Food Fetish

My slow attempt at world domination…. I jest, its all about the food.

[finkletink-blog]

Adriano zumbo the well renowned dessert patisserie recently opened a shop in Melbourne which, as having baked his brownies many times, I was super excited to visit! Located in an unexpecting side street in south yarra just off toorak road you can spot the shop straight away with is neon signs glaring out the window. As you step through the doors you are immediately excited by the colours and design of the place and of course the entire right side has desserts encased in glass (to stop people from accidentally drooling on everything I assume). There was a fair number of staff zipping up and down the shop from behind the counter packing goods for all the excited customers. My partner was immediately drawn to the Zonut, which is a mix between a donut and croissant I believe (I have had a cronut from a different bakery which was yes indeed heaven) so no doubt this would be a favourite. It was quite difficult to decide which cakes to get as they all shined as bright as eachother in my greedy and hungry eyes so we got a happy mixture, but of course we could not purchase too many as for the high class dessert pricing. I have never understood the craze on macaroons as I just can not bring myself to get pants-wettingly excited about a biscuit, but hey; when in Rome! The salted caramel macaroon was probably what the clouds of heaven taste like, I must admit I would roll around in bucketloads of these for days yet I still would not go out of my way to purchase them. The soft mushy biscuit with the deliciously creamy centre was definitely the best I have had. The Zonut was of course delicious, dusted completely in sugar and with a cream filled centre definitely gave me a sugar rush. The chocolate piece we got was a mousse centre with a sort of cherry hint in the centre which was probably my favourite! So soft and creamy. The caramel looking cake was just that, caramel covered sponge cake which unfortunately lacked any real flavour, just tasted like fun air. Last but not least the strawberry looking mess was so aesthetically pleasing it was a must purchase but the cheesecake centre wasn't exactly to my liking. I'm not sure if it was too tangy or what but probably wouldn't buy it again. All in all an exciting experience, love the pastries and macaroons but for the prices I have other places I would rather buy cakes from. (Definitely try his deluxe brownie mix found in the supermarket mmmmmm yum!) Zumbo 12-14 Claremont street South Yarra

[finkletink-blog]

So the first time I attempted to go down to this well talked about cafe was unfortunately on Mother's Day without a booking and due to the cold and my very empty and quite loud stomach we could not wait that long. Round 2, third times the charm? No no no we went on a Thursday at Brunch time and there were tables galore! Whoop :) Although at first the service seemed quite poor due to the fact that a few waiters saw us standing around not sure where to wait and didn't acknowledge us and we grabbed our own menus, after a while it picked up so I assume they must just be quite busy all the time. The venue is fair sized but we didn't even attempt to sit inside as there were a few kids around and the sound seemed to bounce of the walls and become quite loud, so we stuck to the wooden picnic like tables outside where it was a little bit chilly but the peace and the space were so appealing we just ordered coffees to warm ourselves (and sooth the soul of course). They came out piping hot and super quick just as I like it and surprisingly the food came out pretty quickly after we ordered as well! Always puts a smile on my dial. Anywho, my lovely companion enjoys dancing with the devil and ordered the Brioche French Toast which was fruity nutty flowery and mascarpony :) aren't I just so elegant with my wording. The bread was so sweet and soft and the mascarpone was smooth and creamy, "the perfect combination" if tastebuds could talk. I ordered the "I don't remember its name but was some big veggie brekky of the sort". The bread was not to my liking here I'm not sure why, I did ask for gluten free as that is what I do but somehow it didn't take my fancy, which was fine because my plate was choca-block with heaps of food! The potatoes were delicious and a lovely addition to a breakfast, the tomato (just so you know I've only Recently become a tomato fan) was amazing I wanted to live in it, the eggs were perfect and the avo and Mushies were as you would expect, dericious. After struggling to breath for a solid 10 minutes we shuffled down to the register to pay and like moths to that darn flame we were drawn to the delicious looking display of cakes. Each one looking more elegant and mouth watering as the next, it was difficult to choose but we agreed to only get one each. I didn't get the best photo but these cakes need no photos, no words, no accompaniment.. They were pure perfection. One a banana caramel hazelnut concoction which had me lost and confused grasping the table and screaming for more.. Wait, no, food right. The next a white, dark and milk chocolate mousse like cake was so fluffy but dense at the same time, if I didn't stop to run out of the room yelling at my P.I.C. to try this wonderful creation it surely would have been gone in the blink of an eye. All in all a wonderful experience and I will 100% be back for more dessert dining! Chez Dre 287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne

[finkletink-blog]

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.

