Lemon

Public Inn

Roast duck breast, heirloom carrot, aged balsamic and bergamot, beetroot, kohlrabi

I initially mistook the carrots for chillies. Those tricky carrots.

★★★★☆

Ocean farmed cobia, green beans, miso and black garlic, sweet potato, ice plant, fermented chili and bisque

★★★☆☆

Rare Wagyu sirloin, smoked olive and Parmesan, lemon, thyme, potato beignet, beef gratin pastry, fennel

★★★★☆

Lemon and vanilla wild rice, black pepper ice cream, caramel popcorn, apricot syrup

The ice cream on its own was very peppery and needed to be eaten with the sweetened rice to balance the flavours out.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Located in what was once Castlemaine’s original fire station, Public Inn is a charming bistro and bar that offers marvellous food and exceptional service. Certainly worth a visit if you are in the Castlemaine area.

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Public Inn

26a Templeton St, Castlemaine, VIC

(03) 5472 3568

http://www.publicinn.com.au/

Feast of Merit

Jerusalem artichoke and chips, Iraqi spices, dill

I love jerusalem artichoke and devoured this in no time!

★★★★☆

White BBQ fish, yogurt, sesame, lemon, herbs

Moist succulent fish.

★★★☆☆

Pumpkin, baharat, almonds, moghrabieh, barberries, garlic aioli

Great combination of ingredients. Plus I am now a big fan of moghrabieh (Lebanese couscous).

★★★★☆

Overall:

Delicious Middle Eastern influenced food, efficient staff, cosy rustic atmosphere. Portions were small considering the prices however I didn’t mind too much as 100% of the profits directly support YGAP (a movement of entrepreneurs who launch ventures to improve the lives of people living in poverty). Kudos to Feast of Merit for supporting a great cause.

Feast of Merit

117 Swan St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9428 8480

http://www.feastofmerit.com

Sun Moth Canteen & Bar

Fried bread, green olives, lemon, chilli, garlic and percorino

These crunchy little morsels were very addictive.

★★★☆☆

Duck liver parfait, salted figs and candied walnuts

Solid parfait that initially refused to come out of the jar but ended up being quite tasty.

★★☆☆☆

Sweet corn and chicken soup with buttermilk dumplings, spring onions and greens

A light Asian style soup with gnocchi-like dumplings.

★★☆☆☆

Mushroom, olive and barley risotto

This hearty risotto was perfectly cooked and had a delightfully rich mushroom flavour.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Enjoyable food, chillaxed atmosphere, clean and simple decor. A great place to unwind.

Sun Moth Canteen & Bar

28 Niagara Lane, Melbourne

9602 4554

http://www.sunmoth.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Sun Moth Canteen & Bar and the team at Zomato.

The Jolimont

73 Jolimont Rd, Forest Hill 0438 333 595

Iced Chai

Sweet with a distinctive chai flavour

= ★★

Banana Milkshake

This brought to mind childhood memories of banana Nesquik

= ★★

Smashed avocado

(avocado, dill, lemon and feta cheese on seven grain sourdough, served with a fried egg)

= ★★

The Jolimont Platter

(antipasto platter with Chef’s selection of marinated vegetables, deli meats, cheese and bread)

= ★★

Overall:

This cosy suburban cafe serves up the usual breakfast/brunch items. Although nothing particularly stood out in terms of the food, service was great as the staff here were attentive, friendly and up for a chat.

Lemon and Coriander Hummus

Recipe:

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you want your hummus to be)
small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chilli sauce (optional but recommended!)

Method:

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until fully combined and smooth. Spoon into a bowl and serve.

Overall:

Super tasty, super quick and super easy. ANYONE can make this.