kT eats the world

“I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food” - Erma Bombeck

[kteatstheworld]

Zesty Pizza & Pasta

Zesty Pizza has only been open for four months, after re-branding. After two years of trading as 'Veggie Choice Pizza', they decided to branch out to a larger crowd by offering meat options alongside their vegan and vegetarian dishes. An added bonus is that anything can be made Gluten-Free, Vegan, or Nut-Free.

We dined tonight as guests of Zesty Pizza, but all opinions are my own.

The dining area isn't large, but still has quite a few seats available for eating in, but they do also have takeaway and delivery options to the nearby suburbs.

Pizza is their main focus, but they also have pasta and burgers, so we opted to try one of each option. We decided to start with arancini balls as an entree, but wasn't expecting much when the menu offered no description of the dish.

Arancini Balls

served with garlic aioli

I'm glad I got to try these because they were simply delicious. The size of the balls were actually quite large, instead of being bite-sized as I had initially expected.

The centre was soft and creamy, with tasty mushroom slices, and coated in a delightfully spiced, crispy shell. The garlic aioli on the side had a good amount of garlic flavour, but wasn't overpowering. 

Carbonara

bacon, onions, garlic, shallots, sea salt and parmigiana cheese, egg yolk, cream

This dish was simple, with a delicious rich and creamy sauce. The flavour wasn't overly strong, but there was a good amount of parmigiana, adding a nice sharp flavour to the dish. The spaghetti was very soft and easy to eat. I would have liked it a bit firmer, but it was still quite nice.

Four Cheese

home made pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, bocconcini and fresh feta cheese with cracked black pepper

The pizza base was thin, but very crispy. I was quite surprised by the firmer texture as it did have a generous amount of pizza sauce on top. The different cheeses tasted great together, with the feta adding that extra salty hit.

Peri Peri Chicken Burger

loaded with chicken patty, fresh tomato, fresh spinach, cheese with peri peri sauce served with chips

This burger looked quite simple, but was packed with flavour. The peri peri sauce packed a punch, but tasted great overall. The bun was soft, with crispy edges and covered in a layer of melted butter. The chicken was soft and succulent, coated in a thin, crispy batter. There wasn't enough of the spinach, but was overall a nice burger. 

The chips were cooked perfectly, with crispy edges and soft, creamy centres. They were topped with a delicious mix of what tasted a bit like sweet peri peri salt.

The staff were friendly, and while the service was good, the dishes took quite some time to be prepared. I felt as though they were trying to bring the main dishes out around the same time, but while the pizza was piping hot, the pasta was barely warm. The burger and chips arrived some time after - the chips would have been great to snack on throughout the meal. 

Zesty Pizza 580 Burwood Road, Hawthorn [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Friday // 4:00pm - 10:00pm Saturday - Sunday // 11:00am - 10:00pm

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Hu Tong Dumpling Bar // Chinese

Hu Tong Dumpling Bar is one of those dumpling places that almost everyone has heard of, with crazy long queues to get in. I'd long heard about them from friends, and been told time and time again to try, but never managed to visit due to their wait times during the day. We dropped by today just after 2pm and had just missed their lunch period so luckily were seated as soon as we entered.

There are three levels to this restaurant, with the ground level being the smallest. Entering the lower foyer, it reminded me of some of the smaller shops in Hong Kong with their tiny spaces and visible kitchen, where you can watch the staff hand-making the dimsum dishes. 

The second floor is much larger, with quite a few tables and more of a casual dining feel to it. I didn't go up to the third floor, but I believe its more of a private function area with separate dining rooms.

The condiments on the table were chilli oil and vinegar. You had to request soy sauce if you wanted it with your meal.

Pan-fried Pork Dumpling

These dumplings were soft and more-ish, but while the dumplings were packed with flavour, the skin was quite bland. It was fine eating the dumpling as a whole, but the meat fell out of the skin if you took a bite out of it. The top of the dumpling was soft and slightly rubbery, while the 'pan-fried' bottom bits had a slight crispiness to it.

Shao-long Bao

These were delicious bite-sized pockets bursting with flavour. The broth was piping hot, as expected, and very tasty. The skin was thin, but held their shape (and the broth) well.

Chicken Spare Ribs with Dry Chilli and Peanut

I usually really enjoy a good kick of chilli with my dishes, but while this dish looked like it'd pack a punch, it seemed to lack in that department. You could only really taste the chilli if you ate the dried pieces. Don't get me wrong, the chicken ribs were succulent and tasty, coated in a light crispy batter, but it just didn't seem to have the same spice factor.

The service was good and the dishes were brought out pretty quickly, but the dishes were a little underwhelming today. Perhaps I was expecting a bit more due to all the hype. I was told that while it was good, they had been much better in the past, and it could just have been an off day

Hu Tong Dumpling Bar 14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Sunday - Thursday // 11:30am - 3:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:30pm Friday - Saturday // 11:30am - 3:00pm, 5:30pm - 11:00pm

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The Diplomat // Cafe

The Diplomat Cafe sits on the corner of Railway Parade and Highett Road, across the road from Highett Station.

