Salmon

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/

Fifty Acres

Chorizo scotch eggs with avocado, manchego, spinach and seeded mustard mayo

Perfect scotch eggs. Deliciously crispy on the outside with golden runny yolk. The only downside to this dish was that it wasn’t very substantial.

★★★★☆

Citrus cured NZ King Salmon, green olive tapenade, poached eggs on dark rye

Well poached eggs with tasty salmon and tapenade.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Delectable food, stylish minimalist decor, calm and relaxed environment, efficient service. There are still so many things on the menu that I want to try (ie. pumpkin pancakes, brioche french toast with nutella) so I must return to Fifty Acres soon.

Fifty Acres

65 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9421 0296

http://www.fiftyacres.net.au/

Hinoki Japanese Pantry

I finally tried the sushi bar at Hinoki Japanese Pantry the other day after buying groceries from here in the past.

Hotate (scallop) and Salmon Aburi

★★★☆☆

Nosé Maki and Hoso Maki

★★★★☆

Small Sashimi

★★★★☆

Overall:

Our order took a little while to prepare but when it was finally ready, everything tasted fresh and was of fantastic quality. The grocery store section at Hinoki Japanese Pantry is impressive with a wide range of products ranging from Japanese curries and ramen to sake and green tea Kit Kats. This simple orderly store is a good place to head to for your Japanese grocery needs, as well as for delicious sushi and sashimi. Note that limited seating is available so getting takeaway may be necessary during busy periods.

Hinoki Japanese Pantry

279 Smith St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9417 4531

http://hinoki.com.au/

Maru Shih

Sashimi

We were expecting more of a variety but at least this was fresh.

★★★☆☆

Salmon and Avocado Inside Out Hand Roll

★★★☆☆

Yaki Udon

(chicken and vegetables cooked in Japanese sauce with mayo)

★★★☆☆

Okonomiyaki

(Japanese savoury pancake with seafood and vegetables)

Dry with minimal seafood.

★★☆☆☆

Beef Udon

(sliced beef, onion, spring onion and thick udon in soup)

The soup was a little bit too sweet for my liking.

★★☆☆☆

Katsu Curry Udon

(fried crumbed chicken, spring onion and thick udon in curry soup)

A hearty noodle dish.

★★★☆☆

Green Tea Latte

This was unfortunately too sweet and needed a stronger matcha flavour.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Great value for money (especially for a place in South Yarra), friendly attentive service, and tasty Japanese fare. Maru Shih is a place worth visiting if you are in the area.

Maru Shih

49 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC

(03) 9077 9108

http://www.marushih.com/

Salt House

Korean Style Beef Carpaccio with soy gel, pickled ginger and kimchi

★★★★☆

Beetroot and Belvedere cured Salmon with kohlrabi and horseradish slaw and watermelon radish

★★★☆☆

Vegan Cottage Pie with beetroot salsa and mint salad

★★☆☆☆

Peruvian Style Quinoa and Borlotti Bean Salad

(quinoa, borlotti beans, coriander, mint, roasted red peppers, blistered tomato, chilli and lime dressing)

★★☆☆☆

Sticky Sesame Soy Beef with cold soba noodles and pickled ginger salad

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Located at Marina Point, Salt House offers stunning views of the ocean, marina and surrounding mountains. Add to that professional service, elegant atmosphere and a $28 lunch set menu, this place makes for a pleasant dining experience.

Salt House

6/2 Pier Point Rd, Cairns, QLD

(07) 4041 7733

Home

Baba Sus

Hong Kong Egg Waffles

(vanilla custard, green tea ice cream, berry compote, pistachio praline)

Although these were not like the egg waffles I’ve eaten in Hong Kong (which were distinctively crispy on the outside and very light on the inside), they were still undeniably good. These tasted more like pancakes…really delicious pancakes.

★★★★☆

Corn and Zucchini Croquettes

(house cured salmon, herb aioli, asparagus, frisee, poached egg)

★★★☆☆

Crispy and creamy croquettes, perfectly poached egg, not a lot of salmon.

Overall:

Deciding what to order here was no easy task. Every menu item sounded delicious with most of them having Asian influences. I really like places that have a unique menu, and when you add good food and good service onto that, Baba Sus makes for a place that is worth visiting over and over again.

Baba Sus

15-17 Bardolph St, Glen Iris

9939 6141

Satoru’s Japanese Restaurant

Sushi Set

(salmon, tuna, prawn, calamari, scallop nigiri and sushi roll)

★★★☆☆

Bento Plate

(prawn and salmon dumplings, chicken spring roll, calamari tempura, teriyaki chicken and sushi roll)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We visited for lunch on a Saturday and had a lovely cheerful man (I’m assuming he’s the owner) both prepare and serve our food. The seafood was fresh and the bento plate unique (this was the first time I’d ever heard of prawn and salmon dumplings). I can see why this place is the most popular Japanese restaurant in the area.

Satoru’s Japanese Restaurant

Shop 1, 108 Old Pacific Hwy, Oxenford, QLD

5665 9295

Rae’s Restaurant, Balgownie Estate

If you are thinking about taking a break this winter to visit Victoria’s pre-eminent wine region (only an hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD), I strongly recommend dropping by Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa. This outstanding resort received the prestigious hotel industry award for “Best Regional Accommodation of the Year” at last month’s 2015 Tourism Accommodation Australia (VIC) Accommodation Awards for Excellence, and the on-site restaurant offers a marvellous dining experience. Executive Chef Graham Taute and his team at Rae’s Restaurant (the on-site dining venue) have a real passion for using fresh local ingredients, and incorporate the best of local produce into their menu. I recently had the wonderful opportunity of sampling their new winter menu for 2015.

Seafood Chowder

(prawn, scallop, salmon, white fish, herb oil)

Creamy hearty comfort food with a substantial amount of seafood in it. Utterly delicious and perfect for winter.

= ★★★★

Hand Rolled Potato Gnocchi

(smoked ocean trout, fennel, minted pea puree, Balgownie Estate chardonnay cream)

The gnocchi was soft and fluffy, while the sauce was smooth and flavourful.

= ★★★★

Vine Smoked Chargrilled Boneless Rib-eye

(with chips, green beans, Bordelaise sauce)

A solid steak with very tasty Bordelaise sauce.

= ★★★

Beer Battered Fish of the day

(with smoked paprika dusted chips, baby leaves, celeriac remoulade)

Light and crispy batter, moist steaming fish, crunchy golden chips. Simple and satisfying.

= ★★★★

Overall:

With a delicious new menu, roaring open fire and spectacular views of the surrounding Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley, Rae’s Restaurant is certainly worth a visit this winter.