Chocolate

Nomad

Wood fired sourdough with black olive butter

★★★★☆

Olives with cumin, preserved lemon, chilli

★★☆☆☆

Nomad charcuterie with pickles

★★★☆☆

Grilled scallops with salt baked celeriac and celery heart

★★★★★

Rangers Valley waygu tartare, spiced chickpea, roast eschallot and potato crisps

★★★☆☆

Nomad Jersey milk haloumi, wood roasted tomato, oregano

★★★★☆

Spiced cauliflower, cashew, wild rocket

★★☆☆☆

BBQ spatchcock, harissa, toum, guindilla

★★★☆☆

Valrhona Chocolate Trifle with raspberry, rosewater, and pomegranate

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We opted for the chef’s menu so that we could sample a wide range of dishes without having to think too much about what to order. Our food came out at a good pace and we left Nomad feeling truly satiated. What I like about this place is that you have the option of choosing where you would like to be seated (ie. the main floor, the window counter or the kitchen counter). Clearly I booked kitchen counter seats as I love watching the whole food preparation and plating up process.

Nomad

16 Foster St, Surry Hills, NSW

(02) 9280 3395

http://nomadwine.com.au/

Richmond Oysters

Seafood Platter and Garden Salad

(natural oysters, smoked trout rillettes, Morton Bay bug, prawns, mussels, baby octopus, local scallops, soft shell crab, salt and pepper calamari, grilled fish)

★★★★☆

Golden Gaytime

(honeycomb parfait, peanuts, chocolate)

★★★☆☆

Creme Brulee

(macaroon, salted caramel, chocolate)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I was truly impressed with the newest branch of Richmond Oysters (which is unexpectedly located in Oakleigh). Spacious and modern, this place emanated a sophisticated yet comfortable feel, and I loved all the live seafood that was on display. Service was excellent (friendly and attentive), and the food was fresh and tasty. We came here with a $99 Cudo voucher which made this meal a bargain (a bottle of wine was also included!), and we left feeling extremely full and content.

Richmond Oysters

66 Portman St, Oakleigh, VIC

(03) 8592 4676

http://richmondoysters.com.au/

Morris Jones

Oysters with Champagne Granita

House-made Beer and Caraway Seed Bread with Honey Butter

Salt and Vinegar Saltbush Chips

Morris Jones Salmon

Champagne Poached Salmon, Yuzu Seeds, Candied Chilli, Honey Pumpkin

A close up of the salmon

Southern Fried Quail, Turnips, Szechuan-pepper, Quince

Wild Barramundi, Broccoli Couscous, Chicken Skin, Champagne Veloute

Otway Crispy Pork, Wilted Kale, Cloudy Bar Clams, Masterstock

Le Delice Triple Cream Cheese, Honey, Quince, Truffle Oil

Nitro Violet Crumble

(honeycomb, violet ice cream, popping candy, chocolate)

Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Champagne

Overall:

I recently had the pleasure of attending the launch of Morris Jones’ Moet & Chandon Champagne Lunch. Head Chef Matthew Butcher has previously worked under a number of world renowned chefs (ie. Gordon Ramsay, Shannon Bennett of Vue De Monde and Ryan Clift of Tippling Club in Singapore), so I was really looking forward to the his lunch menu creations. And I was not disappointed! Each dish was original, beautifully presented, and tasted incredible. I don’t think I could pick a favourite dish as I relished everything we sampled and would order it all again. However a special mention is needed for the salt and vinegar saltbush chips. Who would have thought that leaves could taste this awesome?!?! These unique chips are a must try!

Champagne lunches are now available at Morris Jones on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (2 courses for $35 and 3 courses for $45 which includes a glass of wine).

Morris Jones

163 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC

(03) 9533 2055

http://www.morrisjones.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of HRPR and Morris Jones.

5 Lire

Ricotta Hotcakes

(buttermilk hotcakes topped with Nutella inspired semifreddo, Pariya Persian chocolate fairy floss and scattered with chocolate cacao and orange crumble)

The fairy floss reminded me of a bad toupee but I really liked it as it wasn’t overly sweet. The hotcakes themselves were average but the Nutella, the crumble and the fairy floss brought this dish up to the next level, making it overall enjoyable.

★★★☆☆

Riso con Latte

(warm creamy arborio rice topped with amaretto baked peaches and an amaretto biscuit crumble)

Warm and hearty.

★★★☆☆

Italian Style Croque Monsieur

(brioche loaf toastie spread with ‘Nduja, stracchino cheese, peppered fig jam, Lyonnaise onions and a fried egg)

Perhaps it was the combination of the ingredients or perhaps it was the ‘nduja (spreadable salami) itself, but there was a peculiar alcohol-like taste to this croque monsieur that no one was fond of.

