Mankoushe, East Brunswick by Big Fil

Yes it's a cliché, but sometimes really good things do come in small packages.


While Sydney Road would be better known for its Turkish or Lebanese style bakeries, one of the best sits in an unassuming little shop on Lygon Street. Dominated by its large oven, this cramped but cosy eatery has a steady stream of customers mainly for takeaway (at least when I visited) with a few choosing to dine in.


At first glance Mankoushe looks a little run down. However, with its huge front window allowing plenty of natural light to stream in it's a surprisingly comfortable place to eat. Staff are very friendly and helpful and the pizzas and pies come fresh straight from the oven.

The menu choice is long and includes a large proportion of vegetarian options. Prices are low, with the cheapest item $2.00 and the priciest $9.00.

The sojak (sausage pizza) is a bit different to your average suburban pizza. Topped with olives, tomato, capsicum, onion and pickled cucumber, it has a slightly sour taste on a base which is crisp but a bit more bread like than a typical Italian style pizza.


Interesting was the Kawirma with labneh, a type of yoghurt. While I thought it might have benefitted from a little more meat, the combination of the mince and yoghurt resulted in another slightly sour but lighter and healthier seeming option than the more normal cheese based pizzas.


While the pizzas were good, I thought the pies were better. Both the Cheese and Spinach Triangle and the Haloumi Cheese pie were huge and threatened to overflow their plate. Hot from the oven and generous with the fillings, they arrive quickly enough for a snack on the go but are substantial enough for a filling breakfast or lunch.




Overall
It's hard to believe that there could be many better fast food type options in Melbourne in this price range. Unfortunately it's only open Thursdays to Sundays, but I did overhear a background discussion about a possible Brunswick outlet in the works.

Verdict
Food - 8
Ambience - 7
Service - 7.5
Price - 8.5

Address
325 Lygon Street
Brunswick East 3057
Tel: (03) 9078 9223

Cina, Armadale by Big Fil

Cina, which I think is pronounced 'Cheena', serves Malaysian and Northern Chinese Cuisine to the burghers of Armadale. Or at least that is how it describes itself. While our experience was limited by small numbers and a single visit, to me anyway it seemed to have a few fusion elements in there as well, a three way mix of Chinese, Malaysian (not Chinese-Malaysian) and Western elements.


Given its location on High Street in Armadale Cina's upmarket décor isn't a surprise. In the back room where we sat the decoration is restrained but tasteful and the tables well separated resulting in a very pleasant eating environment. In particular I liked the wall paintings, another example of Asian themes but painted in a more Western style.

The food itself is very good. Our entrees of the barbeque pork and the steamed laksa juicy pork dumplings (a bit of a mouthful to both say and eat) were both delicious. I often find that Chinese barbeque pork (char sui) can be a bit dry but this was moist and meaty, served with a sweet plum sauce.


I was very curious about the laksa pork dumplings. The laksa element came more from the sauce served with the dumplings than the soup being in the dumpling itself. However the juicy description was certainly accurate and the sauce was a different and interesting variation on the common set of dumplings available in most Chinese restaurants.


The mains were at least as interesting as the entrees and possibly better. One which has left me slightly curious is the 'Nyonya' style crispy chicken. This was served with a moderately thick sauce including lemon grass, ginger and orange peel, giving it a strong citrus flavour. I hadn't run across the use of orange peel in Malaysian cooking before but a Chinese Malaysian friend indicated that this was unusual, but not unheard of. The end result was a mildly sweet interestingly flavoured dish.


The Singaporean style mild chilli king prawns were large but sweet in what was a very mild chilli sauce. While good, this was probably my least favourite dish, mainly because I found that the sauce tended to overwhelm the delicate flavour of the prawns.


My favourite dish was the Szechuan string beans with minced pork and dry shrimp. Comparatively strongly flavoured but without the mouth burning fires of Szechuan peppers or chilli, it made a good contrast to the sweetness of the other dishes.


OverallWith good and interesting food and service significantly better than your average suburban Chinese restaurant, my only real issue is that Cina isn't the cheapest of places to eat. Even with the Entertainment Book discount prices still came to around $30 per head. Not unreasonable given the quality of the meal but a bit much for a weekly favourite or a quick stop when you don't feel like cooking.

