Black Spur Inn, Narbethong by Benny

Wandering through the Yarra Ranges National Park is a great way to spend time with friends who want to experience some of Victoria’s great outdoors. Less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne’s CBD takes you to a place of tall eucalypt forests, verdant tree fern gullies and majestic waterfalls. But all this nature and fresh air stimulated the appetite, and the Alchemist declared that it was time for lunch – not just any lunch, but one hopefully involving a big grilled steak!

Porterhouse steak

There has been a Black Spur Inn at Narbethong since 1863 – although bushfires have destroyed it at least twice. Today it offers a traditional full country hotel service – accommodation, pub, bar meals and restaurant – in a country-style timber two-storey building with large, welcoming verandas, set in a pleasant forest clearing just off the main highway.

Carosello, Moonee Ponds by Foghorn Leghorn

I like Moonee Ponds, but I hadn’t been for a few years, so the idea of visiting a new restaurant was just what I needed.

Carosello is next to the Moonee Ponds train station, with most of its frontage on Hall Street, a quiet side street. That turns out to be quite a bonus, because it allows for pleasant outdoor seating, where we plonked ourselves down to try the food.


We started off with a mixed antipasto plate. Just as a good mixed plate should do, it had something for everyone. Cheese, ham, olives, prosciutto, preserved vegetables (capsicum and artichoke), and some frittata slices. The standout was a bocconcino sprinkled with herbs. The creamy and smooth consistency was memorable – it was the first indication that Carosello doesn’t cut corners on quality.

Hanging Gardens Restaurant, Brunswick East by Foghorn Leghorn

The Brunswick end of Lygon Street always seems to have one very good Middle Eastern restaurant. Years ago there was Habayib – sorely missed. Then there was Mezza – also missed. The current contender is the Hanging Gardens Restaurant.

Lamb quzi

As the name implies, the Hanging Gardens Restaurant is not Lebanese but Iraqi. We were looked after by Sam, an Assyrian Christian, who is welcoming and always ready to explain the food.

LockCha Teahouse, Hong Kong by Bilby Blue

Hong Kong – so many restaurants, so many great foodie experiences. It can be a bit overwhelming, but in the green oasis of Hong Kong Park, the LockCha Teahouse is a peaceful refuge from the hurly-burly of Central. It is one of my favourite spots in Hong Kong. So when Rose Pink and I were visiting recently for business, it was the ideal spot for a relaxing lunchtime break between appointments.

Vegetable beancurd roll

Rose Pink is a true tea aficionado. Her all-time bugbear: restaurants that serve a cup of hot water and a tea bag while lavishing loads of care on producing the perfect espresso. And charging similar prices. All she wants is leaf tea in a proper teapot – how difficult is that? So I knew she would love to visit the Flagstaff Museum of Teaware and the adjoining teahouse.

400 Gradi East, Ringwood by Benny

There are three very good reasons why 400 Gradi has been on our radar – it is the parent restaurant of the wonderful gelateria Zero Gradi; just like the fantastic Pizzaiolo Micheluccio , it is a member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the international organisation promoting and protecting the true Neapolitan Pizza; and, just like the excellent Zero 95, one of its pizzaioli is a previous winner of the best Margherita pizza in the world. Expectations were very high.

Tropical and Sour mocktails

The original 400 Gradi is in Brunswick, with well-established siblings in Southbank and Essendon. The newest branch, 400 Gradi East, opened in August 2016, in the rooftop Town Square dining precinct of Eastland shopping centre.

Fish Tank, Brighton by Bureaucrat

The best fish and chips that we've ever had was at Rick Stein's humble fish and chip shop in Padstow.  Although we had eaten dinner at his high-end Seafood Restaurant, his fish and chippery was streets ahead when it came to sheer freshness, availability (no need to make a booking!) and value - plus, you also got the beautiful (yet freezing) view of Padstow Harbour as you wolf down the freshest seafood, which was only caught that morning.


We've yet to find a place that equals Stein's Fish and Chip.  However, Fish Tank in Brighton comes the closest to replicating what we had in ye olde England.  Doubling up as a fishmonger and chippery, Fish Tank offers an impressive range of fresh seafood at very reasonable prices.  It is also a cut above the typical chippery as it has quasi table service.  You place your order at the counter, and your meals are delivered to your table on proper plates and cutlery - no plastic plates or forks here.

Gelobar, Brunswick East by Bilby Blue

After more than 25 years, Gelobar must be considered a Brunswick institution. Far more than just a gelateria, the café / restaurant offers everything from breakfast right through to late night drinks and desserts. However our objective was clear – Gelobar’s gelato offerings.

With loads of tables both inside and outside on the footpath, Gelobar can seat a lot of customers, but on our mid-morning visit, only a handful of tables were occupied.

Mocha Jo's Burger Bar, Glen Waverley by Bureaucrat

Along with Shine, Coco Lounge and Airstream, Mocha Jo's is one of the more established cafes along the Kingsway dining strip in Glen Waverley. In recent times, it has opened up a hole-in-the-wall burger bar on the side of its building. It's been years since I've eaten at Mocha Jo's (see for example my review back in June 2012) and I wasn't in a rush to go there again. However, the burger bar was intriguing enough for us to venture into the congested Kingsway for a takeaway dinner.


The burgers are impressively big. I couldn't pass on the Southern Cali burger - a hefty bundle of double fried chicken, double cheese, Bourbon bacon jam and chipotle mayo.

Morris + Heath, Hoppers Crossing by Bilby Blue

“Best smashed avo in Melbourne” is a mighty big call, but Benny and I have found a contender, believe it or not, in Hoppers Crossing. Not normally a suburb you associate with café culture (friends have been rather incredulous), but when Benny and I were recently visiting out west, Morris + Heath caught our attention. And wow – it totally delivered.

Morris + Heath opened last September and is already very popular with the locals. On the day we visited there was a steady stream of customers eating in or grabbing coffees to go. Just a short walk from Hoppers Crossing station, it is easily accessible even for car-free inner-city types willing to brave a day out in the ’burbs.


Pan-seared salmon fillet

The sleek and stylish décor is a great example of a strong modern design aesthetic. The walls are lined with spotted gum panels, with the same timber used for the stools, benches and tables. Narrow timber battens line the upper parts of the walls and the high ceiling. With windows on two sides, the large space is flooded with light. It’s an impressive fitout – even more so given its suburban shopping mall location.

Hills Pan, Camberwell by Obelix

Dumplings in my neighbourhood have become the new fast food.  Having tried 'homemade' dumplings at Mum's Dumplings recently, I branched out to try the dumplings at Hills Pan.  Hills Pan bills themselves as a dumpling and burger joint.  An East meets West fast food joint.

 
The dumplings are all made on premises and feature an unusual assortment of filling from cheese to mushrooms.  I'm a traditionalist when it comes to dumplings and stuck with the more conventional fillings.