Thanks for the interesting comments, including the comment from H.R. who wondered whether Australia has a national dish. Definitely a thought for another day and one I'll return to.
On to the suggestions:
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Grill'd, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat
Since I've been away in the depressing fog that is London, I've missed eating the burgers at Grill'd. I miss the impressive height, the fresh ingredients, the big range of flavours and the fact that they have gluten-free buns.
Field of Dreams burger
Before I went away, I had been wanting to take Mother Hen and Mr Strong to Grill'd, but alas, time just slipped by and it wasn't until I got back did I have the chance to share the Grill'd burgers with them. In the past eight or so weeks, I've eaten ate Grill'd about 4-5 times...that's how much I love their burgers.
On this occassion, I ordered a Mighty Melbourne (beef burger with avo, bacon, egg, beetroot, cos lettuce, relish and mayo) and a side of small chips for Mr Strong. Impressive height - I think one of the things that makes a burger good is how much ingredients that's been piled onto the bun. Mr Strong liked the burger and was impressed how substantial it was.
I went for the Baa Baa Burger (lamb pattie, with avo, cheese, relish and herbed mayo on a gluten-free bun). A lovely grilled lamb pattie, which was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Although pricey, I do like the chips. Thickly cut and seasoned with herbs. And although they're fried, they're not at all greasy, and actually tastes like they've been roasted in the oven.
And on a separate occasion where I had to stay late at work, I went and got a burger for my dinner. This time, I got the Field of Dreams - a big-ass field mushroom w char-grilled capsicum, basil pesto, cheese and mayo (see first pic). For those who poo-poo the vegetarian option and think that it's some sort of hippy mung-beans and lettuce no-fun burger, this will change your mind! The grilled mushroom is 'meaty' enough to make you willingly forgo the animal-based burgers. A generous serve of the char-grilled capsicums and the pesto and mayo really complements the mushroom. Another reason why I like this veggie option, is that I can feel virtuous and I can tell Mother Hen that I've had my two veg for the day.
Verdict
Food - 9
Service - 7
Ambience - 7
Price - 7.5
Overall
Love the burgers! My personal goal is to systematically try all the burgers (beef, chicken, lamb, steak and the veggie ones, and also the salads (I saw some really nice grilled steak salads on other tables)). There's about 25 burgers and salads on offer...so far, I've tried about six of them...19 to go! I also like the fact that you can get the burgers as take away.
The only nitpicky thing I would say is that the sides (chips and drinks) are a wee bit pricey (and they charge for sauces... I mean, c'mon on), and the music is a bit loud - you kinda have to shout above the music to get heard.
Address
Grill'd
222 Lonsdale St
Qv Centre
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9663 0399
Field of Dreams burger
Before I went away, I had been wanting to take Mother Hen and Mr Strong to Grill'd, but alas, time just slipped by and it wasn't until I got back did I have the chance to share the Grill'd burgers with them. In the past eight or so weeks, I've eaten ate Grill'd about 4-5 times...that's how much I love their burgers.
On this occassion, I ordered a Mighty Melbourne (beef burger with avo, bacon, egg, beetroot, cos lettuce, relish and mayo) and a side of small chips for Mr Strong. Impressive height - I think one of the things that makes a burger good is how much ingredients that's been piled onto the bun. Mr Strong liked the burger and was impressed how substantial it was.
I went for the Baa Baa Burger (lamb pattie, with avo, cheese, relish and herbed mayo on a gluten-free bun). A lovely grilled lamb pattie, which was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Although pricey, I do like the chips. Thickly cut and seasoned with herbs. And although they're fried, they're not at all greasy, and actually tastes like they've been roasted in the oven.
And on a separate occasion where I had to stay late at work, I went and got a burger for my dinner. This time, I got the Field of Dreams - a big-ass field mushroom w char-grilled capsicum, basil pesto, cheese and mayo (see first pic). For those who poo-poo the vegetarian option and think that it's some sort of hippy mung-beans and lettuce no-fun burger, this will change your mind! The grilled mushroom is 'meaty' enough to make you willingly forgo the animal-based burgers. A generous serve of the char-grilled capsicums and the pesto and mayo really complements the mushroom. Another reason why I like this veggie option, is that I can feel virtuous and I can tell Mother Hen that I've had my two veg for the day.
Verdict
Food - 9
Service - 7
Ambience - 7
Price - 7.5
Overall
Love the burgers! My personal goal is to systematically try all the burgers (beef, chicken, lamb, steak and the veggie ones, and also the salads (I saw some really nice grilled steak salads on other tables)). There's about 25 burgers and salads on offer...so far, I've tried about six of them...19 to go! I also like the fact that you can get the burgers as take away.
The only nitpicky thing I would say is that the sides (chips and drinks) are a wee bit pricey (and they charge for sauces... I mean, c'mon on), and the music is a bit loud - you kinda have to shout above the music to get heard.
