Finz upstairs seafood restaurant, Sandringham by Mmmm

At first I thought it was a plain old restaurant. But I was very wrong, it was a beautifully renovated restaurant with great views of Port Phillip Bay especially at sunset. The seafood food is so good and fresh - the Coffin Bay oysters are best eaten raw with a twist of lemon.


The seafood chowder is the best I have had - second to the lobster bisque at Lobster Cave although there is quite a difference in the process of making.



The seafood platter for two can definitely feed 3-4 people after having entrees. There are four types of cooked Coffin Bay oysters each with a distinct flavour but we found the raw oysters are the best! Delicious mmm!!!


We found the French champagne - Taittinger - recommended by Patrick, our waiter who is more like a butler with a white tea towel over his left arm, to be the best. Patrick's service was of world class standard - French style and he even offered to finish our champagne if we do not like it.

Overall
The food and the sunset views were great and the service was excellent... but the price is what you would expect of a seafood restaurant. The good news is there is a cafe/bar option downstairs for more often indulgence...the view is as good but not unblocked. Save the upstairs for a special occasion.

Verdict
Ambience: 8
Service: 7
Food: 8
Price: 7

Address
1 Melrose Street
Sandringham VIC 3191
Phone : (03) 9598 2355

Hu Tong Dumpling Bar, Melbourne CBD by Snooze

Indian is more in my line when I'm planning to dine out, so when the Hu Tong Dumpling Bar was suggested I thought I'd go along to try it more than anything else ... but I didn't really expect too much. That was a mistake.

My visit to Hu Tong wasn't the first for most of lunch companions ... and they raved about the xiao long bao. If you haven't tried these before they're a speciality of the house. The dumpling skin (which is soft and delicate) is filled a beautiful pork mixture, and gelatin. Steaming the dumpling melts the gelatin and creates a soup inside the skin.


Xiao long bao 

There's quite an art to eating these. The skin is nibbled so that the soup can be extracted. Once that's sucked dry, the dumpling is dunked in black vinegar and the whole thing popped in your mouth. Small slivers of ginger are provided to cleanse the palate and help cut through the richness.

I didn't actually master the action ... my slurping left a lot to be desired and I see a return trip in my future.


My favourite of the day was the chilli won tons. These were the first dumplings delivered and they absolutely hit the spot for me ... the filling was sweet, the dumpling skin light and delicate and the right amount of chilli to balance the sweetness. Did I mention already these were my favourites?


The boiled pork dumplings were tasty but I don't know whether the bland colour influenced me but I couldn't get as excited as some of the other dumplings.


I also enjoyed the pan fried pork dumplings served stuck in a flour and water concoction like a sticky, crunchy crepe. One of us said these were the same dumpling as the boiled pork dumplings, just cooked differently ... if this was the case it really did enhance the taste.


And these were the last treasure I tried. By this time in the meal I was well and truly enjoying myself and spending far more time eating than taking photos so this was the only one left ... I love seafood and the prawn was plump and juicy.

Overall
The food was great and the service was good (although I've heard that's not always the case) ... but make sure you book before you go to avoid disappointment.

Verdict
Food - 7
Service - 6
Ambience - 8
Price - 9

Address
14-16 Market Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9650 8128

About us - the Eat and Be Merry Crew

Hello fellow foodie!

Welcome to our food blog.  The Eat And Be Merry Crew is a group of Melbournians who are friends and love eating out. Want to eat somewhere that’s in your neighbourhood, on the other side of town or involves a seven hour drive? We’ve probably been there!