Pine nuts

Rumi

Crispy fried whiting, tahini sauce, dukka

★★★☆☆

Sigara boregi with haloumi, feta and kasseri

★★★★☆

King prawns, olive oil, lemon myrtle salt

★★★★☆

Fried cauliflower, sweet onions, currants, pine nuts

★★★★★

Fish of the day

★★★★☆

Macadamia baklava ice cream sandwich

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Modern Middle Eastern fare at its best. The food was fantastic as was the quick friendly service. We had no idea what to order and our waitress was extremely helpful with her recommendations. I am certainly returning and am also looking forward to visiting the owners’ other restaurant The Moor’s Head.

Rumi

116 Lygon Street, Brunswick, VIC

(03) 9388 8255

http://rumirestaurant.com.au/

Morries Anytime

Fried Cauliflower

(chili, garlic, bean sprouts, coriander, peanuts, soy dressing)

A bit heavy on the soy dressing otherwise this was really delicious.

★★★★☆

Beetroot Gnocchi

(house-made gnocchi, pine nuts, citrus ricotta, kale, confit, tomatoes, almond garlic puree)

Wonderful flavours and textures, however the gnocchi was a little dense and chewy.

★★★★☆

Tempura Whiting

(apple, pine nut remoulade, lemon)

Crispy deep fried batter, fresh crunchy salad.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We visited this popular place during lunch to take advantage of their $25 lunch special which included any lunch main with a glass of wine or beer. The service here was efficient, while the decor was modern and sleek. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the Margaret River area.

Morries Anytime

Shop 2/ 149 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River, WA

(08) 9758 8280

http://www.morries.com.au/

Oasis Bakery

Archie’s Avocado

(smashed avocado with feta, Oasis Bakery’s Archie’s Blend #2, charred corn, quinoa, salmon, poached eggs topped with duqqa and zaatar dressing)

I can appreciate this place trying to deviate from the conventional smashed avo dish but the Archie’s Blend just didn’t do it for me and neither did the smashed avocado, which was intensely sour.

★★☆☆☆

Carnival Hotcakes

(two buttermilk hotcakes, salted caramel sauce, honey popcorn, toasted marshmallow and fairy floss)

These were some pretty good hotcakes! And although I have a big sweet tooth, I recommend sharing this dish otherwise it can be a bit overwhelming.

★★★★☆

Roast Pumpkin Parcel

(roast pumpkin, caramelised onions, basil, pine nuts, spinach, halloumi)

Somewhat bland and ordinary.

★★☆☆☆

Chips

These had great crunch and were nicely salted.

★★★☆☆

Triple Cheese Pie

(halloumi, feta, shanklish and a red pepper pesto)

Perfect for cheese lovers like myself.

★★★★☆

Big Chicken Cheeser

(a quarter pound of chicken, halloumi cheese, chips, BBQ sauce)

This huge wrap was very filling and contained lots of delicious tender chicken.

★★★☆☆

Ayran Yogurt Drink

A little too tart for me but I liked how it cut through the heaviness of the food we had.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

This popular bakery/cafe/grocery store is always buzzing with people and it’s easy to understand why. There is a huge assortment of delicious food available, the service is hassle free (you order at the counter and collect your food once your buzzer rings), and the atmosphere very laid-back. A unique place that is worth visiting if you are after Middle Eastern inspired food and/or groceries.

Oasis Bakery

9/993 North Rd, Murrumbeena, VIC

(03) 9570 1122

http://oasisbakery.com.au/

Dip In Cafe

Dip In The Atlantic

(scrambled eggs with dill and chilli, served with smoked salmon and a cherry tomato, pine nut and basil salad)

★★★☆☆

Mushroom Madness

(spinach and cream cheese dip with poached eggs, halloumi cheese and a medley of marinated mushrooms)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Bread bowls are such a simple and delightful concept. It’s a shame that very few places offer bread bowls these days. Perhaps it’s to do with wastage seeing as the soft fluffy interior is taken out and not used. But that is definitely not the case at Dip It Cafe where we discovered that the bread interiors were all donated to charity. We also discovered the bread bowls to be surprisingly very filling. Service was friendly and the décor charming with lots of quirky ornaments and a superb wall mural.

Dip In Cafe

20-22 McKillop St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9670 5379

http://dipin.com.au/