Address
Grill'd
222 Lonsdale St
Qv Centre
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9663 0399
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Ume Sushi House, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat
For a good old gossip and gross-out session, Ms P, Mr S and I had lunch at Ume Sushi House.
USH is located on Lt Bourke street, which has a mellow, laneway vibe. I've been to USH twice now, and it's quite popular with the nearby office workers - the food is great and fresh.
On this day, I got the unagi don (grilled eel). It was of above-average quality. A nice fillet of eel, egg roll (which had the Japanese characters imprinted on it - I loved this little touch) and pickled root veg. Quite a good serving size and price (by memory I think it was about $11).
Mr S got an entree of spring rolls and a fairly decent-sized chicken curry with rice.
While Ms P got katsu bento box, which was also quite a generous serve.
Verdict
Food - 8
Service - 7
Ambience - 8
Price - 8
Overall
I quite like the food here. Definitely one of the better Japanese restaurants in the CBD. Good value, range and serving sizes! It's very easy to see why USH is popular. Also, when it's a sunny day, it's really nice to sit at the tables on the pavement.
Address
Ume Sushi House
385 Little Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 03 9670 0308
USH is located on Lt Bourke street, which has a mellow, laneway vibe. I've been to USH twice now, and it's quite popular with the nearby office workers - the food is great and fresh.
On this day, I got the unagi don (grilled eel). It was of above-average quality. A nice fillet of eel, egg roll (which had the Japanese characters imprinted on it - I loved this little touch) and pickled root veg. Quite a good serving size and price (by memory I think it was about $11).
Mr S got an entree of spring rolls and a fairly decent-sized chicken curry with rice.
While Ms P got katsu bento box, which was also quite a generous serve.
Verdict
Food - 8
Service - 7
Ambience - 8
Price - 8
Overall
I quite like the food here. Definitely one of the better Japanese restaurants in the CBD. Good value, range and serving sizes! It's very easy to see why USH is popular. Also, when it's a sunny day, it's really nice to sit at the tables on the pavement.
Address
Ume Sushi House
385 Little Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 03 9670 0308
Saturday, November 19, 2011
STREAT Dinner Party Giveaway
Unfortunately I didn't hear from Jess by lunchtime Monday and I've had to draw again ... this time the lucky winner is Cathy {tinniegirl}.
Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean BBQ, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat
Continuing with the celebrations of the Bureaucrat becoming a bureaucrat again, I took my family out to lunch at Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean BBQ.
The first time I dined at MDJGKB was about three years ago - Ms W said it was a good place for Korean food.
I was a bit worried going there again, as (a) it's been quite a while since I've eaten there, and (b) the reviews of DJGKB has been mixed, especially with regard to their service.
MDJGKB is upstairs, located near the Target Centre. It's very big and spacious inside.
As I was in charge of ordering, for the five adults and one child, I ordered:
...egg rolls. Basically an omelette, with finely diced ham. It's served cold as a starter. Similar to Japanese omelettes, the egg rolls are sweetened with sugar.
...deep fried calamari. Big, crispy calamari rings. The batter was very light and the calamari was tender - perfect.
...chap chae, which is sweet potato starch noodles that is stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables, and flavoured with soy sauce and a bit of sugar. I love this dish. This dish was served warm, which is the first time I've had it this way. Prior to that, I've only had it served at room temperature. I love the slight chewiness of the noodles, the crunchiness of the veggies and the flavours that were used to stir fry them. A very simple but tasty dish.
...chicken bibimbap. It was a reasonable bibimbap - not the best I've had, but still pretty good. It's always good fun to stir the egg and veggies around in the hot stone bowl.
...shabu shabu! For those who aren't familiar with this, it's basically a communal hot pot. There's a gas stove at your table, and the staff brings out a big pot of broth. I went for the beef and mushroom shabu shabu. So lots of chicken drumstick mushrooms and enoki (my favourite!).
It also comes with udon noodles, tofu, some veg and a big plate of thinly sliced beef. You're given cooking implements to cook the food at your leisure. You can ask for a top up of the broth when it starts to evapourate or you've drank too much of the broth.
Given the size and layout of the table, I suggest that two people are in charging of cooking and distrubiting the food around to the other diners.
Everyone liked having the broth with their rice. I tried a bit of the broth, but I didn't like having in my rice - I thought the broth had a smidge of MSG.
Although we were all loving the shabu shabu, I couldn't help feeling a bit envious of the other diners that went for the bbq hot plate - there were alot of very appetising sizzling sounds! But I have to say, as it was a cold day, it was great to have a warming hot pot.
Verdict
Food - 8
Service - 7
Ambience - 8
Price - 8
Overall
The service is okay. Admittedly, the manager and some of the staff seemed a bit unattentive to the diners...and I thought it was a bit shabby that when we left the manager didn't even bat an eylid. However, our designated waitress was friendly and responsive.
