Pelican Restaurant 

With its delicious food, excellent service and convenient location, I was surprised that I hadn't been to, or indeed even heard of, Pelican Restaurant before - but what an exceptional surprise to find such a gem for dinner on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. 

Walking into the venue I didn't have the highest expectations - it was cosy enough with its wooden features and dim mood lighting, but there were only a handful of patrons scattered around the restaurant, which is never a good sign on a Saturday night.  However, the staff were friendly and appeared to have an excellent grasp on their food and wine list - so it didn't take long for the night to start looking up.
 

To eat we shared the chorizo and fennel croquettes with smoked paprika aioli,  pork sliders, jerk chicken with quinoa, burghal, mint and cranberry salad, pulled lamb with tomato salsa and fennel seed flatbread and patatas bravas.  

The croquettes were  some of the best croquettes I have ever had - perfectly crunchy on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside - these little balls of goodness was just bursting with flavour.  The pork sliders, a Pelican special of the night, were also bursting with flavour.  Whilst there is often a risk with pork sliders (there has been many a time where I have had a sub-standard, dry, one-dimensional slider) these delicious morsels were filled with crunch and flavour.

With its juicy chicken and fragrant quinoa (which had the occasional burst of sweetness from the cranberries) the jerk chicken was another exceptional dish. The lamb was also cooked well and had a delicious zesty undertone, which worked well with the richness of the meat and the accompanying fennel flat bread.

The patatas bravas were the most disappointing meal of the night.  Whilst they were not horrible, the potatoes lacked crunch and the overall dish was lacking flavour. 
 

Whether we were just lucky with what we had ordered, or whether the food is indeed exceptional, Pelican Restaurant in St Kilda is one of the latest restaurants to make it onto my list of recommendations.

Food: 4/5
Décor: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11.5/15
  Verdict: Love  - rush out and try it soon

Counting House

Situated in an old post office just off the main street in Mornington, the Counting House would have to be one of my favourite restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula.  With its roaring fire, elegant décor and country cottage feel, it is the perfect lunch venue for a cold wintery day. 

Its lunch special is incredible value - two courses and a glass of wine for $35. On this occasion I had the mushroom and goats cheese croquettes, followed by the prawn and mushroom tagliatelle. The croquettes, whilst cooked well, lacked seasoning and could have done with a touch more goats cheese to give it an extra zing. The tagliatelle, however, was exceptional.  Both the homemade pasta and the prawns were cooked to perfection and the rose sauce was just bursting with flavour. 

If you find yourself down in Mornington and looking for a delicious feed in front of a roaring fire, I would highly recommend giving the Counting House a try.

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Décor: 5/5
Total: 12.5 / 15

Verdict: Love - rush out and try it soon

Saint and Rogue

With its mahogany interior, chesterfield booths and warm welcoming vibe, Saint & Rogue reminds me of an up - market pub you would find in an Australian country town.  Whilst the CBD is definitely not lacking in pubs or hotel options for lunch time dining, Saint & Rogue is definitely one of the better pubs I have tried.

Saint & Rogue offers an extensive traditional pub menu (think chicken parmas / steak sandwiches) and to eat I had the pie of the day - chicken and vegetables in white wine.  Whilst the pie usually comes with mashed potato and peas, the staff were kind enough to satisfy my hankering for chips and replaced my mash for a delicious serve of fried chippy goodness.

The filling of the pie was bursting with flavour and its pastry top was light and fluffy.  Unfortunately, the texture of the pie wasn't quite right and was rather watery - it needed a touch more thickening in order to be classified as a pie and not a soup with a pastry lid.

Two of my dining companions tried the petite chicken parma and said it was delicious. Personally I think it is an exceptional idea to offer a half of a parma over lunch - especially when you don't want to go back to your desk feeling like you have half just eaten half a chicken.
 

Overall, if you are looking for a decent pub meal in the CBD that is reasonably priced, I would recommend giving Saint & Rogue a go.

Food: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Décor: 4/5
Total: 10.5 / 15
Verdict: like - worth a try at some point

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Rice Paper Scissors

Rice Paper Scissors is a South East Asian inspired hawker dining bar situated on Liverpool Street in Melbourne. With it's mouth watering menu and incredible prices to match, Rice Paper Scissors is a must go to if in the mood for Asian cuisine.

Still bustling at 3pm on a Sunday, the venue unquestionably had a Melbourne laneway feel with its high-topped wooden benches, jam -packed bar seating, and bicycles / eclectic paintings adorning the walls.

It is difficult to go past the five share dishes for $55 altogether (that's right, only $27.50 each!).  Whilst on this occasion I was feeling too fragile to take advantage of their drinks list (it was a Sunday after all) I should also mention that the cocktail list looked spectacular and I will definitely be hitting up the Mang-koh Samui (gin, Cointreau, mango juice and thai basil topped with soda) on my next occasion.

The twice cooked sticky pork belly in a tamarind caramel sauce, topped with a herb salad, was the dish of the day - sweet juicy sticky pork paired with a deliciously fresh and fragrant salad, this dish was spectacularly mouth watering.  The steamed pork buns were also deserving of a special mention and came a close second to the pork belly. There is something about the fluffiness of the bun, the tang of the sauce and the crunch of the pork belly that gets me every time when it comes to a good pork bun.

