Kenji, Camberwell by Bureaucrat

My two favourite places for Japanese food are Gypsy & Pig (for its absolutely delicious and masterful ways of preparing pork-based bentos) and the Rice Workshop inside Emporium (for its decent, good value everyday-sort-of-meal).  However, as I no longer work in the city, it seems an awfully long way to go for a meal.

Feeling the urge for some good sushi and a bento box, we headed to the closest Japanese restaurant that wasn't a sushi franchise or exorbitantly expensive joint.  Destination: Kenji.  The last time I had Kenji was several years ago, and I was impressed with the quality and the quantity of food that I got for my dollars.


I got the special bento box.  A generous box filled with perfectly golden crumbed prawn, potato croquette and squidy sort of thing on a stick.  Also in the box were fried chicken piece, gyoza, edame beans, salad and rice.  A serve of miso soup came with it.

Ambrosia Food For Gods, Mitcham by Obelix

I was dragged into Ambrosia with the charming by-line of 'Food For Gods' by Kiddo who spied a casserole of lima beans by the window. A strange food obsession for a kid but I guess slow cooked beans have rustic appeal. I allowed myself to be dragged as I fancied myself as a Greek demi-God *wink*

After convincing Kiddo that to eat a bowl of beans on its own is a bit unusual and that we needed some other supplementation, we agreed to a mezze plate for two to go with.

Pizzaiolo Micheluccio, Camberwell by Benny

Creating great pizzas requires passion, and the eponymous Micheluccio is very passionate about creating an authentic Neapolitan pizza experience. But he is not doing it all by himself – back in 1982, his nonna created a unique sourdough starter (incorporating grapes and beer) that Micheluccio continues to nurture, creating fantastic bases for his pizzas.

After hearing impressive reports about Pizzaiolo Micheluccio, Bilby Blue and I decided to try it ourselves – over two lunches, because the pizzas were so good we came back for more. We are in very good company – the world champion margarita pizza maker from Zero95 has also dined here.


Diavola pizza

Pizzaiolo Micheluccio is a simple, modern café in the increasingly food-focussed Burwood Village shopping strip. The smallish interior seats only 20 or so diners, with a few extra tables outside, both front and back. A table just inside the back door gives a good view of Micheluccio performing his culinary magic at the large, domed wood-fired pizza oven. Prominently displayed is a certificate from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana – the international organisation promoting and protecting the true Neapolitan Pizza – attesting to Micheluccio’s expertise and dedication to authentic techniques and ingredients. On each table is a wooden canteen containing Sicilian sea salt, serviettes, cutlery and, curiously, a pizza cutter (more on this later).

Bonjour de France, Blackburn by Bureaucrat

I was rather excited to spot Bonjour de France - a French bakery that's situated opposite Blackburn train station.  With is respectable blue and white exterior and a steady stream of locals sitting down for un café, un sandwich et une tranche de gâteau, all signs were point to a good quick lunch.


We ordered three items - the best one being the lemon cheesecake slice.  This was magnifique! A lovely silky, lemony custardy wobbly filling that had the most wonderful brulee-like crust on top.  It was sweet but not too much, rich but not too rich. If it wasn't for the fact that that was the last piece they had left we would have gotten one for Ron.

No 35, Melbourne CBD by Obelix

If you want your breakfast with a view, No 35 situated on the 35th floor of the Sofitel would definitely fit the bill with its panoramic views of Melbourne.  It's times like these when I look down from the giddy heights of heaven that I swell with pride at my home town.  Ah, Melbourne!  We love ya!  

Breakfast buffet

Zero Gradi, Brunswick East by Bilby Blue

Our expectations for Zero Gradi were high. Opening earlier this year, it is an offshoot of the 400 Gradi pizza empire. 400 Gradi prides itself on its traditional Neapolitan style of pizza, so we were anticipating an equally authentic experience for Zero Gradi’s gelato.

The gelateria is a few doors away from the flagship 400 Gradi restaurant (which is also on our list to check out!). The space is large and modern, cool pale grey with green accents and blonde timber. A ceiling-mounted mirror over the gelato cabinet displays all the flavours – so even if Zero Gradi is crowded you will have a good view of what is on offer. The gelato is stored in round pozzetti, but covered with sliding cabinet doors rather than individual lids. Artisanal gelato – made without preservatives – needs to be stored in closed containers to maintain freshness.

