Damon Bradley, Southbank (by invitation) by Bureaucrat

Damon Bradley is, quite simply, affordable luxury for any occasion.  The Eat and Be Merry Crew was invited to try out Damon Bradley's spring/summer menu. It's easily one of the more popular eateries located inside Southgate Melbourne.  With hues of purple and crisp white, and the most friendly service you'll ever come across, it's a fabulous place to treat yourself to a little sweet delicacy or something more substantial.  While we were there, the place was filled with what appeared to be an elegant hen's party (where the women were all wearing floral wreaths and having high tea), groups of baby boomers, young families and couples - it seems like no one can resist the lure of gorgeous cakes, desserts and light savoury meals that are on offer.


One of the showpiece spring/summer items is called Perfectly Purple.  It's an absolutely pretty dessert, that's reminiscent of a deconstructed black currant cheesecake.  This was sumptuous, divine, delicious!  As the Lawyer declared, "it's berry, berry nice!".

Served in a glass, it has layers of white Belgium chocolate, fresh blueberries and raspberries, passionfruit macarons, vanilla custard and double cream. It's garnished with edible flowers and a macaron shell.  With the generous amount of fresh plump berries in there (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, to name a few), you could easily convince yourself that this can go towards your five-a-day (as Homer Simpson says, "it has purple in it - purple is a fruit").

Zero95, Doncaster East by Benny

There was once a time when the only place to get good Italian food in Melbourne was in Lygon Street, Carlton (unless you were personally acquainted with an Italian Nonna). But now Italian excellence has well and truly spread beyond Carlton, and Bilby Blue and I have been fortunate to have dined at no less than five great Italian restaurants this year (Trattoria Emilia, Eat’aliano, Italian Chef, Tutto Bene and Il Melograno). As we near the end of the year, I’d like to add a sixth to the list.

Zero95 first came to our attention only a couple of months ago when one of its chefs, Andrea Cozzolino, defeated more than 600 other chefs in an international competition in Naples, Italy, seeking the maker of the best margarita pizza. So exactly how good are Zero95’s pizzas? Bilby and I resolved to check it out for ourselves.


Cannoli Siciliani 

Mum's Dumplings, Balwyn by Obelix

Having a reliable dumpling source is a necessity for when those hankerings hit and one is far from the Madding dumpling crowd of Box Hill, CBD, etc. In my mission to establish such source, I tried out Mum's Dumplings in Balwyn. 

Mum's Dumplings offer Shanghainese fare. The dumplings are made on premises and whilst they also do claypot dishes and stock standard Chinese dishes, it would be remiss to go to a dumpling house and not have dumplings.


So dumplings we had. Kiddo and I ordered between us a serve of the vegetarian pan fried dumplings and the steamed version.

Archie's Fish and Chips, Mount Waverley by Bureaucrat

Following an arvo of driving around and looking at properties (and getting queasy sitting in a seven seater people mover), we decided that an impromptu dinner was in order.  Obelix has waxed lyrical about the fish and chips at Archie's, so we thought this was a good opportunity to try it out for ourselves.

Fish, fish and more fish!

Frequented by dedicated locals, Archie's does a very brisk trade.  With a crowd to feed, we got a range of tasty fried things to share.  The resounding feedback from all was that the seafood was very tasty and fresh; shellfish was plump and juicy; everything was nicely seasoned; and for fish and chips standards, it wasn't greasy.  

Miinot Gelato, Pascoe Vale South by Bilby Blue

In the middle of a small group of run-down shops on Melville Road is a slice of gelato heaven – Miinot Gelato. Benny was indulging in a nostalgia trip – he was originally a West Coburg boy – and what a good opportunity to check if Miinot Gelato lived up to the enthusiastic reports found in the media.


Amaretto and raspberry gelato

The tiny all-white shop is a stylish mix of ultra-modern and vintage. A magnificent old cash register graces the counter, behind which a huge antique-framed mirror reflects a neon “Mmmmmm” sign on the opposite wall. But our focus was on the contents of the counter cabinet.

Crepes Village, Burwood East by Obelix

I love street food, particularly of the Asian variety. One of my favourites would be the Dan Bing, which are Taiwanese egg crepes often eaten for breakfast. In it's simplest form, these are crepes thin like the French galletes but with a whole egg cracked on top during the griddling process so that the egg is embedded into the crepe itself. Savoury seasoning such as shallots are added. I am quite partial to a loaded egg crepe filled with other delectables which is what was on offer at Crepe Village for $7.50 inclusive of the ubiquitous Taiwanese beverage of soya milk. Bargain!


