Okra

On dining at Okra in Hawthorn East, it quickly becomes apparent how they came to be awarded an elusive Chef Hat.  Set across two levels (a general dining area down the bottom and a function space at the top), Okra's menu blends Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine.

It's the little touches that turn a good restaurant into a great one, and for Okra this included serving its Khanom Jeep steamed chicken dumplings with yogurt, soy and aioli in a saucer of hot water to keep them warm, and the baked tangy oysters on a fiery Moroccan-esque plate to add an element of theatre to the night.

Okra's Thai Green curry is the stuff that dreams are made of - rich, fragrant and creamy, paired with Okra's homemade buttery roti Chanai bread, it's one of the best dishes I have had all year. Also showcasing Okra's exceptional curry skills is their whole snapper  - whilst a whole fish may be intimidating to some, the snapper was cooked to perfection and the curry sauce was bursting with flavour.

Unfortunately the okra (their signature dish) never really stood a chance with me - as much as I appreciated the flavours and the way it was cooked, I have never been an okra fan and Okra's Tumis balachan okra with chilli shrimp paste still didn't manage to change my mind. 

Whilst it's impressive that Okra makes their own durian icecream (and I'm sure it's a flavour that would entice some) I couldn't go past the coconut or green tea icecream - a must if you still have room after your decadent feast. 

Whilst the food and the service was absolutely exceptional, there are a few (inexpensive) touches to venue that could be added to take it to next the level (for instance, some nice soap and/or greenery in the bathrooms).  

Otherwise, Okra in Hawthorn East is definitely worth the trip - even if it's just to try a serve of their dream-worthy green curry and roti!

Service: 5/5
Venue: 3/5
Food: 4.5/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

159 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East, Melbourne

The New Fave dined courtesy of Okra
 

Shangdong Mama

Cuboid dumplings set like tiny soldiers in all in a row can only mean one thing - Shangdong Mama. Spreading the pages of Melborne cheap eat guides for many a year now, I was surprised I hadn't yet tried it yet.

Hidden away in Midcity Arcade, once you do finally manage to find the place, it's set up like your usual suspect dumpling joint - sticky plastic tables to share, crammed to capacity and the token soy, chilli and vinegar condiments scattered across the tables. 

The egg, corn and chive pancake was a nice change from the usual spring onion pancake. If it had only been cooked in the pan for a touch longer (it was definitely on the soggy side) it would have been an exceptional dish.

But on to the main event - the dumplings. Whilst beautiful and cooked to perfection, the Prawn, Black Fungus and Chive pan fried dumplings (with a touch of pork for texture) were far too salty for my liking. That being said, I'm not the biggest salt fan and these little beauties might be ideal for a salt lover. 

Whilst the food was okay, I couldn't help be mildly dissapointed after all of the hype. That being said, there was definitely potential to the dishes and I'd be willing to give it a second shot on another night. 

Food: 3/5
Venue: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 8.5/15
Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point

Midcity Arcade, Shop 7, 200 Bourke Street, CBD

Mamasita

Mamasita's is without a doubt a Melbourne institution. Unfortunately for me, I had always thought it was wildly over-rated. However, on this occasion I was finally served up with a meal that made me understand what all of the rave was about (well....almost!).

The Mamasita's experience is usually not complete without having to wait half an hour or so on their steep, narrow staircase - (a) surely this is a health hazard and (b) why can't they just take mobile numbers like so many other places in Melbourne? Luckily for us, we arrived for a very early dinner (4pm - straight after a musical), and we were seated straight away.

The street style corn with queso, chipotle mayo and lime is about as famous as the restaurant itself, and is without a doubt the best corn of the cob going around in Melbourne.

The Huitlacoche Quesadilla with three milk cheese, queso fresco, huitlacoche and mushrooms was another highlight of the night. Whilst the idea of eating fungus that grows on the ears of corn may be off-putting to some, the flavours of the huitlacoche paired with the cheese and mushrooms was absolutely sensational.  My only negative comment is that the dish came out luke warm.

The flavours in the ceviche were also incredible - the sweetness of the mandarin paiired beautifully with the acidity of the lime and the tang of the onion.  The fish, however, was slightly tough and didn't have the melt-in-your mouth texture that good cerviches have.
 

The cauliflower tostada was nice, but not great - the cauliflower was a touch soggy and its crumbing tasted like the homebrand dried crumbs you can pick up from your local supermarket.

The prawn taco was the most disappointing dish of the night - soggy and flavourless, it needed a punch of citrus, creaminess or spice.
 

Was I impressed by some of the dishes? Yes. Would I wait half an hour or more standing on Mamasista's steps to wait for it during peak times? No. Being such an institution though, it is definitely worth a try if looking to go somewhere for a very early dinner or a very late lunch.

