Food adventures in Melbourne and wherever the tummy goes
The 24/7 ramen chain Shujinko has been rapidly expanding and is up to their third store when we were asked to visit, of course we couldn’t say no. Located on Flinders St and opposite Flinders Street station, it is in a very busy spot but that means there’s plenty of foot traffic hence a lot of business. Inside isn’t the biggest eatery but it was very cosy and the staff are superbly friendly.
Since having moved to Croydon I haven’t really checked out the local scene so when Mr D suggested to have a brunch date, I surely had to agree. Wondering around, we decided to check out Blackwork. Blackwork looks like it could be a cafe in the city with it’s chic interior, Proud Mary coffee and uber cool menu. There’s ample of parking across the road and it does get quite busy on a weekend so make sure you get in early.
Mr D and I absolutely adore Japanese cuisine, we can’t get enough of it. We’ve been eyeing Izakaya Kuuraku but never had the chance to try it, until now…BOOM! Walking in, it felt more like a bar with seats – music pumping and heaps of people having after work drinkies. We were lucky enough to check out the omakase menu which means you leave it up to the chef to decide what you’re going to get. We tucked in and let our tummies enjoy the food.
Hakata Gensuke is a well established and known throughout Melbourne as one of the yummiest ramen and it’s so popular that there are many chains opened around Melbourne. We visited the one in Doncaster’s food court and there wasn’t a huge line so we went up and ordered our ramens. On the side of the counter, there was a sign and it was a special deal where you get a meal for two for $33! So we went ahead and got that!
I’ve been looking for different ramen places to check out and a friend had suggested Mr Ramen San in Little Bourke Street so I ventured in and it’s a very small and cosy place so be prepared to wait outside. Pro tip, you need everyone in your party present before you can even get a table and boys and girls, it does get buy around dinner time. Anywho, walking in, the staff were super duper friendly and we got right into ordering our meals.
Hidden away on Little Lonsdale Street sits a little Japanese restaurant with no obvious signs that it’s a restaurant that specialises in Japanese Pork with their signature Tonkatsu which is deep-fried pork-loin covered in panko. So, if you’re feeling like pork or want to have good pork, this is the place you definitely want to be at. It’s very cosy inside and only has one chef which means it’s intimate guys! All the staff are friendly and you get service with a smile.
It’s mumsy and daddy bear’s 30th anniversary so we decided to surprise them by taking the to Iki Jime, an all seafood joint by Shannon Bennett and the Vue group. So in we went and boy oh boy was the service great! The staff greeted us warmly and we got the chef’s table which sits directly to the side of the kitchen which was a touch disappointing since we thought we’ll be at the front. But the little area is secluded and it was like having our own party. So, with this table, we only had the option of the set menu and at the price of $110 per head, it was a pretty good price.
Whilst going shopping at Eastland, we walked through the food court and lo and behold, a new bakery sits tucked away in the corner. I could not resist and stumbled in, finding out it is a Japanese bakery with Cheese tarts as one of their best sellers. Of course Mr D grumbled along but who could say no to baked goodies!
The famed Japanese ramen chain Ippudo has finally landed in Melbourne and known for its tonkotsu ramen, I couldn’t resist taking my fam bam to check it out. Luckily for us, we got there at 4PM on a Saturday and there were customers in front of us and we got in 10 minutes after waiting. The staff were really friendly and the interior is very warm and cosy.
After being turned away at a restaurant which we booked for because they lost our reservation (insert sad face here), we wandered around and decided to check out Tokyo Japanese Restaurant for some Japanese Buffet for just $29.80. That was a BARGAIN! We rushed upstairs and entered a big open area with a bar on one side and the kitchen on the other. Now, basically there’s a buffet menu and you can just pick whatever you like and they bring it out to you quick flash.