John Gunthe

[finkletink-blog]

After returning from America where cheese sauce for your fries is only an extra 99c everywhere I had to go to 8bit in Footscray where the fries were cheesy and the burgers apparently incredible. Was pretty easy to get to and not too hard to spot being the only fun bright shop on the street. When you walk inside there is a large board menu on the wall filled with all sorts of burgers, fries, shakes, onion rings etc and as I am slightly fussy with my food I was super happy when they accommodated for my many burger changes. Once paid for we took our Mario Toad pot plant and made our way around the large open kitchen to sit up on stools against it as it was quite cold and we wanted to stay near the heat. The place was really cool and open with a fun design to it. It had random little Mario characters everywhere and some coloured tiles along the walls with heaps of stools lining the benches against the walls and a couple of tables. I always do love watching people work in the kitchen, distracts me from my hunger :p. Pretty soon our chips were brought over to us, which was not exactly how I would have wanted it to go as I love eating my chips and burger at the same time but I guess they had some ready and didn't want to waste them as these chips weren't piping hot. They were delicious beer battered thick chips with what tasted like the kraft cheese spread from a bottle but melted, yum yum. The only downside was they were a little tight on the cheese sauce but maybe not everyone loved drowning in cheese as much as I do? Soon after we finished the chips our burgers were brought to us in cute little boxes and boy did they look scrumptious! I got the double burger but made it into a single, removed the bacon and added fried onions and mark got the double.. Plain and simple (oh how easy life would be haha). The bread sort of reminded me of Babu burgers bread, semi-sweet and oh so perfectly soft! The tomato and mustard reminded me of Maccas sauces where as the meat patty tastes just like hungry jacks one, possibly the same type and supplier of meat or just that it was thin and well done with a slight chargrill taste to it. The pickles were oh so dericious and the onions a nice accompaniment. All in all I would have to say it was a delicious burger and I am glad I got it but it did feel sort of like a fast food burger, maybe because I love thick juicy patties I'm not sure. Mark rated it and I thoroughly enjoyed it so I would encourage you to get stuck in! Don't forget to ask for extra cheese sauce on those fries ;). PO! (Peace out) 8Bit 8 Droop Street Footscray

[finkletink-blog]

Surely traveling to America for a month excuses my tumblr posting absence? Unsure as to whether I should post delicious American food or just stick to Melbourne?

[finkletink-blog]

Combi coffee is a raw organic cafe located on Ormond road in the heart of Elwood. As it was cold and wet on my venture there we decided to head inside and find some seats. It is long and narrow with two tiny box tables in the doorway area and two large family style dining tables in the centre and back for communal style dining. The cafe goers were very nice and played musical chairs so me and my friends could sit together. All over the walls are short sentences and little quotes which were really nice to read and added to the fun and relaxing environment. Once you are ready you go up to the register to pay and order (personally I love this because after a delicious meal you get to get right up and leave instead of having to use your brain and sort out the bill). A woman across from us was eating the Mediterranean Lentil Soup, and whenever winter hits that soup craving does tent to kick in, so we ordered three of those (I asked for gluten free chia bread instead of normal on the side) and we all shared one of their smoothie; Berry Beloved. After a short chat the food came out, sadly at different times even though they were all soup, so some waited longer than others but was it delicious! The thick soup had all kinds of lentils in it as well as some big pieces of carrot and potato all drizzled with a bit of oil on top. Our bowls were scraped clean in no time. The Berry Beloved smoothie consisted of the following; rasberry, blueberry, strawberry, acai, lucuma, raw fermented protein powder, coconut flesh, banana and house made nut mylk (as spelled on the menu). It was vibrant in colour and beautiful to look at as well as insanely delicious. I couldn't help myself from drinking the majority 😳. Not too pricey all in all, I would say your standard Melbourne prices. On display are many delicious looking raw organic cakes and desserts which I could not pass up. I ordered the caramel slice and the chocolate fudge cake to go. Once home, although still extremely stuffed from the hearty winter goods I had just consumed, I opened up my take away pack and dug in. I've never had raw organic desserts before so I'm not sure what they usually taste like but the chocolate fudge cake wasn't too appealing to me, it was slightly watery not much taste and the texture wasn't as moussey as it looked. The caramel slice on the other hand didn't stand a chance, poor thing it was so delicious and soon after I was immobile on the couch. Combi coffee 140 ormond road Elwood 3184

