Social Sessions Melbourne

Ladies of Melbourne!

Whether you’re new to Melbs, been here since you were a tater tot or visit Melbourne every other weekend to fill that void in your life, we want you to be a part of Social Sessions Melbourne.

Want to meet some new, cool girlfriends? Then head to the Social Sessions Melbourne Facey page, click like and we can be besties!

My bezzie Leis & I want to unite all the pretty young things (‘PYTs’ for you hipsters) of Melbourne & highlight the great culture of our city at the same time!

With a few similar initiatives going on in other states, we thought Melbourne should definitely get on the bandwagon and the best part is, we do all the hard work for you!

Throughout two-zero-one-three we are planning a few events for the Ladies of Melbs to get together for food, beverages and some fantastic conversation/gossip.

We will post events on FB with the deets, then all you have to do is RSVP with payment and then arrive on the day!

The only thing we want you to do is invite your GF’s! The way we see it, the more the merrier!
Please share this page with your nearest and dearest, the girls you really don’t know yet and even the crazy friend with 14 cats.

Jump on the bandwagon!

Little Hunter. Big Deal.

Love meat?

Travel through the city, up Little Collins and hit up Little Hunter, Melbs’ newest culinary addition.

Only opening last week, this restaurant is already buzzing and with a team including Gavin Baker (previously sous chef at Fat Duck..oooh), Pete Evans (MKR, activated almonds…other stuff) and Bistro Flor’s Matt Kennedy (woo!), noone should be surprised!

I rocked up there with fellow foodie bestie MK and we were ready for a feast. This hidden gem is a bit tricky to find from the street, so please don’t let this deter you.

The hospitable personalities that greet you at the door are just the start of the fantastic yet relaxed experience that Little Hunter offers. We were directed to the bar whilst the table was prepared and the people watching began. The crowd was a mixture of refined older folk, funky hipsters and everyone in between who had come to sample Melbs’ newest attraction.

We were soon seated in a funky little booth (perfect people watching space) and proceeded to order majority of the menu items. I’m no designer and my description probably sounds rather wanker-esque but I love the decor of this place. It manages to be romantic and sophisticated but modern at the same time. Although there was a stuffed rooster who seemed to be staring at me throughout the evening from across the room….hope he’s not looking at me next time.

After ordering we were bantering about our usual topics…shoes, food or looking at people’s shoes whilst they ate their food. To accompany this highly intellectual conversation, we were given pull-apart herb bread with chicken skin butter. Oh yeh I said it, chicken.skin.butter.

Herb Pull Apart with Chicken Skin Butter

Now I’m not usually a butter eater (no, not even with Vegemite & yes I know I’m weird), but this was awesome. Don’t go overboard, you only need a little bit of the already buttery bread, but yum. As MK said, we would love to have this ready for brekky every morning. Yes we are willing to accept we would turn into the size of a house in a matter of days. Gah I want some now.

Each staff member we encountered were so lovely and you could tell they were so excited to see reactions to the food and the restaurant in general. One waiter in particular seems very familiar to me and it was soon that I realised he had jumped ship from Chin Chin to join Gavin’s team. Yes super depressing that I recognise waiters.

The starters soon arrived and I was uber excited to tuck in. We decided on three (probably excessive, but hey, opening weekend, come on people!) First up we tried the Pork Crackling.

Pork Crackling, Paprika, White Cheddar & Apple Sauce.

Firstly, yes that is Pork Crackling and no I didn’t put the wrong picture up. In very technical terms, the texture was like a rice bubble, mixed with a Prawn Cracker with a cheesy aftertaste. Sounds odd, but was delicious! Hoping they will soon sell packets of these. Snack time ahoy! The apple sauce linked all the flavours really nicely and it wasn’t too sweet either which I enjoyed.

Cured Kingfish, Seasoned Roe, Roasted Peppers & Bay Oil

I love kingfish. Ok I heart food in general, but Kingfish is a personal fave. With such fresh roe and kingfish, this dish was one of the highlights for me. It was also such a stark contrast to the rest of the really meaty flavours we encountered. Been raving on about dill lately as well and that was a great addition. Could have eaten this by the bucket load. I don’t recall a strong peppers flavour in the mix but I didn’t mind that. They let the fish and the roe rule the plate. Nom nom nom.

With a great view of the pass, I was in foodie heaven and it was also so good to see Gavin Baker inspecting each dish as it was ready. Such care and precision is hard to come across when restaurants are so busy.

“Beef on Toast”, Chicken Liver Parfait & Dressed Chives

Leftover beef on toast will never be the same. With MK’s connections, she had already sampled this dish and had raved about it so I was really looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint. Although I need to stress, if you order this, eat it when it arrives at the table! We left it until last and the ‘toast’ was a tad soggy underneath the beef and parfait. This dish is incredibly rich and think splitting it between two gives you the perfect amount.

The flavour was delicious and once again, the quality of the food really shone. Bravo cheferoo’s. Yes that’s another technical term. Not usually a huge fan of Chicken Liver Parfait, but with the beef and chives, you got just enough of the rich flavour and I was in food heaven… Feaven.

Think we definitely chose the right starters and next time I want to try the cabbage and blue cheese salad. 1. It was flying out of the kitchen. 2. It’s Blue.Cheese. Enough said.

The tables throughout the restaurant all looked to be thoroughly enjoying themselves and the noise level was great. Low enough to be able to hear your conversation but bubbly enough to create excitement. You could see everyone craning their necks to see what dishes were arriving at the next table, or the table on the other side of the restaurant.

