Food adventures in Melbourne and wherever the tummy goes
Saxe has been on my go-to list and when one of the stooges’ birthday came up, I was in charge of scoping out a place we haven’t checked out. Which means, SAXE it is! At Saxe there’s an a la carte or a set menu and of course, we got the set menu since we are oh so indecisive. Now, you can have the 5 course for $105 or 7 courses for $145. The staff recommended that we start off the 5 course and see how we feel since she was very certain that we’ll be full (that’s a big assumption mate!).
Steer Dining Room. Having visited before for my birthday, I definitely wanted to take Mr D for his birthday because he’s a massive steak fan. I made sure to make a reservation in advance because it does get super busy. Walking in, you’re greeted by friendly staff surrounded by a great ambiance. We were seated in the corner and BAM the staff will bring around the steak board where they show you the different types of steaks with various levels of marbling that you can choose for the night.
I’ve heard of Dans Le Noir for a while and haven’t had an opportunity to visit yet but when I finally found some fellow friends that wanted to experience it with me, I made a booking and locked it in Eddie. Now if you don’t know anything about Dans Le Noir, it’s basically dining in the dark. You can have three course for $89 or a 5 course for $119 and no, you won’t know what you’ll be getting.
With so many places in Melbourne to check out we decided to venture a touch away from the city so explore and we made our way to Edwin Wine Bar and Cellar. Chic interior and cool vibe, Edwin is definitely where it’s at. The night started off with a selection of meats and cheese where each 40g will range from $10-$12 per type and yep, definitely worth it and you can get a huge variety.
Selection of meats and cheeses
I’m a big fan of Regional Victoria’s dining scene with their fresh local produce and great community vibe. When I heard about Restaurant Igni, I knew I had to make a booking a check them out. For an 8 course degustation for $150 per head, it’s still quite affordable compared to those in Melbourne with a price tag of +$200 per head. There’s plenty of parking on the main street so that’s not a problem at all. Moving along, it’s a very discrete restaurant and when you get inside there are only 10 or so tables thats spaced very far apart so you’re not bumping elbows with the next table. The atmosphere is very casual and friendly yet the staff are very professional. They’ll ask for your dietary requirements including what your likes and dislikes are so they can be sure to cater for you. It was already a good start to our lunch!
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.
Yering Station is known for its view, winery and food so of course we had a girlies’ date there. We made a reservation 2 weeks in advance and there is ample of parking so you don’t have to worry about that. Our initial impression was WOW with the friendly front staff and how delish it smelt inside.
Mr D’s birthday means a celebration was in order and we didn’t want to go anyway too far so after a few googles, I decided on Eleonore’s Restaurant at Yering Chateau. Unfortunately, this restaurant is opened at night so we couldn’t enjoy the beautiful scenery that Yering had to offer (just means that we’ll just have to come back again!). Anywho, we made a booking on a Sunday night at 6:30PM and there weren’t a lot of people there. The decor is very old Victorian and it was a bit dull and dreary but had a lot of warmth. The staff were so friendly and showed us to our seat.
I was up in Sydney for workies and I was in charge of finding a place for dinner and since we were already in Parramatta, I decided to check out Courtney’s Brasserie for some modern Australian dishes. I made a booking for 3 and we made our way there.
The owners of Aubergine who has 2 chefs hat in the Age Good Food Guide 2015 has another restaurant, Temporada who has 1 chef hat in 2015 (wooohooo). As I was in Canberra and conveniently placed in the Novotel which was 3 mins walk away I decided to book a 7:30pm session for my lonesome. I braved the winter cold and arrived earlier than expected and told I can pick wherever I wanted to sit. I chose the little corner side where it seats two people on high chairs (made me feel a tad taller yay!!). The decor was real cute, plants everywhere low ceilings near the bar and dark light setting for romance (or drinks…). The place was half full for a Monday night I began checking out the menu.