The food is pretty good. I do like Korean food, but I'm no expert in it. The place was quite busy for a weekend lunch - lots of young families and big groups of uni students were getting stuck into the hot pots and sizzling bbq. However, the drinks and side dishes (eg rice) were quite pricey.
Address
Melbourne Dae Jang Geun Korean BBQ
Level 1, 235 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9662 9445
The first time I dined at MDJGKB was about three years ago - Ms W said it was a good place for Korean food.
I was a bit worried going there again, as (a) it's been quite a while since I've eaten there, and (b) the reviews of DJGKB has been mixed, especially with regard to their service.
MDJGKB is upstairs, located near the Target Centre. It's very big and spacious inside.
As I was in charge of ordering, for the five adults and one child, I ordered:
...egg rolls. Basically an omelette, with finely diced ham. It's served cold as a starter. Similar to Japanese omelettes, the egg rolls are sweetened with sugar.
...deep fried calamari. Big, crispy calamari rings. The batter was very light and the calamari was tender - perfect.
...chap chae, which is sweet potato starch noodles that is stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables, and flavoured with soy sauce and a bit of sugar. I love this dish. This dish was served warm, which is the first time I've had it this way. Prior to that, I've only had it served at room temperature. I love the slight chewiness of the noodles, the crunchiness of the veggies and the flavours that were used to stir fry them. A very simple but tasty dish.
...chicken bibimbap. It was a reasonable bibimbap - not the best I've had, but still pretty good. It's always good fun to stir the egg and veggies around in the hot stone bowl.
...shabu shabu! For those who aren't familiar with this, it's basically a communal hot pot. There's a gas stove at your table, and the staff brings out a big pot of broth. I went for the beef and mushroom shabu shabu. So lots of chicken drumstick mushrooms and enoki (my favourite!).
It also comes with udon noodles, tofu, some veg and a big plate of thinly sliced beef. You're given cooking implements to cook the food at your leisure. You can ask for a top up of the broth when it starts to evapourate or you've drank too much of the broth.
Given the size and layout of the table, I suggest that two people are in charging of cooking and distrubiting the food around to the other diners.
Everyone liked having the broth with their rice. I tried a bit of the broth, but I didn't like having in my rice - I thought the broth had a smidge of MSG.
Although we were all loving the shabu shabu, I couldn't help feeling a bit envious of the other diners that went for the bbq hot plate - there were alot of very appetising sizzling sounds! But I have to say, as it was a cold day, it was great to have a warming hot pot.
Verdict
Food - 8
Service - 7
Ambience - 8
Price - 8
Overall
The service is okay. Admittedly, the manager and some of the staff seemed a bit unattentive to the diners...and I thought it was a bit shabby that when we left the manager didn't even bat an eylid. However, our designated waitress was friendly and responsive.
The food is pretty good. I do like Korean food, but I'm no expert in it. The place was quite busy for a weekend lunch - lots of young families and big groups of uni students were getting stuck into the hot pots and sizzling bbq. However, the drinks and side dishes (eg rice) were quite pricey.
Address
Melbourne Dae Jang Geun Korean BBQ
Level 1, 235 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9662 9445
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Collins Kitchen, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat
To celebrate that the Bureaucrat was once again a bureaucrat, Mother Hen and Mr Strong took me to brunch at Collins Kitchen.
It's been over five years since I ate at Collins Kitchen, which is inside the Grand Hyatt hotel. Readers would know that I love the seafood buffet at the Conservatory inside Crown Casino - and Conservatory has served us all well in the past 10 years. But my golly gosh, I think I have a new love - Collins Kitchen.
The buffet brunch is only available on Sundays. Inside it's very plush and has just the right balance of blinginess to the place - opulent but not garish.
What differentiates CK from its peers is that most of the dishes that are on offer are cooked to order. Having said that, there's still quite a few dishes that are already prepared for you to dive right in.
The layout of the food preparation area is divided up into different sections.
You've got the cold seafood, sushi and sashimi section (to ensure freshness the sashimi is prepared on request).
The deli/salad/cheese section.
My favourite section is where the hot foods are. You have French-dressed lamb chops, chicken fillets, fresh fish grilled to order. A pizzeria (the pizzas were perfect - thin, crispy crust and great toppings). A variety of fresh veg cooked to order, on the day there were mushrooms, brocollini and squash, which I love. Fresh egg pasta, cooked to order.
A Chinese bbq section (roast duck, char siu, bbq pork, soya sauce chicken).
Steamed seafood dumplings, individual portions of steamed barramundi, some sort of Chinese soup, rice noodles cooked to order, a range of Asian stir fries... that's all the stuff I could remember.
The dessert section is just divine. The kids (big and small!)were so happy with the dessert section - it was like being inside Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.
