Category: Reviews

No. 8 By John Lawson

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No. 8 By John Lawson

Respect. That’s what I have for John Lawson. The man and skills behind the newly launched No. 8 at Crown Melbourne. Why you ask? Because his beautiful creations are all driven & inspired by the fresh produce he has around him. In fact, his cooking revolves around sustainably produced ingredients that he can find around locally from Victorian farmers. BY doing that, he is proudly celebrating what Victoria has to offer. How great is that? Absolutely amazing!

John Lawson

John loves using ingredients that are not widely used, and in fact, a lot of the produce are exclusively grown and bred for No. 8 by John Lawson! These are definitely highlighted by the freshness and vibrance of each dish. And oh… have I mentioned how amazing it is?

Launch of No. 8 By John Lawson

I was so lucky to be invited to the launch of No. 8 by John Lawson and you can imagine how happy my belly was by the end of the night. Not to mention the beautifully paired wines we had with each course, I was definitely a very happy girl. The moment I sat down, I was greeted by a flute of Moët & Chandon champagne. Mmmm (: Bubbly!

flute of champagne

Shortly after, the feasting began! To start off, we were served a beautiful potato, honey and rosemary bread with seaweed butter.

Potato, honey and rosemary bread with seaweed butter

This bread was made by EDS Breads exclusively for No. 8 by John Lawson and it was seriously one of the best breads I’ve had! It was the first time I’ve had a potato flour bread and when you think potato, you would think heavy and dense. But this was nothing like that at all. In fact, the total opposite! It was soft, fluffy and light! Every bite you take, you would be able to taste the honey and the rosemary. Everyone loved it and even though we knew we would be stuffed by the end of the night, we asked (politely of course! haha) for more bread in the middle of the courses! AMAZEBALLS as some would say! hehe

Flowerdale Farm spring salad

The entree arrived and it was like a plate of edible garden. The Flowerdale Farm spring salad had a bed of wheat berries, topped with baby carrots, sunflower shoots and almond mushrooms.

Wheat berries

It was the first time I’ve had eaten wheat berries, and they had a similar texture to barley, but just a tad bit chewier. The almond mushrooms were grown exclusively for No. 8 by John Lawson and had a subtle almond flavour to it. Was so intriguing! John explained to us that when cooked, the nuttier flavour is more pronounced and had tones of the truffle. Yum!

Sunflower shoots

See the micro greens? They are sunflower shoots that are once again grown exclusively for John by Flowerdale Farm and these micro greens are grown in the Yarra Valley and harvested after a short 7 days of growing. Might probably be just me, but I get excited by micro herbs on dishes. haha This dish was paired with the Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard 2013 Riesling.

Portland black and blue tuna

Next up was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The Portland black and blue tuna with black garlic, yuzu jam and fermented aged soy. This is a signature dish at No. 8 by John Lawson and I can definitely understand why!

Black and blue tuna

Black and blue was a clever play of words, where one side of the tuna is charred and the other side is left raw. So light and refreshing, with a subtle kick from the aged soy. This is one dish I would definitely come back for. With the sweetness of the baby radish and the thinly sliced daikon. Just divine! You could tell how good this dish was, cause there was a silence at the table and then an endless of “this is SO GOOD!” going around after we all tried it.

For the main, we were given a choice of duck or lamb. Which was an obvious choice for me, cause I’m not usually a big fan of lamb. So duck it was!

Milawa duck breast with shallot puree, asparagus and peas

The Milawa free range duck is once again bred exclusively for John (a cross of 5 different species of ducks, like WOW!) and are so tender, the meat just melts in your mouth! Cooked to medium rare to medium,  your teeth is first greeted by the crispy duck skin and then it sinks into the juicy, tender flesh. I was in heaven!

Pinot noir

To go with the beautiful dish is a glass of Pinot Noir (2011) from Bannockburn 1314 A.D. It was fruity and light, and definitely complimented this rich duck! When I saw this big glass, I couldn’t help but think of the Mr, cause he always wanted a glass like that! hehe And yes! He is a pinot noir fan! (:

Milawa duck breast

The duck breasts were sitting on smooth shallot puree with crunchy, fresh asparagus and peas, I could seriously eat this all night long!

