Prawns

Richmond Oysters

Seafood Platter and Garden Salad

(natural oysters, smoked trout rillettes, Morton Bay bug, prawns, mussels, baby octopus, local scallops, soft shell crab, salt and pepper calamari, grilled fish)

★★★★☆

Golden Gaytime

(honeycomb parfait, peanuts, chocolate)

★★★☆☆

Creme Brulee

(macaroon, salted caramel, chocolate)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I was truly impressed with the newest branch of Richmond Oysters (which is unexpectedly located in Oakleigh). Spacious and modern, this place emanated a sophisticated yet comfortable feel, and I loved all the live seafood that was on display. Service was excellent (friendly and attentive), and the food was fresh and tasty. We came here with a $99 Cudo voucher which made this meal a bargain (a bottle of wine was also included!), and we left feeling extremely full and content.

Richmond Oysters

66 Portman St, Oakleigh, VIC

(03) 8592 4676

Intro

Okra

Cassava crackers with sambal

You can’t go wrong with fresh complimentary crackers.

★★★☆☆

Eggplant with Homemade Sambal

★★☆☆☆

Ayam Merah Nonya

(red curry chicken with kaffir lime leaves)

Mildly spicy, tender chicken.

★★★☆☆

Pad Thai

(rice noodles with chicken, prawns, bean shoots and peanuts)

The tastiest Pad Thai I’ve had in a while. The noodles were cooked perfectly and unlike many other places, the dish wasn’t laden with sugar.

★★★★☆

Duo Seafood

(scallops and prawns with palm sugar and chilli)

From the menu description I thought this dish would predominantly comprise of scallops and prawns, not vegetables.

★★☆☆☆

Twice-cooked Black Pepper Duck with Champignon

Cooking the duck twice removed it from all its flavour, while the sauce had a disagreeable liver taste to it.

★☆☆☆☆

Overall:

Apart from the Pad Thai, the food was unremarkable. The staff however were very attentive as our dishes were taken away as soon as we were done with them and our water glasses were constantly being refilled (I don’t think my glass ever reached half empty). Note that this place is in the Entertainment Book.

Okra

159 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East, VIC

(03) 9813 1623

http://www.okrahawthorn.com.au/

Seoul Soul

Chargrilled Pork Belly

Dry and chewy.

★★☆☆☆

Stir Fried Beef Noodles

★★★☆☆

Kimchi Fries with Cheese

Spicy and delicious.

★★★☆☆

Seafood Pancake

★★★☆☆

Deep Fried School Prawns

Crispy and addictive, especially with the accompanying sweet chilli sauce.

★★★★☆

Bong Bong Grape Drink

I loved how this came with actual grapes in it!

★★★★☆

Overall:

Small place with quick service and tasty Korean fare. I’d visit again if I was in the area and was after a quick Korean meal.

Seoul Soul

323 Victoria St, Abbotsford, VIC

0478 768 760

http://www.seoulsoulgroup.com/#organic-korean-cuisine

Tazio Birraria Pizzeria Cucina

Porco Carne Pizza – tomato, mozzarella, pork and veal meatballs, goat’s cheese

Thin crispy base with delectable toppings.

★★★☆☆

Pasta – linguine with prawns, garlic, chilli, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, rocket

Bland. Needed more garlic, chilli, and a squeeze of lemon.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

It was a busy Saturday night at Tazio and I was absolutely ravenous. You know how food tends to taste better than usual when you are really hungry? Well this wasn’t the case on this particular night. Although the food was tasty, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The ambience on the balcony was nice and the service was average.

Tazio Birraria Pizzeria Cucina

66 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9654 9119

Tazio Flinders Lane | Melbourne CBD Restaurant

The Roving Marrow

Manuka smoked duck breast, liver parfait, caramel apricot

Well cooked duck with a wonderful combination of flavours.

★★★☆☆

Mozzarella pasta, peas, goats cheese

The mozzarella pasta was so amazingly smooth, while the fresh peas and goats cheese added incredible taste and texture.

★★★★★

Whole wheat sour dough with burnt butter

Quality butter and delicious sourdough fresh from the oven.

★★★★☆

Hen’s egg, smoked potato, shiitake, mushroom

Small but tasty.

★★★★☆

Potato chips and dip

These triple cooked chips were ordinary however the wasabi aioli dip was seriously top-notch.

★★★☆☆

Skull island prawn, creamed corn, kimchi salt

More delicious prawns please!

★★★☆☆

Strawberries, meringue, lychees, fragrant watermelon jelly

If only this strange watermelon jelly sheet contained something that looked and tasted more inspiring.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Sleek decor, attentive service, exceptional quality food. A place I would happily return to.