VerdictFood - 8.5
Service - 8
Ambience - 8
Price - 6.5

Address1183 High Street
Armadale Vic 3143
Tel: (03) 9824 4102

Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

Everyone has slightly embarrassing comfort food options which they don't often share. Two of mine are chip or twistee rolls and afternoon tea. I just love the air of refined gentility of the best tea rooms, the way the rest of the world seems shut off for an hour or two while indulging in polite conversation, tea and dainty sandwiches or scones.


A survivor from when the ladies who lunch used to promenade around the Block arcade, Hopetoun Tea Rooms must be one of the longest established eateries in Melbourne. It also has one the best shop front windows. The cakes look delicious behind the big glass and included on the day we visited lime tarts, pavlovas, crumbles and Portuguese tarts.


Small in size the tea room is popular resulting in a ten minute wait for a table to become free. Patrons were an interesting mix of visitors from out of town, those who appeared to be regulars and passersby like ourselves drawn in by the window display.

Inside is decorated in what is (to me) a tired old Victorian or Edwardian theme which surprisingly still works. The wall paper is an unattractive shade of green, one wall almost covered in a huge mirror decorated with Roman or Greek mythological themes. Rather than being off putting though it does contribute to the feeling that you have entered one of those places that time has forgotten somehow.

Our indulgences of the day were a series of sandwiches off the menu and cakes from the window. The pinwheel sandwiches looked appropriately delicate.


The Rubens and beef with horseradish sandwiches were tasty.


Vegetarian options were a little lacking though Ms No Meat was able to specifically request an avocado, cheese and lettuce sandwich which staff were happy to make up for her.


The cakes though were what had attracted us in but reactions were a bit mixed. We all agreed that the pecan tart wasn't really up to scratch, lacking in caramel flavours and could have done with the addition of a few more pecans.


The other cake we all agreed on was the lime tart, a little bit sweet, a little bit sour, and more than a little bit delicious.



Where we differed in view was on the lamington and the vanilla slice. Personally I liked them both. The lamington was light, delicate and moist, the vanilla slice fresh with a creamy textured filling. I suspect the issue was more that the cakes were made to suit slightly different tastes, in particular Ms Counting her Calories and Ms No Meat preferring a more custardy filling for the slice.



Overall
Not somewhere I'd want to have lunch every day but fun for the occasional visit. Other than the sandwiches and cakes a number of savoury options are available, such as a ploughman's lunch, Shepherd's Pie and a variety of special 'Chef's Favourites' which seems to change every visit. Staff were friendly although food did take a little while to come out and the prices are reasonable.

If you are happy to suspend any cynicism about tea rooms being the preserve of little old ladies and don't expect everything to be the same quality as High Tea at the Ritz not a bad option in the middle of the city.

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

Address
Block Arcade
282 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9650 2777

Eissalon am Schwedenplatz, Vienna by Bureaucrat

I was aware that Vienna had alot of cafes and cake and chocolate shops. But I didn't know that ice cream cafes are also very popular.


Going by most of the guidebooks, we went to one of the establishment ice creameries - Eissalon Am Schwedenplatz. Like most of the ice creameries, EAS took up half the block, was full of people either doing takeaways or dining in for ice creams.


We opted for takeaway. There seems to be a perpetual crowd of people getting takeaway. Despite the craziness of the hungry crowds, you are served quite quickly by the very efficient staff.


The Lawyer got the pistachio and mango flavours.


While I got vanilla and yoghurt-strawberry flavours.

Overall
So how was it? It was good ice cream, but that's about it. This wasn't luxury ice cream - rather it is a decent, middle-range place for some ice cream. There are other similar places in the neighbourhood, which looked more fancy (if I had known about the other places earlier, I would have gone to them instead).

Address
Eissalon am Schwedenplatz
Franz Josefs-Kai 17
A-1010 Wien
Telephone: 01 53 31 996

Bistro Petite Provence, Bratislava by Bureaucrat

Whilst travelling in Vienna, we took a side trip into Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.


I didn't know what to expect (except for some ex-Soviet style architecture and farmers), but what transpired was the Lawyer and I falling in love with the city...so friendly, beautiful and idyllic.


Our hearts fell in love with the people and city, while our tummies fell in love with the food.


BPP is decorated in a comfortable, French way. Delightful touches - blankets for your laps if the weather is cold, cutlery that's tied together with a simply bow, and a perfect place to have a delicious meal while watching the world pass by.


