ordinary.

★★☆☆☆

Chips

These had great crunch and were nicely salted.

★★★☆☆

Triple Cheese Pie

(halloumi, feta, shanklish and a red pepper pesto)

Perfect for cheese lovers like myself.

★★★★☆

Big Chicken Cheeser

(a quarter pound of chicken, halloumi cheese, chips, BBQ sauce)

This huge wrap was very filling and contained lots of delicious tender chicken.

★★★☆☆

Ayran Yogurt Drink

A little too tart for me but I liked how it cut through the heaviness of the food we had.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

This popular bakery/cafe/grocery store is always buzzing with people and it’s easy to understand why. There is a huge assortment of delicious food available, the service is hassle free (you order at the counter and collect your food once your buzzer rings), and the atmosphere very laid-back. A unique place that is worth visiting if you are after Middle Eastern inspired food and/or groceries.

Oasis Bakery

9/993 North Rd, Murrumbeena, VIC

(03) 9570 1122

http://oasisbakery.com.au/

Pizza Religion

Pork Pizza

(pork sausage, chilli, fennel, apple and cabbage salad)

Quite enjoyable but there wasn’t enough pork sausage (many mouthfuls of this pizza were purely of cabbage salad)

★★★☆☆

Beef Cheek Pizza

(braised beef cheek, celeriac puree, caramelised onions and gremolta)

The pungent beef cheek tasted marvellous with the sweet caramelised onions.

★★★★☆

Overall:

There is a wide range of fresh gourmet pizza toppings available and they are all served on crispy thin crusts. The staff here are helpful and the atmosphere is truly family friendly.

Pizza Religion

493 Tooronga Rd, Hawthorn, VIC

(03) 9882 2555

http://pizzareligion.com.au/