All posts filed under: featured

Hellenic Hotel / Williamstown

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Hellenic has a new home at a historic Williamstown Hotel. The Hobsons Bay Hotel was first re-developed in 1908 and has gone through a few changes and hard times before becoming the new home of George Columbaris’ gastro-Greek pub, the Hellenic Hotel. The menu has been inspired by some of the history of the venue and offers a gastro-pub twist to the delicious Greek food Hellenic is known for. With a sports bar upstairs and restaurant downstairs there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Tokyo Tina / Windsor

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    Tokyo Tina is one of three Asian eateries along with Hanoi Hannah and Saigon Sally,  with a reputation for being both incredibly cool and delicious. You’ll find Toyko Tina up Chapel Street in Windsor, an area with countless great eateries, shopping and bars. There’s really something for everyone.      We visited for lunch, finding plenty of people had the same idea and more than a few enjoying a cocktail and D&M with friends over their meal. We loved the feel of the venue, you could go for a casual lunch like we did, or dress up and turn it into a real occasion.    We started with pot stickers, caramelised and full of flavour, following them up with DIY beef rib bao. Bao are always delicious, quite messy, but the bun and filling always satisfying. Somehow it’s even better when it’s beef rib and you get to watch the meat fall off the bone as you load the bun up yourself. We loved the sticky sauce with the tender meat and the punchiness of the pickle with the …

Fifty Acres / Richmond

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 On Bridge road in Richmond, traditionally a haven for bargain shoppers you’ll find a delightful foodie surprise. Fifty Acres is a charming cafe with a wonderful atmosphere, sure to draw you in for a break from shopping!  The interior is absolutely stunning. It’s simple, a play on light with industrial fittings and sleek minimalist decor. The service made an equally good impression. The staff at Fifty Acres were friendly, polite and professional and put you in a great mood as soon as you sat down.We started the day with a couple of lattes. Once again we were impressed by what we received. The Dukes blend was creamy, rich, bright and punchy. It was a wonderful way to start our morning and we ordered a second each soon after. Our second brews were equally delicious and arrived promptly, another tick for the service. Our first dish was pumpkin pancakes which we chose to add a little crispy bacon to. In this dish the pumpkin acts more as a carrier of flavour and adds moistness, so don’t be put …

Wynyard / South Melbourne

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 South Melbourne has some lovely cafes, and the people behind the wonderful little cafe Giddiup have just brought us another one. You’ll find Wynyard down Wynyard Lane, off Clarendon street at the Park Street end of town. It’s also conveniently linked to one of my favourite lunchtime haunts, Made in Japan. They have the most wonderful ceramics and homewares and it’s well worth have a quick peruse while you wait for your coffee.The service at Wynyard was very friendly and warm. The cafe space is small but comfortable, a nice quiet spot to take a moment out of a busy work day. Our water on the table had the unusual addition of cardamom, we thought it was purposeful, a herbed water is surely fashionable somewhere. It turns out the water had been stored next to the home made chai brewing, giving a pleasant and spicy flavour which we would actually quite happily have again.We started with lattes. We’ve been drinking the coffee at Wynyard since they open and are always impressed with their brews. The …

The Grain Store / Melbourne CBD

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Tucked away in a non-descript building on the South side of the CBD is the Grain Store. Inside you’ll find fine dining breakfasts that defy the simple exterior that houses them. The restaurant itself is clean and chic. It’s got the casual cool of exposed piping and vents with the sophistication of crisp whites and refined furnishings. The atmosphere was buzzing when we arrived but there were also a few people ahead of us in the queue for tables.There ended up being a short wait for a table, but we were surprised at how quick it ended up being. At least there was a table of pastries to drool over (not literally of course) while we waited. Our coffee orders were taken immediately. When they were served they had forgotten one, when we bought their attention to the error they were quick to bring it out. Fortunately we still had all our coffees before the food arrived. The coffee was quite nice, a sweet finish with a light acidity and creamy microfoam. Our first meal was …

Asado / Claremont

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We spent a lot of time in Claremont before we moved and coming back we were delighted to discover Asado had opened in our absence. It’s a long and narrow venue, inviting you in with the allure of space and modern sheek decor.    We went all the way through to the back for the intimacy of the lounge and the view to the garden. The cafe was empty when we arrived but people began to filter through soon after. The staff were initially attentive but seemed to forget about us tucked in the back corner. We eventually had to walki back to the front to get the attention of someone to get our order taken. Not the best start to our meal but we persevered. When our latte arrived it was hot but rich with a wonderfully fruity flavour. The table staff needed some work but we can’t fault their barista.When you’re offered the opportunity to have steak and chips you take it, the egg on it is really just for show… We knew this meal …

Kit Kat Studio /Melbourne Central

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I’ll forgive you for thinking all the buzz around Melbourne Central over the last weekend has been due to cosmetics giant Sephora. However for foodies and lovers of chocolate (basically everyone) there’s been something even bigger to get excited about, the opening of Kit Kat Studio! It’s a wondrous place filled with chocolate, toppings, more chocolate and a little bit of Christmas cheer.  At the back you’ll find chocolatiers, creating something delicious, just for you. But there’s also a range of ready made gift packs to pick up on the go. We arrived soon after opening and faced only a short wait to be let inside to make our custom orders. There’s a snazzy set up of terminals to customize everything about your Kit Kat. Starting with chocolate, there was white, milk and dark available. We opted for a classic milk chocolate base, before moving on to the toppings. The selection of extras is huge, making the decision agonizing. There’s so much on offer, such as brownie bits, nuts, fruits like raspberry, caramel… The list goes on! …

Foxtrot Charlie / Brunswick

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   After some time exploring further afield we stayed closer to home to check out Foxtrot Charlie on Sydney road in Brunswick. In an urban area which is traditionally space-poor the huge space available at Foxtrot Charlie is quite a surprise when you walk in the door. Everything in the cafe is slick and polished, it’s modern with the quirky touches you’d expect from a Brunswick locale.  We started with lattes. The beans are roasted in house and the brew has a rich and full bodied flavour. It flits to the edge of extraction but remains perfectly balanced. Starting the day with a coffee like this will definitely put you in a good mood.Our first choice from the menu was a toastie, cheesy with thick cut ham hock and coated in a beschemel sauce. This toastie is just cheesy, creamy and all round delicious. There’s no better way to describe it than heaven on a plate. If you’re a fan of a good hunk of meat and cheese for breakfast than you’ll enjoy this dish! Finally …

Mary street for one last time

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One of our favourite places in Perth for a reliably delicious and wonderfully interesting brunch has been Mary Street Bakery (if you want to see our previous exploits you’ll find them here, here, and here) and so it was with mixed emotions that we made the visit in preparation for our move over East. We were early enough to be seated inside along the window, a perfect location for people watching and basking in the morning sunshine. As with most of our coffees here, this Pound brew was delicious. It’s hard to be as consistently good as their coffee tends to be and we’ll miss their creamy goodness! Their second coffees don’t fail to deliver either. Ours was smooth and creamy, a mellow flavour with a hint of honey and served hot, but not too hot. We also once again opted to try what we have affectionately nicknamed their ‘everything smoothie’. It’s a whole lot of fruit and a bit of love thrown in together. The serving was smaller this time but actually a lot …