★☆☆☆☆

Deconstructed Tiramisu Waffles

(waffle jolie topped with a whipped vanilla mascarpone, coffee jelly, crushed cookies, chocolate balls and coffee gel)

Every part of this was delicious!

★★★★☆

Overall:

Tasty food (mostly), friendly staff, and a long wait for our food to arrive (likely due to the small kitchen that they have).

5 Lire

116 Errol St, North Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9329 2249

http://www.5lire.com.au/

Bibelot

Black Forest Eclair

(chocolate choux, cherry compote, vanilla bavaroise, crumble, chocolate crème, cherry chantilly)

Raspberry-Chocolate Tart

(chocolate sablé, raspberry compote, ‘inaya’ chocolate ganache, raspberry mousse)

Salted Butter Caramel Eclair

(caramel crème pâtissière, roasted walnuts, caramel chantilly, salted caramel)

Gourmandise Board

(cinnamon-sesame praline bonbon, rose-raspberry macaron, mango dome, chocolate fondant & chocolate chantilly, strawberry & vanilla & thyme, green tea sablé, green tea dome, blueberry cheesecake, hazelnut-praline crunch)

Overall:

Bibelot (pronounced bib-loh) is a glorious place that embodies a patisserie, a gelateria, a coffee bar, a chocolate shop, a high tea salon and a library of coffee table books. Expect to be spoiled for choice when it comes to the desserts but no matter what you choose, chances are it will be amazing! Everything we sampled tasted fabulous, however the black forest eclair and the green tea dome were my favourites. Service was quick and the atmosphere bright and inviting. I highly recommend Bibelot for all you dessert lovers out there!

Bibelot

285-287 Coventry St, South Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9690 2688

Bibelot

District Brewer

Black Forest Bircher

(80% cocoa chocolate, crushed pistachio, cherry labneh, fresh grapes, coconut)

Absolutely amazing! I loved the presentation and spent a bit of time oohing and ahhing this dish before taking my first bite. This bircher was so incredibly fresh and light, and had a delicious combination of ingredients with wonderful textures.

★★★★★

Just another photo of this pretty dish…

Mr Benedict

(toasted rye bread, slow braised beef cheef, miso babaganoush, wilted calvo nero, curry hollandaise, poached eggs)

The beef cheek was a tad dry however the curry hollandaise was terrific.

★★★★☆

White chocolate and strawberry doughnut

Disappointingly dry. If only it tasted as good as it looked.

★★☆☆☆

Salted Caramel and Oreo Milkshake

Sweet frosty milkshakes that were unbelievably filling.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

This fantastic suburban cafe ticks all the boxes: delicious food, super friendly staff, bright and cheery atmosphere. I strongly recommend visiting District Brewer as soon as possible while there are still no lines during peak time. Oh that Black Forest Bircher…I cannot wait to have it again.

District Brewer

36 Brewer Rd, Bentleigh, VIC

(03) 9972 3812

http://www.districtbrewer.com.au/

Little Rogue

Pandan Coconut Crepe Cake

I love crepes and I love cake so unsurprisingly I found this fusion to be AMAZING. The soft paper thin crepes were fantastic, and the combination of pandan and coconut is always a winner.

= ★★★★★

Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwich

Quality chocolate cookies with a deliciously smooth salted caramel filling.

= ★★★★

Overall:

Located down a small cobbled laneway, this tiny unassuming cafe offered some pretty terrific desserts that included Butterbing cookie sandwiches, Mille & B crepe cakes and Kwak scrolls. The staff were friendly, the decor funky and earthy, and atmosphere very laid back. A must visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Little Rogue

12 Drewery Lane, Melbourne

0433 739 148

Dex2rose Nitrogen Gelato

I love the theatrics involved with liquid nitrogen gelato. No matter how many times I see it, I still find it incredibly cool. (haha get it?) Once liquid nitrogen is added to a gelato mix, freezing occurs almost instantly resulting in tiny ice crystals and gelato that is deliciously smooth and creamy.

Dex2rose Nitrogen Gelato offer eight different flavours at any one time, with flavours changing every 2-3 weeks.

After Ate

(milk chocolate gelato infused with peppermint oil and churned with crunchy brownie chunks, topped with fresh vanilla cream)

I was hooked after the first bite! Incredibly smooth and chocolatey with a hint of fresh peppermint.

★★★★☆

W.I.T.S

(watermelon iced tea sorbet made from fresh watermelons, limes, mint leaves and brewed tea)

Fruity and extremely refreshing.

★★★★☆

Lazy Dinner

(sage, burnt butter and caramel gelato, topped with sticky caramel sauce)

Sweet and buttery with a subtle aroma of sage. However after a little while this flavour became too rich and heavy for me.

