Morris Jones

Did I enjoy dining at Morris Jones? Yes. Did I love absolutely love it? Unfortunately no.

Well known by many for its bar (I hear they serve fantastic cocktails) Morris Jones also offers a menu which is worth drooling over. So after much debate, we decided to share the beetroot with holy goats curd, almonds and passionfruit ($18.50), the zucchini flowers with red pepper hummus, hazelnuts and mizuna ($19), the Spring lamb with Spring greens and goats milk ($34) and the truffle mac and cheese ($10.50).

With its sparse speckles of passionfruit and paper thin wafers / tiny nubs of beetroot, the beetroot with goats curd, whilst beautiful, lacked in acidity and / or tartness to cut through the richness of the goats curd (and there was A LOT of goats curd).

Both the zucchini flowers and the Spring lamb were plated beautifully.  The lamb was cooked well, and the red pepper hummus added a delicious element to the zucchini flowers.  The truffled mac'n'cheese, however, was underwhelming and I won't be ordering it as a side dish again.

 

 

For desert we shared the violet crumble and a 'pop' each. The pop was a piece of candied orange covered in popping candy.  The popping candy was definitely an exciting touch, but otherwise, the 'pop' tasted quite ordinary.  In terms of the violet crumble, we asked the waitress whether we could order the dish seeing as I was allergic to chocolate - she replied by saying it would be perfectly fine for the kitchen to segment the dish as only a small element was chocolate (which could be put to the side).  What we got was a bowl of violet ice-cream, and a stream of honeycomb atop a bed of chocolate - meaning that the honeycomb was contaminated (why not just put it to the side??) and all I could eat was the violet ice-cream - very disappointing.

 

Overall, there were some beautiful elements to many of the dishes - however, if I do go back, I definitely won't be ordering desert.

Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Décor: 4/5
Total: 11/15

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point.

Sister of Soul

Sister of Soul was so close to getting a spectacular review - but then the pebble in my dish happened. And look, I understand these things happen, but what disappointed me the most was how they handled it - they tried to justify it by saying that they don't use processed food so "these things are bound to happen", and then charged me full price for the meal which almost cracked my tooth. In a word - outrageous!

The pebble aside, most of the food was actually delicious.  Only serving vegetarian and vegan cuisine, Sister of Soul is the type of place where you can convince yourself you are being healthy, but you don't have to make a sacrifice on flavour.  Indeed, Sister of Soul even offers 'no garlic / no onion' menu options which are increasingly in demand, but are often difficult to find on a menu.

The rice balls with satay sauce and the okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) were definitely the highlights of the night. Cooked well and bursting with flavour, these two dishes would definitely be on my list of recommendations if heading here for lunch or dinner. 

 

 

Then of course there was the offending pebble dish - the Grain Brain super-food salad - which sends chills up my jaw just thinking about it.

 



 

In terms of desert, with a flavour as vibrant and punchy as its colour - the sorbet of the day is definitely a go-to if you are into fresh and fruity sorbet.  The raw coconut and honey cheesecake, however, is definitely worth a miss - with its one dimensional flavours and a chalky texture, it's definitely not a desert to drool over.



Unfortunately, if it wasn't for the pebble incident, Sister of Soul would have been on my list of recommendations. 

Squires Loft

Steak, glorious steak - and with steaks so good they make you want to sing from the rooftops, Squires Loft is an excellent choice if you are wanting to please your carnivorous side.

With restaurants all around Australia - you wouldn't expect such a decent meal from a brand that has been franchised.  But not only does Squires Loft deliver on a decent meal, I would even rate it as having one of the top steaks of Melbourne.

On this occasion I visited the South Yarra venue, which is conveniently just opposite South Yarra train station. To eat I ordered the 200g eye fillet ($38) with blue cheese sauce ($5.75) and to share we ordered a large Greek salad ($13) and baked mushrooms with fetta and herbed butter sauce ($9.00).

The steak was cooked exceptionally and was rich with flavour. Whilst it first appeared to be overcooked, it definitely didn't taste that way - the meat was so incredibly tender that it could have been cut with a butter knife. And the blue cheese sauce - well, an absolute must if you are blue cheese fan! At $5.75 a serve it's a touch on the pricey side - but with such a generous serve, the price tag can be forgiven!

It's no secret that steak and mushrooms are a match made in heaven, and the baked mushrooms with fetta and herb butter were no exception.  Herby, buttery and cheesy - the mushrooms were not only cooked exceptionally, they tasted delicious!

However, next time I will be giving the Greek salad a miss.  Unfortunately it was about as inspiring as a Greek Salad you can get at the pre-made salad section in a grocery store.

Good steak, good fries and good sauce - how can you go wrong? Squires Loft, we will be meeting again soon!

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Décor: 2.5/5
Total: 10.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

Hanoi Hannah

With its fresh ingredients, punchy flavours and incredible value - Hanoi Hannah is a must on the To Do list.  Situated off Chapel Street in Windsor, this Vietnamese hawker style kitchen and bar is sister to Tokyo Tina and Saigon Sally.

The décor of Hanoi Hannah is as warm and welcoming as its staff  - think wooden features, eclectic colours, an array of paintings, birdcages and even a net of plastic kiddie chairs hanging from the roof.

To eat we ordered the yellowfin tuna with wasabi mayo rice paper rolls ($8.00), the grilled fish with turmeric and dressed herbs on soft vermicelli ($16) and the pork belly sliders ($9.50).

The Tuna in the rice paper rolls was fresh, and the wasabi mayo was a delicious addition to elevate the dish from the everyday roll.

