I was in good ol’ springy to get my hat for my traditional dress and and I was getting a touch hungry and on the verge of hangry. Mr D quickly eyed Hoa Tran and rushed me in and promptly sat me down and started ordering from the menu. Smart kid. Anywho, Hoa Tran is in the alley way and it was super busy when we got there but we were able to snag a table. When you walk in, it’s like every other Vietnamese eatery, signal to the staff how many people were dining, sit down and look over the menu. Mr D got the usual Vietnamese ice coffee and this was quite good. It was very bitter with a touch of sweetness and you could really taste the caffeine which is the way he liked it.
Two Birds Brewing, Spotswood
One of the girlies at work is moving across the world and she was having her farewell dinner/drinkies at Two Birds Brewing. It was a wet and windy day in Melbourne and when you step into this brewery, it was cosy, casual and very inviting.
Castello Blue Burger Launch at Easey’s, Collingwood
Castello Blue, the name that you relate cheese to had a burger launch at Easey’s to celebrate the release of it’s first ever blue cheese slices – Castello Burger Blue. The event started off chippies coming around and they were fabulous! Super crunchy, lovey seasoned and oh my gosh oh so delish.
Albert and Sydney, Brunswick
Miss Spam had a lunch house warming and people stayed for dinner and she was not prepared for that. However, due to the location of her new abode, we were spoilt for choice and decided to check out Albert and Sydney. The building itself is one of Melbourne’s first banks and has transformed itself into a wine and cocktail lounge. I heard the pumping RnB music and rushed everyone inside. It’s a lovely setting AND the staff are super friendly. We got a table by the bar and started looking through the menu.
The Hanging Gardens, Brunswick East
Mesopotamian “Ancient Iraq” and Mediterranean cuisine isn’t something you hear everyday. Tucked on the busy street of Lygon Street in Brunswick sits a new addition to the food scene where you can find exactly just this. The Hanging Gardens has been opened for only a month or so and when you walk past, you definitely can feel the vibe.
Chalawan Launch, Collingwood
Chalawan is the latest baby on the block which has been opened for a few weeks and serves modern Thai cuisine in a rocking venue. When you step inside, the decor was fantabulous with great artwork a plentiful. At the entrance of the venue were seating for dinners and there was a bar towards the back.
NSW: Circa Espresso, Parramatta
I’m not a huge fan of hotel breakfasts and I like to explore different cafes when I’m out of Melbourne. Since my hotel was in Parramatta, I found a neat cafe just 2 minutes walk in a shipping container which everyone seems to be raving about – Circa Espresso. It was quite busy at 8AM but I guess people were dropping by to get caffeinated like I was. It was very cosy inside and I the staff made sure I was looked after.
MALAYSIA: Homi Chicken Curry Puff, Mid Valley City (KL)
Every single time Miss Traveler visits Malaysia, she is guaranteed to stop by Homi Chicken Curry Puff to have well, a curry puff. We followed the Traveling couple until we found Homi and you can smell the pastry goodness a mile away.
MALAYSIA: Sumptuous Desserts, Mid Valley City (KL)
I met up with my baby cousin from Vietnam since he was working in KL and we went on a foodie adventure. I told him that I absolutely adored durian so he took me to a little dessert stall in Mid Valley Megamall since we were in a ‘no leaving the megamall phase’ called sumptuous desserts.
MALAYSIA: Madam Kwan’s, Mid Valley City (KL)
The Traveling couple had dinner plans with the parentals so the rest of the girlies had to find dinner on our own. Miss Traveler’s mumsy bear recommended Madam Kwan’s and thus we navigated through the gigantic megamall and found it right next to the olive garden.