Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar

I am still in love with all things Japanese at the moment. So it's no real surprise that when organising a laid-back dinner with girlfriends, the venue I suggested was Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar.

Located on Liverpool St, this small but charming restaurant is known for its handmade buckwheat noodles. During our visit they proudly advertised that they had recently received a new batch of Tasmanian buckwheat - these people really know and love noodles!

The soba dishes are served either hot or cold, and being the middle of winter I couldn't bring myself to order a cold dish (maybe next time).

Moulin Noir

I've been to Moulin Noir four times now and each visit was totally different. I've eaten brunch, lunch, dinner and crepes.

I have to admit, the brunch was good, lunch was ok, dinner was nice, but it is the crepes that have won me over.

Being good little food bloggers, Dan and I ordered one sweet and one savoury crepe, just to make sure we could get a well rounded opinion.

My lemon sugar and vanilla ice cream crepe was lovely. Personally I'm happy with just lemon and sugar on my crepes (no ice cream), but I figured I should try the original menu item at least once before making any changes.

The crepes were thin, the vanilla ice cream was scrumptious, and I was a happy little camper.

Gami (King St)

Gami is famous (some would say infamous) for what is arguably the best Fried Chicken in Melbourne. Forget Kentuky Fried Chicken. Korean Fried Chicken removes the Colonel's pants and spanks him. (Too graphic?)

Having randomly stumbled upon Gami a couple of years ago, I never seemed to find the right moment to post a blog about it. But then a wonderful thing happened, they opened a new restaurant on King St (there are three now).

So after work one week night, Dan and I headed down those unassuming steps to what is a cute albeit simple restaurant.

Balmains

Lately I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, it is good to get out there and try new things, and brunch is no exception. So when choosing a Sunday brunch location, I decided a little road trip was in order. Lucky for Dan and I, it was a perfect day for a drive along Beach Road to Balmains Cafe.

Located on Were St in Brighton, Balmains has a delightful mixture of old world charm and modern touches.

Le Miel et la lune

In recent times, I have tended to dine out within my own little geographical  bubble. Boring! Luckily I now have a partner in crime, my sister Victoria, living North of the city and she guided me to a favourite cafe of hers.

Le Miel et la lune has popped up on Cardigan St Carlton in recent years - well it certainly wasn't there when I was at uni - and seems to be a popular spot with the locals.

Station St Trading Co.

Port Melbourne, you have well and truly delivered some fine brunch options. I am feeling spoilt for choice. Ahh...but choices must be made and brunch at Station St Trading Co. seems to be a choice I keep on making.

Located opposite the peaceful parklands running along the Port Melbourne light rail, you won't stumble across Station St Trading Co. (unless you live nearby) you have to seek it out. And dining away from the somewhat ugly Bay St (well someone had to say it) is just one element that makes Station St Trading Co. such an appealing destination.

As is 'so hot right now' Station St Trading Co. incorporates many pieces of second hand, mismatched furniture into their fit-out. It is a little bit cutesy, has plenty of charm, but the real reason I keep going back to Station St Trading Co. has very little to do with the decor.

It is all about the food. (Well duh!)

Brunswick Mess Hall (Part 2)

This post was originally added to the end of my first post about Brunswick Mess Hall, however, there is now one post for each visit. 

This post predominantly features pictures. For a more detailed review of Brunswick Mess Hall, please visit the original post.

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After my first visit to Brunswick Mess Hall I avowed to return. And return I did, with three people in tow, so this time we ordered the Banquet. (You need to be a group of 4 or more to order the Banquet option.)

For only $25  per person, we were served 6 dishes - all delicious. Truly a bargain! 

Brunswick Mess Hall

Did you know that there is a restaurant in Melbourne that is relaxed and classy, with a fantastic food and beverage menu, stellar service, oh and it allows dinner reservations? Did you? Did you?

It sounds too good to be true, but by golly gosh, Brunswick Mess Hall quite literally has it all.

Having been a regular patron of Murmur, which is owned by the same people, I couldn't miss the opportunity to get my cocktail fix with a side of Asian fare. And boy was it impressive.

While it might not seem visually striking at street level, once you enter this Brunswick gem, you feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney Road. The animal-centric features are enchanting, as are the staff that greet you.

Balderdash

Sometimes you wake up not knowing exactly what you're going to do with your day, but you're not excepting anything special.

Well today started like that, except that something special did happen. We tried another local cafe and it literally put a spring in our step.

Port Melbourne has a number of cafes, small restaurants and brunch spots. Dan and I certainly haven't visited even half of them, but so far most have gone onto our 'visit again' list and a couple were quickly forgotten.

Balderdash, on Bay St, is now well and truly near the top of my 'must visit again' list. The combination of attentive service, amazing food and relaxed ambiance made it a real winner. There was even water and shade for your furry friends - we had Dan's dog (Maple) with us. 

Still here

Hi! Just thought I'd let you all know that we're still here, well still be blogging. We just had to take a little break because we've been in Japan!

Hopefully we'll get a post up soon about all the tantalising and fascinating foodie experiences we had in the land of the rising sun.

- Dani