The exterior is quite simplistic and the interior is almost just the same, with white walls and low hanging plants off the ceiling, giving off an almost natural feeling.

The dining area is narrow and long, but has plenty of small tables scattered down the sides and a large communal table in the centre. It would be more suited to smaller groups of diners.

I was looking forward to trying the french toast today (as seen on the menu online), but was told that it was no longer available as they had changed the menu and not yet updated the website.

The waitress suggested I try the Bread and Butter French toast, as it was similar and tasted great.

Bread & Butter French Toast

with banana custard, almond flakes and fresh berries

I don’t really know what I was expecting when i ordered this dish, but it was essentially a bread and butter pudding. The custard was light and creamy, but quite bland. The ‘french toast’ was soggy with lightly crispy edges. Unfortunately, the berries and almond flakes would have to have been my favourite parts of the dish today.

Reuben Eggs Benedict

on toasted rye with pastrami, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, american mustard, poached eggs and hollandaise

I was quite excited to try this dish as I have had Reuben Sandwiches before elsewhere and really loved the flavours. However, this dish was quite simple and lacked the strong mix of flavours you get from a good sandwich. The hollandaise was bland and there was very little sauerkraut. The cheese was firm and chewy instead of having that delightfully stringy texture. 

Overall, we had quite a disappointing lunch, but perhaps we just ordered the wrong dishes. The staff were friendly although the service was quite slow.

The Diplomat 4 Railway Parade, Highett [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Daily // 6:30am - 4:00pm Public Holidays // 8:00am - 2:00pm

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Sandy & Andy’s Eurocafe

Located in the heart of Hampton, Eurocafe is a cozy little cafe with an open fire indoors and a large courtyard out the back equipped with heaters for the cooler temperatures. They have a diversified european influenced menu inclusive with tapas, mains, cocktail/ mocktails, desserts and more.​

The interior is quite homely with a casual feel, but because there is an open fire, there is quite a strong smoky smell surrounding the front dining area.

Hash Stack w/ Bacon

2 hash browns, spinach, caramelised onions, poached egg & finished w/ hollandaise sauce.

The hash browns were light and crispy, while the bacon had a chewier texture. The hollandaise looked great, but was quite light and lacked in flavour. Overall, it was a simple dish and wasn’t anything special.

Corn Fritters w/ Atlantic Salmon

served w/ avocado, baby spinach & organic salsa

The fritters were soggy, with a doughy texture, and lacked in flavour.

Spiced French Toast

cinnamon, mascarpone, apricot, berries & pistachios

The toast was amazing in this dish, with delightfully crispy edges and a soft centre. I really enjoyed the overall flavours but would have liked perhaps more syrup drizzled over.

The staff were very friendly and service was quick, but I found the first two dishes to be quite overwhelming and small in portion for the prices. The french toast, however, I would definitely be back for.

Sandy & Andy's Eurocafe 418 Hampton Street, Hampton [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Sunday - Monday // 8:30am - 5:00pm Tuesday // CLOSED Wednesday - Thursday // 8:30am - 5:00pm Friday - Saturday // 8:30am - LATE

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Amaru // Degustation

We came here tonight for a friend's birthday and opted for the sensory menu. Wish we would have known about the chef's table upon booking but we were, instead, seated right next to the door... that opened a few times during our session, giving us a burst of cold air.

The restaurant was quiet, but having very limited seating, that was to be expected. 

There were quite a few dishes, so this will be more of a photo post.

All of the dishes had a good range of flavours that excited your senses; from sweet and sour, to salty with a slight tang.

My favourites would have to be the Spanner Crab, Pickled Mussels, Smoked Prawn, and the Dirty Potato.

My least favourite was the Pork Dumpling, and the strangest combination of flavours was the Dry Aged Kangaroo - it had quite a sweet liqourice flavour that overpowered the gamey kangaroo.

Onion / Garfish / Sheep’s Milk Yoghurt

Crispy Fermented Carrot / Lightly Smoked Duck Ham

Chicken Liver / Dried Pine Mushroom

Pork / Cabbage / Black Garlic / Natural Yeast

Spanner Crab / Rock Oyster / Desert Lime / Cucumber / Iced Crab

Pickled Mussels / Mineral-Baked Celeriac / Mussel Juice / Nasturtium Oil

Our Sourdough / Roe Emulsion / Cultured Butter / Unfiltered Olive Oil

Smoked Prawn / Caramelized Yoghurt / Yeast Oil

Otway Shiitake / Green Onion Oil / Chawanmushi

Dry Aged Kangaroo / Raw Liquorice / Pickled Quince

Dirty Potato

Apple Leaves / Jerusalem Artichoke / Beer Caramel

Meredith Cheesecake

Digestive Biscuit / Grass Fed Beef Caramel

Strawberry Gum Delight

(the restroom)

The staff were very friendly and attentive throughout the night, with the head chef coming around often to introduce some of the dishes. The atmosphere was cosy, but at the same time very much fine dining. 

