Estelle Bar and Kitchen - Northcote - review

Mr.M and I found ourselves with a babysitter and 1.5hours to ourselves. Naturally, we set straight about to finding a restaurant to glutton the time away. 
Mr.M felt like some Modern Australian so after a quick search on Urbanspoon I stumbled upon a restaurant in a suburb that to be honest with you, wouldn't have even registered on my radar to dine in. Seeing so many rave reviews we thought we couldn't lose, and as luck would have it we snagged a seat at the bar.

The restaurant itself is very intimate, the smallest of spaces, dimly lit with patterned walls and a wooden bar. Mr.M remarked that the tiled wall reminded him of a public bathroom though. We informed our waitress that we only had 1.5hours to spare and what courses could we fit in that time, she remarked that they could definitely do 7 in that time frame, but I was dubious and decided to play it safe with the 5 courses for $70., which was fortunate as we ended up leaving 10 minutes late.

We started off with some appetisers:

Jerusalem artichoke with Persian feta
This was my favourite of the trio. 
Fake chicken skin with yoghurt
This was quite oily and a strong acrid overtone.
Pickled rockmelon
Mr.M enjoyed this one the most. It was quite fresh and light.

Aviation cocktail - gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice.

Mr.M thoroughly enjoyed this cocktail, even if he did find it a touch strong.

Leek, fennel and olive

This was pleasant, the olive paste was the starring element and brought the subtler leek and fennel flavours together.

Eggplant, soy and sesame

I was incredibly hungry and yet I had to force myself to finish it - the seawood and salt factor was too overwhelming for me, it wasn't balanced.

Heirloom tomatoes and fior di latte

This was nice enough but nothing flash, middle of the road tomato salad and consomme.

Green apple and coffee

Mr.M enjoyed this.

Zucchini

I enjoyed this. The little 70s orange droplets (I cant remember what the flavour was) were delicious and kicked everything up a notch. 

Sher Wagyu, burnt onion and horseradish

Mr.M's favourite dish of the night.

Sour cream, pumpkin and salted caramel

I feel like there must be something wrong with me, because contrary to all the reviews I have read, I did NOT like this at all. For me, it was reminiscent of soggy bread. There was no flavour that spoke to me and the textures were unappetising. It is probably one of the least delicious desserts I have ever had. I honestly don't know why so many other customers liked it...

Perhaps I walked in with too empty a belly because after their 5 courses I felt as though I had only eaten a standard entree. Their portion sizes are quite small, even for degustation.
The service was also slow with our empty plates remaining before us for 15 minutes each time. 
I do want to say though that our bartender was fabulous, and on more than one occasion it was he who alerted our waitress to remove our finished plates and ended up bringing us the bill.
With dining out being a rare occurrence for us now, I don't think we shall be returning.

Trocadero - Southbank - Melbourne - review

The moment I heard of this restaurant and peeped at their menu I was chomping at the bit to make a visit and fill my belly.

Trocadero is situated within the Art Center at Hammer Hall. Perfectly positioned on the banks of the Yarra facing the iconic Flinders street station and federation sqaure. With your meal you also get a view. The decor is relaxed but polished with a dark, neutral colour theme. The staff are dressed in t-shirts but the patrons were a mix of casual and dressy. Trocadero sites itself as a bar-slash-brasserie, practically open all day with quick-bites for the pre-theatre crowd.

We arrived on a gloriously sunny Thursday evening and ordered the following:

The evening started with a bag of complimentary bread which Mr.M devoured.

Berkshire pork cacciatore and venison calbrese salami - $15

cooked potatoes, truffle aioli, pecorino $11

I ordered this as my entree. The potatoes were probably a touch overdone for me, and I was hoping for more of a truffle or cheese flavour, they were surprisingly mild. Mr.M on the other hand, ADORED them - but he is a 'potato chip' fiend.

zucchini risotto with black truffle

This was a special, and I regret not ordering the onion risotto instead. The consistency was a touch watery for me, and with the zucchini as the main flavour component it was all rather bland. Even the generous shavings of truffle didn't help punch up the flavour.

beef, chipotle pepper and quinoa sausage, chickpea fries, harissa $28

Mr.M asked our waitress what she thought was their best main dish, and this is what she suggested. At first Mr.M was a little hesitant to order sausages and fries, but after he tried some he changed his mind. The chips were delicious although Mr.M hoped there had been more. The sausages were so incredibly juicy that Mr.M exclaimed they should come with a warning  in case someone pierce it and be squirted in the face. It was a touch spicy but overall Mr.M enjoyed it.

caramel cooked cream, pear, popcorn crumble, chocolate $17

The chatter about this dish was assaulting me from all sides - so needless to say my expectations were quite high. It looked scrumptious and very generous, I tend to find some desserts tiny so was incredibly pleased with the portion serve. However, I barely finished half. As many have said, it is decadently rich. As someone who is sadly dairy-intolerant, the cooked cream part was just too much for me to handle. What I loved most about this dish though was the popcorn crumble in its salty deliciousness and the sticky caramel - caramel popcorn is a favourite of mine, and this dessert was what caramel popcorn would be if it reached enlightenment   Despite the fact that my body wouldn't allow me to eat it all, I would order it again and perhaps eat more topping, less cooked cream. It truly was delicious.

chocolate pudding, milk toffee ice cream $17

Mr.M ordered this was and incredibly happy with it. The chocolate fondant had a glorious ooze and exquisite cocoa richness. Desserts were definitely the stars of our evening.

The staff were friendly and the food was wonderful. We will definitely be returning.

Persimmon - NGV - Melbourne - reivew

We find ourselves fluttering to Persimmon rather often due to the fabulous food, fantastic service and relaxing garden-setting. We thought it long overdue for a visit.

As usual the staff were attentive and friendly. Upon glancing at the menu we saw that the dishes had taken on a more Asian twist and that the regular chocolate fondant was no longer on the dessert menu. We asked the waiter whether Terry was trying some new things to be told that he was no longer working at Persimmon and that there was a new chef, Gabriel Martin at the helm. At the time the website still listed Terry as the chef (tsk,tsk NGV) but the menu suddenly made sense to us. And despite the fact that we would no longer be able to sample our favourite chef's food, we were excited to try the new menu.

Mr.M and Miss Dor elected to try the Market 4 course menu - $45 per person.
As usual, the meal began with the complimentary bread and butter, always a nice selection.

heirloom tomato salad, tomato beurre blanc, tomato dust

Both Mr.M and Miss Dor enjoyed this dish.

salmon vermincelli, prawn, carrot oil

This was Mr.M's favourite dish of the menu.

aged beef porterhouse, bean cassoulet, red wine jus

Miss Dor enjoyed this dish but Mr.M did found it too strong in taste.

chocolate and mint tart,chocolate sorbet

Both Mr.M and Miss Dor enjoyed this tart.

I had the following two dishes: Folded lasagna, purple artichoke,parmesan foam - $24

This was delicious. The pasta was well cooked and the parmesan foam added a delicious saltiness. I ate every morsel.

Chocolate waves, salted caramel, chocolate mousse, chocolate sorbet - $19

A really lovely and generous dessert. The salted caramel had the perfect amount of saltiness to compliment the rich sorbet and sweet mousse.

The chef may have changed, but the food is still lovely enough to warrant repeat returns. The prices, however, are more expensive then they were previously, for instance the desserts have gone from $14 up to $17-19. That being said it is still value for money.

St Katherines - Kew - review

The eastern suburbs tends to favour Asian and Italian cuisines, so when, on my way home from Leo's, I spotted this restaurant, I was rather excited.
1. Because it was new.
2. Because it was Greek/Maltese/Turkish cuisine - which appeals to both my husband's and my heritage.
3. Because it seemed like it might be child friendly and is open from lunch to dinner (which meant my baby's lack-of-naptime-routine wouldn't matter as we could eat at anytime.)

So once Sunday rolled around we waited until baby took her first nap and as soon as her eyelids fluttered open we were in the car and on our way. We arrived at 4pm on a Sunday and were warmly greeted by a gentleman that was extremely helpful and seated us in the corner booth that looks out unto the street (great if you have kids as there is plenty of room for them to sit in between you and the wall and they have the street window to keep them amused).