[finkletink-blog]

Recently Rue and Co opened up in the city with irresistible sounding and looking tasties so of course I had to make my way there before I leave for America. In amongst all the buildings on Collins street men and women in suits flood down on their breaks to order quality food which is cooked up and served super quick for everyone in a rush. I was actually surprised at how quickly our food came even amongst the lunch rush. There was cool seating and tables on top of the display grass. I included a photo of the wall because I thought it was a really beautiful piece of art in the middle of plain buildings. Rue and co includes the three companies; St Ali which served coffee donuts and desserts as well as burgers, Jimmy Grants serving Greek food such as souvlakis salads and dimmys and finally Kong which is Korean yum yum! Seeings as I have tried Jimmy Grants (to die for! Get down to either the collingwood store, emporium store or rue and co's stall to try some) I went for Kong I ordered a lemongrass chicken roti wrap which was quite tasty and ended up staining my face with chilli sauce because I was starving and ate like a pig 😜 as well as honey soy chicken wings which I can honestly say may be the most delicious wings ever! So soft and sweet and saucy oh geez. After that I was pretty full so to go with my St Ali coffee I bought a salted caramel profiterole because I just didn't have enough room for a whole donut and how glad was I. The coffee was without a doubt the best coffee I've had and the profiterole was mouth watering and soft and gooey on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside. Not the cheapest place but you definitely get what you pay for so I will happily be returning ☺️ Rue & Co 80 Collins street Melbourne

[finkletink-blog]

If your a pie/pastry fan this place is a definite win. Located in lovely port Melbourne on Bay Street, as soon as you walk in the door the delicious smell of melted butter and rising pastry hits you in the face and I know it makes my mouth water. Pure Pie has a fair selection of gourmet pies to choose from along with sausage rolls and a daily dessert to choose from. These pies are not only made fresh on the day but you can also take home frozen ones for those freezing lazy stay-in days! I went in late one day and there was only plain beef left which was still exciting as a new food place always is but it just means I'll have to go back to try all the delicious flavours. After taking home my beef pie, beef sausage roll and choc caramel tart (those tarts sell super super quick and are sneaky to catch) I went home and dug in. The flakey as beautifully warm and buttery pastry with the thick chunks of beef and a slight taste of pepper stole my heart. And my tum! This pie was so big I has to use a knife and fork otherwise I would have to unhinge my jaw to fit it in. Such good value for money. The caramel tart was so soft and gooey wherever you touched it it gave way so you could tell it was super fresh. Very naughty treats for a lazy and cold afteenoon but hey what's life without a little butter :). Pure pie 383 Bay Street port Melbourne 3207

[finkletink-blog]

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

Harriet van Horne

[finkletink-blog]

If you are not currently aware, it is quite often that many delicious food trucks gather at Yarraville Gardens in Yarraville. Last week my man friend and I attempted paleo (spoiler: it didn't end well) I now know why cavemen did not usually live past 30. Day 6 in to paleo and we were lying on the couch completely drained, constantly hungry and basically brain dead. In saying this I'm sure paleo works for some people but it definitely didn't for us. So whilst scrolling through my Instagram The Dude Food Man uploaded a picture that they would be serving their delicious burgers (which have been on my "To Eat ASAP" list for who knows how long) at Yarraville gardens until late. Right then and there it was bye bye paleo and hello Yarraville. When we arrived there were about 5 or 6 food trucks lined up on the side of the road next to the park with people arriving and lining up or sitting waiting for their orders to be called out. Among the trucks were Mr burger, smokin Barry's BBQ, creme brule, some churro one and of course The Dude Food Man. It was around 530 so there wasn't really a wait on the trucks yet but it was a good time to go because as we were leaving the lines grew. So as I was feeling a bit chickeny (which is rare for me) I ordered the fried chicken burger and mark got the double dude food burger, a long with some chips of course! The guys were super friendly and nice and I also noticed boxes from breadtop, mmmmm I knew it was going to be good. Not long after they called out to us and we took the food just to the stone wall against the footpath and laid out our spread as we straddled the wall. They were very generous with the size of the chicken, it was huge! It was perfectly crisped and seasoned on the outside and beautifully tender and juicy on the inside. The bread was so soft and sweet it just melted in my mouth with the perfect amount of delicious saucy goodness. The chips were incredible as well! Large crispy outside and hot soft potato on the inside served with delicious mayo. I only had one bite of the double meat burger, which was pretty damn tasty, but I'll definitely be back to try that one out! We waited around a bit for the churro truck to open but it was freezing and they were taking a bit so we just left. The Dude Food Man Various locations around Melbourne. Check out their Facebook and Instagram to find them.