Amaru 1121 High Street, Armadale [phone] Website / Facebook

LUNCH Friday / Saturday:  INSIGHT MENU $85pp DINNER Tuesday to Thursday: INSIGHT MENU $85pp / SENSORY $155pp Friday and Saturday: SENSORY MENU $155pp

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Torasan Ramen // Japanese

Torasan is located on the corner of Elizabeth and A'Beckett Street. It is not easily spotted if you're coming from Franklin street because the Nene Chicken sign pretty much covers the small Torasan Ramen sign. Once you're standing in front of the store, however, its not hard to miss the large signage indoors with a large (and super cute) tiger mascot.

The interior is quite narrow upon entering, but opens up to a larger space on the side and an upstairs dining area.

Most of the tables were equip with tablets enabling the diners to order after perusing the menu, speeding up the dining process.

Salmon Sashimi

The sashimi platter was small for the cost. The pieces were cut unevenly and had a slightly off aftertaste. I wasn’t too convinced of their freshness.

Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen

The broth was very light in flavour, and lacking in spice. There was a drop of chilli sauce on the edge of the bowl that was quite nice - sweet with a slight spice, but even mixed through, it wasn’t enough to call this dish ‘spicy’.

The egg wasn’t a standard item included in this ramen, so had to order it as an extra. It was a tad overcooked, but still had that creamy centre. It hadn’t spent enough time in the marinade so wasn’t very tasty.

The pork was amazing in texture, but was quite tasteless. There was a large piece of cartilage in my piece that was much too hard to eat.

You can check your bill total on the tablet as well as fill in a feedback survey, which i thought was pretty neat. The meals had potential but lacked quite a bit tonight. 

The service was great - meals arrived quite quickly and the staff were very friendly.

Torasan Ramen 410 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne CBD [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Thursday // 11:30am - 11:00pm Friday - Saturday // 11:30am - 1:00am Sunday // 11:30am - 10:00pm

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Pg. 2 // Cafe

Pg.2 is a quaint little cafe located near the corner of Swan and Church Streets in Richmond. They feature an ever rotating selection of art from local artists which are great to peruse whilst waiting for your meal.

The interior is very welcoming and features a few lounge chairs right next to the window, overlooking Swan Street, and a covered private courtyard at the back. 

Lime, Pear & Ginger Tonic

I wasn't too sure what to expect with this drink when I ordered it, but as it was a chilly day, I felt like something a bit soothing.

The tonic itself is quite tart, with a strong ginger hit, but paired with the honey, makes for a twist on your traditional lemon/lime and honey teas. The pear added a nice sweetness in addition to the honey.

Chorizo Chilli Scrambled Eggs

spanish chorizo, fresh chilli and fetta scramble served on sourdough toast drizzled with basil oil

This dish really packs a punch in the spice department, but the flavours are all beautifully balanced. The texture of the scrambled eggs were almost gooey, but still soft and firm. The chorizo was salty, with a delicious flavour burst that went well with the milder egg flavour. 

I ordered bacon on the side with this dish, but it would have been perfect without it. My bacon was overcooked today resulting in tough and chewy pieces that were a bit difficult to eat with utensils (fingers were fine though!).

Hollandaise Eggs w/ Pulled Pork

poached eggs served on sourdough toast topped with hollandaise sauce

This dish was simple, yet delicious. The hollandaise sauce was rich and butter, with a light texture. The pulled pork was packed with flavour with a soft, melt in your mouth texture. The only fault I'd have with this dish is that there just wasn't enough of that hollandaise!

The staff were very friendly and the service was quick. The dishes were simple, but delicious and warrants another visit to sample more of their menu! I wasn't able to try their coffee today, but will definitely do so next visit.

Pg. 2 207 Swan Street, Richmond [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Friday // 6:30am - 4:00pm Saturday - Sunday // 8:00am - 4:00pm

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Wonderbao // Taiwanese

Wonderbao is a tiny eatery hidden away near the end of a narrow arcade just off A'Beckett Street. There aren’t many signs for it on the street which made it quite hard to find, but google maps works pretty well to get you there!

With only a single long window bench available for seating (about 6 or so chairs), you’re better off getting a couple baos for takeaway and find a nice spot nearby to sit and eat. 

Gua Bao pronounced ‘gwah baw-www\

Braised Pork Belly // pickled mustard, coriander, crushed peanuts

The pork belly was soft and tasty, almost melting in your mouth. The sauce was rich and went beautifully with the pickled mustard. 

Roast Pork Belly // cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon, hoisin sauce

The pork belly was slightly firmer in this bao, with very minimal crunch. The small amount of skin I had was more hard than crunchy. The salad was only lightly pickled, but overall was a tasty bao.

Fried Silky Tofu // pickled mustard, coriander, sweet soy sauce, crushed peanuts

While tofu doesn’t sound very appealing to some people, the flavours worked well together and the soft silken tofu had a nice crispy shell. The crushed peanuts added another crunchy texture to the overall soft flavours.

Fried Chicken // cabbage slaw, mayo

The chicken was cooked perfectly with a succulent centre surrounded by a tasty, crispy shell. There was quite alot of mayo which made the bao messy to eat, but overall tasted great.

Crispy Eggplant // sticky sauce, coriander, spring onion

The eggplant wasn’t as crispy as I would have liked, but still had a good bite and a deliciously creamy centre. The sticky sauce was quite sweet, but added a good overall flavour.

Soft Shell Crab Bao Burger

I was actually expecting this as the traditional bao, but a bao burger was just as good! The crab was soft and succulent with a crispy shell. There was a balanced amount of sauce with a slight spice kick. 

Ice Cream Bao

deep fried gua bao w/ coconut and green tea ice cream

Upon seeing this on the menu, I was actually expecting something similar to a deep fried ice cream, but it makes sense what we got. The gua bao was crunchy, yet still had a soft centre, but was unfortunately quite oily. Both ice creams were very mild in flavour, with the coconut surprisingly tastier. Overall, the ice cream baos were satisfying, but very messy to eat. 

The bao, themselves, are extremely soft and fluffy with a delightful bite. The bao burger was the same, but slightly larger. I would say that due to the prices, Wonderbao is a pretty cheap eat for Melbourne CBD, but as the baos are not very big, the price adds up when you get hooked and decide to try almost all of the options! 

Wonderbao Shop 4/19-37 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Friday // 8:00am - 6:00pm Saturday - Sunday // 11:00am - 4:00pm

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Fukuryu Ramen // Japanese

Fukuryu Ramen is located near the end of Corrs Road, easily spotted from Little Bourke Street by a large flagged sign. It is located on the 1st floor, so you need to go up the stairs and you find yourself in a rather large dining area. The atmosphere is almost like a food court, with tables in the centre, a water station on the side, and the counter at the front.

They used to have Bubbly / Sparkling water, but since removed that and now offer only standard tap. 

Soft Shell Crab Mini Sandwich

 soft shell crab, cabbage and spicy mayo in a steamed bun

The crab was succulent with a light and crispy shell. There was a good amount of tasty sauce within the soft bun with a mild spice kick.

Signature Tonkotsu Ramen

thick and full bodied pork bone broth topped with braised pork belly and bamboo shoots

The flavour of the broth was very light, but had a nice creamy texture. There was only a single piece of pork belly, which was quite disappointing as it was delightfully soft and tasty. The egg was cooked well, with that thick and creamy centre. 

Tebasaki Chicken Wings

dry seasoned chicken wings

The wings were cooked well, with a soft, succulent centre surrounded by a light and crispy batter. The flavour was nice and balanced with a good amount of salt and possibly MSG?

Green Tea Ice Cream

Fukuryu offers a free green tea ice cream serve if you post a photo on instagram or facebook with a couple of promotional tags. Not too hard to do if you ask me! The ice cream today was nice and creamy, but the matcha flavour was very mild. 

The staff were friendly, but did not come around the dining area much. It wasn’t too busy this afternoon, so it didn’t seem very necessary. The quality of the dishes have changed slightly from the last time I visited, with less generous servings of the toppings. 

Fukuryu Ramen 22-26 Corrs Lane [phone] Website

Hours: Monday - Thursday // 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5:30pm - 9pm Friday // 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm Saturday // 11:30am - 9:30pm Sunday // 11:30am - 9:00pm

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Momoyama Sushi // Japanese

I dropped in here shortly after they had opened so they were still setting up the sushi display. The waitress didn’t seem impressed when I arrived while they were still setting up, ignoring me for quite some time as I waited patiently at the counter.

Salmon Salad

The salad was nice and fresh with a creamy mayo sauce while the fresh sashimi slices had a good thickness and bite to them.

Bento Box C

harumaki, tempura prawn, tempura veg, gyoza, teriyaki salmon & sashimi

I wasn’t too impressed with this bento. The salmon was well overdone, ending up stringy and dry. The sashimi was fresh, but only came with 3 small slices. The ‘gyoza’ were more like steamed dim sums while the tempura vegetables were undercooked. While it could have been because I ordered takeaway and did not eat the bento until I got home, I did not have much of a drive, so the bento overall was still piping hot. 

The waitress who served me was not friendly, rather quite abrupt. I initially enquired whether or not they had kakiage, to which she gave me a menu and answered simply “number 5 and 6” before turning away to continue setting up the sushi display. Now, if you have a look at the menu, the same numbers are used for the Hot Food Snacks as well as the Meals; neither of which were kakiage. I assume then that she thought I asked for 'Karaage’ so I asked again, specifying kakiage, not karaage. She replied again, snapping at me the same thing 'numbers 5 and 6!’.