The Thai fried chicken wings and Crispy Coconut Wafer were also delicious and packed full of flavour.  Whilst I will not be rushing back just to order these dishes (I couldn't help comparing the chicken wings to Gingerboy's which are amongst the best I have ever had), they were far from disappointing.

We also had a special of the day - beef cheeks cooked in coconut milk - which was unfortunately average.  Overall the dish was bland and lacked any flavour.  However, with four out of the five dishes being exceptionally delicious, it is still a venue I hope to return to soon.  

Rice Paper Scissors does not take bookings for dinner so I would recommend getting in early for an evening meal.  Otherwise, if you are like me and think it is outrageous (selfishly so) that Longrain and Gingerboy are closed for a Sunday lunch  -  Rice Paper Scissors is the perfect place for a delicious weekend lunch if you happen to find yourself in the city

Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Décor: 4/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon.
 

Rosa's Canteen

Sister restaurant to Rosa's Kitchen, Rosa's Canteen is cleverly placed in the legal district. Perfect for a mid week lunch, this bustling Italian restaurant has become a favourite to many for a deliciously cooked bowl of pasta.

With its open kitchen, wooden tables and floorboards, and sweeping glass windows that extend across the restaurant, Rosa's Canteen has an elegant but smart casual vibe.

In terms of the menu, with its vibrant sauce (with just a tease of chilli) and perfectly cooked al dente pasta,  the penne amitriciana is an exceptional choice.

Also, whilst a carbonara can often be a risky choice (think scrambled eggs with pasta / bland thick cream on pasta / so overly creamy that it makes you feel ill by the end pasta), Rosa's Canteen's cabornara is exactly what a good carbonara should be - no cream, deliciously cheesy and packed full of flavour whilst not being too heavy. 

Perfect for a business lunch, or a lunch with the girls, if looking for a mid week lunch spot in the CBD I would highly recommend making a booking at Rosa's Canteen .

Food: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Décor: 4/5

Total: 12.5/15

Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

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Borsch Vodka and Tears

Styled after a Krakow cellar bar, Borsch, Vodka and Tears used to be on the list of faves.  Unfortunately, when visiting this restaurant with a group of friends last week, the food turned out to be quite disappointing.

To eat we shared the polish gnocchi, pierogi (polish dumplings), 12 hour roast pork, lamb croquettes, cevapici (skinless sausages) and saganaki.

The polish dumplings filled with beef, chicken, herbs and spices, then topped with bacon, were my favourite dish of the night.  I have a soft spot for polish dumplings and these definitely didn't disappoint - fluffy on the outside and full of flavour on the inside.
The lamb croquettes and cevapici, however,  were both just 'okay' -  the meat in both dishes were dry and the flavours quite bland.



Lamb croquettes

The saganaki was good (but how hard is it to muck up fried cheese) and the 12 hour roast pork itself was rather delicious - but unfortunately that's all it was - delicious pork and a bit of dry bread.

Saganaki

12 hour roast pork

Whilst sounding delicious, the pan fried gnocchi with 5 mushroom ragout, truffle oil and spinach was edible but nothing special - according to one of my dinner companions, it tasted like a can of Campbell's mushroom soup which, in my view, was a pretty spot on assessment of the dish. 

However, the drinks list at Borsch Vodka and Tear's is absolutely exceptional. The vodka menu is a novel in itself and would be a heavenly read for any vodka lover.  This fact, combined with the friendly service and previous exceptional experiences I've had at this restaurant, is enough for me to give this place another shot in the future (but I will definitely be ordering different dishes next time!)

Service: 3.5/5

Décor: 3/5

Food: 2.5/5

Total: 9/15

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

Longrain

Longrain is the type of restaurant that I could easily eat at every night of the week. Their dishes are always spectacular and their service is always amazing.

Whilst in typical Melbourne form there is usually a line out of the door, it usually doesn't take long to be seated at the bar for one of their sensational cocktails while waiting for a table - and trust me, it is definitely worth the wait!

To eat we shared the eggnet, coconut poached chicken and seared tuna. The eggnet filled with pork, prawns, peanuts and caramelised coconut was delicious - incredible textures and cleverly presented, this eggnet is one of Longrain's signature dishes.  A hot tip from the night is that even though it's not on the menu, the eggnet also comes in a smaller size (which is what we ordered - a great idea if you want to make more room in the tummy for more dishes on the menu!).

I was slightly hesitant at ordering the coconut poached chicken with green papaya and Vietnamese mint  (how good can chicken be?) but I was pleasantly surprised.  The chicken itself was moist and flavoursome (the bones were a bit of struggle though so perhaps I wouldn't recommend this dish if on a hot date) and the jalapenos in the papaya salad lifted the whole dish and gave it delicious sweet but spicy bursts of flavour.

The last dish we tried was a special of the night - seared tuna.  The tuna was absolute melt in the mouth and the zingy salad on top was the perfect companion. 

As the venue is mainly shared tables - I wouldn't recommend this place if wanting to share your deepest darkest secrets with your dinner companion.  Otherwise, with its absolutely spectacular mouth-watering dishes, Longrain definitely deserves the title of being the new fave.

Décor: 4/5
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Total: 13.5/15
Verdict: the new fave - put it as number one on your to do list.