Barwon River lamb shoulder

Even though I didn’t order the lamb shoulder, I was lucky enough to try it (Thanks Ash!) The lamb had no lamb-ey taste (if you know what I mean haha), which is the reason why I stay away from lamb. hehe So even for me, this was delicious! Being braised for 12 hours, it was really tender and is also one of the featured dishes at No. 8 By John Lawson! It was served with bush spice quinoa (yum!) and sheep’s yoghurt to just round it all off! Perfect!

After all the savouries, you know what’s coming yes? DESSERT! And no matter how full you are, I truly believe, there is always room for dessert! hehe And this place is definitely not a place you would want to skip the sweets. They are to-die-for!

Yoghurt and honey mousse

There were two options to choose from and I decided to go for the one I thought (and sounded) healthier. haha I mean, after all the indulgence I had for the night, it would be good to have yoghurt yes? ABSOLUTELY! It was everything I thought it would be and more!

yoghurt and honey mousse with lychee, blueberries and mango

Doesn’t it look like art on a plate? The vibrant colours of the seasonal fruits -lychees, blueberries, grapefruit and mango, contrasting the creamy yoghurt and honey mousse. Not to mention, all the fruits on the plate are my favourite! Finishing off with freeze dried raspberries! Before I got to dig in, a syrup was poured on and everything was gone within 5 minutes! haha

Yoghurt and honey mousse

The other dessert was a different take on the old school banana split!

Banana split

OMG. How good does this look? When it was placed on the table, it was love at first sight! This was definitely nothing like the old school banana split with the napoleon ice cream. This was WAY WAY WAY better! A beautifully rum caramelised baby banana served on homemade banana bread and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts. Ooh-la-la! This is one sexy dessert!

Banana split

I only had one bite and I was definitely in loveeee! hehe

White chocolate truffles

To top the night off, we were served some beautiful petit four of white chocolate truffles with toasted coconut and strawberry jam. These reminded me of a more delicious version of a lamington! hehe

Green tea

I also couldn’t resist ordering a pot of green tea just to make myself less guilty. haha

Everything was just amazing and it’s really hard for me to choose a favourite. But I have to say the one dish that makes me excited (even by looking at the photos) is the Milawa duck breasts! hehe It was definitely a fun-filled, delicious night and I have to say, it is very exciting to see a chef being so enthusiastic about fresh local produce! His passion is definitely inspiring!

So if you’re looking for a place to go and celebrate a special occasion or just want to treat yourself to something delicious, head to No. 8 by John Lawson and I can assure you that you would not be disappointed! In fact, there would be a Coldstream Hills wine dinner that would be held at No. 8 By John Lawson as part of the Good Food Month, so what better time than to head down there on the 14th of November? For more information, please click here.

So what are you waiting for? Head down and try the delicious food for yourself! hehe and oh, did I mention? We were lucky enough to be given a loaf of the delicious potato, honey and rosemary bread to enjoy it at home! Woohoo!

potato, honey and rosemary bread

This is one bread that John Lawson himself cannot stop talking about and it is through months of testing with baker Ed Parker. So you know, it would be delish! hehe So hurry! Make your bookings now!

Disclaimer : I was invited to the launch  by Media Moguls and No. 8 By John Lawson. All thoughts and opinions are based on my experience at the time of the visit. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience and opportunity!