A range of cakes...Cooked-to-order pancakes (in plain or pistachio flavours) and waffles. An ice-creamery, handmade chocolate truffles...
...creme brulee (which was so smooth, luscious and sinful), toffee apples, macarons, chocolate fountain...this place is a gastronome's dream come true.
Verdict
Food - 10
Service - 10
Ambience - 10
Price - 10
Overall
Collins Kitchen has raised the bar for the upmarket buffets. Although I didn't eat breakfast beforehand, I only, sadly, tried about 80% of the food that was on offer. More so than Conservatory, I was so full from brunch at Collins Kitchen that I didn't eat dinner that night - and for the next day, I hardly ate anything. By that brunch alone, I would have easily consumed enough calories to last me a week.
I was so impressed with the quality and range of the food and the exceptional service (all the waiters and the kitchen staff were so welcoming and responsive) that I booked our family Christmas brunch to be held here. I'm so looking forward to trying out all the stuff I couldn't fit in my belly! I can't wait for December to come!
And for those who are obsessed with creating their dream kitchen - the kitchen at Collins Kitchen is to-die-for.
I'm in love with Collins Kitchen.
Address
Collins Kitchen
Grand Hyatt Hotel
123 Collins St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9653 4671
It's been over five years since I ate at Collins Kitchen, which is inside the Grand Hyatt hotel. Readers would know that I love the seafood buffet at the Conservatory inside Crown Casino - and Conservatory has served us all well in the past 10 years. But my golly gosh, I think I have a new love - Collins Kitchen.
The buffet brunch is only available on Sundays. Inside it's very plush and has just the right balance of blinginess to the place - opulent but not garish.
What differentiates CK from its peers is that most of the dishes that are on offer are cooked to order. Having said that, there's still quite a few dishes that are already prepared for you to dive right in.
The layout of the food preparation area is divided up into different sections.
You've got the cold seafood, sushi and sashimi section (to ensure freshness the sashimi is prepared on request).
The deli/salad/cheese section.
My favourite section is where the hot foods are. You have French-dressed lamb chops, chicken fillets, fresh fish grilled to order. A pizzeria (the pizzas were perfect - thin, crispy crust and great toppings). A variety of fresh veg cooked to order, on the day there were mushrooms, brocollini and squash, which I love. Fresh egg pasta, cooked to order.
A Chinese bbq section (roast duck, char siu, bbq pork, soya sauce chicken).
Steamed seafood dumplings, individual portions of steamed barramundi, some sort of Chinese soup, rice noodles cooked to order, a range of Asian stir fries... that's all the stuff I could remember.
The dessert section is just divine. The kids (big and small!)were so happy with the dessert section - it was like being inside Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.
A range of cakes...Cooked-to-order pancakes (in plain or pistachio flavours) and waffles. An ice-creamery, handmade chocolate truffles...
...creme brulee (which was so smooth, luscious and sinful), toffee apples, macarons, chocolate fountain...this place is a gastronome's dream come true.
Verdict
Food - 10
Service - 10
Ambience - 10
Price - 10
Overall
Collins Kitchen has raised the bar for the upmarket buffets. Although I didn't eat breakfast beforehand, I only, sadly, tried about 80% of the food that was on offer. More so than Conservatory, I was so full from brunch at Collins Kitchen that I didn't eat dinner that night - and for the next day, I hardly ate anything. By that brunch alone, I would have easily consumed enough calories to last me a week.
I was so impressed with the quality and range of the food and the exceptional service (all the waiters and the kitchen staff were so welcoming and responsive) that I booked our family Christmas brunch to be held here. I'm so looking forward to trying out all the stuff I couldn't fit in my belly! I can't wait for December to come!
And for those who are obsessed with creating their dream kitchen - the kitchen at Collins Kitchen is to-die-for.
I'm in love with Collins Kitchen.
Address
Collins Kitchen
Grand Hyatt Hotel
123 Collins St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9653 4671
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Barista Express, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat
For a catch up, Ms P and I had lunch near her place of employment.
I usually don’t head up into this part of town...mainly because, well, I’ve nothing to do around there. But I was pleasantly surprised to see a gaggle of cafes that had lots of patrons and nice buzz going. We went to Barista Express, which is a favourite place for Ms P.
BE is like most cafes – a range of sandwiches and salads and lunchy sort of dishes. Ms P went for a chicken salad (I can't remember exactly what it was), which had lots of fresh veg.
I went for the grilled chicken avocado salad. I was quite impressed with the serving size and the freshness of the ingredients. I especially liked the fact that they weren’t stingy on the good stuff – ie avocado and chicken. I can’t stand places where they only give you a smear of under-ripe avo. Also, BE scored points for have just the perfect amount of dressing – evenly coated salad leaves, and not at all soggy.