The sashimi salad was nice and fresh, but I wouldn’t expect any less as there was no cooking required - just prepping the sashimi. The bento left much to be desired, and surprisingly disappointing considering the restaurant had only just opened and there was no other orders.

Momoyama Sushi 255 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwisk [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Sunday - Thursday // 10:30am - 9:30pm Friday - Saturday // 10:30am - 10:00pm Closed Public Holidays

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Okami Japanese // AYCE

Okami is one of the few Japanese restaurants in Melbourne who offer an ‘all you can eat’ style menu featuring various traditional Japanese dishes. 

I dined at their Caulfield branch not long ago - see here - and decided to try their Hampton branch tonight.

How it works is that you order whatever you’d like off the menu as many times as you’d like, but pre-warned that any leftover food over 100g will incur an extra charge. I haven’t actually seen this rule being reinforced but then again, the only extra food we tend to have are the greens.

As per their Caulfield branch, Okami allows you to order smaller portions of some dishes, depending on the number of people you have and how many pieces you’d like, reducing wastage and allowing diners to sample more options.

Seaweed Salad

The seaweed salad was fresh and tasty.

Cooked Tuna Salad

The tuna salad was quite dry and stringy - could have done with some more sauce.

Beef Tataki

The sliced were a bit thicker than we expected, but had a nice bite to it. The sauce was evenly balanced with a nice sweet / sour note.

Sushi and Sashimi Platter // Large

The sashimi (both the slices and the nigiri) were fresh and tasted great. The rice in the rolls were soggy, while the nigiri rice was soft, but firm and held its shape.

Sushi and Sashimi Platter // Small

The smaller serving had a good mix of sushi options, with more salmon varieties. Overall, it was fresh and while the rice was a tad soggy, they all tasted great.

Nasu Dengaku

The eggplant slices were thick with a good amount of sauce drizzled on top. The centre was delicious creamy around the edges with a light crisp, but the middle was a tad firm and chewy. 

Edamame

This was actually the first thing I ordered, intending on a light nibble before we actually started, but it didn’t come out till quite a bit later.

Vegetable Tempura

Half of the vegetables in this dish were uncooked, still retaining their raw crunch. The zucchini slices were unfortunately soggy, soaked with the cooking oil. The prawns were perfect with a crispy shell and a good bite. 

Karaage

These chicken bites were succulent and tasty. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough mayo for the entire serve.

Spring Rolls

I forgot to ask for a small serve of these spring rolls so we had a large amount for the table of five! They were small and moreish though, with tasty fillings.

Miso / Teriyaki Steak

The flavour of both these sauces were delicious, but the steak pieces were quite firm and chewy.

Takoyaki

The flavour of the takoyaki was nice, but did not have alot of sauce. The centre of some of them were only luke-warm.

Chawan Mushi

This serve was creamy, but quite ‘eggy’, with barely any toppings. It had only a couple of carrot pieces on the bottom.

Agedashi Tofu

This dish was surprisingly unpleasant. The sauce was light and tasty, but the tofu skin had an off flavour - perhaps from the oil used to cook it. While you’d expect it to be a bit soggy as it is soaked in the dashi broth, the entire tofu was soggy, even the top parts that are not submerged.

Teriyaki Chicken

The chicken pieces were firm and quite chewy, having been cooked a bit too much, and drizzled with a deliciously sweet teriyaki glaze.

Gyoza

The two gyoza fillings were soggy and quite unpleasantly heavy. The skin was light and crispy on one edge, and chewy on the other side.

The staff were friendly, but didn’t take much time to confirm our requests after the initial order. In saying this, the Hampton branch feels a lot more rushed compared to the Caulfield branch and unfortunately, some of the dishes show that the kitchen might have also felt this pressure.

OKAMI Japanese Restaurant 530 Hampton Street, Hampton [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday  // 5:30pm - 10:00pm Tuesday // CLOSED Wednesday - Thursday // 5:30pm - 10:00pm Friday - Saturday // 5:00pm - 11:00pm Sunday // 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 5:00pm - 10:00pm

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Suburban Burger

There are only a handful of good burger joints located in the southeast suburbs. Suburban Burger is a newish kid that decided to join the race, bringing an interesting menu with both everyday traditional burger options and some variations to the norm.

We dropped in today with a scoopon voucher which included a burger, four buffalo wings, side of chips, sauce AND a crazy shake - all for just $15!

The interior is very spacious with an industrial feel with rustic decor. It wasn't very busy when we visited this afternoon, but it was a work day so to be expected.

There is a condiments station located just to the left of the counter. 

