foodies

25. Vie Vitarosa ?

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Date: 10th December 2009

Occasion: last meal with Dana before she goes country hopping ;)

Comments: coming soon…

24. Hotel Windsor

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Date: 5th December 2009

Occasion: Nhu’s surprise Hens’ High Tea

Comments: coming soon…

23. Hong Kong Dim Sum

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Date: 1st December 2009

Occasion: brunch after first gym workout in months :)

Comments:

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22. some dumpling place in Glen Waverley

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Date: 23rd November 2009

Occasion: BBF’s birthday shout :)

Comments: coming soon….

21. Pacific B.B.Q. Café

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213 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Date: 16th November 2009

Occasion: last lunch with Jessie before she bids Melbourne farewell!

Comments: coming soon…

20. Café Trevi

294-296 Lygon St, Carlton

Date: 30th October 2009

Occasion: last day of undergrad :)

Comments: After a bit of aimless walking we settled here since pasta seemed to be on my mind.  Like all new places that I try, I usually go for the ‘title’ or ’signature’ dish to see why it is worthy to boast such a name… So above was the Trevi Penne which came quite quickly… prawns were plentiful and the sauce wasn’t too oily or salty :) price was reasonable as well so I will be back again in the future if I’m ever in the area and at a loss as to which restaurant to go to… in short, the afternoon, though gloomy skies and humid temperatures, was perfect: good food, great company :)

19. Glen Waverley BBQ Restaurant

31 Railway Parade, North Glen Waverly

Date: 16th October 2009

Occasion: dining out with the parents while Sam’s gone to camp :)

Comments: went there on reccommendation by one of dad’s gym buddies lol we sat too close to the door so there was a breeze that swept in everytime the door was opened -_- so NB: always request for a table AWAY from the entrance… that aside, compulsory complimentary soup starter plus prawn crackers (and no one to fight over them!)… three mains and one entree… yummy! we must have been hungry because there was pretty much nothing left on the plates (Chinese saying that you can use the bottom of the dishes as mirrors lol).  The 4 season bean dish was a bit salty but other than that, I think we did pretty good with picking dishes that complimented each other… favourite was the deep-fried soft-shelled crab (see above)… sounds so unhealthy but it was delish! probably wouldn’t go back specifically to try it, but if I was in the area… yea, you know the deal! ♥ a.

18. Journal Canteen

253 Flinders Lane, Melb CBD

Date: 8th October 2009

Occasion: long overdue catch up :)

Comments: browsed throught The Age’s Cheap Eats 2009 on the way into uni and found ‘Journal Canteen’ listed as the ‘Best Lunch of the Year’ so since it was in the city anyways, decided to give it a go… its a bit obscure so just keep your eyes open and you shouldn’t miss it when you walk down Flinders Lane… its a quaint little place with wooden floors and some big tables for four or more and it did look like… well… a school canteen lol since it was just ‘two for lunch’ we sat on high stools over a wooden bench overlooking out onto Central Lane… glorious day outside :) ok, I digress… the menus are chalked up on the blackboards they have hung up on two separate walls and the dishes change day to day apparently… we went with the antipasto (picture above- $27 to share) which was recommended in Cheap Eats and it didn’t disappoint :) at first glance it didn’t look like it was much but it was quite filling and each piece in the dish was cooked to perfection! I particularly like their savory ricotta cheesecake slice :) wouldn’t mind going back again to try something else! ♥ a.

17. Lindt Café

Collins St, Melb CBD (next to Tiffany and co.)

Date: 30th September 2009

Occasion: Nae’s treat for us :)

Comments: The place just has such a grand and polished feel to it all, it was bright and spacious with the high ceiling adding to the the posh atmosphere.  The cakes are (obviously) a bit pricey with each one being $40 each and if you want to eat a whole one together seated in the café its $1 per cut… but since it was Nae’s treat we didn’t complain :P We were tossing up between two cakes, the St Moritz and Montreux and still couldn’t decide so the waiter helped as with the final decision – the latter.  It’s no wonder they give you complimentary water in the café, the cake was quite rich but SOOOOO yummy! This particular cake was made from layers of rich chocolate and roasted pecan brownie, chocolate caramel chantilly mousee and mascarpone and vanilla cream (just typing from their cake collection booklet lol)… there’s a lot of variety so I’d be keen on trying some others myself sometime when I have the extra cash to spare ;) ♥ a.

