Hammer and Tong, Fitzory, Melbourne

What an experience!  Delicious food, great coffee, friendly staff, and buzzing atmosphere, I think I have just found a new favourite place for Sunday brunch!  I have been searching high and low from East to West for that perfect brioche for a long time and here at Hammer and Tong I think I have finally found it.  The brioche was buttery, light and fluffy, not too dense or crumbly, oh it was heavenly.  Overall the duck with asparagus, truffle butter and Parmesan briont was fantastic and the flavours were very well balanced.  The richness of the duck egg yolk with the creamy truffle butter served on top of the thick sliced brioche was perfection on a plate.  My belly was definitely satisfied with all the richness goodies but if you have a bigger appetite, this dish may not be filling enough for you.  My friend had the French toast, peanut butter, raspberry yoghurt ice cream, banana caramel, although I didn't sample it personally but she say it was very good.  The menu selection might be small but every dish sounds very appetising, I will definitely have to return to try out their egg's Benedict's and soft shell crab burger!

OVERALL

FOOD: YUM! That's all I need to say.

PRICE: Reasonable cafe food price.

SERVICE: The service was top notch here, tentative and very friendly.
ATMOSPHERE: A lively little place with great vibes. 

Summary:  One of the most memorable cafe I have been to for a while, will definitely come back to try out other things, very soon!

Chef Lagenda, Flemington, Melbourne

This place was highly recommended by a friend of mine and I knew I had to come here when she told me their chef used to work at Laksa King couple of doors down.  Another authentic Malaysian restaurant that is fully-packed during rush hours and I could definitely see why after being satisfied everything I come here.  So first let's look at their laska - here at Chef Lagenda they don't do duck curry laksa :( so I had to try their chicken curry laksa which I did find slightly different - the curry itself is much thicker compared to Laksa Kings' but other than that it's pretty much the same and equally as good.  I do enjoy the thicker curry myself however I am bias every time when it comes to duck so I shall forever return to Laksa King for their Duck Curry Laksa.

Now let's look at another iconic Malaysian dish - the Hainanese Chicken Rice.  The chicken is very tender and flavoured with sauces.  The idea is to put the whole chicken into a boiling stock then turn the heat off.  With a heavy lid on top of the pot, leave the chicken in the stock for an hour and allow it to slowly cook and what you get is the most incredibly tender and juicy chicken, one of my all time favourite!  They do it very well here in Chef Lagenda and once again equally well in Laksa King.

Lastly the Beef Rendang with Roti Canai - YUM! Absolutely love their Roti, top class.  I could sit there and eat their roti canai all afternoon!  Their beef rendang is really delicious, packed with spices and full of flavour.  The only thing I have to say is in the past coupe of time their beef has been either over cooked or reheated badly so it's very dry and tough, an unpleasant texture...

An iconic dish here at Chef Lagenda that I have not provide a picture of here is their Roti Chicken Roll which is a must try when you come here.  No photo of this delicious roll but you just have to take my word for it and go try it for yourself!

OVERALL

FOOD: Delicious!

PRICE: This would be one of the cheap eats in Melbourne.

SERVICE: Average.  Nothing spectacularly good or bad, just a typical eatery service.
ATMOSPHERE: If you are looking for a romatic dinner then this wouldn't be the place.  The space is tight inside and usually crowded and full of people. You come, you eat and you leave!

Summary:  Great place to venture out for lunch every now and then and try their variety of delicious Malaysian cuisines on offer.

Cumulus - Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD

Cumulus is pretty high up there with the clouds and is by far the best find since I moved over to Melbourne, and brunch has gone from great to beyond amazing with Cumulus on a lazy Sat/Sun morning.  Just thinking about this place while writing makes me salivate and cannot wait for another visit!

This place has been jammed packed every time I visited but never had to wait long for a table. I love their decor and open plan-kitchen, there is just something sexy about open-plan kitchen that I cannot put into words. If you come here in small numbers, definitely sit on the bar stool facing the kitchen - so intriguing watching the chefs working away and if you are there when they changeover from breakfast to lunch service, you would be amazed how they transform the kitchen!  

Now about their food, the picture says a thousand words! But I will still talk a little about it. I have to-date sampled many of their delightful creations and I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with their "Grilled Lyonnaise sausage, parsley & shallot salad 65/65 egg". This scrumptious egg and haricot beans dish will hit the spot every time. If you enjoy grapefruit, they do freshly squeezed grapefruit juice here and is a fantastic combo with the grilled Lyonnaise sausage.

