Kong

Brother to Chin Chin's and Baby Pizza, Kong had been on the 'To Do' list for far too long.  Situated on Church Street, this Richmond establishment has a similar 'walk-in' dining policy to Chin Chin's: no bookings - just show up, put your name down and head to PA's for a drink while you wait (well, PA's isn't exactly a requirement, but its definitely worth the pre-dinner drink).

For a Saturday night, the wait for Kong was very reasonable.  Arriving at 7:00pm, it was only half an hour before Kong made the call to say our table was ready. 

Rather than navigate our way through the mouth watering menu filled with delicious Korean treats, we decided to opt for the "Feed Me" option. 

To start with, the six of us shared the wood fired edamame with chilli and sea salt, the wagyu beef and kimchi dumplings, the spicy pork belly buns with pickled cucumber and the Korean fried chicken wings with honey, garlic and sesame.

The pork belly bun was the  dish of the night - with its crispy crackling, offset by the creaminess of the pork, the freshness of the cucumber and the kick of the chilli, it was a taste sensation with every bite.

Korean fried chicken wings

Wagyu beef dumplings

We were then served the Kong Bossam BBQ Tray, which consisted of pulled chicken and pork, pork belly, beef brisket, lettuce, pickles and kimchi.  The meat was delicious and juicy, and paired beautifully with the crisp and fragrant condiments.  But with its limited meat portions, it was a very tricky dish to share between 6 (anyone want to go quarters in a small piece of brisket?) Luckily, our meat cravings were soon put to bay as we were served up Kalbi Short Beef ribs, with cabbage spicy slaw on the side.

BBQ Tray

 

Beef Ribs

At this point, the food had all been exceptional and it was just starting to hit the edges of our hungry stomachs - which is why we were surprised when we were told by the staff that that was it for the night.  Excuse me?? The "feed me" option is $66 a head, and at this point our dishes had only equated to $33 a head (calculated to include the desert which was soon to come) - quite the bargain for Kong and quite the rip off for diners! To the benefit of Kong, they were happy to provide us with a couple more dishes (BBQ corn and salmon), but it is disappointing that the $33 deal is what the usual diner would get. 

To finish with we had apple and walnut tart with miso butterscotch and Japanese whiskey ice cream, and black sesame ice cream  - both dishes were tasty, but not overly memorable. 

Nonetheless, with its exceptional food and friendly staff, Kong is without a doubt a noteworthy member of the Lucas Group.   

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Décor: 3.5/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

Cecconi's

Cecconi's on Flinders Lane is the New Fave...well, at least the New Fave in Italian cuisine.

Cecconi's is separated into two sections - a restaurant (think white table cloths and dark mood lighting) and a cellar bar (more reminiscent of an Italian kitchen with its wooden tabletops and black and white pictures adorning the walls). On choosing to dine at the cellar bar, we quickly realised that neither the service, nor the quality of food, was compromised by choosing the more casual option.

To start with we shared the mushroom arancini with garlic aioli and the san deniele prosciutto with grissini.  The arancini were sensational - perfectly crisp on the outside, and deliciously gooey on the inside, these little balls were just bursting with flavour.

For the main I had the Gnocchi Bolognese - a dish so good that I cut each piece of gnocchi into about 6 slices so that I could savour the dish for longer.  The gnocchi was light and fluffy, and the Bolognese was rich and well seasoned. Topped off with some fresh parmesan cheese it was absolute perfection. 

For desert we shared the apple pie with hot salted caramel sauce.  It was honestly one of the best deserts I have ever had.  With its soft and well spiced chunks of apple, buttery morsels of homemade crumble, creamy cold ice cream and salty hot caramel sauce tying all of the flavours and textures together, this dish was devishly delicious!

Even if I just go back for the desert, I look forward to dining at Cecconi's again soon.

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Décor: 4/4
Total: 13/15
Verdict: The New Fave - put it as number one on the To Do list.

Cutler and Co

Often coined one of Melbourne's best restaurants, Cutler and Co is one of Andrew McConnell's creations nestled in on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy.  With spectacularly designed lights (reminiscent of Tonka's) hanging in a spacious but trendy modern industrial setting, the décor of this venue seamlessly reflects its location. 

Being my first visit to this restaurant, ordering the 6 course degustation ($130pp) with matching wines ($85pp) wasn't an option - it was a necessity. 

Menu Selection

 

Bonito escabeche, fromage blanc and bottarga

 

Nettle soup, handpicked spanner crab and rye

 

Turbot, brown butter and pickled onion

 

Manjimup truffle and parmesan tart, dandelion

 

Braised short rub, smoked oyster and pepper sauce

 

Whipped ricotta cake, soft chocolate, sour cream and clementine

  

Before the degustation commenced, we were served a smoked cod soup.  Overpowered by the taste of fish, one sip of this soup was enough for many of the diners on my table.

Luckily the bonito escabeche, fromage blanc and bottarga was exceptional.  The fish was soft and silky and just melted in the mouth.  Paired beautifully with the crispiness of the wafers and the creaminess of the fromage blanc, its fresh flavours and vibrant colours made it a delightful start to the menu.  However, the nettle soup was not so much to my liking.  Whilst the crab was juicy and clearly cooked well,  the flavours of the nettle soup did not resonate with my taste buds (haunted by memories of stinging nettle perhaps?) - which is likely more reflective of my personal tastes than of the quality of the dish. 



Bonito, escabeche, fromage blanc and bottarga

Nettle soup, handpicked spanner crab and rye



 

Moist and flaky with a crispy skin, the turbot that came with brown butter and pickled onion was also cooked well. 

 



 

Turbot, brown butter and pickled onion

 

The Manijimup truffle and Parmesan tart was my favourite dish of the night. Deliciously rich and just oozing with flavour, it matched perfectly with the accompanying wine which cut through the richness of the dish.  However, had I not ordered the matching wines, this dish could have easily fallen into the "too rich" list.  The braised short rib was also very rich and, whilst the rib was perfectly cooked, with its earthy tones and astringent flavours (it felt a bit like I was eating crispy shrubbery), it was a unique experience for my taste buds.

 

Manjimup truffle and parmesan tart, dandelion

Braised short rib, smoked oyster and pepper sauce

As I am allergic to chocolate (outrageous but true!) Cutler and Co kindly replaced the whipped ricotta cake with an apple confit with burnt butter icecream and salted caramel.  The ice cream was smooth and creamy, however the overall dish  was surprisingly bitter.  My dinner companions, however, raved about the whipped ricotta cake - one person even said that it was the best desert they have ever had. 

Whilst the staff were knowledgeable and friendly, they weren't overly attentive - taking longer than I would have expected for them to take our order and to offer us a glass of wine.  The Sommelier's selection of matching wines were, however, exceptional.  Whilst there is an option of a premium selection ($125), the classic selection ($85) was more than satisfactory and went well beyond my expectations, offering a delectable (and very generous) range of local and international wines. 

As a Melbourne institute, it is a given that Cutler and Co should be on most peoples' To Do Lists.  Whilst it is not the New Fave, I do look forward to returning to this restaurant at some point to try a different degustation menu.

Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Décor: 4/5
Total: 12/15
Verdict: Love - rush out and try it soon

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.