The Roving Marrow

418 Lygon St, Carlton, VIC

(03) 9347 7419

http://www.theastorcarlton.com.au/restaurant/

Sabai

Wok tossed tofu, herbs, salted chilli, fried shallots and poached prawns served on prawn crackers

House made vegetarian spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce

Soft shell crab sliders with apple slaw

Slow cooked pork baby back ribs with red curry glaze

Slow braised lamb shank massaman, potato and cashews

Somtum – green papaya, carrots, snake beans, cirspy shrimps, Thai chilli, garlic, cashews, cherry tomatoes, lime and tamarind dressing

Tom Yum – spicy and sour soup with squid, mushrooms, prawns, tomatoes, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves

Crispy barramundi, fresh herbs and apple salad, chilli, lemongrass and sweet sour dressing

Steamed pandan, coconut and palm sugar puddings

Affagato – mini magnum, kahlua, espresso, toasted coconut

Thai tea panna cotta with coconut crumble and berries

Thai milk tea

Overall:

The word ‘sabai’ means comfortable or relaxed in Thai, and this restaurant is certainly a place where you can kick back, relax and enjoy lots of great contemporary Thai food. Authentic Thai cuisine is based on the fusion of five primary flavours: sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter. These flavours are combined to produce dishes of amazing intensity, and this was definitely the case for many of the dishes we sampled. The somtum in particular was like a flavour punch in the face! (but in a good way.) A place worth visiting for well balanced Thai food and friendly service.

Sabai

460 Church St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 8528 6884

http://sabairichmond.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Sabai.

Elephant Corridor

Sri Lankan Devilled Prawns

(marinated tiger prawns, onion, capsicum, tomato tossed with spicy sauce served on banana leaf)

Reminiscent of a Chinese sweet and sour dish.

★★★☆☆

Steamed Basmati Rice

★★☆☆☆

Goan Fish Curry

(fish cooked with coconut milk, spices, mustard seed and lemon juice)

Average curry with inconsistently cooked fish. Some pieces were nicely cooked while others were dry and chewy.

★★☆☆☆

Complimentary papadums served with mint sauce and tamarind chutney

★★★☆☆

Garlic Naan

More butter and more garlic would have been nice.

★★☆☆☆

Green Jack Fruit (Polos) Curry

This was my first experience tasting green jackfruit and I really enjoyed it! It had an interesting chewy texture that is very similar to the texture of pulled pork. No wonder it gets called ‘vegetable meat’.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Elephant Corridor is a busy place that offers respectable Indian and Sri Lankan food, efficient service and a lively atmosphere.

Elephant Corridor

179 Coleman Parade, Glen Waverley, VIC

(03) 9561 8810

https://elephantcorridor.com.au/

+39 Pizzeria

Toscana

(Italian tomato salsa, fior di latte, Italian Berkshire sausage, rocket, parmesan)

★★★☆☆

Capricciosa Italiana

(Italian tomato salsa, fior di latte, leg ham, olives, artichoke hearts, mushroom)

★★☆☆☆

Tartufata

(Cream of mushrooms, fior di latte, mushrooms, rocket, truffle oil, parmesan)

It’s been a long time since a pizza has made me go ‘wow’ but the flavours of this tartufata were incredible! If only the centre had been less soggy, this definitely would have been a 5 star pizza.

★★★★☆

Linguine All’Amalfitana

(Amalfi style pasta with prawns, cherry tomatoes, chilli, garlic and crayfish bisque)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Deliciously light pizzas that have a fantastic thin base but tend to get soggy rather quickly in the centre. Even so, they still tasted amazing! Service was efficient and the ambience was bustling. I certainly recommend the pizzas here and will doubtlessly return for the Tartufata.

+39 Pizzeria

362 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9642 0440

Home

Mama’s Buoi

Mama’s Buoi is all about authentic home-style Vietnamese cuisine. Unlike other Vietnamese restaurants, this place offers more than just pho noodle soup and rice paper rolls. Co-owner Tin Ly explained to us that he could never get his favourite Vietnamese dish “caramelised pork belly hot pot” from anywhere but home. I had never even heard of this dish before and couldn’t wait to try it out.

Chicken and pork liver pate with sesame crackers

Pulled duck pancakes with hoi sin sauce

Rice noodles stuffed with pork, mushroom and fried shallot

Shell on school prawns with salt, pepper and citrus

Steak roll Vietnamese salad wrap with citrus and green chilli dressing

Roast pork belly and crackling with pickled veg

Reconstructed Can Chua (sour soup) with fried noodles, mussels, calamari and prawn

Ginger chicken stir fry with bok choi

Steamed barramundi wrapped in bamboo with lemongrass, chilli and citrus dressing

Mushroom and snow pea stir fry

Caramelised pork belly hot pot with boiled egg

Reconstructed three colour drink with black jelly, pandan jelly, rum and mung bean puree, basil seeds, jack fruit and coconut milk

Lychee & Watermelon Martini

(vodka and lychee liqueur muddled with lychees and watermelon)

Overall:

Talk about being well fed. Not only did the food look amazing, it also tasted fresh and delicious. The standout dishes for me were the chicken and pork liver pate, the shell on school prawns, the reconstructed three colour drink and of course the caramelised pork belly hot pot! The cocktail list here was also quite interesting. I wasn’t daring enough to try their ‘pho’ cocktail, however I was pretty happy with my lychee & watermelon martini.

Mama’s Buoi has opened me up to a whole new range of Vietnamese food. With its cheery homely atmosphere (bright colours, raw timber tables, festoon lighting, photo album-like menu), this is a place I would gladly return to.

Mamas Buoi