Chicken

Darac Grill & Bar

Seafood Sausage Stew

This hearty stew compromised of a great selection of ingredients and was cooked right in front of us which was nice.

★★★☆☆

Ramen

I give this ramen one star because it costed $3. Ridiculous.

★☆☆☆☆

Gyoza

These prawn dumplings had an extremely soft filling and were not as crispy as I would have liked.

★★☆☆☆

Cheese Fire Chicken

Spicy Korean stir fried chicken with melted mozzarella cheese. Yum!

★★★☆☆

Seafood Spring Onion Pancake

Bland and underwhelming.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Good service, wide menu selection, relaxed atmosphere, sticky floors. I think my expectations were a bit too high so I was a little disappointed that nothing in particular stood out.

Darac Grill & Bar

51 A’Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9662 2441

Rochford Wines Yarra Valley

Cured Kingfish, Avocado, Threaded Chilli, Nettles

★★★★☆

Heirloom Carrots, Quinoa, Seeds, Dates, Smoked Almonds, Orange Blossom Labne

★★★★☆

Roasted Quail, Sweet Corn, Pickled Grapes, Lardo, Scotched Quail Egg

★★★☆☆

Confit Octopus, Cauliflower Skordalia, Crispy Onion, Spiced Hazelnut

★★★★☆

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb, Carrot Hummus, Spring Slaw

★★★☆☆

Leg of Corn Fed Chicken, Jerusalem Artichoke, Farro, Guanciale

★★★☆☆

Baked Apple, Freeze Dried Custard, Oat Crumble, Milk Sorbet

★★★★☆

Salted Caramel Tart, Pear, Ginger Praline, Mascarpone

★★★★☆

Overall:

A fresh and exciting transformation has taken place at Rochford Restaurant with the recent appointment of Head Chef Raki Andriana. With over a decade of experience in the food and wine industry, Raki brings forth French style techniques and Middle Eastern influences to the iconic Yarra Valley winery. The menu’s new direction aims to create delicious flavours that match their award winning wines. Add to that breathtaking views of the Yarra Valley and the nearby Dandenong Ranges, Rochford Restaurant is undoubtedly a wonderful place to visit.

Rochford Wines Yarra Valley

878-880 Maroondah Highway, Yarra Glen, VIC

(03) 5957 3333

http://www.rochfordwines.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Rochford Wines Yarra Valley.

45 Degrees

Vietnamese Pork Pizza

(five-spice pork, spanish onion, roasted red capsicum, fresh herbs, pickled carrots, cucumber, sliced chilli, aioli)

Vietnamese-Italian fusion that actually worked!

★★★★☆

Prawn Pizza

(garlic prawns, mixed olives, capers, green capsicum, feta, rocket, chipotle ketchup)

Great toppings. If only they weren’t spread out so far apart. I’d have one bite and it would be purely feta, then the next bite would be purely prawn, etc, etc.

★★★☆☆

Peruvian Chicken Pizza

(Peruvian chicken, sliced green capsicum, roasted red capsicum, corn, jalapeños, black beans, coriander, guacamole, Bloody Mary aioli)

It was like eating a delicious taco, except in the form of a pizza.

★★★★☆

Beef Cheek Pizza

(12 hour slow cook smoked beef cheek. mushroom, caramelized onion, candied pecans, fresh herbs, chimichurri aioli)

The centre was slightly soggy however the ample beef cheek was incredibly tender and its combination with the other toppings made this a very enjoyable pizza.

★★★★☆

Multigrain Garlic Bread

The bread was a bit tough, and a bit more butter would have been nice.

★★☆☆☆

Popcorn Chicken

Although over fried, the chicken was still tender and well seasoned.

★★★☆☆

Brioche Doughnuts

These doughnuts were AMAZING! They came out freshly fried so were crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. There are two varieties available: Nutella doughnuts and Hot Jam doughnuts. Both were delicious but it was the Nutella doughnuts that made me go wow! Best Nutella brioche doughnut I’ve ever had.

★★★★★

Overall:

Fantastic innovative pizzas, funky urban atmosphere, quick and friendly service, and of course amazing brioche doughnuts! There are still so many items I want to try from their menu (eg. the Korean fried chicken pizza) so I must visit again soon.

45 Degrees

33 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9429 5577

http://www.45pizza.com.au/

Afghan Rahimi Restaurant

Salad, Dips (chilli, mint and yogurt, carrot and yogurt), Naan bread

★★☆☆☆

Mantu

Steam cooked traditional Afghani dumplings made from pastry, lamb mince and onions, served with lentils, topped with yoghurt and tomato gravy.