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

The Olive Tree Bistro

Whether it was just because I thought it had some sort of association with America's famous 'Olive Garden' - there was something about The Olive Tree Bistro on Park Street in South Melboyrne which drew me in.

On arriving at this surprisingly bustling bistro on a Tuesday night, I had one word for the place - 'interesting'. The decor was interesting with its random array of logs secured to the walls, the crowd was interesting, comprising of a mismatch of ages and backgrounds, and the food, well, was interesting....

For example, the caprese salad was a bowl of cherry tomato and little balls of mozzarella - not a basil leaf in sight. 

The small boiled potato and the half roasted tomato was also an interesting touch to the veal parmigiana.  The veal schnitzel, however, whilst tender, could have done with a touch more cheese and sauce and came out luke warm.

 

The gnochhi was the stand out of the night - the little parcels of gnochhi were soft and fluffy and the sauce was deliciously rich. Unfortunately though, this dish too came out luke warm.

 

Also, I'm pretty sure the waiter thought we could do with going on a diet as he forgot our entree of garlic prawns, initially forgot our caprese salad and changed our main gnochhi's into entree sizes. 

But look, the wine is cheap (and good!) and the food is pretty decent, so if you are staying at The Quest on Park Street, there are definitely worst places you could go. 

Food: 3/5

Service: 2.5/5

Decor: 2.5/5

Total: 8/15

Verdict: like - worth a try if in the area

 

Chez Dre

Chez Dre was actually one of the first venues I visited on moving to Melbourne. I was absolutely enchanted by the hidden café nestled down the South Melbourne alleyway which had the most delicious looking array of cakes on display - the types of cakes that belong in an art show or, at the very least, a Zumbo episode of Masterchef.

On this occasion, we were visiting Chez Dre for a spot of lunch - somehow managing to resist the temptation of gorging ourselves on their sweets. To eat I ordered the Pulled Pork Toastie with slow braised pork shoulder, provolone cheese, caramelised onions and white miso BBQ sauce. Whilst delicious (and the lamb shoulder was cooked to perfection), thank goodness I was hangover as it was a very sweet, buttery and greasy dish. The side salad was a nice touch though, and definitely helped cut through the rich flavours of the toastie.





The service was an absolute stand out. The gentleman that served us had just started, and was the perfect balance of enthusiasm, playfulness and charm - attentive but not overbearing, he was definitely a refreshing encounter in my hungover state that morning.

Whilst perhaps not on the top of my list of lunch recommendations, I will definitely return to Chez Dre to satisfy my sweet cravings.

Venue: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying at some point.

 

Rear Of 285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne

 

 

Supper Inn

It's 12am in the CBD and you decide that it's about time to have some dinner (or even a second dinner depending on how the night's gone) - so where can you go? Supper Inn in China Town of course.  Known as a bit of a Melbourne institution, Supper Inn is open until late - we're talking 2.30am late.

Serving up Chinese cuisine, the menu is extensive and the venue is licenced. The highlight of the night was hands down the salt and pepper fried chicken ribs.  The ribs were deliciously crunchy on the outside while still managing to keep  nice and juicy and the inside. The Singapore noodles were also a highlight - well spiced and full of flavour.

The low lights of the night were the fried pork dumplings and the San Choy Bow.  I must admit, on ordering the fried pork dumplings, I was mistakenly expecting more of Shanghai style pan fried dumpling. Instead we were served dumplings which were completely fried and which were oily on the outside and dried out on the inside (although, the dipping sauce was delicious!).  The San Choy Bow almost had the opposite problem - the little morsel was watery and lacked in any punchy flavours.

Unfortunately the fried ice-cream was also disappointing and lacked the warm and crispy coating that usually makes this desert an absolute gem.

Whilst there isn't a plethora of options available at 12am in the CBD and the food at Supper Inn wasn't terrible, next time I'd much rather head to the likes of Stalactites or the Melbourne Supper Club for a late night bite.

Food: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Venue: 3/5
Total: 8.5/15
Verdict: Don't bother

Shanghai Master Dumpling

Dumpling houses are famous for being 3 things - quick, cheap and delicious. Whilst Shanghai Master Dumpling on King Street in the CBD definitely ticks the "cheap" box, it has some way to go before being considered quick or indeed delicious.

Packed to the rafters on a Friday lunch, one would expect this to be a sure sign of the venue serving quality food. But alas, after waiting 40 minutes for our dumplings (which equates to about 4 hours in dumpling house time), we were incredibly disappointed. 

The wontons in chilli oil with peanut and sesame butter sauce were about as appealing as they look - they came out cold and lacked in any peanut, or indeed chilli flavour. 

