There are a handful of people that I will love and support until the ends of the earth -- among them, my 4 year old Jack Russell x Mini Foxie.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
--- RSPCA
The Monkey Cafe on Chapel Street supports the very serious plight of the orangutans in Borneo. In addition to monkey memorabilia (soft toys, trinkets, etc.) littered around the cafe, you will also notice framed photos of the 17 orangutans Monkey is currently sponsoring.
What does this mean for 17 lucky ones? Protection, food, and the freedom to live in its own environment amongst its family and friends.
Monkey promotes palm oil free products, and both their coffee and tea are organic and free trade. Palm oil is currently the biggest threat to the habitat of orangutans. Find out what I learnedhere.
Whilst I was impressed with their work with great apes, the food was less than impressive. I don't think I would ever return for a bite, perhaps just a tea/coffee. The service was very good and the host seemed to know most patrons by name.
Monkey is located at 157 Chapel Street, St Kilda and is open daily until 6:30pm. They are happy to provide you with as much information as possible to help support their cause or to become a sponsor yourself.
Happy Sunday x "Always eat grapes downward - that is eat the best grapes first; in this way there will be none better left on the bunch, and each grape will seem good down to the last. If you eat the other way, you will not have a good grape in the lot." ~Samuel Butler
I had been to Match a few years ago for drinks and quite enjoyed it. Good service, comfy couches and music just loud enough to fill the spaces between our chatter.
Unable to decide where to go for dinner, we decided to stay and have something there instead.
Linguine in mushroom ragoût
David Blackmore wagyu beef, pancetta, brioche bun, truffle mayonaise
I won't bother going into detail about each dish, but I will say it was all very average and lacked flavour. I will be happy to continue to head there for drinks, but I wouldn't ever stay for a meal.
Match is located at 249 Lt Lonsdale Street, Melbourne and offers free WiFi, table service and a great balcony with views of the city. To find out more, visit www.matchbar.com.au
Eat, drink & be merry x
"What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?" ~Lin Yutang
In 2010, Pearl moved up eight spots to place at number 18 of the Australian Gourmet Restaurant Traveller Guide'sTop 100 Best Restaurants in Australia list and again received Two Chefs Hat status from The Age Good Food Guide Awards. Thanks to Australian-born head chef and co-owner Geoff Lindsay, these are just two of of the many awards Pearl has reaped since opening its doors in 2000.
Lindsay grew up in Warrnambool, south west of Victoria and is "a fifth generation Aussie boy who is seduced by ginger, chilli and palm sugar, turkish delight, chocolate and pomegranate."
The chef believes his food is intrinsically Australian. "It is multicultural and layered with influences from all over the world, and spiced with a new frontier enthusiasm."
Complimentary eggplant starter
My tartare of hopkins river beef, beetroot shoots & quail egg yolk with soldiers
Slow braised beef cheek with hot & sour salad, hand rolled rice noodles
Roast red duck curry, crispy fried egg, shallots, mint, lime, sweet fish sauce & coconut rice
Having read rave reviews about their duck curry, I was excited to finally taste it. This was definitely the star of the night. We were instructed to mix the curries with the sauces as we went along to create as much flavour/heat/spice as we liked. And to finish with raw white cabbage to cleanse our palates.
Pearl is located at 631-633 Church Street, Richmond. If you are after something a bit more casual, the Pearl Cafe is situated a few doors down (599 Church Street) and is open daily for breakfast and lunch. For more, please see www.pearlrestaurant.com.au
Dinner Menu
Entrées - From $22
Mains - From $36
Sides - From $11
Desserts - From $17
Cheers x
"Hunger is the best sauce in the world." ~Cervantes
In April of this year, Attica was one of three Australian restaurants - and the only Melbourne restaurant - to make it on to the San Pellegrino World's Top 100 Best Restaurants list. Coming in at number 73, this is Attica's first appearance on what many consider to be "The Oscars" of the food industry.
Head Chef Ben Shewry believes in making nearly everything from scratch, and heads out daily with his team to pick ingredients. "We have up to ten wild ingredients on our menu each day... We will cook things to order that most chefs or restaurants wouldn’t do. But that’s what we decide, when we look at a product or ingredient, and determine it needs to be cooked fresh."
To accompany the bread starter, salmon cream dip (left) and butter (right)
Prior to our first course, we received a complimentary starter of carrots, radish and potatoes.