I really enjoyed my salad, but after our empty plates were cleared, the table next to us had their lunch delivered. And, Oh.My.God.... did I have serious food envy. The two ladies had both ordered the squid salad. I was enraptured with the salad that I asked if I could take a photo. Gorgeous, generous, heaping mound of pan-fried squid. The two ladies were pretty pleased with their salads. I instantly promised myself that I would have to come back and order this dish.
Verdict
Food - 9
Service - 8
Ambience - 9
Price - 9
Overall
As I said, I’m not familiar with this end of town, but I do recommend you trying this place. Great food, great prices and good vibes.
Address
Barista Express
Goldsborough Lane
181 Williams Street
Melbourne 3000
Phone: 0670 6620
I usually don’t head up into this part of town...mainly because, well, I’ve nothing to do around there. But I was pleasantly surprised to see a gaggle of cafes that had lots of patrons and nice buzz going. We went to Barista Express, which is a favourite place for Ms P.
BE is like most cafes – a range of sandwiches and salads and lunchy sort of dishes. Ms P went for a chicken salad (I can't remember exactly what it was), which had lots of fresh veg.
I went for the grilled chicken avocado salad. I was quite impressed with the serving size and the freshness of the ingredients. I especially liked the fact that they weren’t stingy on the good stuff – ie avocado and chicken. I can’t stand places where they only give you a smear of under-ripe avo. Also, BE scored points for have just the perfect amount of dressing – evenly coated salad leaves, and not at all soggy.
I really enjoyed my salad, but after our empty plates were cleared, the table next to us had their lunch delivered. And, Oh.My.God.... did I have serious food envy. The two ladies had both ordered the squid salad. I was enraptured with the salad that I asked if I could take a photo. Gorgeous, generous, heaping mound of pan-fried squid. The two ladies were pretty pleased with their salads. I instantly promised myself that I would have to come back and order this dish.
Verdict
Food - 9
Service - 8
Ambience - 9
Price - 9
Overall
As I said, I’m not familiar with this end of town, but I do recommend you trying this place. Great food, great prices and good vibes.
Address
Barista Express
Goldsborough Lane
181 Williams Street
Melbourne 3000
Phone: 0670 6620
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Ming Xuong, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil
It's taken me a while to write this post. I have restarted a number of times, trying to be write a fair and accurate reflection of my experience of the food here. The main reason why it has been difficult is because while in some ways Minh Xuong is just another cheapish, mediocre Chinatown restaurant, somewhere I've had some pretty forgettable meals, on other occasions it's been excellent.
Admittedly the common theme to the good meals is easy to identify - the roast and barbeque meats. At worst they are some of the better in town, but at their best they verge on the sublime. It's not just me who thinks so, Chinese Malaysian and Canadian friends have all loved the meats from here.
I particularly like the char siu (roast pork), which is a bit of a complement given it's not my favourite style of pork. It's delicious in flavour, nicely textured and unlike many places where it can be quite dry still moist and juicy. In fact, it's probably the best char siu I've had in Melbourne including in restaurants. The duck is almost as good, meaty not oily and with respectably crispy skin. The soya chicken and siu yuk (crispy pork) don't let the team down either, to the extent that it's sometimes hard to decide which meats to order.
The meats are usually at their best in the morning but even late in the day, when they may have been hanging for a while in the window, they have let to really let me down.
Unfortunately the same can't be said about some of the other meals. And on the day I visited with Bureaucrat neither of us ordered the meats. So it's probably our own fault that we didn't have a great experience.
At least in my defence I did get the roast pork omelette on rice. It was a generous serve but mainly because of the large amount of rice provided. This may not have been an issue if the rice was good but it was a little hard and dry. With the omelette itself the meat was of good quality but the omelette could have been a bit larger. So while I thought it was a reasonable meal, it wasn't what I had anticipated when choosing Minh Xuong.
Bureaucrat had a hankering for char kway teoh (fried rice noodles), a typically Chinese Malaysian dish and I thought a slightly strange choice for a Hong Kong style restaurant. It's a few weeks ago now but my main recollection is of a dish lacking any wok hei (breath of the wok). So while the serve was generous (particularly the amount of noodle) I wasn't terribly impressed. This is pretty consistent with my experience of this dish outside of Malaysian restaurants. Bureaucrat thought the dish was overly salty and oily, and because of that, didn't finish eating the dish.
Overall
A pretty typical cheap-end Chinatown restaurant in terms of service, layout and price. While some of the food is mediocre what can raise it above its competitors is the meats hanging in the windows. If in the mood for barbeque or roast meat Minh Xuong is an excellent choice, but if your preference is for something else you might be better off elsewhere.
Verdict
Food - 6.5 (our selections on the day)
Service - 6.5
Ambience - 6.5
Price - 7
Address
209-211 Russell Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9663 2895
Admittedly the common theme to the good meals is easy to identify - the roast and barbeque meats. At worst they are some of the better in town, but at their best they verge on the sublime. It's not just me who thinks so, Chinese Malaysian and Canadian friends have all loved the meats from here.