★★☆☆☆

Vegetarian Ashaak

Steam cooked pastry filled with chives and leek, served with lentils and chickpeas, topped with vegetable gravy and yogurt.

★★★☆☆

Meatball Curry (Kofta)

Lamb mince meatball served with a tomato and pea gravy.

★★☆☆☆

Traditional Afghani Rice

★★★☆☆

Borani Banjan (Eggplant)

Fried Eggplant covered with a tomato and yoghurt sauce.

★★★☆☆

Chicken Korma

Chicken thigh fillet cooked in a mild tomato curry.

★★☆☆☆

Lamb Backstrap and Chicken Tikka skewers

★★★★☆

Overall:

We decided to get the $35 banquet option which was satisfying and extremely filling! The smoky charcoal cooked skewers and the borani banjan were the highlights for me, although the borani banjan could have been less salt-heavy. Service was lovely (the owner of this place is super friendly and we felt very well looked after), and the decor was quite lavish (lots of hand crafted solid wood furniture and Afghan artwork). A good place to come to if you are after a big feed.

Afghan Rahimi Restaurant

23-29 Walker St, Dandenong, VIC

(03) 9793 9981

http://www.afghanrahimirestaurant.com/

Goneburger

The Chicken

(Flame grilled chicken thighs marinated in white wine, garlic, lemon and rosemary, smothered in rich melted camembert and served with cranberry sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and tangy garlic aioli on a toasted brioche bun)

Loved the camembert and flame grilled chicken combination!

★★★★☆

The Beef

(House crafted beef patty made from a blend of beef chuck and grass fed short rib beef with unique GB sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheese and pickles on a toasted brioche bun)

A simple burger done well.

★★★★☆

Baby Back Ribs

(Roasted pork ribs covered in a house spice blend and BBQ sauce)

These ribs were a bargain for $15 and were surprisingly fantastic! The ribs were well marinated and the meat was fabulously tender and simply fell off the bone.

★★★★☆

Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

(Macaroni and three cheese sauce and truffle oil

Cheesy, truffle-y, very filling.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We stumbled across Goneburger after our original dinner plans fell through, and what a great find this place turned out to be! The food was top-notch and the ambience was very relaxed. We went on a Tuesday night and our friendly waiter was also the barman as well as the cashier. It was basically a one man show but he did a great job and everything ran smoothly. This pop up restaurant is currently contracted with Mavis Brown’s Bar until February, so make sure you visit by then! Note that this place is open 6 days a week (closed on Mondays) from 3pm.

Goneburger

35-37 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, VIC

0458 928 265

http://www.goneburgerbar.com/

Maru Shih

Sashimi

We were expecting more of a variety but at least this was fresh.

★★★☆☆

Salmon and Avocado Inside Out Hand Roll

★★★☆☆

Yaki Udon

(chicken and vegetables cooked in Japanese sauce with mayo)

★★★☆☆

Okonomiyaki

(Japanese savoury pancake with seafood and vegetables)

Dry with minimal seafood.

★★☆☆☆

Beef Udon

(sliced beef, onion, spring onion and thick udon in soup)

The soup was a little bit too sweet for my liking.

★★☆☆☆

Katsu Curry Udon

(fried crumbed chicken, spring onion and thick udon in curry soup)

A hearty noodle dish.

★★★☆☆

Green Tea Latte

This was unfortunately too sweet and needed a stronger matcha flavour.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Great value for money (especially for a place in South Yarra), friendly attentive service, and tasty Japanese fare. Maru Shih is a place worth visiting if you are in the area.

Maru Shih

49 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC

(03) 9077 9108

http://www.marushih.com/

Zinc Restaurant and Lounge Bar

Prosciutto and Sage Wrapped Chicken Supreme

(semi dried tomato scented baked polenta, sauteed medley of cherry tomato, kalamata olives, capsicum, roasted garlic, balsamic and thyme jus)

★★★☆☆

Honey and Seeded Mustard Coated Pork Tenderloin

(braised fruity red cabbage, charred peach chutney, truffle scented cream braised potato, pink peppercorn and lemon espagnole)

★★★☆☆

Beer battered Fresh Market Fish

(potato chips, summer salad with rock melon, lemon and remoulade sauce)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Lovely food, service and atmosphere.

Zinc Restaurant and Lounge Bar

53-61 Macrossan St, Port Douglas, QLD

(07) 4099 6260

Zinc Restaurant – Bar – Port Douglas

NeNe Chicken

Are you a fan of Korean Fried Chicken? If the answer is yes then you have to try NeNe Chicken! The name “NeNe” translates to “Yes! Yes!” in Korean, and this store first opened in 1999 in South Korea. Since then they have expanded to over 1000 outlets in South Korea, and have recently opened their first Australian store in Melbourne Central. Being a huge fan of Korean Fried Chicken, I was thrilled when NeNe Chicken finally opened.

