Food adventures in Melbourne and wherever the tummy goes
Mystery L Cafe, a hidden gem in Toorak where plenty of customers come in and out for coffees, dog owners having brunch while the fur baby sits sipping water. Walking in you’re greeted by friendly staff and the smell of coffee and food will definitely cheer even the most hungover up.
Dragon Hot Pot has made a name for themselves, opening more and more shops around Melbourne so it’s no surprise when they decide to embrace veganism and release a vegan Ma La Tang soup base! So if you’ve never been here before, just walk in, get a table and then pick up a pot and put whatever the hell you want in the pot. From meat to seafood to fishcake and heaps of veggies, there’s something for everyone. Once you’ve got all your ingredients, shuffle over to the counter so they can weigh your pot and it’s $3.38 per 100g and the minimum weight you need is 400g. So you’ve guessed it, the more you put in your pot, the more you gotta pay.
Sea urchin or a.k.a uni is delicacy most known for in Japan. I’ve mostly had it in nigiri or sushi and I jumped at the moment when I found out there was a uni specialty restaurant in town. Located in Glen Waverly off the main road sits a warehouse. You won’t miss it since it has a blown up cartoon sea urchin out front. There won’t be any parking at the venue but there’s ample street parking. Uni Boom Boom has been opened for 5 years selling uni and birds nest direct to the public and they have just opened up their eatery for one year and it provides an opportunity to taste some premium uni.
The Glen has opened up a new dining section and my gosh it’s getting filled up by many awesomeness eateries. One of these eateries is Masizzim which serves up dun dun dun…Korean food! I almost missed this place, it’s located upstairs so look up guys. It’s a spacious beautiful venue and when you step in, you’re welcomed like you’re part of the fam. Our waitress Brenda showed us to our table and she was oh so friendly and lovely that you couldn’t help but smile. We ordered a few things (by few we mean a touch too much) and got our bellies ready for ALL ‘EM FOOD!
There’s a new event in town called 8th at 8 and I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the very first one that was launched on 8th of September 2019. So the concept was on the 8th of the month at 8PM you will be served a unique 8 course meal prepared by the chef especially for the night with another 7 others to make up 8 diners. The first one was as Rokkbank & Co in South Melbourne and for this occasion, everything was closed to make our dinner more intimate. Entering the beautiful venue, we were greeted with drinkies upon arrival (now who doesn’t like a bit of bubbly) and we explored the venue.
If you live anywhere near South Yarra then you have definitely heard of the Tan or The Botanical Gardens. Yep, heaps of Melburnians usually run around The Tan and what happens after the usual run? Brunch and coffee time! Conveniently located in the garden sits Jardin Tan, a Vietnamese and inspired cafe.
I absolutely adore Vietnamese food and when there’s a new boy in Brunswick that just opened two months ago, I couldn’t resist. O’Kane Vietnamese Restaurant serves up a variety of food from Vietnamese to Thai to Malaysian dishes which was a touch strange since it states that it’s a Vietnamese restaurant. Anywho, moving along, when you step inside you get hit in the face with a great ambiance, friendly staff and quick service.
When people think of kebabs they think of a drunken night out and stumbling to the closest van or food truck to grab a big ol’ kebab to sober up. You all know about HSP packs and kebabs but have you had a HSP burger? No? Let me take you down to Rambo’s Kebabs in Clayton. Situated right next to the petrol station, you can either park at the servo or on the side street. The staff are friendly and efficient and will make sure you get your drunken (or in my case sober) feed.
The Glen has just opened up their new dining precinct and that means more restaurants are popping up. One of those restaurants is Shujinko. Yes, there are plenty of those around Melbourne and finally, the south east finally has theirs. It’s very cosy and there’s not a lot of seatings available so it’s first in best dressed.
Flemington, known for the Melbourne Cup and being super close to Melbourne Zoo, they’re also popping up as a great foodie area too. Pacinos, an Italian family restaurant, known for their pizzas and friendly service is located smack bang in the middle the busy road Epsom Road. Mumsy bear and daddy bear were excited to not have to travel far in the search for a good feed. Plenty of parking in front of the venue and if it’s full, there’s a shopping centre with more parking. The venue is very spacious and feels very homely and cosy. The staff were super attentive and will immediately make you feel welcome once you step your foot in the door.