Yogurt

Mountain of Bears

BBQ Pulled Pork Burger

(slow cooked pork shoulder served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried shallots and house made slaw with a side of grilled kipfler potatoes)

The pulled pork was juicy and well flavoured while the potatoes were a nice change from the usual side of chips that you get from everywhere these days.

★★★☆☆

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Valencian Paella

(clams, squid, chorizo, chicken and shrimp cooked with saffron infused rice served in a claypot, topped with parmesan and spring onion)

Bland but filling.

★★☆☆☆

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Berries For The Bears

(strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, milk, yogurt)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Tucked away in a small arcade, Mountain of Bears is a place that offers friendly service, an inviting atmosphere and cleverly named menu items. Let’s avocuddle anyone?

Mountain of Bears

556 North Rd, Ormond, VIC

(03) 9578 9882

Left Field

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Shoulder Benedict with Sourdough, Poached Eggs, Apple Cider Hollandaise, Pomegranate, Apple and Mint

Ample amount of tender flavourful pulled pork, perfectly poached eggs, delectable hollandaise.

★★★☆☆

Breaky Board – Wild Muesli with Honey and Cinnamon Yogurt, Roast Pumpkin Bruschetta, Poached Egg, Hummus, Feta and Dukkah, OJ

I really liked the Breaky Board at Tall Timber and was hoping that the Breaky Board here would be just as good or even better. While this was very tasty, I enjoyed Tall Timber’s version slightly more.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I was super stoked when I heard that this place was being opened in Carnegie as the South East side of Melbourne is seriously lacking quality brunch-type cafes. With a team of people who are behind Tall Timber, Rustica Canteen, Short Straw and Touchwood, I was really looking forward to seeing what Left Field would offer.

The decor inside was bright and simple, the staff helpful, and the food enjoyable. My only disappointment was that they had sold out of their ‘Cookies n Cream Donut Sliders’ so I will have to return to try them.

Left Field

358 Koornang Rd, Carnegie, VIC

(03) 9578 2043

Addict Food and Coffee

Granola

House made coconut yogurt, fresh strawberry and orange, cinnamon, dried cranberries, raisins and apricots

★★★☆☆

Addict’s Pulled Pork Burger

12 hour cooked pork shoulder, slaw, jalapeños, gochujang mayo, salt and vinegar chips

★★★★☆

Grilled Cheese Kransky Big Breakfast

Bacon, fried egg, mushroom, smoked confit tomato, spicy apple and tomato chutney, gluten free toast

★★☆☆☆

Dark Choc Fondant Pancake

Wild hibiscus, strawberry, cacao crumble, mascarpone

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

I had a lovely experience but the food, service and atmosphere were nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps my expectations were set too high after reading so many glowing reviews about this place. Or perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes. Or perhaps we came on an off day. Perhaps perhaps perhaps!

Addict Food and Coffee

240 Johnston St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9415 6420

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

Persian Flavours Takeaway & Eat In

338 Springvale Rd, Forest Hill 9878 3087

‘Dough’ yogurt drink

A traditional Persian drink comprising of yogurt, water, mint, black pepper and salt.

The predominant taste of this unfamiliar drink was yogurt and salt. In fact when it comes to quenching your thirst, this drink does the complete opposite. Nevertheless it is a good accompaniment for spicy dishes.

= ★★

Zereshk Polow

Rice with sweet barberries and smoky fried onions

= ★★

Plain naan, Maast-mose (yogurt with cucumber and garlic flavour), Mixed kebab (combination of chicken kebab, lamb tikka and lamb koobideh)

= ★★

Garlic naan, Chicken masti (chicken marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices), Cheese naan

= ★★

Butter chicken curry (charcoal chicken cooked with onion, garlic, cashew nuts, cream in gravy and butter sauce),

Mixed veggies curry (mixed vegies with cashew nut cream and gravy sauce),

Beef massala (beef cooked with onion, garlic, yogurt, cream, sultana and tomato sauce)

Each curry was light and well seasoned however we found the butter chicken and the mixed veggies curry to be exceedingly sweet.

= ★★

Overall:

I really wanted to like this place but the food simply did not excite me. I couldn’t help but compare the curries we had to the rich Indian curries that I’ve had in the past, and the rice and kebabs we sampled to those that I’ve had at Afghan places. Perhaps Persian/Iranian cuisine isn’t for me. Service was quick and the decor was simple. A nice experience but not a place I see myself returning to.

The Kettle Black

50 Albert Rd, South Melbourne 9088 0721

House-made coconut yogurt with gluten-free grains, seeds and nuts, Toorak Station prickly pear, rhubarb, citrus powders, fruits and flowers

This beautifully presented dish was fresh, healthy and surprisingly filling

= ★★★

Hotcakes with house-made ricotta, blueberries, pure maple, double cream and seeds

I’ve previously had this dish at Top Paddock and was looking forward to ricotta hotcake heaven.

Regrettably I didn’t find the hotcake here to be as good as the ones I’ve had at Top Paddock. Don’t get me wrong, this hotcake was still sweet, fluffy and delicious. It’s just that comparatively the edges weren’t crispy, the centre was a little bit soggy and the strawberries still had their stems on (which I know you can eat, but I just prefer my strawberries to be stemless).

= ★★★

Overall:

Half located on the ground floor of a modern apartment building and half in a classic Victorian terrance, the decor here is a stylish combination of modern and homely. A noteworthy team of people own the place including Jesse McTavish (chef from Top Paddock), Nathan Coleman (Top Paddock owner), Ben Clark and Diamond Rozakeas (also from Top Paddock), Tim James (former manager of Two Birds One Stone) and Sam King (ex-Seven Seeds and Place Holder). The menu here is fresh and innovative and the staff are very welcoming. While I don’t think this place rivals Top Paddock, it is still worth stopping by if you happen to be in the area.

Afghan Pamir Restaurant

195 Lonsdale St, Dandenong 9792 0197

Mantu

Meatball kofta

Salad, dips, naan bread

Afghani rice

Borani banjan

Chicken and lamb skewers

Thoughts:

Mantu – soggy tasteless dumplings that were served drowning in yogurt = Bad

Meatball kofta – spiced lamb meatballs served in a mild tomato and pea sauce = Not bad

Salad, dips, naan bread – simple salad, undistinguished dips, hard (almost stale) bread = Bad

Afghani rice – long grained rice blended with bright strands of carrot, barberries and spices = Not bad

Borani banjan – oily fried eggplant topped with cooked tomatoes and an abundance of yogurt = Not bad

Chicken and lamb skewers – tender pieces of smoky meat = Not bad

Overall:

We were completely blown away by the magnificent decor; hand crafted solid wood furniture, marble table tops (albeit covered by a layer of plastic), and stunning pieces of Afghan artwork. It would have been a wonderful dining atmosphere except for the fact that this place was completely empty when we arrived, and would practically remain so for the remainder of the evening. The food at this place is rather pricey in comparison to other Afghan restaurants in the area, and we ended up opting for the $35 banquet which enabled us to try a bit of everything from their menu. Unfortunately the food did not impress me as much as the decor did, and I would most likely not venture here again.