★★☆☆☆

Pink Flamingo

(peach and rose moscato sorbet, topped with rosewater coconut cream)

Amazing sorbet! But the combination of peach and rose moscato with the coconut cream was a bit odd for my liking.

★★★☆☆

Cold Pressed Juice (rock melon, mango, granny smith, royal gala)

Juices here are pressed in store daily with seasonal fruits so flavours are constantly changing. Cold pressed juice apparently retains more flavour, nutrients and enzymes compared to traditional juice. In any case the juice I sampled was very fresh and very tasty.

★★★★☆

Cold Brewed Coffee

Containing up to 67% less acidity than hot brewed coffee, cold brewed coffee is naturally sweeter, more intense and has less of a bitter aftertaste.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Located down a small CBD laneway, Dex2rose Nitrogen Gelato is without a doubt a place worth visiting. A lot of testing, tasting and sourcing of quality ingredients is involved with every gelato flavour produced here. It was obvious to me that owners Jesse and Wei Ming are extremely passionate about their jobs. In fact Jesse informed me that he wanted every single person leaving the place to feel happier compared to when they walked in. And this is easily the case considering how amazing their gelato/juice/coffee is and how friendly the staff are. I really liked the space and the layout of this place as it felt like a nice spacious cafe that you could sit down and relax in. What I also liked about this place is how the team here are environmentally conscious and only use reusable bottles for their beverages. (Bottles can also be purchased if you really like them). Note that fresh pastries will soon be available here so that is something to look out for.

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Dex2rose Nitrogen Gelato.

Dex2rose Nitrogen Gelato

377 Little Bourke St, Melbourne , VIC

(03) 9078 0784

Home

Champions Bistro

37 Springs Rd, Clayton South 9544 9929

Smoked oyster, apple, horseradish

Beef tendon, salted macadamia praline

Duck liver, rye crisp, mountain pepper

Charcoal chicken wing, celeriac, scallop, lemon pith, miso foam

House baked sourdough with butter

Hapuka, nettle broth, broccoli leaf, pork fat

Kangaroo, native plum, sorrel, dried berry

Pynegana cheddar, mustard sheet, muntries

Tangelo, black garlic, brioche, fromage blanc sorbet

Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, dehydrated chocolate mousse, fragrant tea jelly

Overall:

Things I knew before dining here:

1. former Vue de Monde chef Clinton McIver heads the kitchen

2. reviews have been very complimentary and at one point this place was booked out for months in advance

With this in mind, I walked in with fingers crossed hoping that this place would live up to its expectations. Unfortunately for me it did not. Although I enjoyed everything that was offered on their tasting menu, nothing in particular sent my tastebuds into a frenzy. However the menu here is constantly changing depending on seasonality and other aspects so perhaps it was just the current menu that failed to impress me. I also found each course to be quite small and left still feeling hungry.

On a more positive note the service was terrific and I loved the simple unpretentious atmosphere (this place is unexpectedly located at the Clayton Bowls Club and the dining area offers a nice view of the bowling green).

I am still undecided as to whether or not I want to venture here again. Perhaps so once the menu has completely changed.

Ten Minutes By Tractor

1333 Mornington-Flinders Rd, Main Ridge 5989 6455

Olive and multigrain bread served with caramelised Myrtleford butter, pink salt and olive oil

Yellow beetroot, quinoa, goats curd

Grilled pear, quince, brioche

Red Hill Somers Soft goats cheese, roast pumpkin, chickpea, green beans, hazelnut vinaigrette

Roasted Whiting fillet, fried mussel, confit tomatoes, fennel, olive oil pomme purée

Mustard glazed quail, onion & pearl barley risotto, peppered pancetta and mulled wine apples,

served with freshly baked brioche

Roasted wallaby loin, beetroot, parsnip, chestnut cream, quinoa, fig jus

Tamarillo sorbet

Michel Cluizel chocolate & hazelnut pavé, honey ice cream, poached pears

Brie and crackers

Overall:

We opted for the five course degustation menu which turned out to be the right choice as we were already quite sated by the fourth course. The food was beautifully presented and each dish comprised of fresh, well complemented ingredients. However the standout item for me was without a doubt the EXTRAORDINARY caramelised Myrtleford butter! Served warm, it was exquisitely creamy yet light and had a delicious hint of sweetness to it. The cheese served here was also divine and is well worth trying. The decor was polished, and the service was professional yet slightly stand-offish. The dining room offers splendid views of the winery but only seats around 50 people so reservations are recommended as this place does get busy. It was a lovely experience but the only reason why I would come back would be for the butter.