People watching gossip was in full swing and mains soon arrived. This was definitely a tough decision but I’m sure I’ll be returning to try the other options! MK decided on the lamb and I went with the Filet Mignon.

Lamb Cooked with Olives – Crisped belly, parsley & orange

I admittedly had major food envy when MK’s dish was set in front of her. Amah-zing. It was also a huge portion which was super exciting for all involved. She really enjoyed the dish and although I didn’t try (regretting that now), it smelt like Christmas. (In an yay-wow-yum kind of way, not like Candy canes…just to clarify).

Filet Mignon – Coffee & Wood Smoke

Firstly, apologies for my rather awful photography. It was dim lighting and I did NOT want to be one of those people who interrupted everyone else with a camera flash every few minutes.

Once AGAIN, this dish showed off the incredible produce that Little Hunter has sourced. This was probably the best steak I’ve had in Melbourne. Although on the rare side of Medium rare, it was just how I like it and the knife just glided through it.

The coffee and wood smoke was what intrigued me about the dish and it was a very odd sensation to be honest, but one in which I really enjoyed. You would eat the meat and then experience a very aromatic coffee flavour in the aftertaste almost. So good. Gold star. The accompanying mushie also held its own next to the amazeballs meat, bravo Mushie.

Although they definitely weren’t needed, we ordered a few sides to accompany our feast and a half.

Little Hunter Fries with Fry Sauce

The fries were enjoyable but can’t say they were the best I’ve had. What was great was how they were chocked full of potato and had a very thin, crisp coating. Nothing worse than a fry with no spud. First world problem.

We also ordered some vegetables to keep the food pyramid happy, they were cooked and seasoned well and enjoyed them with the Filet Mignon. Speaking of seasoning, I was surprised to see no salt or pepper on the table. But after eating the food, it would have been criminal to add anything to it. Good call chefsters (another technical term).

Grits, Herb Butter & Salt

The final side we order was Grits, which had a very potent flavour with a truffle kick and was one I must admit wasn’t suited to my palette, but MK loved it so you’ll have to try it for yourself. Being a corn-based dish, I wasn’t surprised it wasn’t up my alley as I’ve never been a fan of other corny (ha) dishes such as polenta. (Bad experience thinking it was mashed potato)

Although we were ridiculously full, the second tummy came into play when ex Chin Chin-er showed us the dessert menu. We couldn’t decide on one each so decided to go for two and split them.

Fresh Yoghurt, Apple Pie Jam, Basil Granita & Nutmeg

Our first choice was the delicious pot set yoghurt. Usually not a style of dessert I’d choose, but so glad we did. It was delicious and MK would have had to pry it out of my hands if I hadn’t realised there was nutmeg on it and I am allergic. (Yes I know it’s written in the title….dessert goggle eyes)

The yoghurt was so creamy yet not sweet and the apple pie jam which sat beneath the yoghurt was perfect with it. The basil granita, well, I’m just glad I had this at the end of summer as I would have been eating it every day throughout the hot season. YUM. This is a must try in my books.

Frangipane – Meringue, Passionfruit curd & Peach Sorbet

Our next choice was the frangipane dessert creation and yet again, delicious is the only word I can think of without salivating too much! The flavours all worked really well together, the mango sorbet wasn’t too sweet which I liked and the passionfruit curd was just tart enough. Think I preferred the yoghurt dessert but this is definitely still a winner. I don’t really think it needed the meringue, but it did add that extra texture. Sorry that made me sound like a knob. Matt Preston eat your heart out.

We had been feasting for about 3 hours and although it was about 11.30 there were still a good group of patrons in the restaurant enjoying themselves. It might change as more people discover Little Hunter, but I loved the relaxed nature of the place and how no one was being rushed to leave.

We finished with some much needed Peppermint tea, thanked the staff and chefs for the fantastic night and went on our merry way. For a place that hasn’t even been open for a week, you would have thought they were a well oiled institution. No hesitations from the staff about the menu, everything seemed to work like clock work. Another attribute to Gavin and his team.

MK and I are already planning on returning with the crew. For both their company and the fact we will get to try SO many more dishes. With an ever changing menu, I look forward to developing a strong relationship with you Little Hunter!

9/10.

AND a shout out to me – first blog post for Little Hunter on USpoony. (hipster language for Urbanspoon. Insty, facey & Uspoony)

Sunshine.

So it’s Friday. Woop Woop. The sun is out. Woop (repeat). Working from home on a day like this has so many perks. 

Dog & I went for a walk. For exercise. But that always ends up in us both sitting at the patisserie having coffee. (Pfft Dog has no coffee). Shout out to Provence in Camberwell. Love your style. 

Great day for a rooftop bar. One of the few days in Melbourne’s cray cray weather calendar that is suited to a rooftop. I always wonder why the city that has 4 seasons in one day is known for the outdoor bar. Go Figure. I like it. 

I had no reason for this post. Some may refer to it as procrastination. I’ll call it creativity.

Sidenote. Shania Twain just started playing on my computer’s shuffle. 1. So glad the boys aren’t home to hear me singing along to ‘Man I feel like a Woman’. 2. No idea why this song is still on my iTunes….men’s shirts, short skirts, wooaAAOOHH.

So its 2013. Hopefully your resolutions are still going strong. I made myself about 16.5 resolutions so I’m hoping at least one of those will stick. I’m quietly confident. 

Few foodie places I’m uber excited about that are opening soon. Big props goes to the crew of LBSS opening soon on Victoria St, Richmond. Killer crew. Get on it. 