No. 8 by John Lawson on Urbanspoon

Vogue Australia High Tea

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The Spring races are here! And the best way of celebrating this designer fashionista event is to dine in style! hehe The Langham Hotel has collaborated with Vogue Australia to come up with this beautiful designer Vogue High Tea! To me, high tea is a time to get together with your girlfriends to have tea, coffee, champagne and a spread of savouries and sweets! Of course, not forgetting the girly gossipy session to go with! haha Due to all the different work commitments, it’s really hard to arrange a meal, let alone to have High Tea. Fortunately for me, I had a date with the Sweet Queen (Miss D) herself at the Aria Bar & Lounge, The Langham Hotel, for the Vogue High Tea! I was so excited as it’s been a long long time since I had High Tea. Such a treat!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the warmest and friendliest staff, who brought us to our comfortable sofa seats and served us a flute of Domain Chandon NV Brut! I felt so classy and bubbly for the afternoon! Such a silly billy I am. But it doesn’t take much to make me happy, as you can tell. hehe

Paris tea

Of course, you can’t have a High Tea without having tea, can you? There was an extensive list of tea, but Miss D highly recommended the Paris tea. hehe It’s a blend of black teas with the hints of vanilla, fruit and lemony bergamot. We were told that this was a hot favourite with many customers!

Paris tea

I knew why after my first sip. It was nice and fruity, and and a very subtle taste of vanilla. Not overly tart or sharp. Perfect for the afternoon of treats! How pretty is the colour of the tea?

Hot chocolate

Daisy ordered a hot chocolate to start off, then an earl grey tea after! The hot chocolate was a tad bit too milky, and would be better if it was more chocolatey!

3 tiered displayed

Then the three tiered stand arrived. My eyes inevitably lit up and a wide grin on my face appeared! hehe How pretty is the stand?? I couldn’t wait to dig in!

sandwiches

We started from the bottom of savouries and worked our way to the top. There were 5 types of finger sandwiches : smoked salmon pin wheel, free range chicken, cucumber and cress, egg & mayonnaise, cream cheese & chive! My favourite was the smoked salmon and the chicken! Mmmm (: Thankfully I had a light lunch before, or else I wouldn’t have space for what’s to come! hehe

scones!

The second layer was my favourite of the layers! Freshly baked scones with clotted cream, butter and jam. The scones were absolutely divine! Crumbly outside and fluffy & moist on the inside! Just everything you would love in a scone. I think there is only one thing that goes perfectly well with scones and thats thick and luscious clotted cream! Ooh la la! At this point, there’s this phrase that just keeps ringing in my head “Once it’s on your lips, goes straight to your hips!” haha Well, who cares! It’s scones! Mmmm!

Scones

Now with scones, do you have the jam first or the cream first? To me, it has always been jam first then cream, but just for that day, I decided to try the other way around. To be perfectly honest, either way is still as delicious!!! haha But do you have a preference? hehe

Sweets

The top tier offers a range of beautiful sweets! Definitely was spoilt for choice and we didn’t know where to begin! We decided to start with the chocolate macarons, which were a tad bit too crispy for me. But the chocolate ganache was delish! Then we made our way through the Vogue strawberry eclair, lamington bonbons, lace cookies, very vanilla cupcakes and ended the afternoon with the salted caramel popcorn tarts that were YUMMILICIOUS!

top view of our sweets tier

I apologise for the yellow tinge of my photos! The yellow light was just right above the tier! hehe but this is a top view of our sweets spread. The lace cookie was so pretty! hehe

So dress up, and plan a day with your girlfriends! Head down to the Vogue high tea and enjoy a whole afternoon of indulgence and pampering in style! The high tea is held at the Aria Bar & Lounge in the Langham, from now till the 8th of November, from 10:30am to 4:30pm at $65 per head.

Book soon cause not long to go! (: We all deserve an afternoon like that for sure!

Disclaimer : I was invited by Daisy of Never Too Sweet and Langham to have the Vogue High Tea at the Aria Bar & Lounge, Langham. All thoughts and opinions are based on my experience at the time of the visit. Thanks so much for this opportunity and afternoon treat! 

Little Tommy Tucker

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It’s old news how much I adore having brunch. The one reason why I look forward to weekends and holidays! I get even more excited if we are checking out a new place, and it can only get better if the new place is near home! Little Tommy Tucker fits all criteria!

Interior of LTT

The moment you step through the doors, you are warmly welcomed by everyone, with wide smiles on their faces. Just feel so cosy and at ease, and you just know breakfast/brunch is going to be awesome. And indeed, it was. We went there through the recommendation of The Hums and decided to bring Jacky (our best man), Linda and the Ho Clan there for brunch!

Prana chai

What got me even more excited was that they served my favourite fresh chai! Prana chai! It’s the same type of deliciousness that Merchants Guild serves! YIPPEEE! Always the best way to start my morning. If you haven’t tried Prana Chai, I urge you to! You would love it! The only way to have chai latte is using fresh leaves and spices. In fact I’m gonna say, it should be the ONLY way cafes serve their chai!

hot chocolate

Melissa ordered her usual hot chocolate, and it was thick and chocolatey. I know it sounds funny, but there are some hot chocolates that are a little too milky, but this isn’t one of them. Mmmm!

latte

The Mr also had his usual latte. A good balance of sharpness and acidity! Although they didn’t have a large for dine-in, they suggested for the mr to have it in a take-away cup so he could get more of his caffeine fix!

Flat white

Jacky ordered a flat white and I love how intense the colour contrast is between the shot of coffee and the milk. Always admired baristas who are able to make pretty latte art. hehe

Smoked salmon scramble

Both Melissa and Jacky ordered the smoked salmon scrambled eggs with creme fraiche and chives. How delicious does that look?? The eggs were so so creamy and rich, with the right amount of flavour from the smoked salmon.

green eggs and ham

I couldn’t resist ordering the green eggs and ham, with an additional side of butter thyme mushrooms! I have this thing for green eggs. Whenever it’s on the menu, I have an inclination to order them. haha Not sure if the Dr Seuss book had any influence but eating it reminds me of the book! haha “I do so like  green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am”

pulled pork roll

This caught the eye of the mr while browsing the menu : Pulled Otway pork roll with tomato relish and watercress topped with a sunny side up! How beautifully yellow is that egg yolk? Would love a little bit more sauce for the pulled pork though the pork was very tender and well seasoned!

chicken Schnitzel

This has got to be one of my favourites of the day! Please do note that it’s on the lunch menu, so head there after 12 if you wanna try this! It’s a huge piece of golden brown schnitzel that is so crunchy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. It matched perfectly with the crunchy and refreshing fennel & apple slaw! Such a delicious combination! Definitely a must if you love your schnitzel!

Little Tommy Tucker

There is absolutely no doubt that I will be back again, in fact, I’ve already been back once since this first visit of ours and everything was still as good, or even better! So the next time you’re around the Bentleigh area, remember to drop by and give them a try! Till the next post, xx

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Little Tommy Tucker on Urbanspoon

Hero – New Kid On The Block

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Hero Soft Launch

Good evening dear readers. Hope you had a good weekend! Sorry for the long pause in between posts! Been a little busy and finally have the time to sit down and share with you a new place in the city! Are you a student who studies in the city and need lunch on-the-go? Do you work in the city and need a quick and delicious bite? Then you’re in luck! I’ve got a perfect place for you to go to!

Hero

HERO!  Inspired by the hero-style sandwiches made famous in and around Brooklyn-Queens, New York, Elena & Michael decided to open this Brooklyn-style sandwich store behind RMIT in the city! They may sound familiar to some, as they are the same people behind the Reading Room and the Grain Store.

The menu

I was lucky enough to be invited to the soft launch to try their subs with the mr and sis-in-law! As there were 3 of us, Elena suggested that she would make for us 6 different half-size heroes and a side of chips! It was perfect, as we got to try almost all the subs on the menu besides one!

Our six half subs

When it arrived, the first thing that hit me was the beautiful colours that just pop! hehe Of course, soon after the smell of the delicious subs filled my nose and I couldn’t wait to tuck in! So these are the 6 that we tried :

#BRKLYN

#BRKLYN : 10 hour pulled lamb that just melts in your mouth goes perfectly with the tartness of the pickled beetroot. I have to admit, I’m not a lamb fan, but I still gave it a try! The Mr really liked it and finished the whole thing! hehe Great flavours in the lamb too!

