Chicken

Changz Canteen

Truffle and Mushroom Burger

(double beef and cheese, enoki fries, mushroom ‘ketchup’, truffle, roast garlic aioli)

Juicy beef patties that were well cooked, strong truffle flavour.

★★★☆☆

Canteen Classic with Fries

(beef, chicken brick, double cheese, bacon, onion, pickles, jalapeño, lettuce, canteen sauce)

This substantial burger was distinctively peppery, while the canteen sauce reminded us of Big Mac sauce.

★★★☆☆

Fried Chicken Ribs with Aioli

These tasty ribs were coated in a super crispy batter, and are only $1 each on Sundays!

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Solid burgers, enthusiastic staff, awesome Star Wars decor. Burger joints are a dime a dozen these days in Melbourne, and although nothing we tried was phenomenal, I really hope that these guys make it.

Changz Canteen

256 Glen Eira Rd, Elsternwick, VIC

(03) 8592 4941

http://changzcanteen.com.au/

Mountain of Bears

BBQ Pulled Pork Burger

(slow cooked pork shoulder served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried shallots and house made slaw with a side of grilled kipfler potatoes)

The pulled pork was juicy and well flavoured while the potatoes were a nice change from the usual side of chips that you get from everywhere these days.

★★★☆☆

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Valencian Paella

(clams, squid, chorizo, chicken and shrimp cooked with saffron infused rice served in a claypot, topped with parmesan and spring onion)

Bland but filling.

★★☆☆☆

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Berries For The Bears

(strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, milk, yogurt)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Tucked away in a small arcade, Mountain of Bears is a place that offers friendly service, an inviting atmosphere and cleverly named menu items. Let’s avocuddle anyone?

Mountain of Bears

556 North Rd, Ormond, VIC

(03) 9578 9882

Jimmy Grants

The Med Diet

(150g chicken, beet salad, tzatziki)

A healthier menu option that was filling and tasty.

★★★☆☆

Chips with garlic oil, feta and oregano

Crunchy and well seasoned.

★★★☆☆

Nonna Maria Souva

(chicken, mustard aioli, chips, onions, parsley)

The juicy chicken, the soft pillowy pita bread, and the delicious mustard aioli made this a fantastic souvlaki that I would gladly order again.

★★★★☆

Overall:

It has taken me this long to eat at a Jimmy Grants for fear of disappointment. Gazi and Hellenic Republic have been fantastic experiences on numerous occasions, and I didn’t want Jimmy Grants to be anything less than that. I can’t say that I enjoyed Jimmy Grants as much as the aforementioned places, however I can say that I still enjoyed the food, the fast service, the bright space and the casual vibe that this eatery has to offer.

Jimmy Grants

570 North Road, Ormond, VIC

(03) 8419 8811

https://jimmygrants.com.au/

Little Creatures Fremantle Brewery

Roast pumpkin, pepita, pesto and ricotta woodfired pizza

★★★☆☆

Garlic chilli prawn, red pepper and salsa verde woodfired pizza

★★★★☆

Beef nachos, guacamole, jalapenos

★★★☆☆

Grilled chorizo

★★☆☆☆

Grilled chicken skewers, honey, chilli

★★☆☆☆

Charred corn cobs, manchego

★★★★☆

Overall:

Located in an enormous shed that was formerly a crocodile farm, the set up here is rather impressive as diners are surrounded by an array of massive beer tanks. No big surprise that this is the birthplace of Little Creatures Brewing. So not only is this the perfect place for grabbing a drink, the food here is pretty tasty and well portioned too. The lively atmosphere was great however the service was so-so. Getting the attention of the wait staff was a bit tricky as the place was so busy but at least the food came out in fairly good time.

Little Creatures Fremantle Brewery

40 Mews Rd, Fremantle, WA

(08) 6215 1000

https://littlecreatures.com.au/

Thai Tamarind

Gaeng Phed Ped Yang

(red duck curry with vegetables, pineapple and lychee)

Lots of colourful vegetables, generous amount of duck, while the pineapple and lychee added some nice sweetness.

★★★☆☆

Pad Bah Mee

(stir-fried rice noodles with carrot, egg, onion, cabbage and bean sprouts)

★★☆☆☆

Tom Yum

(clear spicy and sour soup with chicken, lemongrass, tomato, onion and mushroom)

Fragrant and mildly spicy.

★★☆☆☆

Mixed Entree

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

One of the few Asian restaurants in Margaret River, this place offered prompt service but average Thai fare. The ventilation here could also be improved as we left smelling strongly of stir fry.