Original Fried Chicken

You can’t go past the original. And the Korean mustard gave each bite some tasty edge.

★★★★☆

Oriental Green Onion

Original chicken designed to be eaten with fresh crunchy green onion and soy/wasabi sauce.

★★★☆☆

Snowing Vegetable

Don’t be fooled by the name, this was definitely fried chicken and it was seriously good. The powdery coating was mildly sweet and almost tasted like corn.

★★★★☆

Swicy

Sweet, spicy, and very addictive.

★★★★☆

Freaking Hot

Adequately named, this one is not for the faint-hearted! You have been warned!

★★★☆☆

Overall:

NeNe Chicken offers a variety of crunchy, juicy fried chicken coated in a mouth watering selection of secret recipe sauces. All of their fried chicken is served with coleslaw and radish, and I love the fact that they offer disposable gloves so that you can enjoy your fried chicken with your hands, minus the mess. Unfortunately there is very limited seating at the Melbourne Central store so I am looking forward to the opening of the dine in venues at Box Hill and High Point. So the next time you are in the mood for fast quality Korean Fried Chicken, you know where to go.

NeNe Chicken

Melbourne Central, Level 1, Corner of Swanston Street and La Trobe Street, Melbourne

9654 0772

http://www.nenechicken.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of NeNe Chicken and Wasamedia Pty Ltd.

Cheesey Bites

Cheesy Bites

(baby spinach, mushroom, capsicum, pineapple, chicken, chilli flakes, sweet chilli sauce, mozzarella cheese with creme fraiche base)

Super Supreme

(beef, salami, mushroom, capsicum, onion, pineapple, mozzarella cheese, oregano)

Garlic Prawn

(baby spinach, tomatoes, garlic sauce, prawns, mozzarella cheese with creme fraiche base)

Chicken Kebab

(chicken wrapped in pita bread with salad and garlic sauce)

Lasagna

(pasta layers with bolognese sauce)

Overall:

One of the simple joys in life is having food delivered to your doorstep. It’s fast, it’s easy, and you get to stay in your pyjamas! So I was delighted when I was approached by EatNow to try out their services. In case you have never heard of EatNow, it is one of Australia’s leading online food delivery services and operates in over 4,400 restaurants Australia-wide. Here’s how it works:

Head to the EatNow website
Enter your suburb or postcode
Choose from a list of restaurants who are a part of your local EatNow community
Order your meal from the online menu
Decide when you would like your meal delivered, including the time you would like it to arrive. (You can also choose to pickup your meal in person)
Checkout and pay.
You will then receive instant SMS confirmation as to when your order will be ready

Easy as that!

Now let’s talk about Cheesey Bites. Firstly the staff here were very considerate as they called me early on to let me know that my delivery was going to be about 10 minutes late. The delivery guy was friendly and the food arrived hot. The pizzas were a little bit soggy but had adequate amounts of topping on each and tasted fine. The chicken kebab on the other hand was extremely soggy, while the lasagna came with a lot of mysterious liquid floating on top of it. Although the food here is great value, I think I’d rather try someplace else the next time.

Cheesey Bites

135 Springvale Rd, Springvale

9558 4144

http://www.cheeseybites.com.au

Le Bon Ton

Onion Rings – beer battered and jerk seasoned

Nicely seasoned onion rings with a thin crunchy batter.

= ★★★★

Fried Chicken – Southern style buttermilk soaked tenders with cracked pepper white gravy

Each bite brought to mind KFC chicken.

= ★★

Mac & 3 Cheese – Cheddar, American and Swiss

Dry and pungent.

= ★★

The Smoker’s Lot – (left to right) Otway Ranges pork shoulder, Chicken basted in apple BBQ sauce, Jalapeno and cheddar hot-link sausage, Riverina Angus beef brisket

Each meat was deliciously smoky and tender. However everyone’s clear favourite was without a doubt the sausage: spicy, juicy, with portions of deliciously melted cheese.

= ★★★

Overall:

Decent food, decent service and I really liked the old West saloon vibe that they had going on. I must really try one of their burgers the next time I come here as I’ve heard many good things about them. And here’s a fun fact for you. The name “Le Bon Ton” actually originates from a Louisiana saying “Laissez les bons temps rouler” or “Let the good times roll”, which is often used as a fun and festive way to get people riled up and let them know that the party is starting. So altogether now: “Le Bon Ton!”

Le Bon Ton

51 Gipps St, Collingwood

9416 4341

http://www.lebonton.com.au