I particularly like the char siu (roast pork), which is a bit of a complement given it's not my favourite style of pork. It's delicious in flavour, nicely textured and unlike many places where it can be quite dry still moist and juicy. In fact, it's probably the best char siu I've had in Melbourne including in restaurants. The duck is almost as good, meaty not oily and with respectably crispy skin. The soya chicken and siu yuk (crispy pork) don't let the team down either, to the extent that it's sometimes hard to decide which meats to order.
The meats are usually at their best in the morning but even late in the day, when they may have been hanging for a while in the window, they have let to really let me down.
Unfortunately the same can't be said about some of the other meals. And on the day I visited with Bureaucrat neither of us ordered the meats. So it's probably our own fault that we didn't have a great experience.
At least in my defence I did get the roast pork omelette on rice. It was a generous serve but mainly because of the large amount of rice provided. This may not have been an issue if the rice was good but it was a little hard and dry. With the omelette itself the meat was of good quality but the omelette could have been a bit larger. So while I thought it was a reasonable meal, it wasn't what I had anticipated when choosing Minh Xuong.
Bureaucrat had a hankering for char kway teoh (fried rice noodles), a typically Chinese Malaysian dish and I thought a slightly strange choice for a Hong Kong style restaurant. It's a few weeks ago now but my main recollection is of a dish lacking any wok hei (breath of the wok). So while the serve was generous (particularly the amount of noodle) I wasn't terribly impressed. This is pretty consistent with my experience of this dish outside of Malaysian restaurants. Bureaucrat thought the dish was overly salty and oily, and because of that, didn't finish eating the dish.
Overall
A pretty typical cheap-end Chinatown restaurant in terms of service, layout and price. While some of the food is mediocre what can raise it above its competitors is the meats hanging in the windows. If in the mood for barbeque or roast meat Minh Xuong is an excellent choice, but if your preference is for something else you might be better off elsewhere.
Verdict
Food - 6.5 (our selections on the day)
Service - 6.5
Ambience - 6.5
Price - 7
Address
209-211 Russell Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9663 2895
Monday, November 7, 2011
Federal Coffee Palace, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil
I always think when I walk through the Federal Coffee Palace that it's like being transported out of Melbourne. Nestled amongst the colonnades of the old GPO it's got a very European feel. Sitting down at a small table it shouldn't be Australian accents I hear but French or Italian, while I sip my espresso surrounded by the Euro trash set.
To me it's a little strange that they called this hidden little café the Federal Coffee Palace, given it's located in the old GPO. Once there was a real Federal Coffee Palace, an enormous Victorian era hotel on the Spencer Street end of Collins Street. Melbourne has lost a few great buildings over the years but along with the old Fish Markets on Flinders Street this was one of the two biggest losses. Today only one of Melbourne's grand city coffee palaces remain--the venerable Windsor Hotel on Spring Street--and while very grand, it was overshadowed by the old Federal Coffee Palace.
While not on the same scale the new FCP is not without its own charms. It does feel just a little posh sitting under the archway, and on a slightly chilly day it was neither as cold nor as windy as I'd expected. The menu, while short, does include a few interesting variations on the typical sandwiches and if none appeal there are a handful of specials chalked up on the board.
It's not immediately clear whether you should approach the café entrance to let staff know you're there, or just grab a table and wait for them to come to you. Actually I'm still not sure which is the preferred option, as we walked up to the nearest waiter and asked where they'd like us to sit.
While only the two us hardly makes a representative sample of the whole menu, we both thought our meals were simple but good, and competitive with some better known cafes out in the suburbs. Neither of our dishes were hugely fancy or difficult to prepare, but cooked and presented competently and with quality ingredients.
Something a little strange was that both Snooze and I thought the other had chosen the better of the two lunches. Snooze's smoked salmon and poached egg on toast came with a generous serving of nice smoked salmon, a properly poached egg and bread, which while toasted slightly more than I normally prefer, had obviously come from a quality bakery (we neglected to ask which one).
My order was a variation on the usual steak sandwich, made with peppered roo and beetroot chutney. I didn't think the beetroot added much to the dish and would probably have preferred a tomato relish or homemade sauce, but the roo was nicely cooked, tender with just a touch of pink in the middle.
Pricewise I thought it was slightly more than at most cafes around town, but you also need to take into account eating at such a prime people watching spot. Service also felt marginally disorganised caused by different staff members taking our drink and food orders, but this didn't lead to any real issues.
Overall
With respectable food and good hot chocolates, it's a nice place to sit and watch the world go by. On a nice day I could happily spend a whole afternoon here, just relaxing and appreciating the ebb and flow of city workers and shoppers passing by.
