Zuroona Cafe & Bar, Melbourne CBD by Snooze

Sometimes a place has atmosphere and decor and food ood ... but sometimes it just doesn't come to together. At Zuroona it's all about the building. It's a spectacular example of the Gothic style applied to Federation-era commercial buildings. It has a heavily moulded façade of beige freestone on a brick and concrete structure.

And the interior is renovated beautifully. The ceiling is ornamented and consists of a plaster beam and panel system on ornamental columns, and elaborate candelabra.


But the food ... plain, bain marie, cafeteria food. Big Fil's went with the lasagne and bean salad. Hearty, filling and enjoyable.


Mine was the cannelloni and salad ... and unlike many the cannelloni had no dry spots where the cooking had dried out pasta not covered by sauce


Overall
Zuroona was a little schizophrenic ... a fancier bar together with bain marie hot food and wraps. Stil nice though with comfortable sofas, and well worth a visit to admire the building and interior.

Verdict
Ambience - 7
Service - 6
Food - 5.5
Price - 7

Address
395 Collins St
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph: (03) 9620 9349

Norsiah's Kitchen, Carlton by Big Fil

Norsiah's Kitchen is the sort of place I like to find when just wandering around. Not much to look at, it never seems empty, never overly crowded, offering simple but tasty food for the cost of the coins in your pocket.


The majority of the dishes are Malay/Indonesian in style, with a few Indian-Malaysian or Chinese dishes thrown in. There is both a bain-marie service and a separate menu that you can order from.

The Roti (fried bread with a chicken curry sauce) and Murtabak (roti filled with egg, onion and chicken, again with a curry sauce) are both good options. The servings are generous and the murtabak in particular is a meal in itself. Best eaten with your fingers, the murtabak was a little sloppy so be prepared to end up with sticky fingers.



Nasi Lemak is one of the national dishes of Malaysia, and that at Norsiah's reminds me very much of the version served in food courts everywhere there. This is a very simple dish with what seems like a strange combination of elements - rice, peanuts, anchovies, egg, sambal and curry - but it works.


The Nasi Goreng Kampung (Village style fried rice) was flavoursome but a little overdone, with char marks on some of the rice. This didn't affect the flavour so much as leave the dish a little crunchy. Still good to eat though and I'd like to try the other Nasi Gorengs that they offer.


The weakest of the dishes was the seafood char kway teoh. This is a Chinese Malaysian dish and normally one of my favourites. While Norsiah's is certainly not the worst version I have tried, the noodles were a bit sloppy and the dish was lacking in any 'wok hei'. I wouldn't order this again, preferring to try the other dishes on the menu.


Norsiah's offers only one desert but it is a good one. The Bubur Pulit Hitam (black rice in coconut milk) is sweet and rich. Served warm and with it currently so cold it makes a great (and cheap) finish to the meal.


Overall
Norsiah's is a comforting taste of home for Malaysian and Indonesian students in Melbourne. Cheap and cheerful, it offers simple, tasty food served with a smile. Not somewhere for fine dining, but a good everyday choice if around this side of town.

Verdict
Ambience - 5.5
Service - 6.5
Food - 7
Price - 8.5

Address
604 Swanston Street
Carlton VIC 3053
Tel: (03) 9347 7079

Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy by Snooze

Funky grungey interior (check) ... comfy sofas (check) ... mood lighting with corners to hide in (check).



I seriously love the decor at Bimbo ... I'm a total fan of all of the above.


But the best thing of all is the $4 pizzas for lunch (and dinner most nights)! And not the under topped, soggy base pizzas you might expect for $4 but generous and delicious toppings, thin crispy bases and even dessert pizzas. (If you think that’s a mouthful … you should have seen how much we ate. It was almost death by pizza!)


I’m going to start with my favourite pizza because it’s my review … but seriously whoever came up with the idea of prawns on pizza deserves the Nobel prize for the culinary arts. Topped with large, succulent, fresh prawns, parmesan, a smidge of chilli and a quarter of lemon on the side, this is a pizza I'm going to order again.


Another interesting pizza is the mashed roasted pumpkin, with soy cheese, rosemary oil and pine nuts. I like rosemary but it’s generally over used … which wasn’t the case here. The delicate aroma and taste of the rosemary complimented rather than overpowered the pumpkin.


The funghi (mushroom) and tomato pizza had the most generous topping of all … the mushroom was just wilted with a beautiful mushroom aroma and taste. Simple, classic pizza.


By now I was starting to get a little full but with the artichoke heart, mushroom, ham and olive pizza still waiting for me I bravely carried on. While good it's probably not destined to be a favourite (although I love artichoke) simply because I liked the others better. This pizza wasn't without its fans with Seefoo (a recent entry to our dining menage) thought this one a winner.


It’s hard to choose a favourite between the dessert pizzas. I’ve had the dark Belgian chocolate and mascarpone pizza before and it was nice remembering why I’d made ra space last time. Well, I did it again ... and ate half of the pizza this time. The chocolate is sweet and smooth, and just slid down. And while slightly gooey, the topping was just firm enough to be manageable and not drip down your hands when eating.