For drinks, I ordered a pitcher of homemade lemonade, while the Lawyer ordered a rather girly cocktail.


We both ordered off the specials menu. The Lawyer got the pork medallions w new potatoes and mushroom sauce. Tender chunks of pork that's be perfectly pan fried. Golden roasted new potatoes w rosemary. While the mushroom sauce would equal that of any posh French restaurant - rich, earthy flavour, made from a medley of mushrooms, finished with just a hint of cream...very morish!


I got the chicken fillet with spinach mash and ginger sauce. The juicy pieces of chicken worked well with creamy ginger sauce. Despite the butter/cream from the sauce and the mash, the dish wasn't overly rich. Yum!


We were very full but just couldn't pass up the opportunity of trying the dessert menu. So, to share, we ordered the creme brulee. Light, crispy topping and a fairly decent serving size. If there was a comment, was that the custard was just a teeny bit curdled. The minor flaw didn't mar the dish.

Overall
Love, love, love BPP! No faults, just perfection - the food, the service, the ambiance. My regret is that I couldn't stay there longer in order to try everything on the menu. Incredible value for the excellent food and service. Easily one of my favourite restaurants.

Address
Bistro Petit Provence
Hviezdoslavovo nám. 25
811 02 Bratislava
Telephone: 02 5441 0340

Restaurant Morris, Vienna by Bureaucrat

With my blood sugar levels plummeting, and also getting tres vexed with navigating through the streets of Vienna, we picked the first reasonably-priced restaurant that we came across for dinner.


And it was Restaurant Morris somewhere in the city. I tried to take a photo of the exterior which didn't turn out very well. But imagine a cobbled laneway with pedestrians meandering and al fresco dining with tea light candles on the tables.


I was keen to try the goulash with spaetzle. I've read/seen alot of about spaetzle but never had the chance to try it. Irregular bits of dumpling/pasta dough. Not unlike gnocchi but without the potato. Bland in flavour but it help mop up the delicious goulash gravy. The beef was tender and the gravy was rich in flavour, although I felt was a tad salty for my liking. While the serving size didn't look that generous, it was surprisingly filling.


The Lawyer got the chicken schnitzel which had a light crispy batter and a tender and moist fillet. It also came with a bowl of the weird salad that you find in central/eastern European restaurants.

Overall
Service was a tad slow, but friendly. There was a little pressure from the staff for us to order alcohol, which I found a bit annoying. The food was reasonable and I got what I wanted, which was to try spaetzle.

Address
Restaurant Morris
Annagasse 5
1010 Wien
Telephone: 01 5125146

Neni, Vienna by Bureaucrat

Arriving in Vienna, we made a beeline to the Naschmarkt, which is the biggest market in Vienna.


Although we could have easily had lunch by buying some of the bountiful fresh produce and deli products around us, we opted to have lunch at Neni, one of the many cafes that are located within the market.


The Lawyer ordered the grilled sea bass with orange fennel. The sea bass was fresh and simply (but nicely) prepared.


The orange fennel was crunch and refreshing but had a bit too much sauce (which we thought was a mayo or yoghurt based) for our liking.


I ordered the quinoa salad. A very big salad, that was marred by the fact that it was a big soggy from the quinoa and probably the washed salad leaves. It was simply dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. A very healthy lunch.

Overall
Neni has a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It kinda feels like a cafe in a university - a mellow vibe and an ecletic mix of people. The food was good but nothing exceptional. The service was a bit patchy. Some of the staff were more efficient and friendly than others.

Address
Neni
Naschmarkt 510
1060 Wien
Telephone: 43 1585 2020

Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder, Richmond by Big Fil

Most of Melbourne's new inner-suburb cafes seem to go for a variation on one of three themes; grungy, industrial or kitsch. Offering an antidote to the feelings of déjà vu this sometimes engenders is the comparative veteran Richmond Hill Café and Larder.


Forgetting it was Mothers' Day, Snooze and I wrongly thought an 8.45 start would enable us to choose between a selection of tables. Between the window seat looking into the cheese larder, sitting at the bar or outside in the cold we went for a internal window seat adjacent to the cheese larder.

With a full house in a room with polished floorboards it was noisy, but unlike some cafes it was the pleasant background noise of people out for a good breakfast rather than the intimate involvement in other people's conversations. While our bench seats were somewhat cramped, and near the kitchen and register, it was still a nice place to sit and appreciate the vibe of the café.

The café feels quite different to most Melbourne cafes. While not out of place in Richmond I could well imagine it in lots of other locations, a produce outlet in the King Valley, a winery restaurant in the Barossa. It's warm, full of light and comfortably sits in that space between café and restaurant.


The food is about quality produce, well prepared and nicely presented. My choice of the Baghdad eggs came with two fried eggs with lemon and garlic, sprinkled with cumin and mint and served with the waitress recommended spicy sausage. First impression was of a wonderful smell from the mint and cumin, second was of nicely fried eggs with runny golden centres. The sausage complemented well the spices in the rest of the dish, and to quote Snooze I just 'hoovered it up'.


Snooze's choice was the corn and coriander fritters, with smoked salmon, spinach, RHCL tomato and capsicum relish and a poached egg. The corn fritters were unusually light and fluffy, almost pancake like in texture, with a delicate corn flavour. Combined with good smoked salmon and a perfectly poached egg; again a very nice breakfast.


While the front counter is a bit light on for cake options we tried the chocolate cupcakes and a small shortbread biscuit. The cupcake was quite simple but well executed, with a chocolate twirl on top, the icing almost mousse like and beautifully moist cake. The accompanying biscuit was fresh and buttery.


I had read some concerns about the service here but I found it friendly and professional. Dropped knifes at a nearby table were quickly replaced, staff recommendations about different dishes were valuable and the food came out at an acceptable rate given the number of patrons.

Overall
With good food and service combined lively surrounds there is a lot to like about Richmond Hill Café & Larder. While the food may not reach outside of the box some of it does push against the walls a little. It doesn't come particularly cheap though, with two breakfasts, a cupcake/biscuit and tea/hot chocolate pushing the $50 mark. So while I can't see it as my everyday café it's a good choice for a special occasion brunch.

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

Address
48-50 Bridge Road
Richmond Vic 3121
Tel: (03) 9421 2808

Crystal Jade, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

Let's face it, the quality of the yum cha in Melbourne CBD can be a bit disappointing. Not mentioning any names, but the dim sum often seem not to have been made fresh but have been frozen, the dumplings can lack the delicacy they should have and by the time the trolleys have been around the block a few times the food is no longer as hot as it should be.

One of the better options in the city is Crystal Jade. Always popular with Asian friends, one of the things that I learned on this visit is that there are a number of dishes which they can prepare but which don't come around as part of the normal trolley service. You need to know to specially ask for them, at least on a Monday.


Given it was a Monday lunch the range of choices from the trolleys was fairly limited but included the usual favourites, ginger prawn dumplings, sui mai and steamed pork buns, as well as the slightly more exotic chicken feet and beef tendon. The comparatively smaller size of the room compared to some venues worked to the food's advantage, not having spent several minutes with the steamer lid open most of the food arrived steaming hot rather than lukewarm. The buns were fluffy, the dumplings delicate, nothing earth shattering but respectable versions of some classic dim sum.




The stars of the day though were the steamed bun with salted egg filling and the steamed rice noodles with Chinese broccoli and Chinese donut (which I can't remember the proper name for). Both of these were new dishes to me but which I would specially return to order again.

The salty egg bun isn't much to look like from the outside but biting into it reveals the hot, salty custard. Sinfully rich, it has to be a heart attack in the making but at least you'd die happy. Be aware though that as these were specially ordered they arrived with the filling piping hot.




A variation on the more common pork or prawn noodles, the broccoli and Chinese donut offered an interesting contrast in tastes and textures - the slipperiness of the noodle, the firmness of the broccoli, the slight crunch of the donut and the saltiness of the sauce. The noodles were nicely thin and translucent and not gluggy like you often get, and the broccoli breaks up the heavy meat and seafood leanings of the other dishes.


Overall
A nice restaurant that seemed to be patronised mainly by Asian office workers, Crystal Jade offers a slightly more refined yum cha experience. Staff were pleasant and prices reasonable, the food good, the noise levels more what you would associate with a restaurant than a yum cha barn. It may be helped a little in this by its somewhat indifferent entrance, with entry though a unremarkable glass door and on the second floor. Presumably offerings are also a bit more varied on weekends, so that a Saturday or Sunday visit may be in order.

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

Address
154 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: (03) 9639 2633