Chocolate sorbet and hazelnut

Tutto Bene, Southbank (by invitation) by Foghorn Leghorn

Everything's well at Tutto Bene.  The people at Tutto Bene really know their food, so when they come up with a new idea, it’s worth taking notice. Recently the restaurant branched out into snacks and cocktails on the summer terrace. It’s a great place to sit back and enjoy the city views across the river.

To kick the whole thing off, Tutto Bene set up a special event for food bloggers, offering a set menu of five cocktails and six cicchetti, or grazing snacks. Mrs Leghorn and I turned up to give it a try. We’re not really cocktail people, but the snacks would be worth a try.


First to arrive were crostini with a mixture of eggplant, buffalo cheese, and other bits and pieces. Very well assembled, but not really my sort of thing.

Elephant Corridor, Glen Waverley by Obelix

Elephant Corridor does a combination of Sri Lankan and North Indian cuisines. I had a lovely anniversary dinner there and I picked the location purely based on the warm ambiance and the evocative name which made me think of Rudyard Kipling. Elephant Corridor was decorated in muted earth tones with cosy flickering candlelight. It was perfect for date night even though we had the third wheel that was Kiddo in tow. 

 Vegetarian platter

1000 Wat, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

1000 Wat is a Thai eatery inside Emporium.  Located a bit away from the main food court area on level 3 (e.g., Charlie & Co, Thr1ve, Rice Workshop and Chinta Ria Soul), 1000 Wat offers a slightly more restaurant vibe to its offerings.  Having said that, you still need to place your order at the counter, but at least they bring the food to your table.


Ms B and both went for the chicken pad Thai.  It was alright - nothing exceptional about it.  It was a reasonable-ish serving size, the sauce was a nicely balanced savoury-sour.  However, I would have liked a bit more egg and chicken pieces tossed through it, and it was lacking a good wallop of wok hei  - I was missing the aromatic eggy-charred flavour that comes with a properly stir fried noodle dish.  Most telling, was that what I liked the most about the dish was the (faux) golden cutlery it was served with.

Susie Wong, Windsor (by invitation) by Bilby Blue

Located way down at the Dandenong Road end of Chapel Street, Susie Wong is a mod-Asian fusion restaurant and bar. It’s a warm and welcoming space – ideal for meeting up with friends, popping in for a pre-theatre meal (the Red Stitch Theatre is close by) or drinks and nibbles after catching a movie at the Astor cinema. Indeed, many of the other patrons were clearly regulars.

The original Suzie (with a “z”) Wong is an iconic fictional character from the 1957 novel The World of Suzie Wong, set in Hong Kong. It was subsequently made into a film in 1960 (in the process transforming the original British hero into an American, but that is another story). With a change in spelling, Susie is the inspiration behind the restaurant.


Chicken, prawn and sweetcorn wontons

The original timber-lined ceiling is stunning – the building interior has been stripped back and festooned with an eclectic range of items sourced by Peter (the owner) from his travels through Asia. Large red lanterns and timber birdcages hang from the rafters. Wooden masks and graphic posters line the walls.

Tender Trap, Doncaster East by Obelix

The Tender Trap is an old Frank Sinatra movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood and I was expecting some sort of cinematic reference at the Tender Trap but it turned out to be modern contemporary dining.  It was a cozy intimate space and K, P and I had a wonderful time snaffling down fine food and a drink or two over a long overdue catch up.

The service was impeccable and some of our picks were under guidance by our friendly wait staff.

 

With a few drinkie-poos under my belt I tucked into my char-grilled octopus entree with kumara, crumbled feta and smoked citrus and capers.  The salty capers and feta combined beautifully with the sweetness of the kumara.  The char-grilled octopus joined smokey-flavoured forces with the smoked citrus.  Yum!

Gelato Messina, Richmond by Bilby Blue

Gelato Messina aims to set the benchmark for gelato in Australia – a bold statement, considering some of the amazing artisan gelato we have been sampling over the past year. While we had previously visited its Pyrmont store in Sydney, a trip to one of its Melbourne outlets was long overdue.

Gianduia and Nonno Carlo gelato

So early one Sunday afternoon – Benny and I avoided the crowds by arriving just after Gelato Messina opened for the day – we found ourselves being swamped for flavour choice. With no other customers (really!), we were able to chat with our friendly server and find out more about the Gelato Messina experience.