But it was a dessert tossup between the chocolate and the apple, almond, mascarpone and cinnamon pizza. This pizza is generously topped with large pieces of gently spiced apple just starting to soften. Darn that Big Fil … he got half this pizza! I suppose it's karma given I ate so much of the chocolate one!


Overall
Absolutely nothing to complain about at Bimbo Deluxe … the only thing I could imagine was watching a favourite movie or DVD on a wintry night while tucking into a chocolate pizza but that’s more about my need to get back on my medication than Bimbo.

Verdict
Ambience – 8
Service – 8
Food – 8.5
Price – 9

Address:
376 Brunswick St
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Ph: (03) 9419 8600

Las Chicas, Balaclava by Big Fil

As part of my continuing mission to try every decent eating place within walking distance of either work or home, last weekend I visited the extremely popular Las Chicas (The Girls). Having heard that this place packs out I made the effort to get here by far too early o'clock (around 7.30am). At this time of the morning there were only a few people around, almost as many staff as customers.

The set up inside is really nice, with warm and inviting colours and good music playing at an appropriate level in the background.

Triple chocolate muffin

Blueberry with white chocolate muffin

When ordering some triple chocolate and blueberry with white chocolate muffins I was greeted by those magic words 'Sorry, but the muffins are still in the oven and will be another 10 minutes'. More than happy to wait, the muffins turned out to be a bit crumbly but delicious in taste. The triple chocolate muffin was particularly good, hot and gooey with the melted chocolate on top combining with the butter provided on the side. They were also nearly large enough to form a breakfast on their own.


The breakfasts were a bit of a mixed bag. The breaky bruschetta, with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, spinach, pesto and pinenuts looked really bright and colourful. However as an early morning breakfast it wasn't quite to my taste. While all the elements were good I found that they were all very strong flavours that seemed to compete rather than complement each other. I think I would have preferred this as just scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast.


Again the pancakes with bacon and maple syrup looked better than they tasted. The serve was extremely generous, but the pancakes lacked that crispness on the outside and the bacon was surprisingly lacking in flavour.


Pick of the breakfasts was undoubtedly the poached fruit with pistachio ricotta and cinnamon toast. The presentation of this was a little strange but the flavours were so nice that I seriously considered ordering a second serve. The fruit was sweet and well balanced between being soft and firm. The cinnamon toast was nicely toasted and flavoured but the highlight was the pistachio ricotta. I'd never had this before but it was soft, subtle and delicious. Definitely a winner on a cold morning.





Overall
Good food, good service, reasonable prices in a stylish setting. While not my favourite Melbourne café (Mart 130 anyone?) its closer to home and I'd have no issue at all with a return visit.

Verdict
Ambience - 8
Service - 7.5
Food - 7.5
Price - 6.5

Address
203 Carlisle Street
Balaclava VIC 3183
Tel: (03) 9531 3699

Oasis Bakery, Murrumbeena by Big Fil

The term Oasis makes me think of a place of refuge from desert sands, of date palms and warm gentle winds blowing over cooling waters. From the outside Oasis Bakery is not like that. Its quite industrial looking, with a large 'direct to the public' sign that I'd normally associate with a large commercial bakery with mediocre (at best), mass produced food.

However, once you walk inside it's quite a different matter. There are two sections, a small warehouse which sells middle-eastern products and a medium size café/bakery. The café is well set out in two parts. The larger part is more the communal eating area, with large tables and large screen TV playing Arabic programs at low volume in the background. The other area is quieter and more private, with smaller tables and high stools.

Something I did appreciate was the variation in the drinks available here. The drinks cabinet doesn't contain the usual suspects (Coke or Pepsi) but atypical selections such blood orange flavoured Schweppes and Lebanese non-alcoholic malt flavours.


Cheese pie

As with any Lebanese bakery though, its all about good tasting food at great prices. The selection of pies is wider than I have seen elsewhere, including several types of cheese pies, the usual cheese and spinach triangles and lamb and pine nut sambusas. My favourites are normally the cheese pies, but I found those at Oasis less than generous with the filling. While this was a disadvantage with the cheese pies I felt it improved the cheese and spinach, as the combined flavours of feta and spinach can be overwhelming if the pie is overfilled.


Cheese and spinach triangle


Sambusas are not something I've tried before, but the flavours of the lamb and pine nuts work well together.


The Lebanese style pizzas here are also very good. The lamb and feta pizza was generous with the lamb and not overly cheesy, the base crispy on the bottom, slightly chewy in the middle and not overly thick. Just like a good pizza should be really.


The soujouk (sausage) pizza wasn't as good. It was again generous in the toppings and with the same base but it was soggy making it a little hard to eat. I have noticed this at other Lebanese bakeries as well - I suspect the greater use of capsicum and other vegetables increases the moisture of the toppings resulting in the occasional overcooked or alternatively sloppy pizza.


One thing I wouldn't likely order again is the shawarma on rice. The rice itself was very good, well cooked, fragrant and spiced with pinenuts. However, it was quite an unappetising dish to look at and the meat was quite dry, a regular hazard for lamb off the spit where the turnover isn't as fast as it could be (this was around 6pm on a Thursday Night). I am very keen to try their tagine though.





