Lime

The Black Toro

Coconut Kingfish Ceviche – young coconut, tomato, cucumber, chilli

This basically tasted like an amazing curry dish – fresh and creamy, with a bit of heat from the chilli.

★★★★☆

Grilled Corn On The Cob – chipotle mayo, ground masa, lime

I love grilled corn and whenever I see it on a menu somewhere, I always order it and then compare it to the corn here at The Black Toro. It’s been years since I’ve had this and after my first bite I felt super ecstatic as the corn was still as incredible as I remembered it to be.

★★★★★

Spicy Pulled Pork Tacos – soft corn tortilla, sriracha mayo, cabbage slaw

These were some tasty tacos and I really appreciated how they were served on a warm plate so that the tortillas would remain soft and warm for longer.

★★★★☆

Salmon Tartare – avocado puree, radish, toasted black sesame, puffed rice chicharon

The salmon needed a bit more seasoning otherwise this was a light and enjoyable dish.

★★★☆☆

Crispy Pork Hock – masterstock braised pork, guajilo chilli caramel, green apple salsa verde, butter lettuce

Sticky, sweet, and full of flavour. I made such a mess wrapping my pork up but it was totally worth it.

★★★★☆

Dessert Tasting Plate

Can’t pick a dessert? Why not try everything!

★★★★☆

Passionfruit Tart – berries, toasted meringue, mint

Beautifully presented with a lovely balance of sweetness and tartness. Meanwhile the combination of the smooth filling, the fresh fruit and the dehydrated fruit provided delightful texture variation.

Deconstructed Peanut Butter Cheesecake – chocolate ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, honeycomb

Best eaten with a little bit of everything on your spoon, as the peanut butter was extremely rich on its own.

Chocolate Brownie – salted caramel, popcorn, vanilla ice cream

These brownies were phenomenal – extremely smooth and highly decadent. They tasted amazing on their own, and the other additions were merely added bonuses.

Arroz Con Leche – coconut rice pudding, saffron spiced pear, cinnamon, walnut

Creamy and satisfying.

Overall:

Always a great experience. The food, service and ambience is brilliant, and the grilled corn is still my absolute favourite in Melbourne!

The Black Toro

79 Kingsway, Glen Waverley, VIC

(03) 9561 9696

http://theblacktoro.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.

Garagistes

103 Murray St, Hobart 6231 0558

Smoked new season pink eye potatoes, sauce of whey, garlic scapes, herbs, flowers

Tartare of veal leg, uni and pine nut cream, nasturtium buds, speck and aged buffalo cheese

Green feast peas, lovage, samphire, lardo

Venerupis clams cooked in kombu butter, chicken and anise hyssop dashi

Garagistes smoked eel, poached rhubarb, laver and pickled hawthorn blossom

Lightly steamed Tasmanian blue eye trevalla and oyster mushrooms cooked over charcoal

West Hobart lime posset, iced fig leaf kefir, caraway and dill shortbread

Kunzea blossom ice cream, elderflower milk crisp, green almond cream

Overall:

Garagistes offer an ever-changing five course set menu with optional artisanal sake to match. The food here is beautifully presented and has interesting flavours, however portions are quite small (I left still feeling a bit hungry). Service was friendly but slow, and the decor was simple (eg. plain wooden communal tables) and dark (eg. black walls, dark floors). Not a place I am likely to return to.

Note that this place opens Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, and that reservations open two weeks in advance.

Prospect Espresso

2a Prospect Hill Rd, Camberwell 9882 7359

Truffled Brioche, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, poached eggs and truffled hollandaise

Dry unpleasant brioche, not enough hollandaise sauce

= Not bad

Warm coconut rice with kiwifruit, lychee, lime air and puffed rice

I read the words ‘lime air’ and was very intrigued as to what it actually was. Turns out that it was like a lime flavoured meringue, and it tasted fantastic alongside the sweet kiwifruit, lychee and the creamy (but not too heavy) coconut rice. A very satisfying and filling dish that is perfect on a cold Melbourne day.

= Excellent

Overall:

A cosy little place where the menu is small, the staff are friendly and the warm coconut rice is delectable.