The space is quite large and with plenty of room and a mix of seating arrangements. Whilst it has a casual vibe there was a mix of patrons, those in their Sunday best and those in jeans and a tee. There was also quite a few families with young kids.
The cutlery is served in re-used tins with paper napkins that reminded me of lunch at my Yiayia's house. The plates are vibrant and are mismatched making the dining experience feel a little like a family home, but more refined.

As I'd already decided what we were going to order at home, we rattled off our list to our waiter and before we knew it, the food had arrived.


KFC "St Katherine's fried chicken" BBQ sauce, Japanese mayo - $13.50 half bucket (.5L)

Mr.M ate the whole tub - by himself.


Pide 1 mint, ricotta, haloumi, peppered figs - $15

 I was really excited about this as each ingredient sounded right up my alley. And whilst it was OK, what it really needed, to make it spectacular, was some salt. There wasn't enough haloumi to counter the sweetness of the mint, figs and ricotta. It was just a bit too sweet for me.

Pide 2 Maltese pork sausage, onion rings, tomato, kasar, mustard mayo - $18

Mr.M enjoyed this. I stole some of his onion rings and they were DELICIOUS - perfect ratio of crispy batter to sweet sticky onion - YUM.


Salad of ancient grains seeds, nuts, lentils, capers, currents, pomegranate - $12.50

I really enjoyed the varied textures and the sweet and salty flavours. I adore pomegranate in savoury dishes.

Chips and tarama - $9.50

Mr.M liked them.

Choc chip mousse hot cherry jam doughnut - $14.90

I was very excited to try this dessert, and being a huge sweet tooth, was prepared to hog the whole lot, but for some reason, it just didn't come together for me. The chocolate chip mousse tasted more like cream than chocolate. The donuts were nice but as a whole, it didn't really 'light my fire'.

“Mr Whippy” sundae options – salted caramel, pomegranate brownie and chocolate pomegranate sauce ($9.50).

Once again, despite it being ice cream (I'm not a huge fan as I don't like the ice cold temperature), the ingredient  list looked too good to pass up. But like the choc mousse, it left me cold. The tart pomegranate dominated and I could barely get a hint of cocoa or the salted caramel, and as other's have mentioned, the ice cream really does feel 'extra cold'. Maybe my expectations of dessert were a little high, especially after the savoury dishes were so tasty.

The service was fantastic, speedy and friendly. We enjoyed our meal and even though desserts were a bit of a let down, we will definitely come back, either with baby or without. And we might even bring the whole family along for a Sunday feast.

Wunderbar - Rye - review

Name: Wunderbar

Address: 2409 Pt. Nepean Road
Rye, VIC 3941
03 5985  9187

Food: German, European

Average price: $4 - $34.

Complimentary:  Nothing,

We ordered: Langos - $7.50
hungarian fried flatbread, served with sour cream and grated cheese

This was our favourite dish. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. It was decadent and yummy with the sour cream and cheese. It's not gourmet but it's still yummy, trashy food.


Mozzarella, pear, prosciutto, honey - $13

We were surprised at how nicely this was plated up. Mr.M liked it but I found the pears to taste rather 'old' and grainy which was a shame as the other ingredients were fresh.


Thick cut chips - $7

Nicely cooked chips that were well seasoned.

Apfelstrudel - $12
with vanilla sauce and whipped cream

I love Apfelstrudels and unfortunately this one was the worst I have ever had, two mouthfuls was all I could eat. The pastry was tough and the filling was tasteless. The accompaniments were no better with the sauce tasting like sugar and cornflour and the cream like water.
Service: Good. We were the only patrons in the place so it is a bit hard to tell what the average service would be like.

Atmosphere: European pub with a view of the ocean. I can't comment on the atmosphere as we were the only people in the place so it was deadly quiet when we dined, but they have lounge areas as well as tables with board games to play as well.

Website: http://www.wunderbar-rye.com.au/

Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 4pm till late
Friday and Saturday: 12noon till late
Sunday: 12noon till 11pm
Tuesday: closed

Would I return: Yes, the langos and chips were nice enough and cheaply enough priced to warrant another try.