[finkletink-blog]

After stumbling upon images of the Burch & Purchese sweet studio and continuously having to wipe the drool off my face id decided to pop in and see if the desserts tasted as good as they looked. Near the corner of Toorak road and Chapel street in South Yarra the cute little studio would be easy to miss if it weren't for the candy pink striped baracades around the outdoor seating area. I loved the window display of the little mushrooms and birds, as well as the rabbit (I assume for Easter) and others inside. When you walk in on your right is shelving filled with pre packaged chocolates and toffees and what not and to the left are display cabinets filled with crazy looking cakes and mini slices and desserts. All the women working behind the counter wore cute pink and white striped aprons, I felt like I was in Candyland! As we moved along the shop we were handed some samples of chocolate which were oh so tasty and I noticed a fridge full of icecreams as well as a clear glass back wall so you can see in to the workshop where all the magic happens. From my memory each little dessert was roughly 8 or 9 dollars but hey if it's worth it who cares! We took our four desserts (explosive rasberry milk chocolate, chocolate mandarin salted caramel, caramel chocolate and hazelnut and finally the one with the name I can't remember involved some sort of white chocolate and coffee concoction and sat out front on the pink chairs. The coffee white chocolate one was nice and tasty but it did not get finished, it was nothing special in my books. The caramel chocolate and hazelnut circle pastry was a bit hard and tasteless, so not a winner. The chocolate mandarin and salted caramel was delicious and smooth and creamy like chocolate mousse with just the right amount of everything! And finally my favourite the explosive rasberry milk chocolate had delicious biscuit crumble and choc bits on the top layer followed by a sort of rasberry jam with a final pink layer which was so delicious and tangy it just made the dessert pop! Oh and the pink ball on the top was tasty chocolate mousse! I think I will have to go back to taste more because although on the most part it was a delicious experience I have other go to delicious places that never fail. But if your in the area stop by and give it a go. It is sugar after all ;). Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio 647 Chapel street, South Yarra

[finkletink-blog]

Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

Federico Felini

[finkletink-blog]

