Fried chicken

B’Cos Brazil

Pao de Queijo – Brazilian cheese puffs

These were delicious and had such a unique texture: soft, airy, chewy and cheesy. These were so good in fact that I want to have a go at making them myself soon.

★★★★☆

Coxinha – Brazilian chicken and cream cheese croquette

★★★☆☆

Bcos fried chicken pieces

Tough and dry.

★★☆☆☆

Picanha – BBQ’d Brazilian beef served with Brazilian rice, beans and salad

I liked being able to choose our salad (as you can see I wanted to try a few) as well as our rice (I chose brown over white). The beef was fairly standard and on the small side.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

This was a great introduction to Brazilian cuisine for me. Service was outstanding (the staff were very welcoming and helpful) and the place itself was small and casual. Note that this place is closed during the weekend.

B’Cos Brazil

353 Little Collins St, Melbourne

(03) 9670 1956

http://www.bcosbrazil.com.au/

CJ Lunch Bar

Japchae (stir fried sweet potato noodles, vegetables and beef in soy sauce)

★★★☆☆

Bibimbab (steamed rice topped with sautéed vegetables, beef and special chilli sauce)

★★☆☆☆

Fried chicken served with cabbage salad

★★☆☆☆

Cheese chicken bulgogi (chicken bulgogi topped with cheese and spicy sauce)

★★★★☆

Kimchijeon (pan fried kimchi with vegetables and special flour batter)

★★☆☆☆

Dongaseu Don (deep fried marinated pork loin with rice)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Slightly cramped seating, efficient service, good portions, fantastic value. (eg. the Dongaseu Don was only $6!)

CJ Lunch Bar

Shop 2/391 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne

(03) 9602 1155

The Collection

Cucumber Gimlet (cucumber infused gin, lime, elderflower syrup, orange bitters shaken and charged with sparkling wine)

★★★☆☆

Nilla Killa (vanilla vodka, apple, strawberry liqueur, vanilla shaken and served tall)

★★★☆☆

Mac and cheese croquettes with hog crackling crumble and cajun aioli

★★★☆☆

Buffalo chicken wings in hot sauce with blue cheese dressing

★★★☆☆

French fries with slow cooked chilli beef and cheese sauce

★★☆☆☆

New England lobster rolls (crayfish, baby cos lettuce, kewpie mayo)

★★☆☆☆

Southern fried chicken, country gravy, cornbread waffles, whipped maple butter

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Brilliant cocktails, good variety of dishes, prompt service, charming decor.

The Collection

328 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9429 8333

http://thecollectionbar.com.au

Rockwell And Sons

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Crispy tender juicy chicken, iceberg lettuce, buttermilk dressing and Crystal Hot Sauce served on a lightly toasted brioche bun. The only regret was the abundance of sauce which quickly led to a soggy sandwich.

★★★☆☆

Buttermilk Biscuit, Sawmill Sausage Gravy, Poached Eggs

Not the most attractive of dishes but a Southern breakfast classic that I had been meaning to try for some time. While I enjoyed the light slightly flaky buttermilk biscuit, the poached eggs were unfortunately overcooked and the Sawmill sausage gravy was EXCEEDINGLY seasoned (particularly with salt, pepper and thyme). I had to drink a lot of water after sampling this dish.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Come for the burgers.

Rockwell And Sons

288 Smith St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 8415 0700

http://www.rockwellandsons.com.au/

Kitchen Inn

Kolo Mee Special

Soft handmade noodles served with minced pork, BBQ pork and prawns. The regular serving was rather sizeable so I can only imagine what a large serving is like.

★★★☆☆

Sarawak Laksa

Rice vermicelli served with omelette strips, fish cake, chicken breast, prawns, bean sprouts and laksa gravy. The fragrant curry-like soup had a unique peppery taste, with a tinge of sourness. The first couple of bites were terrific but I soon felt that the heavy oil content was too much for me.

★★☆☆☆

Crispy Chicken

Simple no frills chicken that was well seasoned and deliciously crispy.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Kitchen Inn’s latest branch has many things going for it: a good location, efficient service, an extensive menu, generous serving sizes, cheap prices, and cuisine that is still fairly uncommon in Melbourne. And it is because of these things that I will very likely return to Kitchen Inn to sample more of their menu. Fingers crossed that whatever I order won’t leave me feeling bloated until the next day again.

Kitchen Inn

Shop 3 Village Walk, 52-54 O’Sullivan Rd, Glen Waverley, VIC

(03) 9886 3062

Meatmaiden

20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket with Tasmanian pepper berry rub (200g)

Quality house-smoked brisket that was meltingly tender.

★★★★☆

Lobster Mac Cheese

This classic macaroni and cheese dish was creamy but heavy, and had a surprisingly reasonable amount of lobster in it.

★★★★☆

Southern Fried Chicken with tequila mayo

Ordinary chicken served with bland mayo.

★★☆☆☆

Pulled Pork Shoulder

Sweet tender pork that was full of flavour.

