Belluno

Situated at the bottom of Collins Square on the cusp of Docklands, and serving up a range of wines by thr glass, cocktails and boozy affagatos, Italian inspired restaurant Belluno was born for the long business lunch.

On this occasion I tried the Spaghetti Aglio Olio with garlic, chilli, bacon, parmesan and pangrattato ($18). The pasta was cooked to perfection, which worked well with the simple flavours of the dish. The bacon was too fatty for my liking, but otherwise a tasty dish. 

The affogato with frangelico was definitely a highlight of the lunch - so simple, but yet so effective, it’s a surprise it doesn’t appear on more restaurants’ menus. The service was also a highlight - friendly and attentive, it made our lunch all the more enjoyable.

 Tasty food, friendly service and aperol sprit’s on offer, it won’t be the last time I visit Belluno.

Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Value for money: 3.5/5
Total: 14/20

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

Fatto

When I heard Fatto was offering bottomless pasta for $30, I thought I had died and gone to carb heaven. For the month of June, Southbank’s Italian inspired restaurant Fatto is serving up bottomless Orieccette with broccoli, anchovy, chili and garlic, Tagliatelle with red wine braised beef chin, Rigatoni Amatricana and Spaghetti aglio.

The actual pasta in all four of the dishes was the standout - clearly homemade and cooked al dente. The flavours in the Oriecette, Tagliatte and Spaghetti were also pretty tasty - although all were improved with an extra dash of chili and seasoning.

Unfortunately the table's consensus on the Amatricana was that it tasted a lot like a can of SPC spaghetti. And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the trustee tin of spag - but perhaps not while I'm out to dinner.

The service also wasn’t so great - our waitress provided a vague and confusing explanation of how the menu worked, there was no explanation of what dishes of pasta they were literally "dumping" on our table, and not a smile to be seen in sight.  

Was it the best pasta I’ve had in Melbourne? Well, no - but it was tasty and cooked well (and you can do a lot of damage for $30) - so definitely worth giving a try at some point if you’re ridiculously hungry and on a budget. 

Food: 4/5

Service: 2/5

Venue: 3.5/5

Value for money: 4/5

Total: 13.50/20

Verdict: like - get around to trying at some point 

 

Pho Dzung Noodle Shop

While it’s not hard to find a Vietnamese restaurant in Melbourne, it is hard to find a big steaming bowl of delicious vegetable pho. Luckily, Pho Dzung City Noodle Shop on Russel Street has it covered. 

Offering 21 different types of pho (including tripe and tendon for the more adventurous type), and serving up dishes of lemon, beansprouts, Thai basil and chilli before you even get a chance to place your order, it's becomes pretty clear quickly that people only come here for one reason only - the pho.

Whilst not technically pho (which I understand has to be made with beef broth), the vegetable noodle soup with chicken stock ($15) was one of the best Veggie (fake) phos I’ve had in Melbourne. It’s good mix of veggies, use of fresh produce and delicious fragrant stock made it a dish that I would definitely come back for.



And something else that Pho Dzung excels in is options - not only does it offer 21 different types of pho, it offers both a chicken and a vegetarian stock for the vegetable pho, and the option of small, medium or large in serving sizes.

If you’re in the mood for pho, then I would definitely recommend Pho Dzung.

Food: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Total: 15/20
Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon