Bowery to Williamsburg, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

When it comes to trying out places to eat, I'm not known for checking out the latest/hippest/most popular places around town. Just because people jump off a cliff (or eat a restaurant/cafe) doesn't mean that I should too. If you ask me what are the latest/hippest/most popular places around, I wouldn't really have a clue.  Sure, I recognise some of the names, but like most B-grade (and below) celebrities, who really has time to keep track of them all?


Bowery to Williamsburg - where hipsters and corporate types eat side-by-side.

A new eatery that's popped up in tow is Bowery to Williamsburg.  I've heard about it.  I've read about it, and I know it serves New York deli-style food and that it's been getting some positive reviews.  Left to my own, I'd probably wouldn't get around to eating at this place until a year's time.


However, one lunchtime, Ms H, who's a hip young thing, steered me into BtW.


Arriving around 12.30pm, there was already a queue going, and the waiters were taking names. Fortunately, it was only a 5-10 minute wait for us, and we were escorted down into the eatery to two places at the communal table.


First impression inside is that it's definitely got a happening buzz in the air.  Hipsters abound, chatter, deli foods and the clatter of coffee cups.  It's a bit squishy but it adds to the charm... almost what you'd expect of a NY deli.  As this isn't quite the place to take a leisurely lunch, we placed our orders quickly.


Ms H got the lox bagel which has beetroot horseradish, dill cream, cheese schmear, limed onion and watercress. She had this before and loved it so much to order it again.  Ms H loved the authenticness of the bagel and fillings.


I debated whether to get the Reuben sandwich or this - the hot smoked salmon w caviar cream cheese schmear, heirloom toms, fried capers and radish.  This was a pretty tasty sanger - well worth my breaking my no-wheat rule!  I especially loved the salmon - so full of rich, salmon flavour that was flakey, juicy and tender (not chewy like some inferior stuff), and it wasn't overly salty (ditto, like some inferior stuff). There was a reasonable amount salmon.  While I'm not normally a fan of capers (I don't get what's so special about them), I really liked the fried capers which made them taste much better than usual.  I liked that it was crunchy and it had lessened that briny flavour.

Verdict
Food - 8.5
Ambiance - 8
Service - 8
Price - 7

Overall
When we were paying our bill, we had a nice chat with all the friendly staff behind the counter. They're definitely passionate about the food they serve here.  I could tell by how they told us how they prepared the different ingredients.

While the serving size is on the smaller end, each sandwich/bagel is perfectly in proportion (a nice filling to bread ratio).  And what you're getting here is quality ingredients.

Based on my first visit, I really liked the food here.  I'd definitely be back for the Reuben, beef salami, and the meatballs.... I can't wait!

Address
Bowery to Williamsburg
16 Oliver Lane
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 9077 0162

Lim's Nyonya Hut, Glen Waverley by Big Fil

Lim's Nyonya Hut has been dispensing Malaysian style food in suburban Syndal for at least a decade now, and for all I know possibly far longer.  Lauded both for the quality of its mains but also as one of the few places in town to sell Malaysian style kueh, I was quick to say yes when the invitation to go pay a visit came from Ms Counting her Calories and Ironman.

There are two things which strike you when you enter.  First for me was the large boards behind the counter displaying the day's desserts and specials.  A bit disappointingly these didn't include the bubur chacha or popiah (personal favourites), but still many, many other options were available.

The other thing which was immediately obvious was just how basic the set up was.  For somewhere that had been not only in the Age's Cheap Eats but also the Good Food it was much more downmarket than I'd expected.  Not something that I'd put in either the good or bad category, just not what I was expecting.

The menu is long and the includes many of the usual Malaysian favourites.  Being a larger group than normal meant that in addition to the common char kway teoh's and nasi lemaks we were also able to order the achar (a tangy malay style vegetable dish), the gulai tumis (fish in a sour style sauce) and the laksa siam, a very different style of laksa to the typical curry version.  While waiting for our meals to arrive though it was teh tarik for four and a float for Ms L!

First dish to arrive was a good char kway teoh.  The difference between a good and average char kway teoh is in the ability of the cook to impart wok hei - the breath of the wok - into the flavour of the noodles.  When it arrived at the table the colouring was good, the slight charing and smokiness of the wok was there, my favourite dish of the night.

The gulai tumos is a sour, mildly spicy fish based dish with okra, served with enough sauce to almost qualify as a stew.  One thing which has struck me on occasion is that most of the south eastern Asian dishes available here tend to the sweeter side.  While I can hardly deny having a sweet tooth, balance is important both in an individual dish and for a meal.