The Notorious P.I.G

12 hour slow cooked pulled pork, hickory bacon, crackling, house made slaw, with gravy

The bun was soft and soggy while the overall burger was pretty sloppy and lacked in flavour. The crackling was more hard than crispy, but some pieces did add a nice crunch.

The chips were delightfully crispy with soft creamy centres. The 'Buffalo' wings were just normal chicken wings drizzled with sauce: - the 'sweet' was essentially a sweet and sour salsa - more sour than sweet - the 'spicy' was like a really sour sriracha infused sauce with a good kick

Chicken in Pijamas

crumbed chook breast, lettuce, tomato, smoked ham, grilled mozzarella and smothered in napoli sauce

This burger was a bit of a strange mix. It literally tasted like a chicken 'parma' in a burger. In saying that, it would have made a great parma dish on its own, but didn't work as well in a burger, due to the sogginess of the soft bun soaked in the napoli sauce.

Caramel Popcorn / Choc Mint

The shakes were really good - thick and creamy. - the choc mint wasn't anything special. It tasted like it had lime syrup in it which overpowered the mint flavour. - the caramel popcorn flavour was very rich and sweet. I added a shot of espresso to it which they actually didn't charge me for. It tasted great!

Overall, it's a LOT of food for one person, so its a great thing they allow us to take the leftovers home. The burgers left much to be desired. The original prices are steep for the suburban scene, but pretty average for a burger joint. The voucher was very reasonably priced for what you get, considering the burgers are $13ish and the milkshakes were $8ish originally. 

Suburban Burger Shop 34, 75 Lynbrook Boulevard, Lynbrook [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Instore & Drive Through // 11:30am - 9:30pm Delivery Time // 5:30pm - 9:00pm

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Highlander Bar // Scottish

Highlander Bar is a "wee taste of Scotland in the heart of the CBD", serving a mixture of both classic & contemporary Scottish cuisine. They are easily located down Highlander Bar, just off Flinders Street.

The bar area is dimly lit, but stocking a huge range of Scottish cocktails, whiskies and ales as well as your usual selection. The dining area isn't much brighter, but very comfortable with sofa styled seating.

The service was quite slow - there was only one waitress working when we visited this afternoon, with her working both the floor and the bar. 

There's a large range of sauces and condiments available, most of which gave a tasty kick to the dishes.

Fries

seasoned fries w jalapeño mayo

The fries with cooked perfectly with that deliciously soft potato centre covered in a crispy shell. The jalapeno mayo was smooth and creamy with a nice spiced kick.

Chef's Share Platter

The haggis balls were rich and almost gamey, with a rough creamy texture - not too different from a good pate. They were coated in a light crispy shell.

The popcorn chicken and chicken ribs were definitely the highlight of the platter. The chicken, in both bites, were succulent with a delicious spiced batter, but the ribs had tad too much salt on them. 

I really liked the cauliflower fritters and tattie scones. They were soft and savoury, with a light batter that added a nice crispiness. The mac n cheese balls were tasty, with a creamy sauce, but a tad dry.

The black pudding was chunky and smooth, with quite a strong flavour.

Slaw

mint & chilli coleslaw

With all of the fried items we ordered, the bowl of slaw was delightfully refreshing, with a good amount of sauce and a nice spicy kick.

We were here for a quick lunch, but the service was quite slow. In saying that, the dishes were all fresh and tasty. We found the platter a bit messy, but there was a good amount of sauce with each bite, not to mention the good variety of different bites to sample!

Highlander Bar 11a Highlander Lane, Melbourne [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Friday // 12:00pm - Late

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Tetsujin // Sushi Train

Tetsujin is a popular Japanese restaurant located on the 4th level of the Emporium. At first glance into the restaurant, you’ll notice the large sushi train dining table surrounding the open kitchen. Tetsujin, however, also offer a japanese BBQ dining option with the dining area located at the rear of the restaurant.

We came here for a quick lunch as a group of five and were seated pretty quickly considering how busy it was. We were seated at a booth with a touch screen tablet for ordering rather than collecting from the train.

We ordered quite a few dishes so I don't remember all the names! This will be more of a photo post than an actual review.

These oyster shooters had a nice spicy kick to it with the cool raw oyster.

The unagi nigiri was brought out within minutes of us pressing ‘order’, but it was cold to touch. The eel was cooked well, but bland in flavour. The rice was also flavourless.

These balls were packed with delicious shredded crab and coated in a light batter.

The kakiage was cooked perfectly with a deliciously crisp batter.

The soft shell crab was meaty, with a delightfully crispy shell. The rest of the temaki was fresh but again, didn’t have much flavour.

The sashimi was fresh and tasty, with that melt in your mouth texture. The slices were pretty thick, but still bitesized.

This one was a marinated soy tuna or something… It didn’t taste very fresh and was surprisingly warm.

I believe this maki was the cream cheese spicy salmon. I found it strange to have cream cheese in the centre. The sauce was tasty, but the overall flavour lacked that punch.