16. Trotters

400 Lygon St, Carlton

Date: 29th September 2009

Occasion: Lyd’s 21st surprise party

Comments: I discovered two things that night… 1) you can get regular main meal food at Brunetti’s… 2) Brunetti’s Lygon closes their kitchen at 8pm. SO, we decided to find another spot on Lygon that could seat all 7 of us, which is actually quite difficult even on a Tuesday night… so many people! Finally found a quiet and quirky little place called Trotters… Sindy had been there, being the city chick she now is, but it was a first for the rest of us… the walls were covered with wooden signs with a variety of messages sprawed across them… the one above my head said ‘TOILET’ lol I shared the bread and dip entree (photo above) with Claire and Jenny, it was really good and just enough since the three of us had eaten before hand… I thought it was so nice of one of the waiters to offer us more bread only to discover an extra charge for it on the bill lol not a place I’d go out of my way to eat at but if I was in the area, wouldn’t mind :) ♥ a.

15. Papa Gino’s

221 Lygon St, Carlton

Date: 18th September 2009

Occasion: lunch with Dana and Jessie on the last day before mid-semester break :)

Comments: It was a glorious spring day so it was only fitting that we sit outdoors to soak up the sunshine… only problem was that there was a girl smoking at the table next to us >.< thankfully, our food didn’t take too long to arrive so the smoke infested air was soon replaced by the pleasing aroma of freshly baked pizza… I was going to order their Gino’s Special but ham was one of its main toppings and since I had that in the morning, I decided to try their small ’Bolognaise’ pizza… it was beautiful.  The crust was thin and crispy while the topping wasn’t too cheesy or rich… just right.  I had heard about this place ages ago so was glad to finally try it.  On my ‘try again’ list. ♥ a.

14. AIX Cafe Creperie Salon

Central Place, Melbourne CBD

Date: 19th August 2009

Occasion: breakie with a camera-shy friend to celebrate getting into law :)

Comments: it wasn’t what I’d call early morning but there were still heaps of people dining at Central Place and Degraves St.  I’ve heard about this place for soooo long and when I was flipping thru Cheap Eats yesterday it looked like the place to go lol  we sat outside where the stools were set unevenly on the cobblestone but we adjusted where necessary… my only complaint would have been the people who were smoking behind us but they moved after a while so it wasn’t so bad… since it specialisted in crepes so I decided to go with the mixed berry and yoghurt crepe ($7.50)… pretty good and I’d be keen to try some of the other things they have to offer (e.g. Peaking duck and cucumber and some special sauce wrapped in crepe mmmmm)… lol I do love my food :P ♥ a.

13. Dumpling Plus

Swanston St, Melbourne CBD

Date: 14th August 2009

Occasion: dinner with Judy and Dianna before heading down for premiere youth night :D

Comments: We must have been there at peak hour (6ish pm) as the place was so crowded we had to go upstairs passed the reserved area into a separate segregated area… it was very cosy though near the back where we were away from much of the noise… had the basics, shared steamed dumplings and special fried rice with Di while Judy was content with her packed dinner :) the food came quickly which was just what we needed and the fried rice wasn’t too oily which was thumbs up to them because most restaurants tend to put too much oil when they cook it I find.  Water is complimentary but you do need to ask for it, and the service isn’t the greatest so make sure you wave your hand around madly to get the attention of the waiters :P  [photo added later: thick noodle with vegies and chicken that is on their menu] ♥ a.

12. Payom Thai Restaurant

586-588 Canterbury Road, Vermont

Date: 9th August 2009

Occasion: dinner with dad after a long day at church :)

Comments: We have had take away from this place a number of times but it was our first time sitting in for a meal.  The restaurant used to be our favourite Chinese take-out place and I remember eating my 19th birthday family dinner there but we were so devastated when the restaurant changed ownership and became Thai that we stayed clear of the place for at least 6 months… anyway, my first thought going into the restaurant was, “Where are all the Asians??” lol the clientale was basically all Causasian which usually means the service is good which it was… the food was a bit on the price-y side so we decided the best option was to go with Banquet A – 3 entrees (fish cakes, spicy minced pork, ginger salad and satay chicken skewers- see above), 2 mains (Thai green curry vegetables and chicken dish plus Deep fried rocking fillet in red curry), dessert and coffee (I had hot chocolate!) for $30 per person which was quite reasonable… the food came at a reasonable pace and it was just the right amount… I think if we weren’t so starving (Sundays usually are all on the go for us) we wouldn’t have been able to finish it all lol I think they made the coconut ice-cream on site, it had coconut pieces in it… yum! ♥ a.