Gavin Baker’s new venture Little Hunter is already sounding ridiculously yum so looking forward to checking that out too. Meat and lots of it. Oh so good.

There’s my rambles. 

Peace out broheim. 

Vue de Melbourne. Vue De Monde.

After booking a number of months ago, it was finally time for JS & I to experience Vue.De.Monde.

Shannon Bennett’s sky high restaurant needs no introduction. Constantly seen as one of, if not the best restaurant in Melbourne and from the time you enter the Rialto Building it is clear why this is so.

We were greeted on the ground floor by a Vue De Monde rep who took our jackets (yes we were wearing jackets, leather jackets, in January) and showed us to the exclusive lift. Which in itself was pretty awesome and I’m sure we would have taken a few selfies if we were given an opportunity.

Shown through the beautiful Lui Bar prior to the restaurant we were seated near the window and had a fantastic view of the city. Although it was horrid weather, we didn’t let this dampen our spirits!

My spirit of choice was Gin in a Lui Martini & JS settled for a Lui Bar special of which the name escapes me. Our table was soon ready and we entered “the arena”. The decor itself is so beautiful in Vue De Monde and you can tell everything has a purpose and it has been carefully thought through.

Our waiter explained the menu choices for the evening, ala carte or degustation ranging up to 11-12 different courses (next time). We had already decided to go for the 4-course ala carte and were eager to see the menu and have a look at what was on offer…even though i had already cheated and looked at the menu during the day.

Now you know you’re in for a real treat when food starts arriving and you haven’t even ordered yet! We were given a selection of dishes prior to ordering and these were definitely a highlight of the evening. First up was wallaby sashimi, heated on a salt rock before us and then rolled with aioli inside.

Salt Cured Wallaby Sashimi

I’d never tried Wallaby before and I will definitely be ordering it if I see it on a future menu. This was delicious. For me it’s flavour was a lot less gamey than Kangaroo and the aioli complimented it well.

Next up was an extremely odd combination but (aside from dessert) was my favourite dish of the evening…I think…don’t hold me to that. We were given smoked eel with white chocolate and caviar.  I trusted Mr Bennett’s instincts and this was sooo good. The salty eel and the sweet White Chocolate was heavenly.

Smoked Eel, White Chocolate & Caviar

I have always had a soft spot for the Salty-Sweet Combo i.e. chocolate covered pretzels…ooo yeh. But this took that love to a whole new level.

We had been looking at the pile of rocks in the centre of the table wondering what they would magically turn into, as every rock and ‘stick’ on the table had seemed to have a purpose thus far.

Oysters

The waiter then demonstrated to us that two of these ‘rocks’ were in fact oysters that had been shucked and then reassembled. No fancy pants cooking or sauce with these bad boys. They were just left to be themselves and they were amazing as expected.

It was at this point we decided to order (yeeep we hadn’t even ordered food yet!) along with a bottle of Ninth Island Pinot Noir Sparkling. A lovely drop …and that’s all I’m going to say about the sparkling as I don’t know much else about it!

Our final dish before the meal was a pea and dehydrated broth/soup/liquid with a pistachio disc sitting atop it and I do believe it was macadamia crumble on top of that. Sorry waaay too many ingredients to remember.

Peas, Pistachio, Strawberry

You cracked through the pistachio disc to find the pea and strawberry flavours beneath. An interesting dish, it wasn’t packed full of flavour but you could tell the peas were fresh and it was a palette cleansing dish of sorts.

Special shout out has to go to the bread. Delicious, warm, crusty baguette was served with in a leather pouch. The leather in this pouch rivalled that of my beautiful “Bambi” bag which had been given its own seat next to me.

Bread, Salt/Pepper, Butter

We continued to enjoy lovely service, including being escorted to the bathroom…AND the view became clearer as the night sky rolled in. The city started to light up and it was proving to us why this is one of Melbourne’s most acclaimed venues.

Probably poor form by us, but we both wanted the Kangaroo entree so the two dishes arrived shortly after. Completely identical as you would expect.

Kangaroo, nettle, onion, smoked bone marrow.

I had been looking forward to this dish and must admit it disappointed a little and wouldn’t order it again if I get the opportunity to return to the sky high heaven. The kangaroo was cooked so well and the bone marrow was a great accompaniment but it didn’t WOW me. I think I’ve mastered cooking Skippy as I cook it quite a bit at home and this just wasn’t a million times better than mine, which I was hoping for. Still a great dish though and beautiful produce.

Beware though, cutting through kanga when its sitting on a rock is still a tricky little task!

The night rolled on and our people watching senses went into overdrive. There was one gentleman who was there in his Jerry Seinfeld-esque Jeans & reeboks combo. If I return to Vue De Monde with a man friend, there is no way I would go near the Rialto building itself if this combo had made an appearance. No way no how.

Anyway there’s my awesome fashion advice for you.

Next up a palette cleanser arrived and the table and this was the fun part! We were initially given a small bowl of micro herbs. The waiters then poured liquid nitrogen onto them, freezing them instantly and we were instructed to use a pestle and grind up the herbs (I’m the next Heston fo sho). Once at a satisfactory crumble consistency, the waiters added a grapefruit & lime sorbet. This was delicious.

Grapefruit, Lime Sorbet with Microherbs

So now, JS & I can pretty much tell people that we have cooked food at Vue De Monde. Ok we helped prepare a dish…better? The flavours in the sorbet were so refreshing. I could have taken a litre of that sorbet home for sure.

Our main dishes arrived soon after. ‘Mark’s Catch’ – the seafood main, was Kingfish on this particular day so that was a no brainer for me. I’ve tried to cook it myself once and failed miserably so I leave this fishy to the professionals.