The mr eating the sub

I just love bringing the Mr to events, cause he loves food as much as I do! hehe

#bythehour

Next up, #bythehour ! When everything was brought to the table, this was one that caught my eyes immediately cause of the colourful corn salsa! hehe The 12 hour bbq pulled pork was just amazing and soft, which went perfectly with the crunchy corn salsa and apple cabbage slaw!

#bythehour

This was one of my favourites of the day, but it was a little difficult to eat cause all the salsa fell off with every bite! Don’t worry I picked all the corn up and still ate it all! haha

#paradise

#Paradise was like a caesar salad in a bun! hehe If you love your caesar like me, you will love this!

#catcher

The #catcher had panko crumbed shrimp with slaw and thousand island dressing. This didn’t stand out as much as the others, just cause the prawns were a little small compared to the big buns! Having said that, the shrimp were fresh and have a light batter! I would love a whole bowl of those crumbed prawns hehe Omnomnom!

#throwback

#throwback would definitely be a crowd pleaser. Wholesome veal & pork meatballs in a homemade sauce. Can’t really go wrong with meatballs can you? The buns takes the place of the usual pasta, and goes really well as a whole! It was definitely my second favourite for the day.

#kidroyale

This my dear readers was the winner of the day! The hero of the day if you would like. The #kidroyale was the favourite for all of us! The slow roasted beef had a smokey hickory rub and was so tender and absolutely tasty! Went perfectly with the sweetness of the onion jam and the subtle kick of the honey dijon. And the piece de resistance were the crispy fried onion rings on top! AMAZEBALLS! A definite must try when you’re there!

Shoestring fries with hero secret spice

The shoestring fries with hero secret spice was so addictive! We couldn’t stop eating it! Really crispy and fried to perfection! Mmmmmm!

Hero cookie

After all the savouries, of course we needed some sweet to balance it out. There’s 2 dolce on the menu and we wanted to try both! First up was their homemade cookie! It was huge! almost as big as my hands hehe Love how they imprinted their logo on the cookie! and they were fresh out of the oven, and we all gave it two thumbs up! There were chocolate chips with every bite! And I took the one with the X cause for those who don’t know, my name in mandarin is Xin Lian hehe So i deemed the cookie mine! haha

Hot ball donuts

Next, Elena gave us 3 freshly made hot ball donut! Love how the filling was oozing out of the donut. Couldn’t wait to try them!

jaffa chocolate hot ball donut

I took the chocolate jaffa one and it was so damn good! I usually am not a fan of jaffa, but the orange flavour wasn’t overpowering and the main thing I tasted was still chocolate! Which I LOVE! hehe The donuts were soft and fluffy and oh-so-delicious!

hot jam ball donut

Melissa had the hot jam donut! It has a bit more dough but it was still soft and fluffy! It took a while before she found (or bit into) the jam, but when she did, it was good! But I preferred the chocolate one! hehe

Hero subs

So the next time you’re thinking of where to have lunch, head to Hero and give their subs a try! You won’t regret it!

PS : They are having a special lobster tail sub at the moment and they only make 6 a day! So get in early and quick so you don’t miss out!

Disclaimer : We were invited by Elena and Michael as guests to have lunch at Hero. All thoughts and opinions are based on our experiences at the time of the visit. 

Hero on Urbanspoon 

Silks Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet

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Just a couple of weeks back, I was invited to a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Silks Crown by Chef Tsang, and it brought back lots of fun memories! Being away from home, I rarely get to celebrate mid-autumn festival anymore. But it was a yearly event in my family when I was much younger. We used to have lots of food, endless mooncakes and after all the feasting is done, we would light up a paper lantern and walk around the neighbourhood! Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face! hehe

8 course dinner banquet

I love love love when I get my own personal place card. hehe I know it’s a small thing, but just makes me feel important haha Just for the night (: The banquet menu included 8 delicious courses and I couldn’t wait for it to begin!

steamed scallop and vermicelli with garlic

The first dish was the perfectly steamed, plump and juicy scallops with vermicelli and garlic. This was so so good and one of my favourites of the night! There’s just something about chinese cooking where it looks simple, but the balance of the sauce is what’s critical to the dish. This was a perfect balance of sauces and was delicate enough to go with the scallops. Amazing!

