Scorched - Torquay - review

Name: Scorched
Address: 17 The Esplanade
Torquay, VIC 3228 
03 5261 6142

Food: Middle Eastern, International

Average price: $4-$34

Complimentary:  Zeally Bay Sourdough sticks,    dukkah    spice    &    “Camilo”    extra    virgin    olive    oil   

We ordered:
Salt cod fritter and aioli - $4 each

Mr.M: These were not the best salt cold fritters I have had. They were OK.

Fried school prawns, chilli salt and lemon - $12

Mr.M: These were delicious and quite a generous serve.


Baked haloumi, spiced baby figs, walnuts and mint - $12

This had all the components to guarantee a delicious dish and as I expected the combination of salty, sweet and crunchy was a winner for me.

Roasted cauliflower, currants, almonds and tahini - $16

We were told this was one of their most popular dishes. Unfortunately this suffered from excessive salting. Before the salt burned my tastebuds to oblivion I could detect a possibly lovely flavour profile, but I cannot be sure. Even after copious amounts of water whenever I went back for another mouthful I was hit with another wave of salt. Shame.

Fresh fig, cracked wheat, pomegranate and Persian feta - $16

This should have been grand with the classic flavour pairing but despite the heavy flavour hitters I felt it was slightly dull, nothing really 'popped'. Maybe some seasoning or some more acid was needed?


Fattoush salad with crisp pita, tomato, cucumber and  mint - $16

Another dish lost to the overzealous salting. This was even saltier than the seawater in front of us. Couldn't eat it.


Lamb kofta, hummus, tabbouleh - $18

Mr.M: Kind of boring and oversalted.

Dessert platter: (from memory) Persian fairy floss, rosewater turkish delight, strawberry ice cream, berry trifle, baklava

I cannot remember exactly what everything was but I can remember the impression they made.

We will start with the bad - the baklava. Very dry and personally hsould have been left off the platter.

I'm not a fan of fairy floss (no substance) but Mr.M ate it all.

Neither of us had the turkish delight (I love it, but as a vegetarian I no longer eat gelatin).

The ice cream was AMAZING - and I say amazing because I really am not a fan of ice cream (the cold temperature makes it less appetising for me). This was creamy and full of flavour with a lovely softness. Mr.M enjoyed it as well.

Saved the best for last, the berry trifle. I can't quite remember the flavour combination but it was a great dish and Mr.M and I devoured it in seconds.

Service: Good. The food came out quickly and the waitress was very nice.

Atmosphere: Beach casual. The decor is accented with bright orange and the outdoor seating is a typical wooden picnic table and bench, communal style. The noise level can get quite loud at night. There is a lovely view to the beach during the day.

Website: http://www.scorched.com.au/index.php

Hours: Wed-Sun 11.30am-5pm
Wed-Sat 5.30pm-late

Would I return: Yes, I think it was just an off 'seasoning' night and the food has potential to be great.

Georges - Camberwell - review

Name: Georges Restaurant Bar Cafe

Address:
819 Burke Rd
Melbourne, 3123

(03) 9882 0777

Food: International, Italian

Average price: $15 - 32 for mains.

Complimentary: Nothing.

We ordered:
Main: Chicken Parmigiana with chips - $23.95

Nanna loved this but she will love any Chicken Parma (hers was the one with ham).

Mr.M on the other hand found it to be an average parma.


Pea & haloumi fritters - $14.95

These were quite soft and full of mushy peas, which was fine as I quite enjoy mushy peas. The haloumi was cubed and therefore still very firm, I think it would have been better grated that way the saltiness would have been evenly spread throughout the pea fritters and the cheese would have been a little melted. The fritters were served with tomato and avocado with a yoghurt sauce and a slice of lemon. The acidity was definitely needed as the fritters are quite sweet on their own. Overall I quite enjoyed this dish.

Dessert: Creme Brulee 

As soon as I saw the topping I knew it wouldn't 'crack' beneath my spoon and I was right. Therefore it failed the first test which is a hard, toffee crust.  The second test is the custard. I prefer a vanilla flecked, not overly sweet, with smooth, not too firm but not too liquid texture. This, whilst gorgeously vanilla flecked, was a touch too liquid for me. Instead of leaving a white space once a spoonful had been scooped out the custard slowly began to viscously ooze into the space. Whilst not a great creme brulee it also wasn't the worst I have had. I still ate the lot.

Lemon tart

Nanna and Madame A both thoroughly enjoyed this dish, having ordered it for the second time.

Cost: $136.50 for 4 mains, two desserts and two cafe lattes.

Service: OK. Food came out pretty fast but we had to ask to have our water refilled.

Atmosphere: Cafe-esque. Despite being one of the more 'upmarket' eating establishments on Burke rd it still has a very typical cafe feel of that hustle and bustle and medium noise level. On the plus side the tables are decently spaced apart and the seating comfortable. The decor is neutrals with mostly dark brown tones and charcoal walls.

Parking: Limited metered street parking, but there is nearby 2hour free parking at Target etc around the corner on Prospect Hill Road.

Website: None.

Hours: Open Daily 10am-11pm

Would I return: Yes - for a cafe style lunch it was rather good and reasonably priced. They have recently opened a more 'refined' and therefore expensive restaurant on the second level.

Kafe Kaos - Lorne - review

Name: Kafe Kaos

Address: 52 Mountjoy Pde
Lorne, 3232

(03) 5289 2639

Food: Cafe, International

Average price: Mains: $5.50-$16.50

Complimentary:  Nothing.

We ordered: Famous brekkie foccacia - $12.80

Bread spread with pesto, dipped in egg, with grilled tomato, fresh basil and tasty cheese

The flavours were fairly mild and it was nice enough but there was WAY too much melted cheese, and I adore cheese but even I had to pick some off to tame down the saltiness. It also came with a few mixed salad leaves in a Balsamic dressing.
 
BLT Burger

Mr.M enjoyed this but thought it was just OK. It also included chicken and avocado on Turkish pide.

Service: Good. The waiters came out with water and menus fairly quickly, the food also arrived quickly.

Atmosphere: Cafe/park. Outside there were wooden benches, inside the tables were polished wood with large floral arrangements and red accents. There was an eclectic mix of paintings on the wall. The vibe is very casual and chilled out.

Parking: Ample street parking.

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

Hours: Daily 7.30am-5.30pm (Winter 8am-5pm)

Would I return: No. The food was average and there are other places to try.