True South, Black Rock by Obelix

I was looking forward to going back to True South, this time for a girls' night out.  I love Argentinian food and the whole share plate concept.  The location was perfect for a balmy summer's night for it overlooked the sea on Beach Road.

Fish of the day

We couldn't decide what to order so on a whim, we opted for the $55 per person "Feed Me" and fed us they did.  I left a bit regretful that my stomach capacity was not greater to cram it all in.  True South's Feed Me option is really anything goes.  They work around any food intolerance and you can nominate any dish you wish to be included. 

Parrot House Restaurant, Kensington by Foghorn Leghorn

Melbourne has some good restaurants in un-welcoming locations. The best-known example is Victoria Street, Richmond, which has some good Chinese restaurants, but local businesses complain that customers stay away because of the ever-present junkies and drug dealers.

The Kensington/Flemington area is similar, with locals renowned for their strange attitude towards outsiders. Sometimes they board trams passing through the area and snatch phones from the passengers’ hands. Other times they just throw rocks at the trams.

Eight treasure duck

Nevertheless, the Kensington/Flemington area has some good food. A friend of mine raves about the laksa in one restaurant, which is so good that the recipe has apparently been copied by other restaurants around town. The Eat and Be Merry Crew have tried out a few places, such as the 1565 ice-cream parlour.

Recently I discovered Parrot House Restaurant, a Cantonese restaurant on Racecourse Road. I went there once with Mrs Shiraz for a scouting expedition, and the second time we were joined for a proper meal by our friends from the Footscray side of the river, Knuckles and Shazza.

Jonker Street Taste of Malaysia, Doncaster East by Obelix

Named after the Jonker Walk Melaka Night Market in Malaysia, Jonker Street Taste of Malaysia in Doncaster East serves up hawker stall cuisine for Melbournians.  It has become the regular place for Kiddo and I to go there for lunch after our haircuts in Jackson Square. Whilst there are a la carte items for sharing (similar to a Chinese restaurant), Kiddo and I would typically just order a stand alone rice or noodle dish for lunch.


I would highly recommend their char kwai teoh.  Full of 'wok hai', that smoky breath of the wok flavour, and it is loaded with Chinese sausage 'lap cheong' and lots of baby clams.  Yum!  I prefer Jonker Street's char kwai teoh over Pappa Rich's any day.  It is Kiddo's standing order.

Sushi Jiro, Chadstone by Obelix

When one of the main food courts in Chadstone closed down for refurbishment, I was saddened as I miss my closest Omi's Wagyu Don (yes, I realise it is very much a first world problem).  However since its re-opening in recent weeks, I have found a new love - Sushi Jiro, next door to Omi.

Sushi Jiro is dotted everywhere in Melbourne.  Their point of difference, they like to tout, is that they offer handcrafted sushi with a creative flair, aka, not your ordinary sushi rolls.  Indeed, they do have a wide variety of sushi and sushi related offerings over and above the standard California roll.  They also have a few tables set up for the sushi train however I've found it difficult to get onto the sushi train tables especially on the weekends leading up to Christmas.  I order from the pre-made display and eat on the run.

My favourites are:


Tempura prawn temaki - I like these partly for the kitsch of a conical shaped sushi wrap (you get more nori, you see). The tempura prawn batter is crispy which is an important sign of freshness.

Ali Qapu, Kew East by Obelix

Step through the statement entrance replete with mosaic tiles and heavy wooden double doors, into Ali Qapu named after one of palaces of the Persian kings. It was very palatial in setting with wide open spaces between tables and a cavernous entrance foyer.  It reminded me more of a function hall than a restaurant.

Persian tea and medjool date 

It was the setting of our quarterly girls' night out which we kicked off with a Persian dip platter over chardonnay whilst the stragglers (me) arrived.  I got there too late to sample the salad olovieh (similar to a chicken and egg salad) which came with the dips but got to try the remnants of mizra ghasemi (smoked eggplant dip) and mast-o-khiar (very similar to a tzatziki).