Double boiled chicken consomme with dried scallops and mushroom

The second dish for most chinese banquets is soup. No ordinary soup, it’s soup that has been simmered for a long period of time to extract every single flavour from the ingredients. Every sip was just so flavoursome and I could just have a huge bowl of this for the night and I would be a happy camper!

Giant coral trout enrobed in minced shrimp

This third dish definitely wowed my sense of smell, sight and taste! I was definitely intrigued and super excited when it was placed in front of me. A crispy prawn head and tail, and in the middle is a piece of coral trout enrobed in minced shrimp! How amazing is that?? I was sitting next to the amazing Zeboy & Ms I-Hua and we were saying how difficult that must be to do!

inside the enrobed coral trout

See how the layers were so distinct? The best part was the crispy skin of the fish! I seriously wanted more and wished the Mr was there with me, so the prawn head didn’t go to waste! Any prawn head lovers out there? This was fried till every bit of it was crispy, but I still couldn’t bring myself to eating the shell! haha

Sauteed lobster with black bean sauce and pine nuts

This brought smiles on many faces! The lobster pieces were all cooked perfectly – still tender and juicy and went so well with the black bean sauce. It’s not usual that pine nuts are used in chinese cooking, usually it’s cashews or peanuts. But pine nuts worked equally as well, and it’s good for u too! hehe There’s always a huge packet (from Costco) in my pantry cause I love to add them in my sautéed vegetables (cauliflower, Jerusalem artichokes) ! hehe

diced beef tenderloin with mixed mushroom in gravy sauce

The fifth dish was melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin with mixed mushrooms in a terriyaki sauce. A little sweet for my liking, but I absolutely loved the texture of the beef. Not sure how Chef Tsang did it, but the beef was juicy and really tender!

chicken fried rice with XO sauce

The last savoury dish was chicken fried rice in XO sauce. Every rice was coated with egg and you could see the glorious yellow grains in the bowl! It had a chilli kick to it as well, from the XO sauce. I could never fry rice like this, never turn out to be this delicious. Think I need to invest in a wok! hehe

Sweetened walnut soup with glutinous rice ball

After 6 savoury dishes, I was so stuffed. But there’s always room for dessert, yes? Absolutely! When I saw what we were going to have for dessert, I was a little apprehensive, cause I never had walnut soup before. Plus the only other nut-soup I tried (and didn’t like it much) was almond soup. So I was a little worried about how it would taste. But I was so wrong. This was so smooth and delicate and absolutely divine. For a cold night, it was really comforting as well! Perfect winter warmer! I would head back just for another bowl of walnut soup. hehe

black sesame glutinous rice ball

Within the soup was a hidden treasure – a glutinous rice ball with black sesame. Absolute love! How sexy is the black sesame oozing out from the middle after a bite? hehe Rich but not overly so. Did I say it’s perfect? Cause it was!

Wing Wah white lotus seed mooncakes with double yolk

To end our banquet on a even sweeter note and what is seen as a symbol of mid-autumn festival – Mooncakes! This one is the famous Wing Wah mooncake from Hong Kong! The white lotus seed paste was smooth and not overly sweet and had two salted egg yolk! While I grew up opting for the no-yolk mooncakes, I have to say the combination is starting to grow on me. But I still like mine without yolk hehe

After the amazing banquet, Chef Tsang came out of the kitchen to say hi to us and answer some of our questions. It’s no wonder his food was absolutely delish cause he was from the two Michelin stars, Ming Court in Hong Kong! He’s been in Melbourne and Silks for 6 months now and is still working on a in-house recipe for mooncakes. hehe

So if you’re want to take part in some Mid-Autumn festivities, Crown is holding one from 9th to the 22nd of September, and there is something for everyone! Do check out their website for details of the events as they will be converting the Atrium into something spectacular!