★★★☆☆

House sausage, parsley, pickled red onion

Very dense and smoky.

★★☆☆☆

Crispy skin baby snapper, charred cauliflower, green bean salad

Well cooked, light and satisfying.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Meatmaiden is the sister restaurant to barbecue shack Meatmother in Richmond, and I must say that comparatively the meat served here is just as good or if not better. For 30 days the meat is dry-aged in order to achieve its greatest flavour and tenderness, and brisket is smoked for up to 20 hours in their custom built smokers. The 20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket was certainly a highlight and is something that I would easily return for. Service was good and the atmosphere casual. Note that this place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Meatmaiden

195 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9078 7747

Home

Parlour Diner

Lobster and Shrimp ‘Po Boy’ with Slaw and Chimichurri Salsa

★★★☆☆

Blue Ribbon Crispy Fried Chicken served with curly fries, sauce and salad

★★★☆☆

Dynamite Burger (beef patty, tomato, lettuce, cheese, pickles, chipotle, Asian slaw)

★★☆☆☆

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Lime Butter

★★★☆☆

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Milkshake

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We came here for a late dinner on a weeknight and found the atmosphere, service and food to be fabulous. A special mention goes to the huge pieces of fried chicken (fantastically crispy on the outside, juicy and boneless on the inside) and the chocolate peanut butter milkshake (sweet with a hint of saltiness and contained tiny little pieces of peanut and a giant scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream). This place is quite small and the kitchen is minuscule so I can understand that waiting times for food can be quite long when it gets busy. Nevertheless if you are in the mood for decent American food, head to Parlour Diner.

Parlour Diner

64 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC

(03) 9533 2006

Pistol Pete’s Food N Blues

93a Little Malop St, Geelong 5221 0287

Southern Style Fried Chicken

Crispy fried chicken covered in tasty spices. Be sure to try this with hot sauce for a deliciously spicy kick.

= ★★★

N’awlins Taster Plate

A surprisingly filling tasting plate that consisted of grilled andouille sausage, cajun fries, okra, fried shrimp and gumbo. Each dish was terrific but the stand out item for me was the gumbo. The rich stew was a thick blend of aromatic spices and flavours, and contained shrimp, chicken and sausage.

= ★★★

Overall:

Who would have thought that such a great place existed in Geelong? Pistol Pete’s serves up delicious Southern American food in a casual setting where fantastic Blues music is played non-stop, and live Blues acts perform regularly.

Note that orders are taken at the counter and that this place is closed on Mondays.

East of Everything

Level 3, 72 Auburn Parade, Camberwell 9882 4216

Cajun sweetcorn fritters with avocado salsa

Crispy fritters packed with juicy corn kernels and lightly drizzled with a spicy Cajun sauce. My only complaint with this dish was that there should have been more of the terrific avocado salsa!

= Good

Pulled pork quesadilla

Sweet smoky pork. Delicious!

= Good

The “Dom” – beef debris served on a bed of crispy chips with Cajun remoulade and pickles

If only this dish came with slightly more beef and slightly less chips it would have been perfect.

= Good

Southern fried chicken Po’Boy

Crispy tender chicken + fresh crunchy coleslaw = a winning combination

= Good

Peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake

Solid and difficult to cut through, this sweet homemade cheesecake was reminiscent of a Snickers bar.

= Not bad

Overall:

Quietly hidden away up a small flight of stairs, East of Everything know how to serve up some great Southern food. The menu is small and simple, the atmosphere relaxed and the staff friendly.

Miss Katie’s Crab Shack

238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne 9329 9888

Crispy Fried Clarence River Organic School Prawns

Katie’s Crunchy Corn

Katie’s Fried Chicken & House Baked Cornbread

Seasonal Jambalaya

Thoughts:

Crispy Fried Clarence River Organic School Prawns – crunchy prawns dusted in corn masa flour and smoked paprika, served with lemon and hot sauce. A very addictive dish = Excellent

Katie’s Crunchy Corn – baby corn ‘chips’, salted ricotta, chilli and coriander. A bit pricey considering how little food you get = Good

Katie’s Fried Chicken – covered in an array of marvellous spices, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, served with ranch sauce and terrific fries that were crunchy and well seasoned. Don’t forget to try the chicken with their BBQ sauce = Excellent

House Baked Cornbread – deliciously light and fluffy with a hint of sweetness = Excellent

Seasonal Jambalaya – a pleasant combination of new season okra, local mussels, prawns, and spicy kranski = Good

Overall:

Delightfully quirky and nautical themed (which includes a giant plastic shark head that sits in the middle of one of the tables), this laid-back place serves up pretty darn good food. The tables were covered with newspaper which makes sense as eating here can become quite messy. Service was friendly and orders were taken at the kitchen counter. My only gripe with this place is that they use styrofoam boxes to serve up some of their food. But apart from that, I really enjoyed my visit to Miss Katie’s Crab Shack.

Note that this place is cash only.