Thai Tamarind

Shop 1/97 Bussell Highway, Margaret River, WA

(08) 9757 9041

http://www.thaitamarindmargaretriver.com/

Mr Scruff’s

Poutine Chips with Cheese, Gravy and Bacon

★★★★☆

Salt & Vinegar Onion Rings with Scruff’s Special Sauce

★★★☆☆

Beef Burger with American Cheese, Cos, Pickles, and Scruff’s Special Sauce

★★★☆☆

Crispy Chicken Burger with Pickled Ginger, Kewpie Mayo, Cos and BBQ Sauce

★★★☆☆

Snickers Waffle with Peanut Praline, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream and Shaved Chocolate

This was a lot smaller than I anticipated.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I can totally understand why this place is so popular. The vibe is great and the food is pretty damn tasty. The best thing about Mr Scruff’s is that every Wednesdays between 6pm – 10pm the food is HALF PRICE! And it’s not like the prices here are expensive to begin with, so it works out to be a seriously awesome deal.

Mr Scruff’s

60 Smith St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9995 3881

http://www.mrscruffs.com.au/

Tim Ho Wan

Whenever a new restaurant opens, I often wait a little while so that I can read other people’s reviews and get a feel of the place before I head there myself. Thus I was fully aware of how long the queues here can become and decided to go on a weeknight. We arrived at 5:40pm and were immediately handed green clipboards with order forms to fill out.

By 6:00pm we were seated and once we pressed the buzzer at our table, a staff member appeared and confirmed our order by marking it on our menu/placemats. We didn’t have to wait very long before our food arrived…

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp

★★★☆☆

Steamed Egg Cake

★★★★☆

Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp

★★☆☆☆

Pan-Fried Turnip Cake

★★☆☆☆

Wasabi Salad Prawn Dumpling

★★★☆☆

Rice with Chicken, Sausage and Mushroom

★★★☆☆

Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver

★★☆☆☆

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork

★★★★☆

Beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp

★★★☆☆

Prawn Dumpling

★★★☆☆

Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp

★★★☆☆

Overall:

While I enjoyed my experience at Tim Ho Wan, there wasn’t anything in particular that makes me want to go rushing back. I found most of the food to be comparable to that found at good Yum Cha places around Melbourne, except the portions here are smaller and it’s a bit more pricier. What really stood out for me however was the steamed egg cake (which was incredibly light and fluffy), and of course the baked buns with BBQ pork (which had a sweet and crispy exterior that strangely worked well with the savoury BBQ pork interior). Service was prompt and efficient and I admire how well organised and smoothly this place runs. Avoid this place at peak lunch and dinner times if you hate long queues, otherwise there are plenty of seats that have been thoughtfully placed along the queue so that you rest your feet while you are waiting to get into this Michelin-starred restaurant.

Tim Ho Wan

206 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC

http://www.timhowan.com.au/

Mesa Greek Cuisine

Fresh Bread with Home-made Dips (tsatziki, melizanosalata, tarama)

The bread was surprisingly outstanding! Crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. Perfect with the tasty dips.

★★★★☆

Smyrneika Soutzoukakia

(baked beef rissoles in a fresh tomato saltsa)

★★★☆☆

Gigandes

(lima beans baked with tomatoes, onion herbs)

Hearty and full of flavour.

★★★☆☆

Chicken Wings with Olives and Tomatoes

Delicious fall-off-the-bone chicken.

★★★☆☆

Saganaki

(grilled Dodoni kefalograviera cheese)

★★★★☆

Fried Calamari

★★☆☆☆

Chargrilled Prawns

These were fabulously smoky.

★★★★☆

Fish Of The Day

Soggy and extremely salty.

★☆☆☆☆

Horiatiki Salad

(tomato, cucumber, peppers, feta, olives, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic)

★★☆☆☆

Lamb Cutlets, Gyros, Chicken Skewers

Although the presentation could have been better, the meats were tender and quite tasty.

★★★☆☆

Galaktobouriko (custard in filo pastry), Baklava (filo pastry layered with nuts syrup) and Seasonal Fruit

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Talk about being well fed! As delicious as everything was, we struggled getting through this seven-course banquet and ended up having to take some of it home. We dined with a Groupon voucher so the total was only $55 for 2 people, making this a bargain. The service was prompt and friendly, and the atmosphere warm and inviting.

Mesa Greek Cuisine

265 Johnston St, Abbotsford, VIC

(03) 9419 3388

http://www.mesagreekcuisine.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/

Rustica Canteen

Free range roasted cayenne spiced chicken, kale, corn, lime aioli, pumpkin sourdough

★★★★☆

Grilled brisket, house pickles, gruyere, Russian dressing, watercress, light rye

★★★★☆

Poached eggs, smashed avo, rustica sourdough

★★★★☆

Crispy skin vodka cured ocean trout, smoked sea salt, radish green salad, poached eggs, citrus yogurt, light rye toast

★★★★☆

Overall:

Friendly service, great music (classic 80’s and 90’s), delicious food. The bread here is fantastic, making the sandwiches amazing! I also wanted to try their Ispahan croissant except they had unfortunately sold out. My next choice (the Chocolate and Peanut Butter croissant) was also sold out and I wasn’t particularly keen on the almond or the plain, so I must return here soon for the croissants!

Rustica Canteen

33 Guildford Lane, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9642 2203

http://www.rusticacanteen.com/