Overall
Good, simple but tasty food at excellent prices. The inside is nicer than the outside would lead you to expect, the staff smile and are helpful. While the food comes out quickly they use what looks to me like a beeping ashtray to tell you its ready, something that I never like and which takes away from the warm and friendly feeling that the bakery otherwise generates.

Verdict
Ambience - 7
Service - 6.5
Food - 7.5
Price - 8.5

Address
993 North Road
Murrumbeena VIC 3165
Tel: (03) 9570 1122

Garamerica, South Melbourne by Big Fil

I am not always that keen on Indonesian food.

A lot of Indonesian eateries in Melbourne cater for the student end of the market. The food they produce is tasty but almost always fried, none too subtle and occasionally served with a chilli sauce that could burn a hole straight through your tongue if you aren't careful. Garamerica is a class above these eateries though and only marginally more expensive.


Between the four of us we ordered 5 mains to share, with the fish around double the price of all the other dishes. The bill still came out to less than $16 each - which I think is a real bargain given the quality.

Being an Indonesian restaurant the first thing we had to try was the gado gado. This dish comprises vegetables, tofu and egg covered in a peanut sauce and is something that can be found in almost every Indonesian restaurant in Melbourne. The one at Garamerica made a nice start to the meal, being a bit softer in flavour than some of the stronger tasting dishes to follow.


The second dish tried was the Batagor, fried fish dumplings with peanut sauce. This was again quite good, maybe better than the gado gado, although with both using a peanut sauce the result was two dishes with different textures but similar flavours. Consequently I am not sure I'd order both these dishes on the same night again unless there were more of us and a wider selection of dishes.


The beef rendang was 'pull apart with a fork' tender, and came with a generous serving of sauce which had just a slight amount of heat to it. This is one of my favourite Indonesian/Malay dishes, and the one at Garamerica is a good one.


The ayam bakar (grilled chicken) was moist with a smokey flavour, just like it should be. The chilli sauce was hot but not burningly so. If I was dining by myself and just wanted something quick and simple to eat this would probably be my choice from what we tried.


The best dish of the night though was undoubtedly the ikan goreng (fried fish), a whole baby snapper served on lettuce with a bowl of sweet soya sauce on the side. The skin was crisp, the meat moist and tender, and the sauce added to the dish without masking any of the sweet flavour of the fish. Because the flesh was so tender it fell away from the bone easily making it easy to eat, which is always a concern for me when served a whole fish (I am a little paranoid about fish bones). And while the most expensive of the dishes, this (or the ikan bakar) is the one I'd make sure to order if visiting in a group again.


Overall
Try it. If you aren't familiar with Indonesian food it will make a good introduction, if you are this is probably the best you will find in Melbourne in this price range.

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

Address:
230 Dorcas Street
South Melbourne VIC 3205
Tel: (03) 9696 2192

Giraffe Cafe, Melbourne CBD by Snooze

To paraphrase a major American philosopher, sometimes cafes are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get inside (well, if you can’t read the box anyway). Giraffe Cafe is exactly that sort of place.


From the outside it looks tiny and like many other city eateries. Go inside and walk into the back and its like you’ve opened the box and found it full of creamy centred goodness, with an almost Scandinavian theme to its raw wood and light filled white space.


It was Big Fil and I for lunch only on a cold, blustery, wet day … the sort of day Melbourne is famous for. We opted to warm up with a hot chocolate and I think I’ve found a new best place to go to. Mine was a bit more expensive than usual at $4.50 but Giraffe Cafe had hot chocolate with extras like caramel and nougat and I opted for the nougat. Big Fil thought it was a little sweet, but I was happy without the bitterness, and I liked the little pieces of nougat as I drank it. I’m lucky Giraffe is just up the road from work because I can get one whenever I like.


Lunch was also nice … cheap but good. We plumped for good winter warmers with a chicken lasagne with salad and a shepherd’s pie with mash.

The pie was nice, although not large, with nicely browned mash and a slightly oily filling. What really filled me up was the huge side serve of mash. Big Fil thought it might have been improved with a little more butter or cream but I was happy with it … exactly the right potatoes were used to make mash (which I never get right) and the small lumps in the mash didn’t detract for me.


I thought the chicken lasagne was a little dry … but that might just be saying more about my love of béchamel sauce (of which there wasn’t really any) than the lasagne itself. Big Fil liked it ... appreciating the balance between the pasta, cheese and other ingredients.


By this stage I was well and truly full but Big Fil (ever the greedy bottomless pit) had to try a dessert. We shared a slice of apple crumble … okay but the sort of mass produced apple crumble you get most places.


Overall:
This might be my new ‘go to’ place for cheap food and nice serves. I like the ambience of the place … it fell on the trendy side but didn’t try too hard. I also liked the mix of seating (tables and sofas), and the café being full didn’t make the place feel claustrophobic or difficult to hear as we chatted.

Verdict:
Ambience – 8
Service – 7
Food – 7
Price – 7.5

Address:
302 Little Lonsdale St 3000
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9640 0889