Kingfish, Leek, Kale, Oyster Tarragon

This was, again, a magnificent dish, with all flavours complimenting one another. Now I look at it though, I don’t remember there being an ACTUAL oyster so that may have been a paste or sauce of some description.

I really enjoyed the textures in this dish as well. Some crispy, some melt in your mouth and the fish of course was cooked brilliantly.

JS had tossed up between a couple of dishes and decided on the Flinders Island Lamb with olives, Australian anchovies and mustard.

Flinders Island Lamb, Olive, Anchovies & Mustard

The stand out element of this dish for her was the Lamb Belly. I was lucky enough to sample some and it was absolutely delicious. Neither of us had had Lamb Belly before and I can guarantee we will both be tracking it down on other menus. Overall she really enjoyed the dish but the belly was on the money.

Admittedly, I was initially concerned with the serving sizes and didn’t think we were getting our money’s worth. But if you consider the experience and service you’re receiving as well as the smaller dishes prior to and during the meal, I’d definitely recommend it!

As we are both cheese lovers, the next course had been much anticipated. The cheese course to trump all cheese courses. A cabinet was wheeled out to our table, showcasing about 15 various cheeses.

We said favourites were goats cheese and blue cheese and we were given 5 cheeses to sample, along with baguette, fruit bread, beetroot ciabatta & an assortment of jams. I was going to try to convince him to leave the cheese cabinet at the table, but didn’t like my chances.

Breads, Jams & Accompaniments for the Cheese

Cheese Choices – Goats Cheese, Cheddar, Blue.

These cheese were delectable. My favourites were (second from the left) the Goat’s cheese from Adelaide if my memory serves me correctly and the (second from the right) Blue from a destination that I unfortunately can’t recall. The roquefort blue, the final cheese on the right, was a tad too pungent for my palette but I can see a lot of people would find it sensational.

Prior to our dessert arriving we were given a small passionfruit shot of sorts. With a beautiful sweet passionfruit flavour, it also had licorice and coconut undertones. I don’t like licorice but this was beautiful. Almost tasted just like a mushed up passionfruit. MMMMM.

Passionfruit, Licorice & Coconut.

Dessert soon arrived and we were both happy with our choices. JS had gone with the ever popular chocolate soufflé which she thoroughly enjoyed and couldn’t even finish it. Considering the portion size of all of the other dishes, this soufflé was huge!

Chocolate Souffle 

With my dessert choice, I really wanted to go outside the square and when I saw a dessert that included Sweet Potato, I knew I had to try it, and I am SO glad I did. A twist on the sweet potato pie I suppose, this was almost a thick custard creme consistency complimented with Lime & lemon flavours and mini meringues. My mouth is watering! So good. If you’re going, get this dessert!!

Sweet Potato, Lemon, Lime & Beer

The description mentioned beer, but I couldn’t taste a strong beer flavour so don’t let that deter you if beer flavour isn’t up your alley!

 

We thought we were done there, but not quite! The waiter asked if we would like to have our Petit fours in the Lui Bar and so far a change of scenery we moved into some plush seats looking over Melbs once more.

 

 

Petit Fours & Melbs

 

We both ordered a glass of vino (Nebbiolo for me and a Sav Blanc for JS) and enjoyed the Petit Fours and some more banter…probably revelling in how awesome our lives were. The petit fours were delicious, small pieces of chocolate with various kicks of flavour, bourbon buttons and a chocolate ganache lamington was was to die for!

 

The service over the course of the night was consistently brilliant and the team should be applauded for the ambience they have created on the 55th floor.

 

 

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE….

 

As we left the heaven on 55th floor, we were given a small ‘show bag’ of sorts….

 

 

We were each given a bag to prolong our Vue De Monde experience. Filled with a small loaf of brioche, muesli, honey, tea & shortbread, this was just too much!

 

 

Loved it all. I don’t think I’ve got any more descriptive words to use. Yes ok, the kangaroo wasn’t as kapow-amazeballs as I was hoping but it was still a delectable dish and I would pay that sort of money for the service alone…and that dessert, gah don’t get me started again.

 

Definitely an experience to savour and not repeat on a regular basis however if you do get the opportunity to visit Shannon and the gang, grab it with both hands!

 

 

9/10

 

 

PM24.

So I tried to come up with a clever title, but it’s Monday…

Recently my family ventured from old Sydney town to visit me for my birthday. I had heard great things about Philippe Mouchel’s restaurant on Russell St and so when asked to pick a ‘book-able’ restaurant, I went for PM24.

From the initial phone call to the end of dessert, the service was impeccable. I’m a sucker for good service, I mean, if you’re going to be in the hospo industry, show us you want to be there!

With 2 coeliacs in the fam, the lovely hostess I spoke to was more than willing to accommodate and noted it all accordingly.

I call it, Trying to be Arty.

With the six of us ready for a good feed, we arrived at PM24 on a busy Saturday night, the restaurant was buzzing but still at a noise level that made conversations easy.

As we tucked into beautiful crusty baguette (and GF toast for the coeliacs), dad took on the wine list and we ordered some cocktails. My choice was the Frisky Sour … (see what they did there??). Very nice in my opinion, but strong so if you’re not a big Whisky fan, obviously, don’t try it.

Frisky Sour.

Entree was ordered and we were off with a bang. One of the benefits of eating with 5 others is that between you, you can pretty much order one of everything on the menu.