The sauce in this inari (?mayo) was off, tasting sort of plastic-y. There was a good amount of filling, but the overall flavour was unpleasant.

For the sushi train, Tetsujin has the set price of $3.80 per standard sushi train plates. The tablets have the higher prices on the menu so you have a slight idea of what your total bill will be however, the standard $3.80 dish prices are marked as $0.00! As a result, we actually underestimated our bill and went a bit too crazy on ordering.

Overall, the cost was quite steep. I don't really get the appeal for Tetsujin. The plates are nice, but nothing special. There are plenty of other sushi trains that are nicer and more affordable in the CBD.

Tetsujin Emporium Melbourne Level 4, 295 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Sunday - Thursday // 11:30am - 10:45pm Friday - Saturday // 11:30am - 11:45pm

[kteatstheworld]

Vivace // Italian

Vivace Restorante is set in the heart of Bay Street in Brighton, just a stones throw from the North Brighton Station. We arrived tonight as a larger group for a hens night and such, opted for the private function room. 

The restaurant was pretty busy when we arrived, but the staff were friendly and very attentive.

Antipasto to Share

selection of Italian cured meats

Although the menu had written ‘selection of meats’, we were only served prosciutto. It was really good though with a soft, delicate texture and rich flavour.

pickles, radish, pecorino

This salad had an overpowering sour note from the pickles and vinaigrette. The pecorino cheese slices added a nice mild flavour, but most of the salad was left untouched due to the sourness.

smoked ham hock & leek terrine, brandy prune preserve, crostini

The terrine was surprisingly delicious. The prune preserve added an extra element of sweetness that worked beautifully with the terrine. The crostini was quite hard and crunchy, but small enough that it wasn’t an issue.

arancini saffron, tomato, pea & mozzarella 

These arancini balls were tasty, but quite dry. There wasn’t many peas in the balls - only 1 in the serve I had. The shell was light and delightfully crispy.

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks

truffle mash potato, radicchio snow pea salad, red wine jus

My favourite part of this dish was unfortunately the mash, rich in flavour and creamy in texture. The beef cheeks were cooked well, with a delightfully soft, fall apart texture, but lacked in flavour. The ‘salad’ was only a couple of leaves… not what I was expecting.

Crispy Skin Salmon Fillet

fennel, onion agrodolce, raisin & caper salsa

The salmon was a tad overcooked, resulting in a dry flaky texture. The quinoa 'salad’ was bland and lacking.

Slow Cooked Duck and Mushroom Risotto

leeks, silverbeet, parmesan

The sauce was rich and creamy but the risotto itself was firm and some were actually crunchy! I really enjoyed the flavour of the mushrooms. There was much duck in this dish (only two), but they did taste good.

Citrus Delizia

lemon curd, fresh citrus, vanilla bean cake, mandarin sorbet, meringue

This dessert was good, but the zesty curd was overly sour. One of the other diners ordered the chocolate marquise, which was extremely rich by itself, but tasted great with some of the elements in this dish.

Panna Cotta

white chocolate & vanilla, strawberry, pistachio, balsamic

This dessert had a great balance of flavours, from the sweet strawberries, to the tangy balsamic. The panna cotta was rich and creamy with the perfect amount of jiggle! I especially liked the pistachio crumbs.

The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was great, having the entire upper area to ourselves. The servings were quite small for the cost per person, and the antipasto/starters were brought out unevenly. Some guests missed out on sampling a couple of the starters. 

Vivace 317 Bay Street, Brighton [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Friday // 7:30am - 11:00pm Saturday // 8:00am - 11:00pm Sunday // CLOSED

[kteatstheworld]

Fathers Office Speakeasy Bar // American

Fathers Office Speakeasy Bar is accessible via a set on doors down Little Lonsdale Street. There is only a neon sign located above the door to tell you where is it, unless you’re visiting in the evening, when you’ll find bouncers standing guard waiting to check IDs.

Walking up two sets of stairs, you’ll enter the Bar area. The restaurant is located just behind the staircase, with the entrance on the left.

Unfortunately, as it is an open dining area connected to the bar, the ambience and noise level is through the roof!

We dropped in tonight on a Scoopon voucher for two:

Father’s Favourite Mixed Platter

The mixed platter seemed quite messy, with the different sauces blending together with the neighbouring entrees.

The buffalo wings (or drumsticks in this dish) had a sticky, tasty sauce and a mild blue cheese drizzle. The pork belly was uneven - one of them was soft and juicy with a deliciously crispy skin while the other was dry with a hard, chewy skin. The polenta sticks were soft and tasty. The arancini balls were moreish with a crispy shell. The calamari was a tad overcooked today with a firm, chewy texture.

Pan Seared Salmon

pan seared and roasted australian salmon topped with citrus creme fraiche and laid on a bed of pistachio, craisins and cherry tomato quinoa salad

The salmon was good in this dish, with a soft centre, but the skin was soggy. The quinoa salad was bland, with only the craisins and cherry tomatoes having any flavour. 