Verdict
Food - 7.5
Ambience - 8
Service - 6.5
Price - 6.5
Address
350 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9662 2224
To me it's a little strange that they called this hidden little café the Federal Coffee Palace, given it's located in the old GPO. Once there was a real Federal Coffee Palace, an enormous Victorian era hotel on the Spencer Street end of Collins Street. Melbourne has lost a few great buildings over the years but along with the old Fish Markets on Flinders Street this was one of the two biggest losses. Today only one of Melbourne's grand city coffee palaces remain--the venerable Windsor Hotel on Spring Street--and while very grand, it was overshadowed by the old Federal Coffee Palace.
While not on the same scale the new FCP is not without its own charms. It does feel just a little posh sitting under the archway, and on a slightly chilly day it was neither as cold nor as windy as I'd expected. The menu, while short, does include a few interesting variations on the typical sandwiches and if none appeal there are a handful of specials chalked up on the board.
It's not immediately clear whether you should approach the café entrance to let staff know you're there, or just grab a table and wait for them to come to you. Actually I'm still not sure which is the preferred option, as we walked up to the nearest waiter and asked where they'd like us to sit.
While only the two us hardly makes a representative sample of the whole menu, we both thought our meals were simple but good, and competitive with some better known cafes out in the suburbs. Neither of our dishes were hugely fancy or difficult to prepare, but cooked and presented competently and with quality ingredients.
Something a little strange was that both Snooze and I thought the other had chosen the better of the two lunches. Snooze's smoked salmon and poached egg on toast came with a generous serving of nice smoked salmon, a properly poached egg and bread, which while toasted slightly more than I normally prefer, had obviously come from a quality bakery (we neglected to ask which one).
My order was a variation on the usual steak sandwich, made with peppered roo and beetroot chutney. I didn't think the beetroot added much to the dish and would probably have preferred a tomato relish or homemade sauce, but the roo was nicely cooked, tender with just a touch of pink in the middle.
Pricewise I thought it was slightly more than at most cafes around town, but you also need to take into account eating at such a prime people watching spot. Service also felt marginally disorganised caused by different staff members taking our drink and food orders, but this didn't lead to any real issues.
Overall
With respectable food and good hot chocolates, it's a nice place to sit and watch the world go by. On a nice day I could happily spend a whole afternoon here, just relaxing and appreciating the ebb and flow of city workers and shoppers passing by.
Verdict
Food - 7.5
Ambience - 8
Service - 6.5
Price - 6.5
Address
350 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9662 2224
Miss Marples, Sassafras by Big fil
or Melbourne Cup day Ms Counting her Calories had decided she would like to go walking in the Dandenongs followed by her first visit to Miss Marples. Because of the wet weather the walk never eventuated, but Ms Counting her Calories, Ms L, Bureaucrat, Beaker, Bubba Chuck, Snooze and I arranged to meet outside Miss Marples around 10.45, to increase our chances of getting a seat in the back near the open fire.
Miss Marples is a funny old bird. I can fully understand why some people don't like it. It's tacky, a little pricey, the queue can easily be an hour or more long and the tables are seated way too close together. The food is reasonable but not outstanding, the service seems to depend very much on which waitress is serving you and the scones, well they just aren't scones. Funnily enough I still like it here, as despite the problems every time we come here we end up enjoying ourselves.
Miss Marples is set up to look like a clichéd version of a typical English style country cottage, complete with bare wooden roof beams but without the ceiling heights designed for hobbits or coal miners. Decoration is mainly scenes from the old Miss Marples TV series combined with what is obviously her best china for visitors sitting on the shelves. Getting there early meant that we got our seat at the back although the fire wasn't quite what I was hoping for, just a few small flaming coals which seemed to die down fairly quickly.
Service was...interesting. As usually the room was full a few minutes after opening and staff looked a bit under the pump to take orders and get food out. Despite this the waitress at the next table appeared to be extremely bubbly and friendly, laughing about getting the whole room to sing happy birthday for the woman whose birthday it was. In what appeared to be an authentic touch, at least based on the comments of those who had spent more time in the UK, our waitress had a more classically English style, almost shouting to us whether we were ready to order and appearing frustrated if we took more than 5 seconds to respond. When we were later ordering dessert there was also some bizarre comment about ordering only one dessert (most of us were full) at a table where we had so many spoons. While I got the joke I thought it was more strange than funny.
Anyway, despite the interesting service style the food did come out quickly. While the menu is not extensive is does provide a few sweet and savoury options, with Beaker and Snooze opting to share serves of the ham and cheese and Welsh rarebit fingers.
I've often heard this style of food referred to as soldiers, which is a reference to the way they are cut and stand straight and slim on the plate. Basically fancy grilled cheese sandwiches cut into thin strips they are real comfort food and the sort of thing I often had as a kid. While nothing complicated in design and nothing special in taste I didn't think they were too bad for a country tea room, with the better of the two the ham and cheese because of the savoury flavour of the chutney.