The thing that I look forward to the most is their delectable Madeleine with lemon curd. It is made-to-order so always freshly baked from the oven and filled with cooled rich lemony curd, the Madeleine is soft and fluffy and absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee and a fantastic way to finish the brunch.  Make sure you don't leave without sampling one of these babies!

OVERALL

FOOD: Fantastic!

PRICE: The cafe is on the pricey side, but their food is really worth it.

SERVICE: Friendly.

ATMOSPHERE: The open kitchen is fantastic.

Summary:  Great food and service, this place is lazy weekend brunch at its best.

House made crumpets, whipped ricotta & rooftop honey

Selection of fresh fruits and minty yoghurt.

Shakshouka-baked eggs with roasted peppers and shanklish

Toasted honey granola & poached rhubarb with vanilla yoghurt

Laurent Boulangerie Patisserie - Little Collins St

Having cravings all day for that delicious pastry?  Give into temptation and come to Laurent Boulangerie Patisserie.  This place has a wide range selection of delightful pastries to satisfy any taste-buds (sweet and savoury) - though it does come with a price...  This is a place I come for a treat (once in a blue moon) and I just love their Tarts - golden-brown buttery shortbread pastry filled with citrusy passionfruit/lemon curd - oh perfection with a cup of coffee!  I only dined-in once and will probably do it again as I really enjoyed the ambience which reminds me of cafes back in Europe.  One negative note apart from the price tag is I did find their coffee rather average and my friend found their hot chocolate not the best either.  

What I usually do is I grab a take-away of whichever I desired the most on the day, go and get my coffee elsewhere and then find myself a spot on the bench along the Yarra river nearby and soak up some sun.  This is when I take a moment to treat myself and do absolutely nothing other than savouring every last bite of my tart and sip of my coffee, and I hope you can do the same as well :)

Laksa King - Flemington, Melbourne

The laksa is absolutely DIVINE at the Laksa King. The restaurant is situated literally right next to the Newmarket Train Station which is a short 15 min train ride from Flinders Train Station  - the location can't get any better than that. My friend and I came by about 8 o'clock on a weeknight and this place was jammed packed with a huge waiting line inside and outside the restaurant. Luckily with just two people we got a table straightaway, so if you're in a larger groups you may need to wait around a bit, but it is definitely worth it!

There are times that I just want something to eat quickly without having to wait around for the "formality" and the "top-notch" service, I suppose it is partly how I was brought up in Taiwan - been surrounded by quick, cheap and tasty street foods. Laksa King does takes me back to Asian with their fast service and delicious food - within 10 mins of ordering our laksa they arrived! The restaurant is air-conditioned (which is needed by some with spicy food ^.^), clean & tidy, and is super busy. You do find it a bit hectic and the seats are placed close to each other, so if you're looking for a romantic dinner this is not the place for it, but if you want to have something quick on your way home you can hop off and have a delicious meal and hop back on the train.

The surprise I found in my roasted duck laksa was the deep-fried egg plant, it was not love at first sight.  However once I tasted it, I was brought to heaven and back. The flavour of the deep-fried egg plant matched exquisitely with the laksa curry, coconut milk and chilly oil.  The generous serving of roast duck with egg noodle and vermicelli smothered over with the laksa curry left me absolutely satisfied and very full (only because I drank all the laksa soup - I just had to...it was too tasty...don't judge me...)

I know I will have to venture back here soon to try other things, as they have my little brother's favourite Hainanes boneless chicken rice (海南雞飯), or I could just take him there with me and I can have more laksa.  It is hard for me to try other things on the menu I just can't go pass the laksa, oh my archillies heel. From a credible foodie source, I have been told their Five-spice fresh calamari is AMAZING as well.  So next time you're around Flemington or on your way home passing through, why not hop-off and be amazed by Laksa King's scrumptious Laksa.

Lunch: Mon-Sun 11:30am-3:30pm
Dinner: Sun-Thu 5:00pm-10:00pm; Fri-Sat 5:00pm-10:30pm

Address: 6-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington VIC 3031
Phone 03 9372 6383
Email: eat@laksaking.com.au

OVERALL

FOOD: Delicious Malaysian food.

PRICE: Very good price - cheap!

SERVICE: Tentative.

ATMOSPHERE: Busy and hectic with air-conditioning.

Summary:  Quick and tasty authentic Malaysian food.

Cute Find - Nor'Wester Cafe Amberley, New Zealand

Nor'Wester Cafe is a little gem in Amberley that is not to be missed if you are in Christchurch and do not mind a relaxing, flat 30min drive north.  On a sunny day this cafe offers large outdoor sitting area, and what is more exciting here is their food!  Year after year, I have returned here several times since 2008.  I found this gorgeous cafe by accident while wine tasting in Wairapa, and it is very exciting to see that this cafe sells many of the local wine (sometimes at a cheaper price than at the cellar).  I have been here for lunch and dinner previously and have never been disappointed.  Their menu is short and concise, and offers many gluten free options.  Wonderful friendly staff here and it is very child friendly.  Without babbling on too much further, here I like to share with you the three dishes we had for alight lunch for two, enjoy!

Natural Clevedon Coast Oysters - with balsamic vinaigrette

Caesar Salad - cos lettuce, bacon, egg, anchovy, croutons & Parmesan

Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab (Malaysian) - cucumber & pickled ginger salad, sweet chilli, aioli

The oysters was super fresh and very tasty and I wished I had got some more, yum!  Unfortunately the Caesar salad took me by surprise by their interpretation of "crouton", for me it wasn't crouton but large slices of toasted bread - hope they will change that as texture wise it wasn't quite there.  The soft shell crab was done beautifully, kudos to the chef!  Soft crunchy crab with the zingy cucumber & pickled ginger salad, this was a winner for me!  Wish I was back there right now, but if you're down at the South Island of New Zealand and new Christchurch, go there this weekend!

OVERALL

FOOD: Great cafe food.

PRICE: Reasonable.

SERVICE: Friendly.

ATMOSPHERE: Great outdoor dining area and it is also cosy indoor.

Summary: Summer here in Amberely for me means food at Nor'Wester Cafe, I enjoy nothing more than enjoying good food on a sunny afternoon :)

Spectacular View - Pegasus Bay Restaurant, Wairapa

On a fine sunny day in summer, if you happen to be in Wairapa, South Island, New Zealand (40min drive north of Christchurch), you have to come here to Pegasus Bay Restaurant/Winery, either for some wine tasting or a sensational lunch.  Booking is essential here especially in summer.  I have always arrived early to sample the latest harvests follow by one of those 3 hour lunch.  The service here is wonderful, staffs are lovely and the food is just amazing!

The complimentary appetiser is always different.  The most memorable ones that I have sampled throughout the years were the lightly smoked fish ball and the amazing creamy asparagus soup.  This time the chef prepared a light and refreshing berry soup with a hint of mint, absolutely delicious and a great way to welcome summer.  Entree was the smoked hapuka (a white meat fish) carpaccio with shallots, sorrel, grapefruit, truffle dwarf peaches and house made fennel pollen accompanied with grissini. this was a flavourful and well balanced dish.  The light smoky flavour on the tender hapuka contrasting the sour grapefruit finished off with the salty crunchy grissini, yum!

Now for the famous main, duck for two!  Muscovy duck, braised & crisp fried, kirsch cherry jus accompanied with rocket, butter crunch, mint, pomegranate, ricotta, pistachios, aged balsamic with new season potato, aioli, olives.  Year after year I have returned for this dish, it is a good thing that it is made for two so I always had an excuse to invited good company to share this amazing duck with :) crispy duck skin with enriched flavours of pinot noir and cherry, absolutely amazing!  A great wine to accompany this is the Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir, since the chef from memory used the same wine to marinate and braise the duck for two days. 

Lastly desert, my favourite part! Cassis and pinot sorbet with polenta shortbread.  Passion fruit soufflé with anglaise. To me there's nothing more exciting than a fluffy soufflé accompanied with fresh creme anglaise and this one is definitely a winner, so delicious! The Cassis came in an ice vessel, took us a while to decipher how it was made - I'm thinking two balloons, one filled with water with the other air-filled balloon inside it? How do you think it could be made?  I had the 2007 Pegasus Bay "Aria" Late-Harvest Riesling.  Aria is a very fragrant wine that tastes fruity and not too overly sweet like other Late-Harvest Riesling on the market which goes well with sweet desert like my passion fruit soufflé, absolutely heavenly together! 

OVERALL

FOOD: Fantastic food and delicious wine.

PRICE: A bit on the pricey side, but it is worth your every penny.

WINE SELECTION: Very good selection.

SERVICE: Super friendly.

ATMOSPHERE: Great outdoor dining area with a spectacular view.