200g Aged Black Angus Rump Steak

cooked medium-rare and served with fries and mushroom sauce

The steak came more medium than rare, with a cold centre. The flavour was quite bland with an overpowering charred flavour. The chips were crispy with quite alot of salt. I liked the aoili/mayo on the side, but the mushroom sauce was very light in flavour and texture with a thick oily layer. 

Salted Caramel and Popcorn Panna Cotta

topped with fresh light popcorn, sticky salted caramel and chunks of homemade honeycomb

The panna cotta was light and creamy with a great balance of flavours. There wasn’t much of a ‘salty’ note in the caramel sauce, but it did have a nice sticky sweetness to it. The popcorn was a tad stale, but otherwise a good dessert.

Milk Chocolate Ganache

milk chocolate and creme fraiche ganache, topped with a freshly made cointreau chantilly cream

This wasn’t the best chocolate ganache I’d had before. There was a overpowering sour note that just didn’t seem to fit in with the dessert. Otherwise, the ganache was delightfully rich and creamy.

I’d visited Fathers Office a few times before but my experience today was lacking. The staff were friendly, but not very helpful as they were quite busy. 

Fathers Office 249 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne [phone]  Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Thursday // 11:00am - 1:00am  Friday - Saturday // 11:00am - 3:00am   Sunday //  11:00am - Midnight

[kteatstheworld]

MODU // Modern Chinese

MODU is located right in the middle of the Clayton Road strip of restaurants. While the restaurants in this area are primarily cheap eats, MODU introduces a finer dining experience at a slightly higher cost for those who like to indulge a bit without driving out into the CBD.

We dined as guests of MODU today, but all opinions are my own.

The sleek interior is large and spacious with tiled walls giving off the appearance of stone. One section is open with bright lights, while the other section is quite dim, giving off a more private dining feel.

The staff were very welcoming when we arrived, but we had a bit of trouble with the waitress. It was a bit strange because english didn't seem like an issue, but there was an obvious miscommunication whenever we spoke with her. 

The tea comes in this cute little tea set, with free flowing hot water. 

Soft Shell Crab

crumbled soft shell crab with ponzu sauce

This serve of soft shell crab was absolutely divine. The flesh was moist, with a delicate texture, and coated in a light crispy batter. The sauce was light and tangy, with a good chilli kick.

We had ordered the kingfish sashimi dish but were brought out the scallops one instead. Upon enquiry, the waitress apologised and said that they were out of kingfish for the night. Interesting that she hadn't mentioned that until after I asked.

Scallops Carpaccio Salad

sashimi grade scallops with avocado, cucumber, tomato and soy dressing

The scallops were fresh and tasted great. I wasn't a big fan of the tomato and soy dressing - it was a tad too heavy on the citrus flavour which overpowered the subtle flavours of the scallops.

MODU Signature Noodle Soup

noodle soup with roast chicken, served with ham, sliced cucumber, quail eggs, bean sprouts, bok choy and udon

noodle soup with braised pork belly, served with ham, sliced cucumber, quail eggs, bean sprouts, bok choy and shanghai noodle

These noodle dishes were HUGE! Definitely a good choice if you're in for a quick, decently priced lunch. The roast chicken was succulent and tasty, while the pork belly had a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. I loved the quail eggs (those tiny white balls hiding on the side of the bowl) - they were firm with soft, creamy centres. The broth was only lightly flavoured, but worked with the tasty fillings.

Crab and Pork Xiao Long Bao

steamed shanghai style juicy crab and pork mini buns

These buns had a good amount of pork filling, with a balanced crab flavour. They didn't have as much soup, almost like they were a tad overcooked, but still tasted great overall.

Wagyu Beef (250g, Marble 8+)

stir fried wagyu beef and oyster mushroom with black garlic

This dish has to be one of my favourites of the night. The wagyu was soft and melted in your mouth, but was also bursting with flavour. The chopped oyster mushrooms had a firm, but chewy texture.

Crispy King Prawn

singapore style crumbled king prawns with french baguette

This was another amazing dish. The prawns were cooked perfectly, with a firm bite. That 'baguette' was stale with a hard texture. I'm not sure if that was what they were going for, but it didn't work. The sauce was rich and tasty, with a zingy spiced flavour. It had one of those flavours that would have gone great served with almost anything! 

The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant was empty when we arrived, but it was quite early in the evening. The prices vary depending on what you're after, ranging from the dumpling dishes and appetizers, all the way up to the premium wagyu main.

For a quick and decent bite, the rice and noodle dishes look good, while the wagyu and prawn dishes would be my recommendations for a finer dining experience.

MODU 318A/320 Clayton Rd, Clayton [phone] Website / Facebook

Hours: Monday - Sunday // 11:30am - 3:00pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm