Corn

Bondi @2016

Poutine

(chips, bacon, cheese, gravy)

★★★★☆

Polenta Chips with Smoky Ranch Sauce

★★★★☆

Grilled Corn Cobs with Smoky Ranch Sauce and Parmesan

★★★☆☆

Southern Fried Chicken with Honey Butter, Sweet Potato Fries and Homemade Slaw

★★★☆☆

Mushroom Ragout

(wild mushrooms, potato mash, spinach, garlic, rosemary, thyme)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Formerly known as Fat Rupert’s, Bondi @2026 is the kind of place you’d want to hang out at after a long day at work or a day at the beach. The vibe here is really laid-back and the food pretty terrific. And if you go between 4pm-7pm, beers and wines are only $5!

Bondi @2026

249 Bondi Rd, Bondi, NSW

0421 866 735

http://www.fatruperts.com.au/

Cheerio

Baked eggs with spicy beans and lentils, fresh herb salad, lemon labne and dukkah served with toasted sourdough

The fresh chilli gave this dish a nice kick!

★★★☆☆

Quinoa, charred corn and zucchini fritters, shaved fennel, watercress, fresh herbs, sumac dressing, dukkah, poached egg

The fritters were good but the real highlight was the amazing salad and dressing.

★★★★☆

Sticky ham hock, fresh Asian herbs, chilli, black vinegar, tamarind hollandaise, and poached eggs on toasted sourdough

The ham hock was fall-apart-tender and the hollandaise extremely delectable, however this was quite a heavy dish and was a struggle to finish.

★★★★☆

One quarter of the brioche french toast special

We were too full to order individual desserts so we decided to share the french toast amongst the four of us. What came as a surprise was that the chef took the time and effort to divide up the dish and had plated it up on four separate plates! Thoughtful service aside, this dish was delicious!

★★★★☆

Overall:

A delightful gem of a place that stood out not only because of the food, but also the terrific service. The staff were super friendly and we felt very welcome right from the get-go. The only downside about Cheerio is its tiny size and limited seating, so there may be a bit of a wait during peak times.

Cheerio

323 Lennox St, Richmond, VIC

0456 925 659

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/

Dexter

Fried Chicken Bun

The green chilli slaw tasted very Asian-like (in a good way) and complemented the juicy fried chicken.

★★★☆☆

Burnt Sriracha Corn

Nicely charred and smoky tasting.

★★★☆☆

Shoestring Fries with BBQ Rub and Aioli

Light, crisp, non-greasy, addictive.

★★★★☆

Hot Meat Donuts

As soon as I saw these on the menu, I was intrigued…

Would the flavours of the pulled pork and the sweet crispy donut go together? Well they sure did! What was great was that the donut’s sweetness didn’t overpower the pork, and that the sweet and mildly spicy accompanying sauce made these donuts taste even better.

★★★★☆

Kurobuta Pork Loin with Mash, Pickles and Slaw

Perfectly cooked flavoursome pork.

★★★☆☆

Cured Beef Brisket with Mash, Pickles, Slaw and Charred Sourdough

Enjoyable beef but I still prefer slow cooked brisket to cured brisket.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Bright and inviting space, prompt service, great food.

Dexter

456 High St, Preston, VIC

(03) 9973 3577

http://www.dexter.melbourne/

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/

The Garden of Good & Evil

Baked scallops with garlic and chilli butter

Well cooked but tasted purely of butter.

★★★☆☆

Street Corn

★★☆☆☆

Twice cooked pork belly with Asian slaw and micro herbs

Great flavours except the pork belly skin was extremely chewy and difficult to cut/bite through.

★★★☆☆

Soft shell crab tacos with smashed avocado, salsa fresca and chipotle aioli

Crispy crab with a delicious combination of ingredients.

★★★★☆

Beef brisket sliders with smoked hickory BBQ sauce

★★★☆☆

Seafood paella with tiger prawns, calamari, mussels, barramundi and saffron rice

This was in the ‘something bigger’ section of the menu so I was expecting something well…bigger. This dish was a little salt heavy otherwise the flavours were good and the seafood plentiful.

★★★☆☆

Trio of vegetable crisps

An interesting mix of sweet potato, potato and red cabbage.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

The inside dining area was poorly lit so we decided to grab a table in the lovely back courtyard. Service was friendly and the food enjoyable. Note that the $10 paellas are only available 12-4pm on Sundays.

The Garden of Good & Evil

13 Station Rd, Cheltenham, VIC

(03) 9585 6067

http://www.thegardenchelt.com.au/

Wide Open Road

Thick cut bacon with gruyere cheese potato cake, poached eggs, beetroot relish, rocket, chipotle mayo

The thick cut bacon was delicious and had a lovely hint of sweetness. If only there had been more of it!