Studley Park Boathouse - Kew - review

Name: Studley Park Boathouse

Address: 1 Boathouse Rd 
Kew, VIC 3101
03 9853 1828

Food: ModOz, European

Average price: Entree: $11-$19, Mains: $26-$35, Dessert: $14-$18.50

Complimentary:  Nothing.

We ordered: 
Main:  Housemade gnocchi panfried with pumpkin sauce, ricotta and walnuts - $18

The gnocchi was really soft. the pumpkin sauce was a touch on the sweet side and therefore I would have preferred a saltier cheese, such as feta, than the mellow ricotta. The walnuts were yummy but also sweet. Had this been a touch more salty it would have been really fantastic, but overall it was still a nice dish that I would order again.


Boathouse burger with bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce, fries and salad - $24

Mr.M: It was beautiful

Dessert: Belgian chocolate mousse cake - $10.90

The mousse was a touch too gelatinous for me, being on the firm side also subdued the chocolate flavour I was hoping for, instead it was more akin to a vanilla/sweet mousse cake than Chocolate. Texture and flavour aside it was still decent.

Service: A little over attentive. Our food came out fairly quickly and our water was never less than half full but a lot of the time the waiters would just be standing behind us, waiting, which was a little off putting as we felt a lack of privacy.

Atmosphere: Surrounded by nature. The river, trees and wildlife makes for a truly relaxing atmosphere, on a sunny day up on the balcony it is truly wonderful. Although if a swan squabble arises there will be some noise :). The restaurant itself is done in a neutral minimal decor.

Parking: Ample on site parking. Also nearby street parking.

Website: http://www.studleyparkboathouse.com.au/

Hours: Wed-Fri & Sun noon-3pm, Wed-Sat 6.30pm-10pm (cafe hours: Sat-Sun 9am-11am, daily noon-4pm)

Would I return: Yes, lovely location and good value for food.

La Petanque - Main Ridge - review

Name: La Petanque

Address: 1208 Mornington-Flinders Rd
Main Ridge 3928 VIC
Phone: (03) 5931 0155

Food: European, French and Mediterranean
Average price: Entree: $15-$30, Mains: $29-$44, Dessert: $16-$25, Degustation menu: 5 courses, $90
Set menu: 3 courses, $79

Complimentary:  Bread with marinated olives, Olive oil & balsamic.

The olives and balsamic were so delicious we asked for more.

Chocolate brownie

The brownie tasted stale and was overly sweet.

We ordered: Thanks to Blogger deleting almost all of my drafts, I have to go by memory as I no longer my original notes.
Entree: Vegetable soup

Good old honest creamy soup. The basil oil was a nice touch. Mine didn't come with the goat's curd as it was unpasteurised so I had to leave it out.

Terrine of Gippsland farmed rabbit, pancetta, prune and pistachio with onion marmalade and cornichons

Mr.M enjoyed this dish.

Main: Flinders Tomato tart and French goat cheese, Devon Meadows green, parmesan foam and thyme pesto

Nice simple flavours, nothing super exciting though. The tomatoes were a touch bland but otherwise nice enough dish.

Mickleham duck breast, poached quince, Shoreham honey and star anise jus

Dessert: Soft centered Valrhona chocolate biscuit, almond praline anglaise and Tahiti vanilla bean ice cream

The fondant was delicious. The ice creama nd almond creme anglaise were also lovely and subtle but were smothered beneath rich oozy chocolate. Great dish.

Caramelised Red Hill apple crêpe, Calvados crème chiboust, green apple sorbet

The crepes were rubbery and the fresh apple sorbet and cooked apples didn't mesh. I didn't really like it at all.

Cost:  $158 ($79each) for 3 course lunch.

Service: OK. Waiters were great, received more of that balsamic when asked, however the kitchen was extremely slow. we were almost falling asleep in between meals despite the restaurant only being half full. the waits were far too long between each course, we ended up becoming antsy in anticipation for our food to arrive.

Atmosphere: Sunday lunch relaxed. Simple almost barn like decor with focus on the outside winery views. The petanque pitch is a nice touch.

Parking: Ample onsite parking.

Website: www.lapetanque.com.au/

Hours: Mon-Sun noon-3pm
Fri-Sat noon-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm

Would I return: No, the service was far too slow and there are other great places to try in the area.