Summary:  Dining here is definitely a treat, you will enjoy every minute of it, so be sure to make this your next destination while you're in the South Island, New Zealand while the summer is still smiling at us :)

Meredith - 9 Course Degustation

If I ever leave Auckland, I believe Meredith will be the restaurant I will miss the most.  They only serve degustations at Meredith, with the option of 6-, 8-, or 9-courses and as always, there is the option of matching wines.  For several occasions now, I have fallen in love with every single dish except for the desert...and since desert is the last dish of the evening, sometimes makes me feeling a little bit empty feeling. However, if you forget the desert part, you would almost think you have just woken up from the most unbelievable dream having sampled all the mouth-watering creations from chef Michael Meredith.

Factors which I have found vitally important in dining are the atmosphere and service.  Inside the restaurant is very dimmed, while some people find it overdone, I have found it just the right amount to let you forget that you are in fact surrounded by other diners.  There are limited seating in the restaurant with a handful of staff onsite, so at any given time you are very well looked after by their staff members and yet they don't over do it.  Danny, who has been our waiters on several occasions has mastered his skill to perfection.  You will never hear him clinking the cutlery on the plates, and he will ninja away empty glasses and dishes without you even noticing and most and above all, makes you feel very relaxed making it the most enjoyable experience.

Without going on too much, I will let your eyes do all the talking with the 9 course degustation and matching wine, enjoy!

	Crispy Rice Cracker This from the chef has always been different, and this time it was a very flavourful thin rice cracker, something to nimble on while you wait for your first course :)
	Side Bread This is their homemade bread, I love a dense warm bread, and I like to eat it with olive oil and even more with butter!
	First Course: Beetroot & duck meringue The meringue is beautifully done, it is soft and fluffy and goes very well with the duck pate. Matching Wine: 8 Ranges Pinot Rose 2011, light and crisp, matched the slightly sweet beetroot meringue and rich pate well.
	Second Course: Golden Bay crab, Akaroa salmon, asparagus & daikon A gentle light dish that was well balanced. Matching Wine: Fairbourne Sauv Blanc 2011, dry and fresh, and took off the edge of the fatty salmon without taking over the dish.
	Third Course: Yellowfin tuna, mirin & bonito This was all our favourite, harmony in your mouth with the fresh tuna, and the light mirin & bonito stock. Matching Wine: Ellero Gewurztraminer 2011, fragrant with a bit of spice, delicious combo with the tuna.
	Fourth Course: Scallops, smoked eel & cauliflower The smokey eel was beautifully done and together with tender scallops, yummy! Matching Wine: Seifried Gruner 2011, complimented the smokey eel very well.
	Fifth Course: Pork belly, calamari, pomegranate & peanuts Tender pork belly contrasting the nutty peanut and fresh pomganate, amazingly good. Matching Wine: Willm Reserve Pinot Gris 2010, gorgeous light crisp pinot gris, matched heavenly with the pork.
	Sixth Course: Hapuka, paua, shitake & pumpkin Nice and crispy fish skin, fresh and crunchy greens served with the delicate fish, delicious. Matching Wine: Villa Maria Reserve Chardonnay 2010, this is a great Chardonnay, not too oaky, a great choice to go with the fish.
	Seventh Course: Poussin, cauliflower & onion Oh I love Poussin, tender and delicately soft chicken meat and it was well flavoured. Matching Wine: Urlar Pinot Noir 2010, was surprised by the Pinot Noir, but it complemented the heavy flavouring on the Poussin very well.
	Eigth Course: Rhubarb, raspberry, mint oil & yoghurt A great refresher, beautifully done. A hint of mint with the sweet and sour raspberry, t'was a great combo as the palette cleanser.
	Ninth Course: Bread & butter pudding Sadly this is not what bread and butter pudding should be, this was a light and fluffy sponge and the obvious lack of a creamy egg/milk/cream based sauce, I was very disappointed :( Matching Wine: Osawa Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2011, this was a delicious wine on its own, not overly sweet and very fruity.
	Have you tried this ginger beer? Highly recommend to all those ginger beer fans out there, not sure where you could get it from, but it was made from the Hawkes Bay Indepedent Brewery Limited

OVERALL

FOOD: Fantastic!

PRICE: Reasonable ($150 for the 9 courses).

WINE SELECTION: Very good selection, and the matching wine were great.

SERVICE: First Class!

ATMOSPHERE: Dimmed room, cosy and relaxing.

Summary:  Fabulous food and absolutely awesome service. This is a great place to treat yourselves :)

Chocolate Boutique - Parnell

The delicious Italian Denso!
Served with whipped cream 

Chocolate Boutique is a well hidden treasure on 1/323 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland and specialises in...CHOCOLATE!  From hand-made chocolate to chocolate drinks and desserts, ice cream and lollies, you won't be disappointed here.  I thoroughly enjoy having my 'guilty pleasures' here after a meal in Parnell with their traditional Italian Denso - which is basically a thick melted dark chocolate drink with cream, oh it's heavenly!  The smooth warm rich dark chocolate contrasting the cool light whipped cream, it is so good that words cannot describe how good it is.  For the adventurous type, they do the chocolate drink with chilli and it's really lovely to have in the winter times.  If dark chocolate or chilli isn't your thing, worry not, they have a wide range of other chocolate drinks available as well as sundaes for a hot summer day, so why not try them all, no all at once of course ;)

The shop is surprisingly small and the layout just doesn't make sense resulting in big queues and chaos in the shop, reasons why I dislike sitting inside - unfortunately outdoor area isn't as pleasant on a cold and/or raining day.  NOTE, do not go have a hot chocolate first thing in the morning, had a couple of very bad experiences as they weren't prepared, instead of refusing the order they ended up making very bad chocolate Italian denso...other than that, every other times when I had their chocolate, it has been delicious and I ensure you the chocolate is worth every minute of your waiting time!

From the left: Hazelnut Chocolate; Lemoncello Cup; Bailey Cone

I have never left this shop empty handed, taking home with me a couple of my little bro's favourite chocolates; hazelnut chocolate, lemoncello cup and bailey cone.  There is a huge variety of hand-made chocolates on offer and you need to be lucky to get this delightful lemoncello cup, as it is an all time favourite and their supply is limited! These little chocolate treats are really great gifts for special occasions and especially with Christmas coming soon!

For a lazy afternoon indulgence, there is no option other then their cake, LOVE their chocolate mud cake, moist and dense on the inside with not overly sweetened chocolate icing served with fresh whipped cream - it is heavenly!    Be sure to try out their Tiramisu as well, equally delicious.  Coffee with a piece of chocolate cake, what else would you need on a sunny lazy afternoon?

So if you're in Parnell next time, be sure to check out this little chocolate shop and I'm all your guilty pleasures will be satisfied and be left wanting for more! :D

OVERALL

FOOD: Good

PRICE: Moderate

SERVICE: Good and can be improved

ATMOSPHERE: Cosy with limited seating

Summary: A great place to fulfill you guilty pleasures, but do take-out unless you're lucky enough to find seats.

Delicious Tiramisu with fresh cream

Ooh La La - St Tropez Restaurant

I am very sad to say that my all time favourite French restaurant in Auckland has closed :( but Jean Christophe is now the head chef of the Orbit Restaurant at the top of Auckland Sky Tower so all are not lost there.  St Tropez was opened for 12 years and I've been their loyal customer for 6 of those 12 years, so now I have to venture to the Orbit to sample their latest and I am super excited about it :) though to be honest, I won't be going as often just because Orbit isn't as home-y and cosy as St Tropez was.

It was back in 2007 when I was first introduced to St Tropez, to celebrate the successful defense of a PhD Oral Exam from my laboratory.  As a large group, many quality things attracted us to choose the restaurant.  St. Tropez was in Parnell, Auckland.  It was an affordable cuisine with BYO, friendly staffs and AMAZING French food to die for!  My favourite part of the restaurant was their menu, which changed frenquently and meant I always get a pleasant surprise when I haven't been for a while, or alternatively find my favourite dish is not longer on the menu, but they always replace it with something equally delicious!

Their menu was short and concise, each dish is followed with detailed descriptions what will be on your plate - which is crucial as not all of us are equally familiar with the French Cuisine or read French..  I love when a menu includes their own native language, I get to learn French and eat delicious food - Bonus!  They use to share their delightful recipes on their website, since their closure, I'll share their amazing "Apple Tarte Tatin".

Without babbling on further, here is a trip down memory lane for me with a selection of dishes I sampled back in January 2012 before I went to Europe to sample the real French food, Enjoy!

	Poisson Cru Salad of Marinate White Fish in Coconut Cream, Coriander, Ginger
	Charcuterie Peppercon Chicken Liver Pate, Pork Rillettes, Red Onion Confit, Toasted Brioche
	Filet de Boeuf Eye Fillet with pate, red wine jus, vegetables and potatoes
	Porc Pork Medallions wrapped in bacon with Parmesan, chablis cream sauce, white haricots beans
	Apple Tart Tatin Upside down apple tarte served with vanilla ice cream and creme fraiche (my all time favourite!)
	Creme Brulee French pot of cream with caramlised coating served with vanilla ice cream