The Oakleigh Doughnut Co, Oakleigh by Bureaucrat

In addition to trying out a new cake or two, whenever I'm at Nikos Cakes, I always make sure to order my holy trinity of sweet heavenly desserts: galaktoboureko, loukoumada and the cannoli.  However, on my recent visit, I was dismayed to learned there were no loukoumada - it turns out that Nikos Cakes only makes these gorgeously golden, syrup-soaked, chewy doughnuts on the weekend... d'oh! 

Fresh from the kitchen

Feeling more than a bit bummed out, we left the shop and then spotted The Oakleigh Doughnut Co (TODCO) right across the street.  Looking a bit incongruous among this enclave of old school style shops and cafes, TODCO is all about pink neon lights and brash hipster vibes.  The doughnuts here aren't like how yiayia makes them - they're bigger, loaded with icing, sprinkles and feels very American.  There is a nod to the local Greek community, with a few of the doughnuts paying homage to classic Greek desserts: Bakladough, Mastic & Pistachio, and Galakdough.  

Two Little Pigs, Brunswick by Rockstar

Melbourne - so many cafes, so hard to find somewhere when you haven’t booked on Mother’s Day! Luckily we were able to have a late lunch at Two Little Pigs, a casual comfortable little cafe specialising in charcuterie goods.

My fairy god-daughter's mother couldn’t resist the breakfast board, as she had to have their pate. The breakfast board was a great option for a little taste of things including eggs, toast, tomato and feta, as well as the pickles, pate and cured meats. I managed to sneak some pate which was deliciously rich - I liked that it wasn’t too smooth but had some texture to it.

La Cocina Peruana, Randwick (NSW) by Foghorn Leghorn

You’ve probably heard the old jokes about how heaven and hell apply the talents of different nationalities. For example, in heaven, the English are the policemen, the Germans are the engineers, and the Italians are the cooks. Whereas in hell, the English are the cooks, the Germans are policemen, and the Italians are engineers.  I don’t know how all those jokes work in South America, but I think I know where the Peruvians fit in: marvellous cooks, terrible organisers.

BBQ ox heart

We happened to eat at La Cocina Peruana on a quiet Tuesday night. There were four customers (including us) and three staff. Normally this would be a pretty good staff-customer ratio, but there turned out to be some gaps in the organisation department. It didn’t really matter, because the food was so good.

We ordered four dishes, two warm and two cold. After that, not much happened for half an hour, apart from an occasional rattle or clang from the kitchen. That didn’t faze us, because the online reviews had warned us to be patient. Also, we had eaten at this restaurant years ago, when it was further up the road, and we knew roughly what to expect.

Vietnam Bar, Mt Waverley by Bureaucrat

Vietnam Bar is fast becoming a family favourite of ours for good value and great tasting takeaway.  Formerly known as Po Hing (a Chinese restaurant), the owners have renovated the place and it was reborn as Vietnam Bar.  Despite the changes to the name and menu, if you're still hankering for the old Po Hing dishes, they are still on offer.


Warm vermicelli noodles with lemongrass pork, spring rolls, pickled veg and salad

While Po Hing was alright, I much prefer it as Vietnam Bar.  Firstly, the interior is much improved - it's brighter and has a few more decorative touches.  Secondly, the food is much nicer.  During a recent flurry of work, I relied heavily on Vietnam Bar for a quick and easy dinner - I never went to Po Hing for takeaway.  And while I can't remember what the opening hours were for Po Hing, I love the fact that Vietnam Bar is pretty much open all day - this is brilliant when you need to have dinner before 5pm because of a hungry toddler.

Chinacy, South Yarra by Rockstar

I jumped at the chance to go to a Chinacy when they invited us along - it’s a spot on Chapel Street I’ve walked past so many times. 

Chicken and scallop dumplings