Looking down the barrel of the crepe with a Chinese doughnut

Baker D Chirico, Carlton by Benny

A few years ago, fate dealt me a very kind and tasty hand – once a week I had to be within walking distance of the newly opened Baker D Chirico’s Carlton store. It was early morning, and I’d generally indulge in a freshly baked croissant or similar breakfast pastry before happily heading off to work, sometimes clasping a sourdough loaf studded with olives to enjoy later at home. Those days are long gone and apart from annual Easter pilgrimages seeking some of the best hot cross buns in Melbourne, visits to Baker D Chirico have been quite rare.


On this particular Saturday, Bilby Blue and I had spent the morning at the Royal Exhibition Building, admiring the creative skills on display at the Finders Keepers Market, before wandering over to Baker D Chirico for an al fresco lunch.

Basilico, Glen Waverley by Bureaucrat

Basilico is an Italian pizza restaurant located along near Syndal station.  With its verdant branding and decor that's much more nicer than the local La Porchetta, Basilico seems popular every time that I've walked past it.


With not much in the fridge, except enough to make some mushroom soup, we supplemented our dinner with a supreme pizza from Basilico.  The ingredients were of a better quality and there was quite a generous amount of it when compared to a pizza from La Porchetta.  Taste-wise, it was fine but there was nothing exceptional about it except that it was a very healthy pizza.  The ham was lean, there was very little grease on the box.  This, in theory, is a good thing.  But I like my pizzas to have some grease - after all, what's the point of pigging out with a takeaway pizza?

Hip Fish, Surrey Hills by Obelix

Fish and chips for me fall into two camps - posh fish & chips eg Tank and Peter's Fish Market with its market fresh fish; then there's weeknight standard fish and chips such as Hip Fish. All have a place and a niche.

Hip Fish is place you would go to feed yourself fast and cheaply. Kiddo and I came up to under $20 between the two of us and we had plenty of leftovers. We ordered one of their meal packs which came with four calamari rings; four pieces of fish; four potato cakes and an avalanche pile of chips. Quite frankly we were being greedy. It could have fed a family of four. So technically speaking, it could work out to be $5 per person.


Family pack

Oasis Bakery, Murrumbeena by Bureaucrat

You know a place has something going for it if more than one Eat and Be Merry Crew member has blogged about it.  The most reviewed restaurant on the blog is Hutong Dumpling Bar (with Obelix chowing down in 2015, yours truly in 2014, Big Fil chomping away in 2011, and Snooze leading the charge back in 2010).  With this current review by moi, probably the next most reviewed place is Oasis Bakery (with Obelix and Big Fil noshing it up in 2014 and 2010, respectively).

Left to right: Middle Eastern sausage roll, chips and lamb souvlaki

So does Oasis Bakery live up to its institutional status?  Indeed it does.  I've been there a few times now and each time I look forward to having some good eats.  Each time, I've had the souvlaki, and despite this, I don't have a photo to show for it (after all, a rolled up bit of bread with my teeth marks doesn't make for the prettiest pic). What I can tell you is that I loved it - the lamb is tender and not fatty nor greasy like most souvlaki joints - this ain't the grease roll that you normally get around town.  These ones are absolutely loaded with lamb, pickled veg, salad ingredients and sauce.  Yummo! Better yet, you don't feel like you've downed a quart of grease after you've finished it.

Casa del Gelato, Carlton by Bilby Blue

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Benny and I found ourselves in Carlton, in search of a gelato treat. It was about time we checked out Casa del Gelato, last reviewed by Bureaucrat four years ago.

Casa del Gelato has been in Lygon Street for a long time – over 35 years. Bright and cheery, the large store has quite a retro feel.

All the gelato is made on the premises fresh each morning, using all natural ingredients. There were over 50 flavours, with dairy, sorbet and even soy milk options. The long counters with so many tubs of gelato were quite daunting when it came to selecting flavours – so much choice! Fortunately our friendly server offered tastings.

Coconut, baci and banana gelato

Il Melograno, Northcote by Bilby Blue

Our ongoing quest for gelato excellence brought us to Il Melograno in Westgarth Village, across the road from the Westgarth cinema. In contrast to most of the other artisan gelaterie we have visited, Il Melograno also operates as a café offering breakfast and lunch. So Benny and I planned to grab a meal before we embarked upon our gelato tasting.  

In fact, Il Melograno (translation: the pomegranate tree) is open until 10:30pm every night. After the finish of the brekkie and lunch menus at 3pm, a range of “small bites”, both savoury and sweet, is available to accompany coffee or bar drinks. It is serious about coffee – Il Melograno roasts its own coffee beans using the wood-fired Ricci method. The bar offers a number of aperitifs and cocktails, many of which involve gelato – we are talking alcoholic granitas (non-alcoholic versions are also available).


Ragu bianco di agnello

Despite the industrial-style décor – polished concrete, rough timber, retro incandescent light globes, dark cavernous interior (not ideal for photographs) – it is a welcoming space, due to the cheerful staff and the enticing aroma of Italian food. There is also plenty of space between tables, which makes for a comfortable environment and keeps the noise levels manageable.