Coconut

Three Williams

Duck Narnie

(peking duck, cucumber, shallots, fried onion, coriander, cabbage, orange hoisin)

★★★★☆

Wild Mushrooms

(lemon and garlic sautéed with wild mushrooms, mushroom and goats curd tapenade, fried egg, hazelnuts, truffle oil, parsley, sourdough)

★★★★☆

Golden Gaytime French Toast

(crunchy brioche french toast, vanilla ice cream rolled in a chocolate cookie crumb, chocolate crisps, fresh strawberry, toffee sauce)

★★★★☆

Splice Shake

(orange, apple and coconut blended with ice cream)

★★★☆☆

Banana smoothie with native honey, macadamia and wattleseed crumb

★★★★☆

Super Smoothie

(kale, apricot, apple, linseed, sunflower, almond, banana, ginger, cinnamon)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Terrific food, friendly service, minimalistic decor. There are often queues for this popular place during the weekend so we decided to visit on a weekday and were seated straightaway. It’s a place that’s definitely worthy of a return visit.

Three Williams

613A Elizabeth St, Redfern, NSW

(02) 9698 1111

http://threewilliamscafe.com/

Trei Cafe

Coconut Hotcakes

(vanilla ice cream, coconut nectar, toasted pistachios, blueberries)

One of the most popular items here at Trei Cafe. We were told that they were out of the vanilla and nutmeg co yo ice cream (coconut milk vegan ice cream) so we happily settled for plain old vanilla ice cream instead. Now I really liked the colourful presentation and the generous serving size, however these hotcakes were not as fluffy as they could have been and were also markedly salty.

★★☆☆☆

Mango Smoothie Bowl

(mango, coconut water, coyo, coconut milk, vanilla Proper protein, granola, macadamias, passionfruit)

Healthy, refreshing and very colourful.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Simple bright decor, average service, ordinary food. The east side is desperately in need of good brunch places, and after my visit to Trei Cafe I still believe that this is the case.

Trei Cafe

232 Blackburn Rd, Glen Waverley, VIC

(03) 9802 0960

Mykonos Cafe And Crepes

Little Venice Crepe

(banana, strawberries, oreo, nutella, coconut)

Thin crepe with crispy edges and a generous amount of filling!

★★★★☆

Bougasta Crepe

(semolina custard filling, icing sugar, cinnamon)

A satisfying crepe, but after the first bite all I wanted was a real bougasta instead.

★★★☆☆

Platter with dips and bread

★★★☆☆

I can’t remember what these were called but the lovely owner gave these to us on the house after telling us how he made them by hand earlier that day.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Stepping into this place is like stepping into a holiday. The beautiful decor and ambience takes you straight to Mykonos. The staff were very welcoming and the crepes very tasty. A great addition to Oakleigh (aka ‘little Greece’).

Mykonos Cafe And Crepes

58 Portman St, Oakleigh, VIC

(03) 9569 6767

http://www.mykonoscafe.com.au/

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

Jackman & McRoss

Everything looked delicious and it took us a little while to decide what to get.

Blueberry Coconut Cheesecake, Lemon and Ricotta Crumble Cake, Hot Jam Donut

★★★☆☆

Apple and Raisin Danish

★★★☆☆

Scrambled egg, bacon, tomato and avocado panini

★★★★★

Scallop & wakame pie

★★★☆☆

Pork, Sage and apple sausage roll

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

We grabbed some takeaway and found the food to be delightful. This place is well worth stopping by.

Jackman & McRoss

59 Hampden Rd, Battery Point, TAS

(03) 6223 3186

Yong Green Food

Quinoa Fritter

Fried organic quinoa patties with veggies and spices, served with coconut chilli sauce

★★★☆☆

Buckwheat Crepe

Organic buckwheat crepe with braised shitake mushrooms and wasabi soy mayo

★★☆☆☆

Dragon Bowl

Biodynamic brown rice topped with assorted veggies, organic tofu, red chili paste and sesame oil, served with miso soup

★★☆☆☆

Rawsagne

Layered zucchini with mushroom, avocado, cashew cream and raw walnut bolognaise

★★★☆☆

Kelp Pad Thai

Kelp noodles mixed with organic veggies and a creamy chilli cashew sauce, topped with tamari almonds

★★★☆☆

Teriyaki Chicken

Wheat chicken pan-fried in teriyaki sauce with biodynamic brown rice and vegetables

★★☆☆☆

Green Tea Ganache

Macha, brazil nuts, goji berries, coconut, agave and raw chocolate

★★★☆☆

Black Sesame Ice cream topped with Goji Berries

★★☆☆☆

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Cashew, raspberries, agave, cacao butter, macadamia nuts, coconut flakes

★★★☆☆

Overall:

As I was leaving Yong Green Food, I thought to myself that maybe I could become a vegetarian. But then a tantalising aroma of barbecued meat came floating down the street and I thought maybe not. But seriously, the food here is pretty amazing. The delicious and creative menu has many dietary options including raw, vegan, gluten-free as well as a no garlic and onion option (which was perfect for one of my friends who always has to check whether or not a dish contains garlic or onion). The menu here was quite extensive and there were many things that I wanted to try, particularly in the raw section of the menu. For those who are omnivores, I recommend not ordering anything that contains meat substitute as it will taste nothing like the real thing. Service was quick and friendly, and the ambience was relaxed and casual. I love how sustainability is an important aspect to those here at Yong Green Food. Not only do they serve predominantly organic vegetarian food using eco-friendly methods, they also use GreenPower renewable energy and donate 10% of their profits to help support farmer managed natural regeneration in East Africa.

If only I lived closer… I would be here all the time.

Note that this place is closed on Mondays.

Yong Green Food

421 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9417 3338

http://yonggreenfood.com.au/

The Kettle Black

50 Albert Rd, South Melbourne 9088 0721

House-made coconut yogurt with gluten-free grains, seeds and nuts, Toorak Station prickly pear, rhubarb, citrus powders, fruits and flowers

This beautifully presented dish was fresh, healthy and surprisingly filling

= ★★★

Hotcakes with house-made ricotta, blueberries, pure maple, double cream and seeds

I’ve previously had this dish at Top Paddock and was looking forward to ricotta hotcake heaven.

Regrettably I didn’t find the hotcake here to be as good as the ones I’ve had at Top Paddock. Don’t get me wrong, this hotcake was still sweet, fluffy and delicious. It’s just that comparatively the edges weren’t crispy, the centre was a little bit soggy and the strawberries still had their stems on (which I know you can eat, but I just prefer my strawberries to be stemless).

= ★★★

Overall:

Half located on the ground floor of a modern apartment building and half in a classic Victorian terrance, the decor here is a stylish combination of modern and homely. A noteworthy team of people own the place including Jesse McTavish (chef from Top Paddock), Nathan Coleman (Top Paddock owner), Ben Clark and Diamond Rozakeas (also from Top Paddock), Tim James (former manager of Two Birds One Stone) and Sam King (ex-Seven Seeds and Place Holder). The menu here is fresh and innovative and the staff are very welcoming. While I don’t think this place rivals Top Paddock, it is still worth stopping by if you happen to be in the area.

Dahon Tea Lounge

Shop 5, 111 Cecil St, South Melbourne 9696 5704

Mango and Passionfruit Tea, Berry Tea, Pandan Sago Drink

BBQ wings with java rice

Kalabasang may gata

Boneless bangus (milkfish)

BBQ skewers (chicken inasal and pork tocino)

Sans rivals

Ube macapuno

Thoughts:

Gourmet Iced Teas – all tasted very sweet and very artificial = Not bad

BBQ wings with java rice – well marinated, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, smoky BBQ chicken wings that went really well with the java (tomato) rice = Good

Kalabasang may gata – prawns, fish, pumpkin and vegetables in a creamy coconut sauce, served with steamed rice. I liked the fact that even though this dish contained a creamy coconut sauce, it wasn’t heavy = Good

Boneless bangus – tasty pieces of fried milkfish served with a simple salad = Good

BBQ skewers – marinated in lemon and kumquat, the chicken inasal skewers were surprisingly moist and citrusy. The pork tocino (Filipino sweet cured pork) skewers on the other hand were sweet and a bit more harder to chew than the chicken skewers = Not bad

Sans rivals – cashew meringue that reminded me of the inside of a Snickers bar, but with cashews instead of peanuts. Sticky and sweet, this is a dessert that is best shared = Not bad

Ube macapuno – purple yam and coconut cake. A soft, light, airy cake that contained small pieces of coconut in the middle. This was quite eggy and unfortunately had no yam flavour to it at all = Not bad

Overall:

A casual place where the service is very prompt, and the food is terrific value for money and is somewhat unique (as Filipino restaurants in Melbourne are not very common).

Anzac Biscuits

Recipe from: Donna Hay

Australia’s favourite biscuits are easy to make and are quick to disappear!