★★★★☆

Corn, black bean and smoked mozzarella tortilla with chipotle lime creme fraiche, fried eggs and pork belly

I would have preferred less beans however the pork belly was quite enjoyable.

★★★☆☆

Caramelised tiramisu french toast with espresso mascarpone, poached plums and a cocoa nib, cinnamon and nut dukkah

The sugar crust on the french toast was a nice touch, while the espresso mascarpone and poached plums made for an interestingly delightful combination of flavours.

★★★★☆

Chai latte

★★★★☆

Overall:

Great food, average service, definite hipster vibe.

Wide Open Road

274 Barkly St, Brunswick, VIC

(03) 9387 6079

http://wideopenroad.com.au/

Jalisco Mexican

Mexican Street Salad

(aloe vera cactus, feta, corn, pico, lime)

This was my first time eating cactus so I had no idea what to expect. The cactus itself was fresh and juicy, but its taste was subdued by the pico and the lime. In any case I really enjoyed this refreshing well balanced salad.

★★★★☆

Chicken Quesadilla

(pulled chicken grilled with cheese, served with salsa)

Simple cheesy filling encased in a crisp tortilla.

★★★☆☆

Street Corn

(grilled corn on the cob with paprika, parmesan, chipotle mayo and lime)

This juicy charred corn needed more chipotle aioli to take it to the next level.

★★☆☆☆

Tiger prawn, cabbage, pico and chili-lime mayo taco

★★★★☆

Chili con carne, pico, feta and rocket taco

★★★☆☆

Fish, cabbage, pico and chili-lime mayo taco

★★★☆☆

Sangria

(red wine, brandy, triple sec, fresh fruit)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Not only does this place offer authentic Mexican food, they also offer an impressive selection of tequilas (90 so far)! There is no doubt that the team behind Jalisco Mexican love their tequila, so much so that they named this place after the most popular tequila producing state in Mexico. According to Mexican law, only Jalisco and limited regions in surrounding states are able to produce tequila.

What I really liked about this place was the atmosphere and the decor. The bar was colourful and vibrant, while the beer garden looked like an awesome place to kick back and relax with friends.

The bar

The beer garden

The beer garden is perfect for large groups and can accommodate 50-70 people.

There is also a private function room upstairs which can seat up to 35 people.

What’s even more fantastic about this place is that they offer FREE home delivery service 7 nights a week from 5pm! If only I lived closer.

Jalisco Mexican

69 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC

(03) 8899 6636

Home

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Jalisco Mexican.

Oscar Cooper

Spiced napoli baked eggs, grilled zucchini, spanish onion, corn, chorizo and manchego cheese served with ciabatta

A bit on the watery side but very flavoursome with a brilliantly spicy kick.

★★★☆☆

Crispy truffle polenta slice, confit field mushrooms, poached eggs, shaved manchego and jamon

The polenta slice was delicious with a distinctive truffle aroma while the eggs were perfectly poached.

★★★★☆

Oscar’s benedict on potato roesti, smashed avo, poached eggs and tangy hollandaise with house cured salmon

The potato roesti had been overly fried so was incredibly crispy. Eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise quite tasty.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

This popular corner cafe draws in the crowds with their enjoyable food, easy-going service and the all day booze they have on offer. So remember this place for the next time you have an early morning hankering for some wine or a cocktail.

Oscar Cooper

160 Greville St, Prahran, VIC

(03) 9529 5670

http://www.oscarcooper.com.au/

Bomba Downstairs

Natural Oysters

★★☆☆☆

Sourdough and Olive Oil

★★★☆☆

Charcuterie

★★☆☆☆

Smoked Eel Croqueta

★★★★☆

Pumpkin Soup with Candied Pistachio

★★★★☆

Moorish Spiced Lamb Cutlet

★★☆☆☆

Charcoal Grilled Corn with Dried Maize

★★★★☆

Quail with Pistachio and Buckwheat

★★★☆☆

Pedro Ximenez Braised Pork Jowl with Celeriac

★★★☆☆

Freekah Salad with Cauliflower, Almonds, Barberries, Sumac and Mint

★★☆☆☆

Chargrilled Bay Bug with Lime Pil Pil

★★★★☆

Overall:

The 9 course set menu was amazing! The courses came out at a perfect pace, the food was delicious and it was also great value for money. Service was friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere lively. I look forward to returning to this place.

Bomba Downstairs

103 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9077 0451

http://bombabar.com.au/