The pork in the sliders was rich and juicy, the lettuce offered a refreshing crunch, the sirahca gave it some spice and the brioche bun was sweet and fluffy - all in all - a delicious little morsel!

With its fresh herbs, lime and fragrant spices, the turmeric fish salad was just bursting with flavour.  Topped off with superbly cooked fish, this dish definitely made it onto the recommendation list.

Hanoi Hannah is one of the new faves for casual eateries.  However, it only takes walk ins - so you may want to get in early if you don't want to miss out!  That being said, if you find you can't get a seat, there is a Hanoi Hannah Express Lane only two doors down offering a range of delicious Vietnamese treats to munch on the go, which definitely serves as an acceptable alternative.

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Décor: 4.5/5
Total: 13.5/15
Verdict: The New Fave - put it as number 1 on the To Do list.

New York Minute

New York Minute is home to one of Melbourne's top 10 burgers as voted by Matt Preston recently in the Herald Sun.  Seeing as Matt Preston seems to know a thing or two about food, I had to give this burger a try.

The prized burger is called the 'New York' - two grass fed beef patties, special sauce, Swiss cheese, pickles and spinach  ($12.00).  Tasting similar to McDonald's Big Mac, this monstrosity of a burger was actually quite delicious and full of flavour.  The meat patties were juicy, the salad crisp, the sauce tangy and the bun was fresh and fluffy.

However, a good burger joint is not complete without a decent side of chips.  So luckily New York Minute' chips, which were goldenly crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the in, didn't disappoint.

Cheap, cheerful and friendly service - New York Minute is definitely worth try if you find yourself in the streets of Carlton.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Décor: 3/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon

The Quarter

Melbourne has taken the brunch scene to a whole new level - hotcakes are no longer complete without the edition of edible flowers, soft shell crab has become an acceptable breakfast food and dishes in general no longer make the bar unless they look like a piece of artwork. In light of this brunch revolution, it is safe to say that a sub-standard breakfast is just no longer acceptable. Unfortunately, we had such a breakfast at the Quarter.

Situated on Degraves Street in the CBD with an abundance of outdoor seating, the Quarter was filled to the brim.  Still, being busy is no excuse for substandard food or service.  Our coffees didn't arrive until after our breakfasts had (which was a wait in itself) and, even then, they were missing some of our coffee orders.

Unfortunately I cannot say that my eggs benedict ($15.50) with a side of has browns was worth the wait.  The dish was nice, but it came out cold, the muffin was burnt and the eggs overcooked.

On perusing Zomato, I was surprised to see how many positive reviews there were for dinner at the Quarter - which leads me to believe that they must pull out the big guns for their dinner service. However, with so many other amazing breakfast places in Melbourne to try, I would not recommend trying the Quarter.

Food: 2/5
Service: 2/5
Décor: 3/5
Total: 7/15

Verdict: Don't bother for breakfast

Laksa King

Laksa King - home of one of Melbourne's most famous laksas. And at only $10.80 a bowl, how you can you resist.

Situated in Flemington, it's a bit of a hike from the city centre.  However, this doesn't stop the hoards of people from flocking through its doors.

The menu is expansive and everything looks delicious. But, let's be honest, it would almost be blasphamous to come to Laksa King and not order their signature dish. On this occasion I had the chicken laksa and it was delicious! Vibrant colours and mouth watering aromas, the dish came out looking like it had been photoshopped (no, there is definitely no filter on the picture below). Balancing its elements of sweetness, sourness and saltiness like a pro, it was probably the best bowl of laksa I have ever had.

Unfortunately the pan fried pork dumplings ($10.80) we had at the start were not as good. More accurately described as gyozas, they were nice, but came out luke warm and were lacking in any wow factor.

 

Luckily, however, our other starter was delicious - roti bread with peanut sauce ($7.20). The bread was crisp and fluffy and the accompanying peanut sauce was not only incredibly generous (there is nothing worse than the feeling of having to ration your sauce per piece of roti bread) it was deliciously warm and full of flavour.

Whilst Laksa King takes walk ins, due to its heavy traffic I would highly recommend making a booking for one of its two dinner sittings. But, be warned, come with an empty stomach as the size of the bowls of laksa are not for the faint hearted.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5

Venue: 4/5
Total: 12/15
Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon

Olive Garden Cafe Bar and Grill

When a friend suggested that we try the Olive Garden Cafe Bar and Grill on Inkerman Street in St Kilda for dinner, I thought she was slightly mad. No, it's not related to the famous American chain, and yes, it's the tacky looking one at the bottom the apartment building that is always empty. But to my surprise, at the end of my dining experience, it was no longer tacky - it was funky,  it was no longer cheap - it was good value and it was no longer empty - it was intimate.

The staff of Olive Garden are definitely its main attribute - warm and friendly, they were up for a good laugh throughout the entire night. With its fairy lights, eclectic colours, and outdoor couch set up which would be perfect in Summer, the venue reminded me of a cheap and cheerful place you would find on a university campus,

To start with we shared the nachos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream ($12) - which came out with sweet chilli sauce instead of tomato salsa and the addition of black beans.  Whilst it didn't come out quite like the description, the blacks beans were rather delicious and the sweet chilli sauce actually worked, making it a refreshing change from the standard nachos.

For main I had the home-made pumpkin gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, baby spinach and reggiano ($20.50). The gnocchi was cooked well and the sauce was full of flavour - a bit salty for my liking -  but I'm not the biggest salt fan and my friends who tried it thought it was salted perfectly. 

Olive Garden is by no means fine dining, and were a little slow in getting our meals to us, but it is still a good value spot which I wouldn't object to going to again.

Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Decor: 3/5
Total: 10/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point