The Hardware Societe

The Hardware Societe is without a doubt a Melbourne institution for breakfast goers.  Following in the steps of true Melbourne form, it is situated down a quaint little laneway just off Lonsdale Street. 

Being such a Melbourne icon, it came to my surprise that there wasn't a line of people queuing out the door on the morning that I went (indeed, the venue was only half full). That being said, it was a blistery cold morning, and a Monday at that, which likely explains the lack of patrons. This fact, however, was only a bonus for me as within seconds of my arrival I was seated and had ordered a strong coffee and a croque monsieur.

The coffee was exceptional as always (instant death in Melbourne if that's not the case).  However, the croque monsieur was unfortunately tasty but not exceptionally delicious. The overall sandwich was a tad dry (a dash more béchamel would have helped) and lacked in any sort of acidity to offset the  richness of the dish (tomatoes in the side salad perhaps). Nonetheless, it was a satisfying meal that kept me full well into the day.

 

The venue itself is not the cosiest of places (albeit, this probably wasn't helped by the fact that I was placed right beside the constantly opened front door).  With its sterile colours and butterfly feature walls (which remind me of a children's hospital ward), the odd attempt at quirkiness (e.g. teacup lined walls) failed to give the venue a homely feel. Overall, though, it was a pleasant experience and not a venue that I would be opposed to going back to in the future.

Service: 3.5/5
Food: 3.5/5
Décor: 3.5/5
Total: 10.5/15
Verdict: Like - try it at some point.

Captain Baxter

Situated within the St Kilda Sea Bath's complex, and overlooking St Kilda beach, Captain Baxter is often coined one of Melbourne's top destinations for a hot summer's night.  However, with its incredible views and mouth-watering menu, it seemed like Saturday-night-worthy option for a cold winter's (well, technically Spring's) night.

With its indoor DJ, dimmed mood lighting and standing area at the bar, Captain Baxter definitely rocks a weekend vibe.  This is beautifully complimented with the stunning light features and orchard adorned wooden tables that make up the main dining area. 

Captain Baxter's Asian inspired menu is designed to be shared (luckily, considering the number of delectable items to choose from) and, in the sharing spirit, we started with the scallop and shitake dumplings with black vinegar and sesame chili oil ($12). Unfortunately the dumplings were incredibly salty and lacked in any great amount of scallop -  not a dish I would recommend.  

To follow we had the Vietnamese fried fish tacos with pickled veg and wheat tortillas ($24.50) and the glazed duck pancakes with cucumber, spring onion and spicy plum sauce ($25).  The flavours on the fish taco platter were amazing - think spicy wasabi mayo, paired with tangy pickled radish and avocado cream. However, the fish was unfortunately over battered and over fried, meaning that there wasn't much fish left in the crunchy little morsels.

In clever move by Captain Baxter, the glazed duck pancakes came out with the duck still on the leg for us to shred, leaving the meat tender and juicy coming straight off the bone - well played Captain Baxter! However, the pancakes themselves were extremely disappointing -  thick and floury, they took away from the brilliance of the rest of the dish.

The staff at Captain Baxter were one of the highlights of the night - friendly, attentive and helpful, they were  across the restaurant's food and wine menus and were a definite attribute to the restaurant.

Whilst the food on this occasion was underwhelming, and the cold wintery weather gave it a subdued vibe, Captain Baxter's remains a promising Summer night drinking hole (but may keep this place in the pocket for the warmer months only).

Food: 2/5
Service: 5/5
Décor: 4/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Like - worth a try at some point
 

Jinda Thai 

It's no secret that Jinda Thai is one of Melbourne's best Thai restaurants. Nestled in an alleyway near North Richmond station, it would be easy to blink twice and miss this bustling Thai establishment.

With its exposed brick walls, large white wooden framed windows, packed share tables, and modern open steel kitchen, this industrial style venue has a homely but lively dinner vibe. 

Filled with popular Thai curries, stir-fries and rice noddle dishes (all at a very reasonably price), the menu itself is what you'd expect from a traditional Melbourne Thai restaurant. But the food itself was far from the every day Thai - fresh, vibrant and just bursting with flavour.

Whilst a curry puff is generally just a curry puff - Jinda Thai's curry puff ($7.90) took the dish to a whole new level.  Crisp on the outside and delectably spiced on the inside, the little puff was far from oily and was complimented beautifully with its accompanying peanut sauce.

 

For mains we shared the Thai green curry ($16.90) and the chicken and cashew nut stir-fry ($16.90).  Whilst the stir-fry usually came with 'crispy' lightly fried chicken, the staff didn't hesitate to accommodate my fellow diner's gluten intolerance, replacing the chicken with a non-fried version.  The fried chicken, however, definitely was not missed, as the crispness of the fresh vegies added the needed dimension of texture to the dish. 

The Thai green curry was up there with one of the best I have had in Melbourne - fragrant and deliciously creamy, (but not overpoweringly so) with the perfect amount of heat that was left lingering on the tastebuds.

 

Jinda Thai is famous for its pandan and milk tea cakes ($8.50).  Considering that I wasn't even sure what pandan was (I have since discovered it is a tropical plant), I thought I should definitely give it a try.  Accompanied by coconut ice-cream (which was actually my favourite part of the dish) the cake was soft and gooey with an interesting, almost green tea like flavour.  I enjoyed it, and admired it for its uniqueness, but by no means am I in a rush to go back to try some more.

Bucking away from the Melbourne trend, Jinda Thai takes bookings for lunch and dinner sittings.  As the secret has long been out as to the quality of its food, I would highly recommend making one if wanting to avoid the long line of people queuing out the door.

Service: 4/5

Venue: 4/5

Food: 4/5 

Total 12/15
Verdict: Love - rush out and try it soon

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