OMI, Doncaster by Obelix

I have fallen in love with the concept of an Onsen egg.  A singular egg poached to perfection at 65 degrees Celsius.  Tenderly wibbly-wobbly.  A yolk-like custard. It was the sole reason why I decided to try OMI - for the Onsen egg.  

Wibbly wobblies on a plate

But then, I was introduced to Mentaiko (fermented fish roe marinated in sake, konbu and yuzu) and I found myself obsessing over OMI since.

Rumour Mill, Croydon by Bureaucrat

Having been smitten with the quaint McAdam Square shopping village in Croydon, we decided to go back there to check out another cafe.  Earlier this year, we brunched at the beautifully verdant Scented Garden Cafe.  This time around, we decided to try the Rumour Mill, whose menu is geared towards those with dietary requirements (e.g., raw, organic, vegetarian, gluten, dairy, vegan needs).

This is quite a big cafe, with seats outside the pavement and lots of room to push a pram through on the inside.  I really liked the range of dishes on the menu, which included breakfast Bento boxes, Mexican inspired salads, to middle Eastern green shashuka eggs. 

Mixing things up a bit, the Lawyer and I decided to pick dishes that we normally wouldn't choose.  Uncharacteristically, the Lawyer went for the lovely mushroom ragu with soft polenta.  This was served with puffed amaranth, pine nuts, poached egg and parmesan crisp.  This plate of gorgeously golden polenta with the deep flavoured mushrooms impressed him.  Warm and nourishing.  

Fonda Mexican, Hawthorn by Obelix

In a fit of the "I-can't-be-bothers", we hit up our local Fonda Mexican in Hawthorn for a quick mid week dinner.

Perhaps it was the Spring in the air, P was in an unusually sprightly mood and ordered himself a lychee and elderflower margarita to kick things off.  It was described to him as a frozen slurry of lychees steeped in alcohol - a decadent slurpee, if you will.  He was sold.

Mamasita, Melbourne by Rockstar

A friend was visiting from Sydney and I wanted to introduce her to a Melbourne classic. I remember when Mamasita arrived in 2010 - for me it was a revelation in Mexican flavours. I adored the balanced flavours - the tanginess, the richness, the happiness! I recall the queues down the stairs; the waiting and the utter busyness of the place. And that every time I ate there I’d want to go back again. I’ve been back a few times - every couple of years and it’s never disappointed me. 

There was no queue when we arrived at 6:00pm but it filled up quickly. We started with the tortilla chips, avocado, salsa and retried beans. It sounds so pedestrian, so 1980s. This version is a delightful combination... I tried not to steal them all before the Sydneysider had had her fair share.

Ramblr, South Yarra by Rockstar

A long awaited girls weekend in Chapel Street and I was feeling the pressure of being responsible for choosing our dinner venue. So many options, so I chose two and booked them, making the final decision the day before.


Korean inspired fried lasagne square

I’d read lots of positive reviews of Ramblr, and I’d walked past many times. We chose an early dinner so we could come back and enjoy the hotel. We actually walked past the entrance as it’s a subtle doorway with no obvious signage. Inside it’s a dark and moody place - the food is modern with Korean, Japanese and Chinese influences.