Borther Shota

I really wanted to love Brother Shota in Albert Park – the Japanese inspired menu looked modern, the pictures on Brother Shota’s Instagram looked drool-worthy, it had a great Zomato score and the location was perfectly located for where I live - just on Victoria Avenue on Albert Park. However, unfortunately I did not love Brother Shota – in fact, I probably would have had a better experience visiting the Japanese fast-food joint at the Crown food court.

To start with the pork gyozas were an absolute disaster. Not only did the filling taste watery, there was no flavour to these unpleasant little morsels. The lack-of-flavour train carried through to the tuna sashimi tacos with tobikko spicy mayo and wasabi – sounds like it should have tasted amazing right? But again, the tuna sashimi that filled the taco shells was absolutely tasteless and an incredible disappointment. 

Unfortunately this same tasteless tuna sashimi mix was a feature of the Mt Fuji sushi rolls (with crumbed prawn, cucumber and jalapeno slices) which were overly dry and shadowed in comparison to most food court sushi-rolls.

The only saving graces of the night were the crispy eggplant with apple miso (although it could have done with more sauce) and the okonomiyaki sticks.

Whilst the service was fast and friendly, and the venue was bright and modern, when a meal leaves you too depressed to order desert, you know you have a problem.

Food: 2/5

Service: 4/5

Venue: 4/5

Verdict: Don’t’ Bother – it’s not worth the calories

Swiss Club Restaurant

When I was asked to go to the Swiss Club, I thought 'great, a night of gimicky fun with sub-standard food' - but what I didn't expect was tasty meals, excellent service and an experience at the Swiss Club which was nothing less than memorable.

If you find yourself at the Swiss Club, the cheese fondue is a must - served up with bread and apples, it's a social, but delicious, starter to your meal. The Swiss Antipasto Platter consisting of the Chef's selection of cured meats and house made accompaniments is also an excellent starter - and pairs perfectly with the richness of the fondue.

My main of Cordon Bleu with side of spatzil (swiss noodles) whilst tasty, was unfortunately on the dry side, and I would have much preferred to fill up on the tasty fondue.

But the star of the show had to be the apple strudel. Being the best strudel I have had in Melbourne, the pastry was crisp and flaky, and the apple inside was cooked to perfection and rich with flavour

If you're looking to dip some bread into a giant bubbling pot of cheese (and let's be honest, who doesn't?)  - then look no further than the Swiss Club!

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point.

Fat Albert

Fat Albert in Albert Park takes your boring old brunch, gives it a spin, throws in some fireworks, and then serves it up lashings of taste and character.  Offering up what I would call a mix of modern Australian and Asian cuisine, Fat Albert serves dishes such as Apple Crumble Porridge and Mushrooms in Miso Butter.

On this occasion, I tried the Fat Benny with chili caramel glazed pork belly, kaffir lime hollandaise and poached eggs on sourdough toast, and the Chicken Katsu Sando with panko crumbed chicken, cabbage and bulldog sauce with a side of potato salad. 

The Fat Benny was without a doubt one of the best Benny's going around Melbourne.  The pork literally melted in my mouth, and the zest of the the kaffir lime in the hollandaise sauce lifted the entire dish, cutting through the richness of the eggs, pork and sauce.

The Chicken Katsu Sando was also surprisingly delicious.  Whilst coming out looking a little on the plain Jane side (although really, how do you dress up a sandwich?) - the panko crumbed chicken was fat, juicy and cooked to perfection, and paired beautifully with the tangy BBQ sauce and the creamy (but not too creamy) potato salad.

Fat Albert is definitely on my list of recommendations if your find yourself in Albert Park wanting some tasty and rather unique brunch.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Total: 11.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon