Shonan Kamakura

Shonan Kamakura shows that you don't have to go to the like's of Brae or Dinner by Heston for good service. Shonan Kamakura is a recently opened Japanese restaurant on Katherine Place in the CBD.  Offering up the usual Japanese culprits on its menu, Shonan Kamakura serves up the likes of sushi, sashimi, donburi and bento boxes. 

It was the small touches that Shonan Kamakura added to our dining experience which set its service apart. For instance, as soon as we took our seats we were offered complimentary edamame, and then offered a complimentary green tea biscuit at the end of our meal. Our waiter was also incredibly friendly, informative and attentive - making us feel welcome as soon as we walked though the doors. Our water glasses were never left empty and we were even given warning when the kitchen was about to close (which you would think all restaurants would do, but you would be surprised!)

Feeling like something spicy I opted for the spicy cajan chicken karage donburi served with miso soup. The miso soup contained a generous amount of tofu and seaweed, and it wasn't at all too salty which is often the case with a miso soup. The karage was also delicious - tender chicken, fragrant spices and a generous serving for the price tag, it was definitely a good choice of dish.

Another bonus - Shonan Kamakura is byo - something I will definitely keep in my mind for my next visit. Cracking the Melbourne foodie market is definitely not an easy feat, but Shonan Kamakura, I hope you do well!

Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict - Love, get around to trying it soon

Yuzu

For most restaurants, it's safe to say that the food eating in is nearly always better than the food delivered to your door. Surprisingly, when it comes to Japanese venue Yuzu, this isn't the case.

Yuzu is one of my tried and true take out options when staying back late at work - usually arriving at my work's door only 20 or so minutes after ordering, it always comes fresh, hot and delicious. My go-to dish - the Katsu Curry  - crispy fried pork served with in a deliciously rich curry sauce.

On this occasion I decided for once that I should check out the restaurant rather than ordering in. However I won't be doing that again. First of all, it was nearly impossible to get anyone's attention to order our food - it took us asking three times to finally get some luck.  Secondly, it's not that the food wasn't delicious, because it was, but when you're waiting 40 minutes for it and paying the price Yuzu charges, you expect at least the edges of your plate to be wiped down...

Whilst still delicious, it was no better than the take out you can get delivered to your day - and in half the time!

Such a shame Yuzu, because your Japanese curry is one of the best going around. Next time I'll stick to the take away!

Food: 4/5
Service: 1.5/5
Venue: 2.5/5
Verdict: Only hit Yuzu up for takeaway, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

Saint James

What defines a good brunch spot? Well to start with, it must have both healthy (e.g. think acai bowls and quinoa creations) and unhealthy (e.g. think the ultimate "hangover cure") options. Good coffee is non negotiable - there is no point going to brunch without it.  And finally, it must have outdoor seating - who wants to be cramped inside on a beautiful sunny day.  Offering some of the best coffee I have had in awhile, an incredible delicious looking menu, and a plethora of outdoor seating at both the front and back of the venue, Saint James Café meets all of this criteria.

On this occasion I couldn't go past the Saint Benedict with Berkshire pork shoulder, fresh apple, poached eggs and noisette hollandaise on toasted sourdough. It was absolutely delicious - the pork was tender and juicy, the eggs perfectly poached and the fresh apple and apple puree added an incredible element to the overall dish.

My dining companion went for the healthy option - opting for the Breakfast Bowl with red quinoa, kale, avocado, broccolini, house made ricotta, hazelnuts, cranberries, peas, mint, pomegranate and poached egg. The bite I had was absolutely delicious.

We also couldn't go past trying their fish finger butty - market fish with crushed pea aioli and dill & cabbage salad on fresh white bread. Saint James crumbs the fish fingers themselves, which sets this fish finger butty from the usual fish burger/sandwich.

With its delicious food and incredible coffee, I will definitely be back to Saint James soon.

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

1376 Malvern Road, Malvern

The New Fave dined courtesy of Saint James

Penang Road

For far too long I was voyaging across the city to Flemington to find a decent bowl of Laksa.  But luckily for me, the voyages are finally - I have managed to find an incredible bowl of fragrant creamy laksa just a stone's throw away from my front door.

