Prahan Hotel

With its iconic round windows, dining table come dance floor and gorgeous outdoor courtyard, Prahan Hotel is a favourite among Melbournites - but would you ever eat there?  Well we certainly did and, in a word, it was 'nice'. 

After finding ourselves a seat (please book if you want to eat there!) I decided to opt for the more traditional pub fare and went for the chicken schnitzel burger with cheese, slaw and hot sauce ($23). The chicken was cooked well but could have done with more seasoning, and the burger itself was sparse on the spicy sauce, making it lack in the necessary zing to liven up the dish.  However, the chips that accompanied the burger were well seasoned and delicious and the overall meal definitely filled me up. 

Whilst I may have just been a victim of poor ordering, the meal I had at Prahan Hotel was rather underwhelming for the $23 price-tag.  That being said, if you're feeling peckish after an afternoon of drinking and you find yourself there anyway, what's a bit of hot sauce between friends when your taste buds are tipsy?

Food: 2.5/5

Decor: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5
Total: 10/15

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

What Da Pho

With a venue as funky as its name, this South Melbourne Vietnamese hawker style restaurant has been an instant hit with its patrons since it opened its doors a year or two ago.

Whilst the pho doesn't quite make it under the $10 mark (Wat Da Pho's classic beef pho sitting at $10.80) its definitely still value for money. With its fragrant broth (that's not too salty!), generous lashings of tender thinly sliced beef and all the usual sides - this dish is one that's definitely worth coming back for!

With its vibrant colours and abundance of fresh ingredients, the lemon grass beef salad also looked like an exceptional option. 

Whilst Summer doesn't necessarily conjure up cravings of a big hot steaming bowl of pho, Wat Da Pho's outdoor seating area is definitely a draw card for the warmer nights - but then perhaps one of their delicious looking salads will be a more tempting option. 

Food: 4/5

Decor: 3.5/5

Service: 4/5

Total: 11.5/15

Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon 
 

Mr Nice Guy

Mr Nice Guy is a café-style restaurant which just oozes with character. With its mosaic tiled tables, assorted coloured chairs and rustic mirrored walls, the venue dishes out a funky vibe as soon as you walk through the multi-coloured panelled front door.

Unfortunately the food on this occasion was not as memorable as the décor.  To eat I had the Thai Green curry with brown rice.  Whilst the curry sauce itself was delicious and fragrant, the vegetables were undercooked (anyone have a steak knife handy?) and the chicken was terribly gristly - overall, a very average dish! Although, kudos on having the option of ordering brown rice over white (hint...hint fellow Melbourne Thai restaurants).

Whilst I have never had been to Mr Nice Guy for dinner, word on the street is that it is a very different dining experience to that of the lunch sitting. Lifting the menu to the likes of crispy pork belly with oyster sauce foam (that's right, foam!), it is definitely on the list to try in the future.

Service: 2.5/5
Décor: 4/5
Food: 2/5
Total: 8.5

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point (but perhaps stay away from the Thai Green curry and opt for their delicious take on Pad Thai!)

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