The balachan kangkong that I wanted to order wasn't available so for our vegetables we ordered the achar, a picked mixed vegetable dish.  With a crisp texture and full bodied flavours, this formed a great tangy mix with the gulai tumis and was Snooze's dish of the night.

We probably wouldn't have ordered the nasi lemak, as it is a dish a little difficult to share between the five of us, except that I saw it came with pandan rice and I struggle not to order anything with pandan in it.  The flavours and aromas of the pandan were not as strong as I would have liked but I was pleased to see it served with sambal sotong (chill squid), something that either wasn't on the menu or which I just missed.  An interesting variation of a nasi lemak and of what we ordered probably the dish I would choose if returning for a solo visit.

Last of the mains was the Laksa Siam.  Very different to the more common curry style laksas favoured in some other more southerly parts of Malaysia and Singapore, taste wise it is closer to an assam laksa (a sour fish based laksa from Penang) with a sweeter and thicker soup base.  Also, traditional or not I am not sure, but I did like the fatter, chewier noodles this laksa was served with.

Where I did feel let down a little though was with the kueh.  We went with the sri muka (a two layered kueh with a soft pandan flavoured top and a glutinous rice bottom), my favourite kueh talan (two custard layers, pandan on top and coconut underneath), Ms Counting her Calories favourite ondeh ondeh (glutinous rice flour balls flavoured with pandan and filled with a gula melaka or palm sugar centre), the Indonesian lapis (layered cake) and the kueh dadar, a pandan flavoured crepe filled with moist coconut drenched in gula melaka).  So what was the main issue with the kueh?  The main thing is that with the exception of the kueh dadar we all without exception found the kueh lacking in flavour.

Final dishes tried on the night were the cendol and pulit hitam.  I didn't get to try the cendol but the pulut hitam was a little thicker than I am used to but nice.

Overall

Pleasant company and pleasant food, service was friendly but surprisingly slow and one major hiccup which resulted in Ironman receiving his teh tarik nearly 15 minutes after everyone else (we assumed they have forgotten but there seems to have been some other hiccup).  The flavours and style of food felt closer to what I've tried in Malaysia compared to most places around town, but the kueh were definitely a letdown.

Verdict

Food - 7

Ambience - 6

Service - 6.5

Price - 7.5

Address

240 Blackburn Road

Syndal VIC 3150

Tel: (03) 9802 3763

Tokui Sushi, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

One of my go-to eateries for a cheap, healthy, gluten-free lunch is the sushi at Yoyogi inside Melbourne Central.  One of the things I like about it is that if you buy four sushi rolls, you pay $8 - which is pretty decent considering what you pay at other sushi places.  

However, as I'm wanting to tighten my purse strings so that, hopefully, it'll translate to me tightening  a notch further up my belt, I've been limiting my intake to two sushi rolls. Because of that, I don't qualify for the $2 price for sushi at Yoyogi.


So, in search for cheap and good sushi, I did a bit of research on Urbanspoon.  And that's how I came to try Tokui.  The reviews of Tokui was promising - cheap (all rolls are $2) and generous fillings.  The tamago (egg) sushi seemed to have lots of praise.


Ergo, one lunchtime, I got a tamago (top) and a fried whiting (bottom).  First impression, yes, these rolls are pretty hefty than its peers.  Pleasingly, the fillings extend right to the end.  Because of the bulk, the seaweed isn't as tightly wrapped up when compared to other sushi places. The tamago is pretty good. Two rolls of the Japanese sweet egg omelette with a bit of avo and a smidge of mayo.  This is now part of my regular order.  The fried whiting was a bit of a disappointment in terms of taste as it was quite bland. But there was a reasonable fillet of fish there and the batter was light.  For me, nothing beats the spicy fish sushi at Yoyogi.


On another occasion, I got the unagi (eel) sushi. Eel sushi for $2 is hard to beat (since the next cheapest I've found is $2.60). Two fillets of eel, which had a reasonable amount of meat on it. The only neg is the slightly chewy/slippery skin.  But this is just my view, since I'm not a fan of fish skin regardless of how it's served.  Having said that, I'd order this again.

Yet on another time, I tried the fried chicken sushi. That was pretty damn fine.  Crispy, juicy and tender chicken. This fried chicken sushi was so good that it's making me reconsider to declare it my most favourite sushi of all time (my most favourite being the spicy fish sushi at Yoyogi). The neg was that it is a bit oily.  The chicken could have done with some of the oil being blotted off before it was made into the sushi.

While I liked the fried chicken sushi, I thought I should try a healthier version. The spicy roast chicken hit the mark. Lots of tender chicken with a smidge of chilli.  I'd definitely order this again too.

Verdict
Food - 7.5
Service - 7.5
Ambience - 6.5
Price - 10

Overall
I'm pretty impressed with Tokui. I definitely agree with the other reviews that the sushi is cheap and generous. I think if you eat in (they have a few tables) that you get free tea as well.  I'm making my way through its range of sushi - but each time I always order one tamago sushi. Service is friendly.

I think I'm going to continue to get the sushi as take away, as the place is small and a bit dark inside.  Plus, the place faces onto Lonsdale Street near the bus stop and the intersection, so it's quite noisy with the traffic.

Tokui is on my list of favourite go-to places now.

Address
Tokui Sushi
260 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Telephone: 9663 9966

Auction Rooms, North Melbourne by Bureaucrat

To mark a major milestone at work, we had one more team lunch to celebrate everything we had acheived in the past year.


Because this was a special lunch, we decided to go further afield than the CBD.  Rather fittingly, Ms U suggested that we go to the Auction Rooms in North Melbourne.


From the outside, ARs looks rather promising - it exudes a hipster, eco-ish vibe.  It's like a blend of Scandanavian design plus a smidge of industrial accents.


This used to be an old factory (I think), as inside, it's renovated but you can still see the original brickwork and beams, and I loved the ambiant lighting with the natural sunlight streaming in.


To start off, a few of us got some alcoholic drinky-poos and a retro looking Gingerella.


I got a pot of soy chai. This was a lovely, earthy chai. I liked how it was made in such a way that it was actually quite creamy in mouthfeel.  Proper chai and real good.


On to the eatin'. Quite a few of us got the pulled bbq pork on house-made miso bun w remoulade and pickle. While everyone loved the juicy, tender pork, they weren't impressed with how the bottom half of the bun practically disintegrated by the sauce.  It made it almost impossible for them to eat the burger with their bare hands. Also, the guys weren't sure where the miso was in the bun. It wasn't a sauce that was spread onto the bun, but they couldn't taste in the bun itself.


Mr U got the quinoa salad w "Pat's veg organic cultured veggies", fennel and berbere spiced carrot puree, which he really liked.


Mr T got the slow braised beef cheek w horseradish, roasted parsnip puree, fried egg and heirloom beetroot salad. This was pretty generous serve of beef - a whole cheek! Mr T loved his dish - he said the beef was tender and very flavoursome and everything was spot on.


I got the tea-smoked salmon on quinoa, potato hash, braised greens, poached egg and bearnaise sauce. This was also very yum.  I had read reviews and seen photos of this dish, and it didn't disappoint.  A fairly decent serve of salmon.  The tea flavour was a bit faint but the salmon was perfectly cooked.  I loved the quinoa and potato hash, especially the individual grated strands of the potato, which were also perfectly cooked so that it was al dente and gave a golden crunchy crust. The quinoa added a nice nubbly texture to the hash. Glorious rich bearnaise with a perfectly poached egg.  The greens were a tad tough, but that's a minor quibble.


A few people got the chestnut and roasted garlic ricotta gnocchi w baby peas, mushrooms and grana padano.  In this photo, Ms C opted for the extra kaiser bacon. This seriously looked good, and everyone who got this dish agreed that it tasted just as good. Fluffy, light gnocchi, deep flavours and lots of cheesy goodness.  Mental note - I have to try this next time.


For those who still had some space in their tummies, they got some coffees.  Ms U taught us her new discovery - a piccolo latte (left), which is a mini latte (a single shot w less milk than a normal latte).

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

Overall
Loved the food. The generous serves, the wonderful flavour combinations and the fresh ingredients.  Service was friendly and prompt.  The place has a nice airy feel to it, and even though it was packed full, it wasn't too loud inside. I can see why AR is popular.  I'd definitely come back again when I'm in the neighbourhood.

Have a gander at Snooze's review of Auction Rooms' breakfast menu back in July 2010.

Address
Auction Rooms
103-107 Errol Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051

Tel (03) 9326 7749

Heyday Hong Kong Cafe, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

Hmm, sometimes just wandering the streets and laneways in the city you come across places you might want to keep to yourself.  Heyday Hong Kong Cafe is one of those places to me.  I mean I really do like it, it's quick, it's simple, it's got some personality and you can get a filling meal plus a drink for around $10.  So why am I reluctant to share?  Well it's small, real small, like uncomfortably full with ten diners small and I'm worried I may not be able to get in anymore.  But there is something I just love about this place which means I am going to tell you about it



The first difficulty though is actually finding it, located in the same obscure dead-end alleyway as the legendary Supper Inn.  Second difficulty is securing a table.  If you can manage that it is time to start looking around, choosing from all the different set meal options posted around the cafe walls.