This dish was simply titled "Snow crab". Inspired by Mount Taranaki in Shewry's native hometown of New Zealand, this dish is made up of snow crab, salmon roe, horse radish powder and coconut. The combination is like nothing I have ever tasted. I heard the diner on the next table describe it as "astonishing".
"Potato cooked in the earth it is grown in." A perfectly carved creamy potato cooked in earth for about 8-10 hours served with white cabbage, goat cheese, dried saltbush, smoked trout pieces, sprinkled coffee grounds & ashes from charred coconut husk.
Bass groper sitting on a candied lemon, cooked in chorizo stock & served with garlic, almonds & rosemary flowers
Beef served with sesame paste, black potato, chinese veg & miso sauce
Shewry's take on the simple apple crumble - cooked apple topped with warm shredded wheat. I thought it was a lovely touch when the chef himself came out to introduce & serve the dessert.
Dark chocolate fudge with black sea salt. I'm not a dark chocolate person, but I would gladly have this anytime.
Attica is located at 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea and is open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday.
Chef's Table (Tuesday) - $125 with matching wines or $80 without
5 Course Tasting Menu (Wednesday - Thursday) -$155 with matching wines or $95 without
8 Course Tasting Menu (Wednesday - Saturday) -$235 with matching wines or $140 without
I woke up this morning craving warm, toasted bagels so we decided to get up and take the 5 minute walk to our local breakfast joint - Las Chicas.
Once inside, I am instantly warmed by the smell of fresh coffee and grilled bacon. The noise level is high today and the friendly buzz of music and chatter is contagious.
English Breakfast Tea - My Sunday morning staple
Salmon Benedict - Two poached eggs with smoked salmon & hollandaise on a poppy seed bagel
I can't seem to break a habit of ordering anything with salmon for breakfast. I think it could be because I grew up with having bacon/ham all the time.
Traditional - Ham, cheese & tomato on a toasted sesame bagel
I left Las Chicas very satisfied, although I thought the portion of salmon was much smaller than what I was used to.
Las Chicas have an extensive breakfast menu with highlights that include the popular Breakfast Burrito and Bikini Blowout Benedict made with free range eggs.
You will find them at 203 Carlisle Street, Balaclava. There almost always is a line on weekends, but the wait is generally short and service is quick once you are seated. Open daily from breakfast through to lunch.
Cheers x
P.S. The hole in the middle of every bagel is a design that is a hundred of years old and has many practical advantages: more even cooking/baking, and if you thread a string through the hole, the bagels can be transported easily or strung together for more of an appealing window display.
"The bagel, an unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis." ~Beatrice & Ira Freeman
Housed in an old Victorian mansion (circa 1880), Jacques Reymond's self named restaurant features three beautifully adorned dining rooms complete with open fireplace, and surrounded by lush landscaped gardens.
Born in Burgundy, France, the chef and published authour believes in taking a new approach to fine dining... and the result is a menu consisting of only entrée sized dishes. "The idea is to allow the guest to sample a wider variety of dishes in a more dynamic and accessible way."
This was the best bread starter I've ever had at a restaurant. I would liken it to the texture of the pastry used for cream puffs, but so much better. Airy and light with a mild taste of cheese.
Pacific Rim martini of pineapple, passionfruit & banana,
liquorice ice cream & honeycomb.
Millefeuilles of chocolate: white chocolate mousse, pure Caribbean chilli ice cream, dark chocolate mousse & praline ice cream.
Petits fours
Reymond's team were so attentive our glasses were never less than half full, and our bread baskets always filled. The chef himself made many floor appearances throughout the night, always with a smile or a friendly word to his guests.
Jacques Reymond is open for dinner from Tuesday-Saturday, and lunch from Thursday-Friday. You will find them at 78 William Road, Prahran.
Degustation Menu - $265 with matching wines or $170 without
Degustation Menu (Vegetarian) - $225 with matching wines or $130 without À la carte Menu - $98 for 3 courses/$125 for 4 courses/$150 for 5 courses
The restaurant offers an extensive wine list selected by restaurant sommelier, Nathalie Reymond, who also happens to be Jacques' daughter. For further details, visit www.jacquesreymond.com.au
After hearing rave reviews about Mad Mex in Sydney, I was excited to finally head to their first Melbourne store on Chapel St...
And to see in person their much-talked about Corona Chandelier - a chandelier made up of empty Corona bottles...
Mad Mex allows you to build your meal as you go along. You start by picking a burrito or taco, then you choose the meat, veggies, sauces and other extras.
