57 Cafe Bar Restaurant, Mt Waverley by Bureaucrat

Good, solid suburban cafes are sometimes hard to come by.  Usually, it's nothing more than the luck of the draw in terms of finding a cafe that does reasonable food at a reasonable price.  Our recent foray into cafe suburbia at Mister Greens yielded rather poor results. However, 57 Cafe Bar Restaurant delivers the goods.


Chef's burger

Bustling with diners, 57 Cafe is fairly big and popular with the locals - that's in spite of the fact that the relative hipster-inspired newcomer South Society has set up shop around the corner from it.  There's a lot to like about 57 Cafe - the food is not fancy but it is well-cooked and the serves are decent; the service is friendly and responsive; and the decor is what I'd call nondescript contemporary (i.e., it's nice, comfy and inoffensive).

Tutto Bene, Southbank by Bureaucrat

Head Chef Nathan Scarfo and his team at Tutto Bene certainly know their way around a plate of risotto.  I love risotto but I rarely order it at restaurants - it just seems like I'll be setting myself up for disappointment.  The utter simplicity of the dish means, ironically, that a lot can go wrong if it's not made well.  Just like Goldilocks, there can be issues: the risotto is too soupy; too mushy; or the rice is so al dente that it's biting me back.  However, the risotto is Tutto Bene is... wow! It's utter perfection.  If you enjoy risotto than you ought to make it your priority to try it out at Tutto Bene.  And if you're not a risotto lover, then I urge you to order it at Tutto Bene and be prepared to change your mind on this glorious plate of rice.


Fritto misto 

But before we get to this sublime risotto, the Lawyer and I started our meal with one of their specials - fritto misto.

Bang Bang RC, Elsternwick by Obelix

It was one of those occasions where stars and diaries align and we managed to coordinate ourselves for a pre-Christmas girls' night out.  No mean feat.  It was great food and belly deep laughter until we were ushered out at closing time.

Hiramasa king fish sashimi 

Bang Bang RC is French Indochine cuisine made for sharing.  The flavours were aromatic with the careful tightrope balance of sweet, sour and savoury.  The service was convivial with guidance on ordering and glasses kept topped.

Momoya, Camberwell by Obelix

I have found my new life purpose - to sample every menu item at Momoya.  To say I'm delighted by this new resident on Through Road is an understatement.  It's a tiny little Japanese eatery with a few small tables but it appears much of its trade comes from takeaway orders.


Buddha bowl

Notwithstanding the quality food, the ordering is such convenience.  The takeaway menu runs off the Menulog platform.  I normally opt for pick up and receive an email and text of when the food will be ready.  They are punctual down to the minute.  I'm so impressed with the military precision of it all.  I schedule an order online in advance for pick up;  run around town dropping Kiddo off to various after school activities then pick up order as a I careen pass back home.  Hot food on the table as soon as we walk through the door.

Blissful Station Vegan Wisdom, Box Hill by Obelix

Posts of shopping centre eateries don't normally feature on our blog but Blissful Station Vegan Wisdom is worth a post. It is a vegan eatery that is flavourful and cheap. Ding, ding! (that's me attempting sound effects of boxes being ticked). When P introduced me to Blissful Station Vegan Wisdom, I was almost hyperventilating with excitement. I do often try to eat vegetarian (sometimes) and since becoming dairy intolerant, I have been disappointed that many vegetarian offerings include delicious cheese and cream, all the forbidden foods. So a vegan find and a cheap one at that is very thrilling in my world. 

So what's on offer? There's a bain marie of hot foods - various stir fries served with fried rice.

Hellenic Republic, Kew by Obelix

A few years back, I was very lucky to attend a masterclass on Hellenic Republic's signature dishes.  As much as I tried to replicate the recipes at home as close as possible, it was never like the real McCoy.


Cypriot grain salad

For a recent girls' night out, we revisited the iconic Hellenic Republic in Kew.  It was bustling on a Saturday night and we were lucky to obtain a table without a reservation with only 20 minutes wait time.

Mister Greens, Forest Hill by Bureaucrat

Hmm...the cafe Mister Greens seems to be struggling with a bit of an identity crisis - I'll give it points for trying but it doesn't quite hit the mark.  Searching through the Entertainment Book app (which we're promoting to help fundraise for SecondBite - buy a membership here!), the branding for Mister Greens looked very appealing.  An eye-catching logo that's surrounded by enticing dishes.  I thought this might be unassuming but great cafe located in the rather humdrum suburban shopping village of Brentford Square in Forest Hill.

Seafood pasta

Mister Greens shares a sub-divided building that looks like it once housed an old-school Pizza Hut or Barnacle Bill with a superannuation company.  The exterior of Mister Greens looks like a local suburban pub or RSL club, and that vibe is also felt on the inside - the heavy wooden tables, the pleather dining chairs and the bar/counter reinforce this vibe.  Although it wasn't quite the hipster-style cafe that I had been expecting there was some effort to make it feel like that - there were the wallpaper of exposed bricks, a big communal table with stools and a vertical garden of faux plants.  

Billy’s Central, Melbourne CBD by Log Lady

A relative newcomer in Melbourne Central’s café scene, Billy’s Central offers a secluded space to step away from the chaos of Xmas shopping to enjoy a light meal or delicious iced chocolate. The café is located in Melbourne Central, near the bridge to the Emporium’s food hall. It has a little exterior coffee stand, with sandwiches, focaccias, cakes and a group of tables near the walkway, as well as further seating inside the café itself, offering a quieter corner if you’re not into the Emporium’s group dining experience. 

Chicken mango salad

I went to Billy’s Central last Wednesday night for dinner - quite a hot evening. Upon arriving I was heartily greeted, offered a table and a glass of ice water – a nice touch :)