Being a tea room we of course had to order the 'scones'. To me a scone should look round and pebble like, sound hollow when you tap the top and when broken open release a small puff of steam and a scent which promises amazing baked goodness. These are nothing like that. I think they look more like mushrooms, tall and slim with pale flesh and a darker top. However, while I definitely put these in the cake category they are quite fluffy and combine well with the excellent jam and cream.
Bubba Chuck and Ms L headed for the more kid friendly meals of chicken nuggets and chips and the pumpkin soup. While I didn't try either from the way the chips and soup disappeared reaction was obviously positive.
Ms Counting her Calories, Ms L and I were keen on trying one of the desserts and headed for a traditional English version - bread and butter pudding. It's one of my favourite desserts and this was good, nice and moist and not accompanied by overwhelming amounts of whipped cream, something which has happened before with the sundaes.
And I almost forgot, the spyders (spiders) here rock.
Overall
I think we all enjoyed our visit to Miss Marples. The food is definitely more comfortable than gourmet but that's ok. Sometimes that's what you want. You'll enjoy your visit here more if you can get into the spirit of the thing, ignore its few warts and other blemishes, and just have a bit of nostalgic fun. One where I like the whole more than just the sum of the parts.
Verdict
Food - 7
Ambience - 7.5
Service - 6
Price - 6
Address
382 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road
Sassafras VIC 3787
Tel: (03) 9755 1610
Miss Marples is a funny old bird. I can fully understand why some people don't like it. It's tacky, a little pricey, the queue can easily be an hour or more long and the tables are seated way too close together. The food is reasonable but not outstanding, the service seems to depend very much on which waitress is serving you and the scones, well they just aren't scones. Funnily enough I still like it here, as despite the problems every time we come here we end up enjoying ourselves.
Miss Marples is set up to look like a clichéd version of a typical English style country cottage, complete with bare wooden roof beams but without the ceiling heights designed for hobbits or coal miners. Decoration is mainly scenes from the old Miss Marples TV series combined with what is obviously her best china for visitors sitting on the shelves. Getting there early meant that we got our seat at the back although the fire wasn't quite what I was hoping for, just a few small flaming coals which seemed to die down fairly quickly.
Service was...interesting. As usually the room was full a few minutes after opening and staff looked a bit under the pump to take orders and get food out. Despite this the waitress at the next table appeared to be extremely bubbly and friendly, laughing about getting the whole room to sing happy birthday for the woman whose birthday it was. In what appeared to be an authentic touch, at least based on the comments of those who had spent more time in the UK, our waitress had a more classically English style, almost shouting to us whether we were ready to order and appearing frustrated if we took more than 5 seconds to respond. When we were later ordering dessert there was also some bizarre comment about ordering only one dessert (most of us were full) at a table where we had so many spoons. While I got the joke I thought it was more strange than funny.
Anyway, despite the interesting service style the food did come out quickly. While the menu is not extensive is does provide a few sweet and savoury options, with Beaker and Snooze opting to share serves of the ham and cheese and Welsh rarebit fingers.
I've often heard this style of food referred to as soldiers, which is a reference to the way they are cut and stand straight and slim on the plate. Basically fancy grilled cheese sandwiches cut into thin strips they are real comfort food and the sort of thing I often had as a kid. While nothing complicated in design and nothing special in taste I didn't think they were too bad for a country tea room, with the better of the two the ham and cheese because of the savoury flavour of the chutney.
Being a tea room we of course had to order the 'scones'. To me a scone should look round and pebble like, sound hollow when you tap the top and when broken open release a small puff of steam and a scent which promises amazing baked goodness. These are nothing like that. I think they look more like mushrooms, tall and slim with pale flesh and a darker top. However, while I definitely put these in the cake category they are quite fluffy and combine well with the excellent jam and cream.
Bubba Chuck and Ms L headed for the more kid friendly meals of chicken nuggets and chips and the pumpkin soup. While I didn't try either from the way the chips and soup disappeared reaction was obviously positive.
Ms Counting her Calories, Ms L and I were keen on trying one of the desserts and headed for a traditional English version - bread and butter pudding. It's one of my favourite desserts and this was good, nice and moist and not accompanied by overwhelming amounts of whipped cream, something which has happened before with the sundaes.
And I almost forgot, the spyders (spiders) here rock.
Overall
I think we all enjoyed our visit to Miss Marples. The food is definitely more comfortable than gourmet but that's ok. Sometimes that's what you want. You'll enjoy your visit here more if you can get into the spirit of the thing, ignore its few warts and other blemishes, and just have a bit of nostalgic fun. One where I like the whole more than just the sum of the parts.
Verdict
Food - 7
Ambience - 7.5
Service - 6
Price - 6
Address
382 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road
Sassafras VIC 3787
Tel: (03) 9755 1610