It was after we ordered than I noticed Philippe Mouchel standing at the pass, examining each dish as it was served to patrons. After getting over the initial “oooh he’s famous”, it was great to watch how careful he was with each dish and that he took so much pride in the food.

Entree arrived relatively quickly considering how many of us there were and the amount of people in the restaurant. My choice was the King Salmon Gravlax with somen noodles and and heirloom carrot salad. Having never experienced ‘gravlax’ before, I was looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint. Although I didn’t think it tasted particularly ‘french’ with the noodles, the flavours were fresh and light, exactly what I was looking forward to.

King Salmon Gravlax

We are a family of carnivores, so it was expected at least one of us would go for the charcuterie platter. B went for it and although the initial look of the plate deterred her, she tried new things and liked it!

B, as well as myself, was expecting a charcuterie plate a little different to what arrived at the table but she thoroughly enjoyed it as she had never tried terrine, pate or roulade before – all of which made a guest appearance on the board. Special mention to the jug of cornichons that didn’t make it into the photo. There would have been 30 gherkins in there! yummo.

Charcuterie Plate  

Mumma and Papa bear went for the same dish, being the Escargot, which looked, smelt and tasted delicious. Having only sampled snails a couple of times, I was looking forward to taste testing and really enjoyed them. Not a very strong flavour, and slightly chewy which I liked.

1/2 Dozen Escargot.

It was a night of trying new things as my youngest sister A was keen to try the fig salad, yet had never sampled one of my favourites – Blue Cheese. We said to her, if you’re going to try blue cheese…do it in a French restaurant! She was pleasantly surprised and the salad looked scrumptious. I did sample a morsel of the cheese as well as it was delicious. Melt in your mouth with the kick most blue cheeses deliver.

Caramelised Figs, Roquefort Cheese, Prosciutto & Walnut Salad

After flicking through the menu, my third sister M ordered the Prawn Fritters. I don’t think she was expecting them to be presented as they were, however she really enjoyed them. Fantastic choices all round.

Prawn Fritters

Going off the reactions of the fam and the tastings I sampled, I’d choose the fig salad or the escargot. Next time I would love to try the Spring Bay Mussels.

The service continued superbly and I was having a fantastic evening. What I loved is that we weren’t rushed at all from start to finish, a credit to the staff and the way the restaurant is organised.

Oh and the bathrooms are decked out to the nines. Definitely worth a trip, even if you don’t need to. Just go for a stroll between courses!

The mains soon rolled in and we were all salivating over our choices. Now thinking about it, I probably would have gone for a different dish, just because it was so similar to the dish I ordered at Bistro Guillaume late 2012. Both mumma and myself chose the rotisserie chicken which is their speciality.

It was beautiful, don’t get me wrong. Almost melt in your mouth. But I had been spoilt with Brahimi’s chicken at his crown bistro and unfortunately it wasn’t as good as that. But it was still a beautiful dish and the sautéed potatoes were a great accompaniment. Loved the presentation as well.

Rotisserie Chicken 

Pappa & B both ordered the same dish (bound to happen a couple of times when dining with a big group and a smaller menu). They went with the three point rack of lamb. I think Pop was initially disappointed with the serving size but they both agreed it was plenty and the flavours were fantastic.

Three Point Rack of Lamb

A was super keen to try new things this particular evening and so she chose the Shellfish Boudin blanc & scallop risotto. Not what I was expecting her to order (this kid dreams about lamb) but she was satisfied with her choice. I really liked the presentation of this dish as well. All so carefully presented to guests, not a grain out of place.

Shellfish Boudin Blanc & Scallop Saffron Risotto

M decided on the Steak frites (aka steak and fries), always a safe choice in my book. The beef jus was a tad rich for her. The steak was cooked well. Apologies no photo of that one. Insert picture of 280g sirloin here

After the cocktails we had moved onto a beautiful red wine, and although the name escapes me, I have to mention it because it was really delicious and favoured by all of us which is a rare occurrence.

Now came, in my opinion, the best part of the evening. The cheeeeeeese. The waitress brought out a large cheese board and explained our choices. Being a family of well, overeaters, we naturally ordered a piece of each. Blue, cheddar, goats cheese, brie, quince paste. Gah I’m salivating looking at the photo.

Cheeseboard…dessert warm up.

Although we were all full, the second stomach (aka the dessert stomach) was kicked into gear and a couple of desserts were ordered. After consuming half a bird at main and then probably a kilo of cheese, I went with a simple Affogato with Kahlua. Never have I had a bad Affogato, always a good choice.  Although it wasn’t AS good as the affogato I had at Pure South last year, it was beautiful coffee. The birthday message and sparklers was an added bonus!

Affogato with Kahlua

A is a little pocket rocket and dessert was definitely in her sights. The PM24 version of a Peach Melba looked fantastic and she was raving about the flavours.

Peach Melba 

It wouldn’t have been a french dinner without a soufflé and mamma and papa bear decided to tackle the wonderful dish together. This passionfruit soufflé really was incredible and both mum and dad were raving about it. It was so light and airy and wow I really want dessert right now.

I really should learn not to write these when hungry.

Souffle

We sat there engaging in our usual banter for a while after our dessert and not once were we hurried along. Our waitress was wonderful, one of the best service experiences I have ever had.

A really fantastic night and we have the staff of PM24 to thank for that.

Merci Philippe!

8.5/10

Lourinha Lovin’

If eating was a sport, I would have the gold in the bag.

My rentals were recently in Melbs and so we ventured to a few of my fave places to eat as well as some new ones I haven’t tried (no Chin Chin – I was proud of myself for resisting).

On the Friday night they were here, C-Mac, myself and the rentals took on the menu of Bar Lourinha. I’m not sure who won, but it was some of the best food I’ve had in Melbourne.

Tucked away on the Paris end of Little Collins, Bar Lourinha is oh so Melbourne. I know I sound like an idiot saying that, but it’s true. I’ve always thought it’d be a really good date place…and I went with my parents…I’m so cool.

We arrived at prime time and were ushered to the oh so small waiting area to the rear of the restaurant to have a bevvie and wait for a table. Whilst waiting we ordered some olives (yum.) and a plate of Jamon Serrano…which C-Mac later admitted was his favourite dish of the evening.

We were eventually seated on the plush lounge at the front of the restaurant and mum & I took charge of the ordering…which of course means we couldn’t decide so ordered most of the menu.

First up was the special of the day, Pimientos de Padron aka spicy peppers…except there’s a catch… Most are mild, except one in about ten will pack a punch. I love my spice, but I came across one of these bad boys and it wasn’t pretty. The photo doesn’t show much but they were gooooood. Sweet yet spicy.

Pimientos de Padron …Peppers of Padron

Next up we ordered some Coffin Bay Oysters. Straight up. No salsa, bacon, or any fancy stuff. Just the way I like them. So fresh. I find it a real challenge to find great fresh seafood in Melbs and these gave me hope! Yum, I want one now.

Coffin Bay Oysters

It was such a great evening and the food was just lovely. Wow I sound like an old lady. But it’s true. Fantastic company and brilliant non fussy food. Next on the food extravaganza trail was another one of the specials of the evening. I can’t seem to recall exactly what was in this dish but it involved clams and speck and as the photo quality isn’t fantastic, we will just have to settle with that. The salty speck was great with the seafood, another winning combo.

Clams, Speck…and other stuff

The atmosphere of Bar Lourinha is great and really gives a homely vibe, as if you’re sitting in Lourinha, Spain, enjoying a brilliant family meal. The noise levels can be a deterrent but I like it!

When looking back over the food, it seems we went for majority of the specials and not the items on the menu itself, but I suppose they’re specials for a reason so why not go for them! Next up we had (the special), grilled king prawns. Ermagherd (OMG). Fresh, grilled, shell and all. Amazing. Yum. I would have been happy with just a plate of these guys. I devoured the prawn. The flesh of the prawns was cooked perfectly. Just chewy, juicy and sweet. Gah I’m salivating writing this. MOVING ON!

Grilled King Prawns

So far so good. The rentals were extremely happy with my choice of venue and I was showing them why Melbs is clearly the superior city! I must also admit, for the quality, atmosphere and service here, you would expect to pay the big bucks, but Bar Lourinha is very reasonably priced and serving sizes are very generous!

The next dish was mamma’s favourite, and it was a vegetarian dish! Comes back to what I keep ranting on about, fresh produce. There’s nothing better. This star of this dish was good old Eggplant or for you hipsters, aubergine like the colour of the hipster staple jeans. The dish was Eggplant, spiced tomato and boquerones, aka fresh anchovies. You can tell I had a hand in ordering the food with the seafood theme popping up everywhere. The eggplant was soft and seasoned well and balanced well with the salty anchovies & sweet tomato. We tried to keep this dish between Mum & I but once we started raving about it, the men swooped on it!

This is off the menu, not a special unlike most of the other dishes, and I would definitely recommend it whilst eggplants are still in season!

Spiced Tomato, Eggplant & Boquerones

The primary stomach (you see you have a primary stomach and dessert stomach) was filling up but there was so much fantastic food around me, to stop eating would have been a crime!

You couldn’t go to a spanish restaurant and not have a Chorizo (!) so of course we had to order the Free Range chorizo dish. This massive snosage was soooo good. If there was a bread roll in the vicinity I would have made an epic sandwich. The red wine jus didn’t have a whole lot of flavour but the chorizo didn’t need much. Twas also accompanied by a humble couple of spuds.

Free Range Chorizo, Potato & Red Wine

This was SUPPOSED to be the end of the food journey. However, there were still a couple of menu items that were way too appealing to cast aside so we added the Wagyu and Kingfish dishes to the extravaganza.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a snap of the Wagyu…probably because as soon as it was on the table it was devoured. Get the Wagyu. Right now. Go. So soft, I know people say it a lot but it melted in my mouth. Incredible. Wagyu Beef Shin…ha I was about to write Chin…Chin Chin on the brain. It’s a condition.

The final savoury dish we picked was the Yellowtail Kingfish with Lemon Oil. Nom nom nom. I’m running out of describing words aren’t I…

Super fresh, no big bang flavours, just letting the produce speak for itself which is what I love. I’ve seen Kingfish sashimi on a few menus around town and sampled it at most of them, and this would be the best for me. Even pipping Chin Chin to the post. Oh yeh I said it.

Yellowtail Kingfish “Pancetta” with Lemon Oil

The drinks were flowing, the company was thoroughly entertaining and the second tummy was about to have a starring role. As we had decided Espresso Martinis at Siglo were a necessity post dinner, we decided to just share the Churros for a sweetener.

I was one of those kids who went bonkers for the hot cinnamon donut from Donut King. So when you put a fancy deep fried dough stick in front of me, say bye bye Churros.

Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. The chocolate wasn’t even needed in my opinion. Yummo. Wow Jess, using some fantastic vocal today…

Churros & Chocolate Sauce

Our waiter for the evening was fantastic and I am sorry I didn’t get his name. This was my third visit to Bar Lourinha and what I love is that the service, the quality of the food and the atmosphere hasn’t changed between visits. Always such a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with a relaxed vibe that makes you want to sit there and people watch all night!