Above is a terrible photo of three very yummy crispy tacos:
1) Chicken seasoned with their very own Chipotle Adobo Marinade
2) Slow roasted shredded pork traditional style, with garlic, onion, lime & cumin
3) Freshly grilled to medium steak marinated in citrus, garlic & spices
All topped with fresh lettuce, Chilli Corn Salsa (fresh corn, pineapple onion, coriander & jalapeños) and cheese.
Rest assured, Mad Mex makes tacos better than I take photos.
A burrito made up of spicy slow roasted beef with robust Chipotle, garlic, cumin & tomatillo, Mexican rice, cheese, lettuce & sour cream.
If you are in Melbourne, visit Mad Mex at 131 Chapel Street, Prahran. Open daily from 11am. Sydneysiders will find their local Mad Mex in Blacktown, Castle-Hill, Macquarie Centre, Tuggerah, Circular Quay and Darlinghurst.
Burritos - From $7.90
Tacos (Soft) - From $8.90 for 2
Tacos (Crispy) - From $9.90 for 3
Nachos - From $10.90
Quesadilla - From $8.90
Kids meals - From $3.90
Desserts - From $4.50
Back to quite possibly one of Melbourne's best breakfast joints and I am greeted by the all-too-familiar queue of patrons waiting to be seated...
Mart (Tram spelt backwards) was actually an old tram stop now refurbished to house a quaint cafe that overlooks the park.
We arrived at 10:45am on a cold, Saturday morning and joined the queue of patrons sitting by the kerb, nursing their hot lattes' whilst waiting for a table. Just over half an hour later we were seated.
Free range poached eggs with smoked salmon, creme fraiche spinach and a cucumber, red onion, dill and caper salsa.
Free range poached eggs with chorizo sausage, kalamata olives in napoli and holaindaise.
Pancakes with maple syrup, grilled bacon and scrambled eggs
The venue is open 7 days a week serving breakfast and lunch from 7:30am - 3:00pm. Find them at 107a Canterbury Rd, Middle Park. Tram 96 will take you to the door.
My favourite? Definitely the poached eggs with salmon, with the highlight being the fabulous salsa.
Least favourite - pancakes. We were warned not to order the pancakes, but do we listen? They were dry and heavy.
Would I go back? HELL YES!
Until the next belly adventure...
Good night x
P.S. I wish someone told us, but they only take cash - no credit/debit cards. However, there is an ATM just across the road.
"Welcome to the Church of the Holy Cabbage. Lettuce pray." ~Author Unknown
I applaud Jamie Oliver for a fabulous concept - giving kids from a difficult background the chance to grow their passion for food and train for a career in the restaurant industry. The result? The Fifteen Foundation.
Beginning in 2002, Jamie Oliver opened the first Fifteen restaurant in London and has since included Cornwall (2004), Amsterdam (2006) and Melbourne (2006) to his list of locations. Why it took me four years to finally visit my local Fifteen I'm not sure, but I am sad to report that I wouldn't have minded waiting even longer.
Yes, I was disappointed.
The restaurant layout, ambience and service were all lovely. The food just average. We arrived for a 7:00pm sitting on a Sunday evening and by 9:00pm half the restaurant was empty. We had two entrées, two mains and two desserts.
King prawn and salmon ravioli in a shellfish broth with marjoram salmoriglio
Pappardelle ‘fatte in casa’ with Italian pork sausage ragu, fennel and parmigiano reggiano
Pan roasted duck breast and confit leg with parsnip purée, shallot ‘tortino’ and black cabbage
Zucchini wrapped wild barramundi with chickpeas inzimino, chorizo and basil oil
Elderflower pannacotta with blueberry compote and lavender shortbread
Chocolate, hazelnut and toffee fudge tart with crème fraîche gelato
I apologise for the terrible lighting in the photos. I know my dad in particular is going to pull me aside for that! I am still flying blind when it comes to my new camera (or any camera, for that matter) and its functions. And as you can tell, dessert got the better of us before we even remembered to take photos.
The best dish? The duck breast. Pink and juicy on the inside with a lovely crispy skin on the outside. I can't decide on my least favourite because the rest were all, well... the same level of average.
You can find Fifteen at the basement of 115-117 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD. The venue is open 7 days a week and will accept bookings online (4 guests or less) or by phone 1300 799 415.
Antipasti - From $15
Entrees - From $19
Mains - From $32
Sides - From $9
Desserts - From $12