I have wanted to go to La Svolta for a long time now but have never gotten around to it, so when my sister suggested we go on Easter sunday for dinner (every sunday night they have an optional set $30 all you can eat menu) i jumped at the idea! Growing up eating dinner no later than 6pm every day and holding that tradition in to adulthood we figured there was no point in making a booking because like most restaurant at that time it would most likely be empty. La Svolta is located in a small side street in Prahran off chapel street. There is enough street parking and a small carpark as well as another small carpark at the end of the street. The restaurant is very open and spacious yet still warm with the dimmed lighting and a candle on each table. Straight away we were seated and the 'all you can eat' set menu was explained to us. Unfortunately for us because of Easter they had bumped up the price to $45 each, so due to that and the fact that the set menu did not include a pizza (i was craving me some pizza) we decided to order two dishes to share. (If you do go here I do suggest getting the all you can eat set menu because for $30 you will get two entrees, two mains and two desserts… not too shabby in my books!) The chefs and the wait staff were all italian (very reassuring at an italian restaurant don't you think?) and they were extremely friendly and attentive, always filling our waters and checking up on everything. Within ten minutes of ordering our food was brought over to our table, and even though there was only one family in the restaurant it still added a little happiness to my dining experience. We ordered the Gnocchi Bolognese and the Margherita pizza. The gnocchi were little puffs of warm deliciousness that melted in my mouth, paired with the meaty but not too overpowering bolognese sauce we had no trouble in scraping the plate clean. I attempted to pick up a piece of the pizza with ultimate fail. The base was so thin that i was forced to use my knife and fork, and i never use my knife and fork to eat pizza! You could taste the freshness of the ingredients straight away. It was cooked just long enough for the dough to become bread and the cheese to melt, any longer it would have been a crispy biscuit. These italians know how to cook! The crust of this pizza was the thickest I've ever eaten, so soft and fluffy, i never wanted it to end (but of course just like the gnocchi, it did). Although after the pizza was cooked they poured a small dribble of oil on top of it it was nowhere near classified as an oily pizza, fresh as fresh can be. As we sat digesting the delicious meal, I felt full but not the sickening type of full you get after eating normal pizza, a good kind of full (i was ready to take on the world!.. or at least my bed). It wasn't long before we waived the waiter over to order the nutella dessert pizza >:] how could we not? By now the restaurant had begun to fill up, along with the people coming in and out to pickup their take away orders, so dessert didn't come out just as quickly as mains did but it was nice to sit with a full tummy for a bit. Now I can only assume that when this large plate of sweet sugary deliciousness was placed in front of us we looked like a couple of five year old or a lion watching its pray or something of the sort. The same soft, fluffy, just cooked dough as the pizza (except this time it was a normal thickness all the way through), a very generous amount of chocolately nutella slathered all over the base with some fresh strawberries thrown in to the mix make for two very happy ladies. If i could ask for one thing it would be a couple of scoops of vanilla ice-cream to go with it, but hey…. I'm greedy like that :P. $25 each for this delicious meal and a first class experience. Highly recommended. You shan't regret it.

La Svolta Pizzeria e Rosticceria 3-5 Cecil Place, Prahran 9510 3001

[finkletink-blog]

Just a quickie here. I was down chapel street on the Windsor end with a friend and she felt a bit peckish so we decided to stop in to Sauced pasta bar because she loves it there. Me on the other hand not feeling so peckish agreed to sit with her and not order anything.... Until the dessert menu caught me eye. Oh dear daniela. Surely it would have been rude to sit and not eat anything? At least that's what I tell myself. Not long after ordering the delicious morsels they are brought over to my table with a smile. Don't mind if i do. Sitting in front of me were four small circular (deep fried may I add) donuts which were covered in cinnamon with a side of vanilla bean icecream also heavily dusted with cinnamon. As I took a bite into the miniature donut my eyes rolled back in to my head. In the centre was a bit of heavenly melted chocolate which was perfectly warm (not the burn your mouth kind of hot). Paired with the cinnamon covered vanilla bean icecream, which I quickly shoveled into my mouth to get a bit of everything going on, it was close to perfection! I wouldn't have minded there to be a tiny bit more chocolate in the centre but hey I am a greedy guts. This little dessert is $6 and is the perfect mixture between nice and light (fluffy donuts) and super sweet (vanilla icecream) which will leave you comfortable and content (and personally ready for a nap haha). Sauced 148 chapel street windsor

[finkletink-blog]

Food is my best friend and my worst enemy.

[finkletink-blog]

Living on such a busy street like Bay Street in port Melbourne you would think I would have tried majority of the cafes and resteraunts loving food as much as I do but as a creature of habit I can't help but go back to the places that serve the meals that make me melt. However today my sister and I tried out Seven AM which could be easily ignored as it is shoved in amongst the cluster of shops and cafes on the main road. This place has such cool decor with fake clouds hanging from the roof and a whole table made from a large door! We sat down and straight away were asked for any drink orders and menus were brought over. (Love me some good service) I must admit I am quite a fussy orderer and most places either get it wrong or are unable to accommodate so when I ordered the 'brekkie roll' on gluten free with crispy but not burnt bacon and fresh spinach not wilted plus avocado, although the waitress laughed at me (I laughed too) she said she would do what she could and when our order came out (quite timely may I add) it was exactly as I had ordered, nicely presented and fresh as fresh can be! I was so happy with it :) delicious, soft and warm. (The tomato relish was a delicious touch) and on top of that the coffee was piping hot and tasty as ever. Definitely keeping this place on my list of cafes I like!

[finkletink-blog]

Today I will be happier than a bird with a French Fry.