11. Melbourne Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant

Chinatown, Melbourne CBD

Date: 8th August 2009

Occasion: Thankyou dinner paid for by the RCoC for the band :)

Comments: JP got a really good parking spot near Chinatown, however, the parking was free only after 7pm so we had to wait in the car for about 30 mins before we crossed over into the safe zone lol anyways, so the others order the food first so by the time Janelle, JP and I got to the restaurant the food was all there waiting for us to start chowing down… maybe it was because we were very hungry so the first mouthful of rice was sooooooo delectable! Everything was just right… we had a dish of fried rice to share, two BBQ stoves and two steam hot pots to share and it was beautiful… good company also helps too ^^

Apparently its one of the famous korean restaurants in melbourne… the atmosphere was great, the place was very spacious, not like those asian restaurant where you are knocking elbows with the table next to you! There was some awesome wallpaper that had Korean characters and the layout of the restaurant was very calming… if that makes sense lol dunno how dear it was in terms of the cost since we didn’t pay the bill but it would be definately worth going again :) ♥ a.

10. The Grand Tofu

Kingsway, Glen Waverley

Date: 2nd August 2009

Occasion: just dinner with Dad after picking up from Springvale North church

Comments: The place was packed and we had to wait about 5-10 mins to get a table… it was so busy that the waiter forgot to put our order in….hmmm Dad wasn’t impressed since the table behind us sat down after us but somehow got their dishes served before us… we were both very hungry so we decided to stay on and after reminding the waiter of our order… it would be too long a wait if we went to another restaurant.  I had the ‘Yong Tofu’ dish with a curry soup base (see above): basically you get to choose the type of noodles you want (I went with Hokkien noodles) and 6 pieces of either vegies or tofu that have been stuffed with fish meat… I thoroughly enjoyed the dish and also the entree and rice noodle dish I shared with dad…but I don’t think the curry went down well with my stomach, perhaps too oily?  I dunno coz I was too starving to care at the restaurant however, once home, my tummy ached on and off and I had to run to the toilet a few times lol so yeah, if I’m going to go again, I won’t be getting the curry soup base thank you very much!! ♥ a.

9. Cafe Andiamo

36-38 Degreaves St, Melbourne

Date: 22nd July 2009

Occasion: belated get-together with Sam and Lisa for Sam’s 21st

Comments: Took us ages to choose a restaurant since we were all such indecisive people and it was only by chance really that we went into Café Andiamo… It was quite crowded even at the late lunch hour of 2pm (we’d been so engrossed in our shopping expedition we forgot to eat hehe!) and so we sat at a very small square shaped table  away from the wind that was coming through the front entrance.  Again being so indecisive, we took ages to order but eventually settled on a small BBQ Chicken pizza (above), Calamari Rings and their special Pasta Andiamo… the food came swiftly and the main thing that we commented on was that it was so FRESH… like the ingredients were very fresh lol! The portions were just right and we were able to finish each dish with everyone feeling very satisfied :) would definately go again! ♥ a.

8. Yamazuki

Swanston St, Melbourne CBD

Date: 20th June 2009

Occasion: lunch with Sindy and Slug before shopping for Nae’s 21st gift :)

Comments:  I had a simple dish… darn it I forget the name… I think it had beef, egg and some vegies…. we received complimentary miso soup which was welcomed since it was so cold outside.  The food came fast, and tasted quite good (though we were all pretty hungry so that might have contributed to it somewhat) and service was great too.  It wasn’t flash, but if I was at a lose as to what to choose from (it took us AGES to decide where to eat lol), I know I could confidently waltz in here to fill up tummy :)  The prices are also quite reasonable considering it was in the city ( approx. $10 a dish?). ♥ a.

7. Copperwood Restaurant

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Lygon St, Carlton

Date: 20th May 2009

Occasion: long overdue catch up and birthday shout from Vi :)

Comments: ahhh, its been so long since I’ve eaten there that I can’t remember a whole heap except that it was a beautiful sunny day so we sat outside though there was a bee that decided to join our table which was a bit annoying… the serves were quite large and I remember that I ate a Penne Genovese and Vi had a Caesar Salad.  I can’t remember the prices but I think it was reasonable for a restaurant on Lygon St…. might try it again? [updated: 19 August 2009]♥ a.

6. Big Mama

466 Swanston St, Carlton

Date: 4th March 2009

Occasion: lunch with Dana after Crime&Culture lecture :)

Comments: since the first time I’ve eaten here, I’ve been to Big Mama probably 4-5 times :-D The prices are reasonable ($7.50-9.50 a dish) and the food often come out quickly… its very close to uni so its very convenient for us as well… they have a mix of Jap and Korean food that are quite authentic… well as authentic as I know them to be lol [updated 19 August 2009] ♥ a.

5. Yami Yami

Korean/Japanese Restaurant

Date: 27th February 2009

Occasion: closest place for a quick lunch with Dad before my haircut appointment :)

Comments: Quite ordinary…. I guess coz we were in a rush so I didn’t really get a chance to study the menu intently lol just picked the first main dish which also looked like it wouldn’t take too long to cook – Bento Box with Beef – took about 10 mins to serve out and about 7 mins for me to finish all in one go hahaha…. I know its not good to eat that quickly but my hair was important :P

It was pretty good, the sauce for the beef was fairly sweet though, as was the accompanying side dishes… amongst them was a sweet pear(?) fermented type things which had an interesting texture when you bit into it… would be keen on going there and having a leisurely meal without the added time pressure :) ♥ a.

4. Claypot King

72 Kingsway, Glen Waverley

Date: 1st February 2009

Occasion: dinner with Dad before his overseas trip

Comments: We’d past by this restaurant a number of times since we are frequent visitors of Kingsway (usually for dumplings mmm) but since Dad and I were both in the mood to try something new, we thought we’d see what Claypot King was all about.  It was one of those 40 degrees days from memory so we were pleased to sit under the air con :)

However, that was the only good part about it… the service was horrible!  we ordered, I got my dish… was already half-way finished before Dad’s came…BUT they gave him the wrong dish… they took it back in…. after another 10 mins they give him another dish and its STILL the wrong one… 3rd time lucky I guess….

In spite of the mix-up, the food was alright… I think my dish (in photo above) was the sizzling noodles with pork spare ribs or something like that… I liked the sauce :D but they really gave us the wrong first impression… I’m undecided as to whether I will go there again but at least not anytime soon…

♥ a.

3. Grill’d

Level 3, Melbourne Central

Date: 30th December 2008

Occasion: lunch with Chantel after watching “Bedtime Stories”

Comments: argh, I should post about each trip straight after next time coz I can’t for the life of me remember what I ate here lol

It was our first Grill’d experience for me and Chantel so we were a bit unsure as to how to go about it…. “when in doubt, ask!”

So we asked one of the waitresses the process of it all, and so we ordered before getting a number and finding a table ^^’

Anyway, had a really great chat with Chantel (as I always do ^^) before we were served  really really BIG burgers each can’t remember what was the name of mine but all I remember was BIG… I had to get cutlery coz I couldn’t work out how to eat it otherwise lol

Could see myself stuffing my face there again hahaha ♥ a.

2. MyCube, The Boardgames Cafe

122 Lygon St, Carlton

Date: 6th December 2008

Occasion: Christmas breakup night for Reservoir and Richmond Youth

Comments:  Had heard about this place via a free coffee voucher given in a showbag back when they first opened and after doing a bit of research on the net, suggested to Nhu that it would be a good place to go since she’d had a bit of trouble booking a place for 20 people at this time of the year.  Great ambiance, relaxed atmosphere… because of our large group we took the upstairs area which consists of beanbags as chairs and a low tables to eat off Asian style :D

the best deal there is to get a MyCube Combo ($19.90) which consists of a drink, a meal, game hire and ice-cream dessert… as we were a large group they gave us unlimited game hire for the whole nite (usually game hire is $3 for 3hrs I think)… anyway, I got the ‘M.J.’ as a drink – white soyabean milk with black grass jelly… lol hopefully that’s enough of a hint to work out what M.J. stands for ;)

the meals were alright, Di’s was a bit oily I remember… they serve regular Western food e.g. burgers, fries, wedges but the other mains are singporean/malaysian food…

we played Pictionary, our own Charades and Curses- seriously makes for the best laughs! a great night out ♥ a.

1. Little Cupcakes

Degraves St, CBD

Date: 1st December 2008

Occasion: afternoon tea with Dana after some TB fun and lunch at The Quarter :D

Comments: Such a quaint little shop that sells, as the name suggests ‘little cupcakes’ ^^

They sell bigger versions of the little cupcakes as well… $2.50 for the mini ones and $4.00 for the regular-muffin sized variety.  I had a white chocolate mini (with an angry tiny teddy on top!) and Dana had a strawberry mini =]  You can buy them in bulk for I think 12 for $24.00… would make a wonderful addition to an high-tea afternoon event or for a spring/summer picnic in a park of some sort…

They also sell milkshakes, tea or coffee to go with your little cupcake delight… would definately go there again to try another sweet treat!  ♥ a.