Bar Lourinha, Gracias Amigo!

9/10.

Parlez Vous Francais?

Late 2012 I visited a couple of brilliant french restaurants, so I thought I’d give you the run down. I always hesitate reading reviews of French food, because it seems a lot of people just don’t get that French food isn’t about the big bang flavours and the in-your-face presentation.

Good french restaurants present beautiful produce that speaks for itself and that can be savoured and enjoyed with a beautiful champagne or wine.

I had booked in to go to Bistro Guillaume for a while and read a few urbanspoon reviews in the lead up. Unfortunately the public haven’t been nice to Brahimi and his bistro but I was determined to try it for myself.

You will never struggle finding this Bistro in the Crown Complex, the green entrance can be seen from space, Felix Baumgartner probably saw it as he jumped from the shuttle. Don’t mistake this for dislike though, I really liked it and it set the tone for the relaxed yet stylish atmosphere and decor inside.

We were lucky enough to have Mr Brahimi himself in the kitchen so after a number of minutes spent swooning over the sexy french chef we decided to peruse the menu (keeping one eye on the pass in case he made another appearance).

I was Über excited about the entree as one of the options was a Steak Tartare which I had never tried before.

Steak Tartare with Pommes Gaufrettes

This was divine. As ridiculous as that word is to describe food. That’s what it was. Definitely in the top five dishes I have had in Melbourne. Incredible. The meat was so flavoursome and smooth and in my opinion didn’t even need the crisps on the side, even though they were delicious too. I could have left after that dish and been completely satisfied.

My dining partners also went with very french dishes, choosing the Terrine & the parfait. Both of which were raved about endlessly. Bravo Brahimi.

The country style Terrine…not usually a fan however this was given a glowing recommendation. 

The chicken liver parfait with Pear Chutney.

We were off to a fantastic start. Beautiful food, fantastic conversation and bubbles. This was soon accompanied by the fire shots along Southbank of which I hadn’t seen since moving to Melbourne so that was a nice treat for the kind-of-newbie.

Mains was another difficult choice, however I had heard the favourite dish was the half roast chicken with Paris Mash. Now I usually don’t order chicken when out on the town, because in my head I always think, I can cook that at home. I ate my words. ORDER THE CHICKEN.

The half a Roasted Chicken with Paris Mash & Chicken Jus. 

Ermagherd. Oh em gee. Mio Dio. Sacre Bleu!

Whatever language you speak. This was delicious. The chicken was the best chicken I have ever eaten in my entire life (sorry mum). It melted in your mouth and the buttery paris mash was the perfect side. It does become a rather rich dish to stomach, but trust me, you won’t be able to stop eating it.

Lala & Nicca’s choices looked equally delectable however I was in such a trance with my chicken, I didn’t try their dishes….or offer some of mine to them!

Baby Snapper with Sauce Vierge

John Dory with Beurre Noisette, Capers & Lemon

Is it just me or does everyone think of the ‘bad guy’ fish, Mr John Dory from Snugglepot & Cuddlepie when they see that on a menu? No, just me? Definitely should have kept that one to myself….

Now after a fabulous meal at a french restaurant, there is only one thing to do. Say Yes, when they ask if you would like to see the dessert menu. The hardest decision. The dessert stomach flicks it’s light on and the decision of Cheese vs Sweets comes into play. Unfortunately with the other stomach full to the brim, “both” wasn’t an option that day.

With a chocolate delice and a creme brûlée competing with the lemon tart for my affections, I asked the waitress to help me choose. On her recommendation I went with the lemon tart which was, surprise surprise, amazing!

Lemon Tart. Enough said. 

I sometimes find Lemon Tarts to be …too tart…for my liking, however this was a great balance of flavour and the Creme Englais provided the extra decadence that definitely wasn’t needed, but was oh so appreciated.

Nicca’s choice…the special of the day, Raspberry Macaron. A GIANT Raspberry Macaron.

We were dining with an individual who, somehow, doesn’t usually like sweets so it was the cheese that had her attention. This was no regular cheese platter. It was advertised as a ‘selection of cheese’ on the menu, and that’s exactly what you got! A cheese cart was wheeled to the table…but a young frenchman…and Lala was given the choice of about 8 or 9 different cheeses.

Yes. ‘All of them’ was an option…and ‘All of them’ is what was requested. A portion of each cheese was sliced off and placed on a smaller platter accompanied with bread and crackers.

 The embarrassed waiter who didn’t want his photo taken whilst slicing cheese. I shall call him Pierre. 

Overall the experience was decadent food in a relaxed yet stylish environment. One that I would definitely recommend and hope to repeat soon! At the end of the evening Mr Brahimi was sitting at the bar having a beverage, probably congratulating himself on a job well done, and what a job well done it was.

Merci!

I can’t fault it. 10/10.

Wow. I just saw Urbanspoon raters only give it a 77%….please ignore that and try it for yourself!

2013!

So it’s a new year…again!

Yes as everyone says, 2012 flew by and thankfully the world didn’t end because there is still so many new places to try, new cafe’s to open (big shout out to LBSS due to open in Richmond early 2013) and well, new adventures ahead!

Big thanks to Silk Road (of all places) who threw an amaze balls shindig on NYE. The theme was gatsby, the champagne was flowing and although there could have been a little more food, the atmosphere was fantastic!

Jay Gatsby was even there (sadly not Leo) to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves.