Penang Road on Clarendon Street in South Melbourne is everything you want from a cheap and cheerful Malaysian restaurant - byo (wine only), quick service, cheap price tag and ridiculously delicious food. The vegetable laksa at Penang House is hard to go past - filled to the brim with fresh, crisp vegies, this bowl of fragrant soup is just oozing with flavour.

The satay sauce that comes with the roti bread also deserves a favourable mention, so too does the roti bread that comes with it. However, I would probably give the pan fried pork dumplings a miss - it's not that they were terrible, they were just "meh" and probably not worth the calories.

For the laksa alone, Penang Road would have to be one of my new go-to spots on Clarendon Street - a must if you're in the neighbourhood and are in the mood for Malaysian cuisine.

Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Venue: 3/5
Total: 10/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon.

177 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne

 

Oter

Coda and Tonka often feature in my top 10 restaurants of Melbourne - so it's fair to say that I was pretty excited when I heard that the team behind these incredible restaurants were opening up sister restaurant Oter. Offering contemporary French inspired cuisine, Oter is situated on the golden mile of Melbourne's restaurants, nestled just off Flinders Lane. With its simplistic and elegant design, the restaurant itself offers a sleek and sophisticated vibe.

Whilst Oter does offer a 5 course Chef's Menu for $95pp, on this occasion we opted for the al a carte menu and chose the following dishes to share:

Flounder, Spinach, Lemon Puree, Champagne Cream

 

Braised Eggplant, Almond Gazpacho, Espelette Pepper

 

Kangaroo, Cherry Ketchup, Braised Radish and Pink Pepper

 

Rangers Valley Skirt with Onion and Grilled Mushroom

 

Broccoli and Macadamia with Garlic Crumb

 

Poutine with Cheese Curd and Chives

The flounder was nice, but was by no means my favourite dish of the night. The spinach was quite bitter which I though overwhelmed the delicate flesh of the flounder, and the skin on the flounder was quite soggy.



Flounder with Spinach, Lemon Puree and Champagne Cream

The skirt steak was cooked to perfection and was plated beautifully The kangaroo, however, was the dish of the day. On asking for our waiter's recommendation on what to order, he informed us that the kangaroo was hard to go past, with most diners coining it as the best kangaroo they have ever had.  I would have to agree - the meat almost had the same consistency of butter and just melted in the mouth, and went beautifully with the sweetness and acidity of the accompanying cherry ketchup.

Rangers Valley Skirt, Onion and Grilled Mushroom

Kangaroo with Cherry Ketchup, Braised Radish and Pink Pepper

Whilst  I would have liked the eggplant to be cooked just a smidgen longer (it was too tough to cut with the fork or spoon they provided with on the serving plate) the flavours on the plate were absolutely magnificent. The broccoli was another winner and was a delicious plate filled with an array of textures and flavours.

Braised Eggplant with Almond Gazpacho, Espelette and Pepper

Broccoli with Macadamia and Garlic Crumb

The Poutine felt like a peculiar menu item amongst all of the refined and decadent menu options - however it was definitely a delicious choice and added almost a playful element to our overall menu.

Poutine

Whilst it wasn't quite up there with the likes of Tonka or Coda just yet, it was still an absolutely delicious meal and I will definitely be back.

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

The Richmond Club Hotel

The Richmond Club Hotel is pretty famous for its night life - packed to the rafters most Friday and Saturday nights, it's a favourite among the locals.  It also has an incredible venue - multiple stories, indoor and outdoor spaces and a plethora of seating arrangements.  But I never really knew  whether its food was any good?

It was a hungover Monday after Labour Day Sunday, so we were looking for some hearty (and hopefully not too healthy) tucker. The menu itself is what you'd expect from a traditional pub menu - we're talking burgers, parmas and a couple of good steaks on the menu.  On this occasion we ordered the crispy calamari and the Chilli Con Carne Nachos.

Being a pub, I didn't have the highest expectations for the crispy calamari - expecting it to be on the tough and/or dull side. But it was nothing of the sort - tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, it was perfectly cooked and deliciously seasoned.