At least the pan fried pork dumplings came out hot, but they tasted like burnt oil and also lacked in any flavour.

The chicken and prawn Xiao long bao was the best dish of dumplings, but even then, the filling was borderline mystery mush and the dumplings themselves was incredibly salty.

So perhaps Shanghai Master Dumpling was just full because there no other dumpling houses in the legal district of the CBD - but trust me when I say its definitely worth the trek to satisfy your dumpling craving somewhere else.

Service: 1/5

Food: 2/5

Venue: 2/5

Total: 5/15

Verdict: don't bother, it's not worth the calories

 

The Burger Project

Neil Perry's burgers at Rockpool became so popular they warranted their own national chain - The Burger Project.

On discovering that Melbourne's Burger Project was situated on the second level of a shopping mall, I was picturing a food court come casual take out joint. But there was something surprisingly magical about taking the escalator up to the second floor - with the roof slowly being exposed to show off a shimmering green cylinder-esque artwork worthy of a roof in Crown Casino.

But that aside, The Burger Project venue itself was as expected - a no frills, quick and easy fast food joint. Not that there is anything wrong with that - there is a definitely a place in the world for a venue that is filled with plastic tables and chairs, that has food orders you jump up to grab yourself on the buzz of an alarm, and which serves its meals in plastic and paper containers - especially when that place serves wine (and alcoholic shakes I should add).

But onto the main event, the burgers. The Burger Project prides itself on using the finest Cape Grim beef in Australia and to be honest, it shows in the taste. The American Cheese burger was delicious - the meat was pink and juicy, the bun light and fluffy and the whole burger was smothered with flavoursome rose mayonnaise. The chips also hit the mark - with The Burger Project offering the choice of chipotle chilli salt, Sichuan pepper salt or plain old salt for seasoning.

Make sure to save room for desert - The Burger Project churns their ice cream daily. The blueberry pie is a must - consisting of a delicious mixt of creamy vanilla bean ice cream, tart blueberry crumble and crunchy crumble to give it a textual lift.

The 'special sauce' of bacon, chives and sour cream, however, is definitely a dip to be missed - stick instead with the free pouring tomato sauce and mustard which customers are able to help themselves to.

Was it a great burger? Yes. Was it the best burger? No. Still, I look forward to going back to try other options from the menu. 

Venue: 2.5/5

Service: 2.5/5

Food: 4/5

Total: 9/15

Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point

Level 2, 260 Collins Street, Melbourne

 

The Napier Hotel

Tucked away amongst the neighbourhood streets of Fitzroy, The Napier Hotel is a local institution. First opening its doors in 1866, this historical venue, filled with character and hipster-charm, has been serving up pub grub to its customers for years.

The menu has all of the usual pub suspects, but on this occasion I couldn't go past the traditional chips and Parma. The Parma itself was delicious - the chicken breast was fat and juicy, the cheese generous and the Napoli sauce was rich with flavour. The chips, however, were soggy (and not just the ones underneath the parma) and could have done with a touch of seasoning.

The staff were a bit short and on the unhelpful side, but with a room full of Friday night drunks, their lack of enthusiasm was somewhat understandable.

Otherwise, with its great food, outstanding atmosphere, and the sort of character you would think you could only find in a pub depicted in an American made movie on "outback Australia", it is easy to see why the The Napier Hotel is a favourite watering hole among the locals.

Venue: 3/5

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 2.5/5

Total: 9/15

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

210 Napier Street, Fitzroy

 

Pho N Roll

It's no secret that Melbourne is home to many incredible dumpling houses - from Hutong to Shandong Mama, Melbournites are spoilt for choice. What I didn't expect however, was to find such incredible dumplings in a Vietnamese eatery in the legal district of the CBD.

Pho N Roll is a no frills, almost blink and you'll miss it, small eatery on Little Collins Street. Offering a few long shared tables for seating, with its quick and easy service, it's perfect for a lunch spot.

Both the prawn and chive dumplings ($6.00) and the mushroom and spinach dumplings ($6.00) are a must with any order. The prawn dumplings were brimming with real chunks of prawn, and the mushroom and spinach dumplings were surprisingly full of flavour. 

Prawn and chive dumplings

Mushroom and spinach dumplings

The traditional beef pho ($11), whilst deceptively coming out looking on the barren side, was still incredibly filling and hit the mark with its fragrant well spiced broth. 

Beef Pho

Cheap and cheerful, Pho N Roll is definitely on my recommendation list for a lunch spot in the legal district of the CBD. 

Food: 4.5/5

Venue: 2.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Total: 10.5/15

Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon 

585 Little Collins Street, Melbourne