I raise my glass (of tea currently) to you! Happy New Year!….Yes I’m late, but better late than never!

JP xx

Sorry Baby, it’s not going to work out between us.

I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it again, I love Chin Chin AND i love Italian food. So when I discovered the Chin Chin team were opening an Italian restaurant? Well let’s just say it was a happy day in JP Land.

So my Chin Chin partner-in-crime & I ventured to Richmond a couple of days after Baby opened to the public. After only being open for a few days, this place is already drawing massive crowds and we had a 2 hour wait ahead of us. Being accustomed to this at Baby’s big brother in the city, we went down the road and had a beverage and good old chin wag until the table was ready.

The place was buzzing when we were seated and there are a lot of similarities between the two restaurants. It was evident from the get go that Baby’s not trying to be authentic, but unfortunately, even with this in mind, it missed the mark for me.

To start we ordered the Arancini balls and the Mixed meat antipasti plate. Admittedly the selection of cured meats was delicious. However the waiter couldn’t name all of the components, told us he would return and let us know, and although he came back a few times throughout the evening, we never found out what the meats were. Sorry, big no no.

Mixed Meat Antipasti

Mixed Arancini & Fried Potato – creamy but underwhelming

There’s a lot of links to Chin Chin throughout Baby. From the rather..ahem sexual undertones of the signage to the language lesson in the bathrooms which is like remembering an old friend when meeting someone new….or something to that effect.

I’d recently sampled the amazing 400 Gradi Pizza (see previous post) and wanted to see if Baby could come close to that heaven, so we both went with Pizza for main.

I probably shouldn’t have chosen something so similar to that of the pizza I had devoured at 400 Gradi, but I can never go past spicy anything! I chose the Piccante (San Marzano tomato, Fior di Latte, Hot Salami, Ligurian Olives & chilli).

It was smaller than your regular pizza, and didn’t pack the flavour I was hoping for. For me, the dough was a little too thick, the salami wasn’t cut in a pizza friendly way….a nice pizza, but didn’t really do it for me.

J chose the Fior di Zucca, a pizza that had been rated well in Baby’s first review in the paper.  This was topped with zucchini flowers, Fior di Latte, anchovies, chilli, parmesan & fresh mint. Overall a very salty pizza.

Something odd happened at the end of the meal. I did NOT finish my pizza. I repeat, I did NOT finish. This has never happened to me before. I’d love to say it was because my mother taught me to always finish my meal, but I think I should just be diagnosed with portion control issues as previously mentioned.

The pizza, whilst yum, wasn’t special, so I didn’t really see the point in finishing it. And my sentiments were shared by my dining partner who also didn’t finish his.

I would have loved to have loved you Baby. It could have been great. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, just wasn’t fantastic. In a city where food is king, you have to excel. Baby you’ve got a hot brother so you’ll continue to pull, but I don’t think we will be seeing each other any time soon.

 6/10

400 Gradi. You’re Smokin’.

Pizza. The magic word. No, not the cheesefilled crust, meatathon variety.

Imma talkin’ about true, italiano pizza with minimal toppings, thin base and a whole lot of mamma mia’s, mio dio‘s & delicioso‘s.

I’ve tried the best of the best. Sorrento, Firenze, Napoli, Roma. Places were kids were born making pizza dough.

Recently an article came out in The Age, debating Melbourne’s best pizza and where to find it. Previous to this I’d tried D.O.C in Carlton, which is definitely up there. Beautiful base and simple toppings. My favourite being anything with Prosciutto San Daniele. If you haven’t been there. Go. I didn’t think it would get much better than D.O.C, but then I was introduced to 400 Gradi.

400 Gradi, a Pizzeria down the Brunswick Rd end of Lygon St, welcomes those who want the real deal. I read a few reviews that said there wasn’t enough topping on the pizza…that’s the way it’s meant to be kids. So off I went with my Kew bestie, JS.

JS had recently returned from Italy and was craving two things, a good pizza and an Aperol Spritz. So we were seated and the drinks were ordered.

My Choice – Campari, Soda & Orange. 

Whilst umming and ahhing over the menu and drooling over other table’s orders and the Vespa’s parked out the front, we ordered the Antipasti plate. Proscuitto San Daniele, Salami, Olives, Buffalo Mozarella, Fior Di Latte….all my friends. 

This was the perfect starter. A small amount of each for the both of us, hell, even the bread sticks were good. From memory it was also well priced for the size of the dish.

The Age had raved about the Zingara Pizza (San Marzano Tomato, Hot Salami, Fior di Latte & rocket) so I decided to give that a whirl. In the words of the totes cray cray Rachel Zoe, I die. It was incredible.

Gah. I’m salivating looking at the picture. Beautiful, fresh ingredients, chewy pizza base (cooked perfectly at 400 degrees/gradi….hence the name). To die for. I want one right now. Go. Right now. I seem to say that alot about food in Melbourne, but this has to be the best Pizza in Melbs.

I must admit, I struggled to finish it, even though it wasn’t uber grande. But I refused to leave a morsel of such a delicious creation on my plate so I powered through.

Evidence.

JS pondered for a little longer than I did and decided on the Paesana (San Marzano tomato, Fior di Latte, Sausage, broccolini & fresh cherry tomatoes). Although I was a little sceptical about broccolini on a pizza, she gave it raaaave reviews. Sadly JS is not a human trashcan like myself and couldn’t quite finish. But she tried her best, and that’s all you can ask for!

Overall, was a fantastic meal with great company, service & italian flair. Don’t bother heading to the tourist end of Lygon, 400 Gradi is where it’s at!

9.5/10