In addition to the generic free tea you can also order a drink more cheaply as part of the meal set.  Both Snooze and I used the opportunity to order the Hong Kong style milk tea, a hot, sweet, fairly strong flavoured milky tea.



The food here isn't going to win any awards but I like it.  It's lack of complexity works for it in some ways, as sometimes you want your tastebuds to be stimulated by something new and novel and sometimes you just want your own particular version of comfort food.  On this day for me it was the bbq pork omelette, char siu wrapped in an omelette and placed on a bed of rice.  Not the most attractive looking of meals to be sure but the combination of flavours is good, the pork fresh and the whole thing lighter and less stodgy than you would expect.



Snooze decided on the pork with sweet corn sauce, something she had tried in Hong Kong and was keen to sample again.  While we both agreed that the omelette was the better of the two dishes this was perfectly fine, the pork a little dry but not overly so.



Overall
So why do I like this place so much?  I suspect part of it is the warm inner glow of knowing it is there when most people don't, but mainly that both Snooze and myself felt it brought some of the flavour of a true neighbourhood Hong Kong eatery.  It also brings the opportunity to try the Hong Kong versions of some Western dishes, revenge perhaps for decades of Westernised Cantonese fare.

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

Address
16 Celestial Avenue
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9662 1668

Cafe de Beaumarchais, Sassafras by Bureaucrat

It's no secret that a favourite ritual of mine is to drive up to Mt Dandenong, eat at Pie in the Sky and wander around the cute shops and indulge in some foodie treat or spa treatment. Despite being very content with this ritual, I thought it was time to shake things up a little.  As such, Big Fil suggested that I check out Cafe de Beaumarchais, that's located in Sassafras, a place that he'd been a few times before.


Quiche Lorraine

So on a sunny weekend, I made my way up the mountain and after a lurvely treatment at Nourish Day Spa, I took myself into Cafe de Beaumarchais.  First impression is that it's dark and narrow inside.  But through that atmospheric gloom, you begin to notice how special this place really is.


In keeping with the name of the place, it's very tastefully decorated in faded glamour of a vintage French well-to-do home. Dark wooden furniture with lots of visual accents of dull gold and bronze fittings. Me like!


You place your order at the counter, which is staffed by some pretty young things of both gender.  Along with the human eye candy, there is a display of the tasty cakes and pastries on offer.

So for my inaugural meal at Cafe de Beaumarchais, I had...


A deep and aromatic cappuccino.

A quiche Lorraine, which was a fantastic YUM (see first pic).  One of the best quiche's that I've ever eaten. The pastry was short and buttery and melt-in-your mouth. The filling was creamy and rich without being too laden with calories. It came with fresh salad with a vinaigrette dressing and this incredibly moreish and flavoursome chutney. I practically licked my plate clean.


And because it wouldn't seem right to not get one of the sweet goodies, I got a Portuguese tart. It was small, deliciously sticky and rich.  Unlike most Portuguese tarts that I've eaten (where the filling is wobbly and custardy), the texture here was more like a waxy, baked cheesecake.  It was different, it was unusual and it was nice.  I also liked the crispy and caramelly brulee topping.

Being so happy with the food there, I made another visit shortly thereafter.  This time the food and service wasn't as perfect as my first visit, but it was still above average.


I got a chai. This took a while to come out.  I had to chase them up on it (I think my order got lost) because I was served my lunch before the drink came out.  When it arrived, they apologised, which was nice.  The chai, I suspect, was not made from proper tea leaves as it was overly sweet.


The smoked salmon and dill quiche was tasty but not as perfect as the quiche Lorraine.  The pastry here wasn't as light, buttery and melt-in-your mouth. Instead, it was a bit more heavier in texture and a smidge bland.  However, the filling was smooth and creamy and there was a good amount salmon and dill.  It was also served with a side salad and that delicious chutney.





Verdict
Food – 8.5
Ambience – 8.5
Service – 7
Price – 8.5

Overall
I am quite enamoured with Cafe de Beaumarchais.  Quite quickly, it's become one of my favourite places to eat.  There's so much more of the cakes and pastries that I have to try.  I like that it's almost a hidden little secret, tucked away in Mt Dandenong for people to find.  Do check this out when you're in the neighbourhood.

Address
Cafe de Beaumarchais
Shop 1, 372 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd
Sassafras 3787
Telephone: 9755 1100