Next up was the Chilli Con Carne Nachose. Whilst the guac tasted a touch like the cheap store bought dip, and it probably spent a touch too long in the oven (where's my gooey cheese??), it wasn't a terrible dish and was definitely edible.

With its decent price tag, great vibe and friendly staff, I would not be opposed to heading back to Richmond Club Hotel for a meal.

Venue: 3.5/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 10.5/15
Like - get around to trying it at some point

Po' Boy Quarter

Whether its the hearty servings or the robust flavours, there's something awfully comforting about New Orleans cuisine - and Po' Boy Quarter is no exception. With its origins stemming from food truck "Gumbo Kitchen", from Cajun battered catfish to fried green tomato, Po' Boy Quarter in Fitzroy serves up all of the New Orleans classics

As much as the gumbo caught my eye, I couldn't go past trying New Orleans's historical Po' Boy, specifically the Deep Fried Chicken Po' Boy with buttermilk marinated Cajun Spice chicken,  Cajun slaw, pickles, Louisiana hot sauce and Creole Mayo. Whilst the bread was a touch tough (and there was a lot of it), the chicken was still juicy and seasoned well, and the slaw was flavoursome (although I think they forgot the hot sauce on my roll).

 

Luckily my friends were willing to share the chilli cheese fries as they were not only huge but delicious. In my view, they are perfectly delicious as they are and don't require the addition of pulled pork or Andouille which will likely be offered.  

The service is slightly confusing - on walking on in we weren't sure whether we were meant to go up and order, or whether someone would come to us. It was also tricky to get someone's attention to place our order and ask for our bill (even though there were only like 5 people in there). But the service was still friendly, and the food delicious, so I'll definitely be back even if it's just to try the gumbo.

Food: 3/5
Service: 2.5/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Total: 9/15
Total: Like - get around to trying it at some point

295 Smith Street, Fitzroy

Long Chim

Long Chim is the new kid on the block - surrounded by the type of hype and publicity that's expected when one starts paying the exuberant rent of waterfront Southbank, it is fair to say that there was a buzz of excitement on walking in.  Unfortunately, if I had to sum up Long Chim in a word it would be "disappointing". The venue itself is pretty incredible - offering upstairs, downstairs or patio seating - it's the perfect spot to watch Southbank wander by or the fire show Crown puts on every hour. But the up-sides pretty much end there.

 Firstly, the service isn't great. Being the first one to arrive for our booking, I was told to walk up the stairs to find our table - on there being no free tables (and no one to assist), I walked backed down the stairs to see what was going on. I was then told to walk back up the stairs as my table was supposably on the left - so I walked back up the stairs - no free table, so went back down the stairs. This time, I made someone walk up the stairs with me to show me where my table was and surprise, surprise, there wasn't a free table for me. 5 minutes later I was seated on the patio - at least I had worked up an appetite.

The next person of our booking arrives - but we are still waiting on one more. Nonetheless, a waitress comes over to start walking us through the menu and tells us what the specials are. On telling her that we were still waiting for one more (who was only 5 minutes late), that still didn't stop her - she was obviously expecting us to pass on this information to our third diner of that night.

Secondly, don't go to Long Chim if you're on a budget.  I'm talking $30 for stir fried Chinese broccoli.  And yes, whilst I don't usually shy away from spending my pay check on food, you at least want it to be delicious. Unfortunately that wasn't the case here.

The chive cakes ($18) were doughy and flavourless.  The only redeeming feature of the plate was the sauce - but there was definitely not enough of it to save these tasteless morsels.

The mashed prawns in the Mashed Prawn Curry ($38) was obviously just an excuse to get away with serving up just one prawn cut into tiny little pieces in a near $40 bowl of curry.

The prawns in the Pad Thai ($34) were overcooked - which was a shame as the noodles were otherwise delicious.

The flavours in the grilled lamb ribs ($38) were exceptional and paired beautifully with the pickles on the plate.  The meat, however, was tough and was definitely didn't want to come off the bone.

Long Chim - you better pick up your game because at this rate I will not be back.

Food: 2/5
Service: 1.5/5
Venue: 4/5
Total: 7.5/15
Verdict: Don't bother - it's not worth the price tag.