Fatto Bar & Cantina, Melboune CBD by Rockstar

After a gorgeous get together amongst the swoon-worthy silks and frou frou of the Dior exhibition, we were desperately hungry. Partly because we spent far longer at Dior than expected (but there was so much beauty!). We needed something close to fuel ourselves... Ms Colorful suggested Fatto Bar & Cantina. 

I struggle to resist when rabbit is on the menu in any form. My dad grew up in the country and we had rabbit regularly. We often had it had home when I was a kid. Luckily when I'm out, it’s usually better cooked than what I had at home! My order of gnocchi with rabbit and walnut ragu got the Italian waitress’s approval. I was similarly impressed when it arrived - tender gnocchi with a good bite, rich rabbit ragu, herby sweetness and nutty crunch. I may have made sure I got all the sauce once the gnocchi was consumed.

The Moldy Fig, Brunswick East by Ruby Grapefruit

My dining companion Marty Grath and I were excited to be invited to the Moldy Fig restaurant bar to try a selection of New Orleans dishes as it’s a type of cuisine not commonly found in Australia. The restaurant is very welcoming with a view to the open kitchen which looked extremely clean and neat. The lovely mood was set by a singer/guitarist sitting in the corner playing cover songs.

The evening started with a fresh take on the famous New Orleans rum based cocktail called the Hurricane. This very refreshing version contained passion fruit and pomegranate. We really enjoyed this as the intense tartness of the pomegranate balanced perfectly with the passion fruit. It wasn’t overly sweet, as this type of cocktail can often be. 

Archie Green Restaurant + Bar, Melbourne CBD by Rockstar

I was rather excited when we were invited to attend the launch of Archie Green Restaurant + Bar. I used to work just off Flinders Lane near Katherine Place and it’s amazing the change in the area; it’s now full of fabulous eateries and I think Archie Green Restaurant + Bar will add even further to that!

Smoked carrot

The design has been beautifully thought out and implemented. I love the idea of the banquet seats and table seating, and how it’s divided from the bar by lush greenery in black, vertical semi-industrial shelving. The interior is sophisticated and smooth with some interest added by a lovely mural, green plants and an Archie Green sign at the back.

Ping's Dumpling Kitchen, Clayton by Bureaucrat

At the pedestrian crossing in the main shopping strip in Clayton you'll find a row of dumpling shops.  We peered into the windows of a few of them, and, using the logic of "if more people are eating there, so it must be good" the Lawyer and I decided to go with Ping's Dumpling Kitchen.  

As we walked in, I spotted several tables tucking into some beautifully golden dumplings - I gots to gets me some of those, I thought!  However, when our plate of pan fried pork dumplings came, I was a bit let down.  While the dumplings did have a nice golden hue, most of them had a rather unappetising bits of burnt residue stuck on the bottom of them.  It was evident that the chefs needed to give their pans a good clean before they fry up their next batch of dumplings.  

Drugstore Espresso, South Yarra by Rockstar

I’ve walked by the Drugstore Espresso so many times, and noted that it is always filled with attractive looking hipster types - though I think they’d object to being called that. I guess to me it’s pretty cool. I was looking for somewhere central to brunch with the visiting Adelaideans. Plus as they’re also ex-Melbournians I needed somewhere with good coffee for Mr Adelaidean!

I hadn't realised that the place was a bit like the Tardis - bigger on the inside than on the outside! There’s a whole other level upstairs and I easily found us a table.

Breakfast rice paper rolls

The menu is fascinating, a mix of healthy options and Instagrammable combos like the blueberry and bacon doughnut burger and the slow-cooked duck Benedict with blood plum hollandaise.

Lucky Penny, South Yarra by Rockstar

Another sunny Melbourne weekend, another Melbourne brunch. My friend Ms Freo was having a massage near the Jam Factory, so we needed somewhere close and Lucky Penny met the brief.  

We needed something suitable for the heat. Ms Freo chose the home made fruit punch with pineapple ginger beer and fresh fruit. It was light fizzy and refreshing. My salted caramel milkshake was probably not the best choice for a hot day.

Longrain, Melbourne CBD by Rockstar

Friday night, two weeks before Christmas. A girls' birthday catch up was complicated by busy workplaces and last minutes diary changes. So: no booking - always a tough call in the city at any time let alone during the festive season. We organised to meet at Longsong, the new bar above Longrain. It’s a beautiful use of the space - high ceilings that retain the sense of history and it's nice and airy even on a summer’s night. 

Betel leaves with poached prawn, coconut, snow peas and chilli jam

When the last of us arrived, she’d stopped by downstairs at Longrain to put our names down for dinner. I’ll admit to being rather grumpy at this point. I like things to be organised, I’d had a tough week and I didn’t have much faith we’d be having dinner at a decent hour. Plus the drinks menu at Longsong had nothing I wanted. We sat, the girls had a beer and just as our whipped smoked fish with crispbread arrived, we got a call announcing our table downstairs was available! We quickly demolished the salty delicious smoked fish and toppled down the stairs to Longrain.  

Yokohama Teppanyaki, Glen Waverley by Obelix

Teppanyaki is the theatre restaurant equivalent in Japanese cuisine.  Set menus; a bit of a showmanship served with an undercurrent of ribaldry usually catering to a group of revellers.  It is good fun with food thrown in (literally).


Salad

A big group of us lunched on the Moriawase menu ($57.50 per person).  As far as teppanyaki menus go, it was a balanced menu with plenty of veggies.  The seafood was fresh and the steak tender.  Dietary requirements were able to be accommodated.  I received a fruit plate instead of the ice cream for dessert and seafood allergies were catered for by substituting extra steak in lieu of seafood.  The chefs (we had two) thoughtfully adjusted the timing the seafood was cooked to minimise contact with other foods.

Pho Minh Long, Mitcham by Bureaucrat

Tasty, reliable and great value is how I'd describe Pho Minh Long.  Pho Minh Long is a modest Vietnamese restaurant located on the outer edge of the Mitcham shopping precinct. It does a roaring trade. Every time I go there, it's quite full with families, office workers and tradies.  Even when it first opens for the day at 10:30am it's already about a quarter full with punters getting an early start at lunch - I know this as I once needed lunch that early!  The service is quick but not overly brusque (unlike other 'cheap eats' restaurants).


It's hard not to order some pork and prawn rice paper rolls when I'm at a Vietnamese restaurant, and these were pretty good.  I particularly liked how these were made-to-order as the noodles inside the roll were still warm.