Wing Wah moocake

We were so lucky to receive a box of mooncakes from Wing Wah to bring home! The Mr and Melissa couldn’t be happier when I took it out of the bag! hehe And yes, they finished one whole mooncake that very night! heh

Thank you so much Silks Crown, Chef Tsang and Media Moguls for organising this scrumptious banquet! Great food and was so good to meet and catch up with everyone! So do head to Crown and check it out and try some mooncakes if you haven’t had any yet!

Lianne @ Food Made With Love attended the Mid-Autumn festival banquet as a guest of Silks Crown and Media Moguls. Thank you so much for this yummy opportunity! 

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Brunch Treat : Three Bags Full

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Three Bags Full

Good evening dear readers! I hope you had a good weekend! I sure did and I always wish it would last longer! Weekends are always really precious to me, especially when there are special events to attend. A couple of weeks back, I was lucky enough to win an instagram (follow me on @lianneelow) competition by Three Bags Full (@threebagsfullmelb) and won a free brunch for me and 3 friends! WHOOPEEDOO! I couldn’t quite believe it, in fact I didn’t know it until Ling P (@sixinchheel) texted me and told me I was one of the lucky winners!

Winning brunch at Three Bags FullI called up and booked a table for the approaching weekend and I knew who I would ask along. The Mr, without saying, and the Hum family! (: I had to see my munchkin at least once a week. haha I am obviously obsessed with that girl!

Paige and I

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by all the staff and Sam, the manager, told us to go crazy! haha The interior was really warm and welcoming and I absolutely loved the decor.

where the coffee / drinks magic happens

We couldn’t stop smiling and just wanted to have everything on the menu, cause everything looked and sounded delicious! While deciding, we ordered our drinks!

chai soy latte

I couldn’t go pass having my chai soy latte, as I was really craving for some warmth and comfort.

The boys, who loves their coffee, were recommended to have the hot aeropress coffee (kenya blend) and while waiting for it to be ready, they made some cold drip coffee (same kenya blend) for us to try!

cold drip coffee

How pretty is the bottle that the cold drip was served in?? I wanted to steal it home! Don’t worry, I was good and I didn’t, my left hand smacked my right. haha

Cold drip

Served on a cube of ice, we could taste notes of rhubarb and blackcurrant. I actually really liked it! I was a little hesitant at first cause I didn’t know if it would be too sharp, tart or bitter for me. But it was actually really fruity on the palette. I wanted more! hehe

aeropress & cold drip coffee

The aeropress was a little more acidic cause it was hot and the fruity notes weren’t as prominent! But it was still good and a great recommendation!

The specials board

The Mr and I decided to order the specials of the day as they sounded absolutely mouth-watering! Plus I also had a sneak peek of how they looked that morning on instagram! haha So my mind was set even before I arrived!

braised white beans with porcini mushrooms

I was sold on the braised white beans with porcini mushrooms, grilled chorizo and poached eggs! Ever since I had braised white beans in Barcelona, I can’t get enough of them! These were mashed with porcini mushrooms and the flavours were just amazing! Everything went so well together, I just couldn’t stop eating and cleaned up the whole plate!

close up shot

The mr chose the other breakfast special : grilled barramundi with quinoa salad, sauce soubise, spinach puree and pickled chilli salsa! The salad was so refreshing and had so much bite to it! I was so inspired by the dish I actually went home to make my own version of it! The barramundi was grilled to golden brown, so fresh!

grilled barramundi and quinoa salad

The mr couldn’t help but order a side of istra bacon. The boy definitely needs his protein! hehe

Big breakfast

Paul & Peggy both ordered the big breakie that was like a breakfast platter of everything delicious! They love their hollandaise sauce so they decided to order a side of it. It was thick and luscious and one of the best hollandaise they’ve tasted! Ooh -la-la!

sweets corner

After the savouries, Sam was so generous to allow us to order some sweets as well! There were so many to choose from, but our eyes were set on the cupcakes : carrot cake and chocolate & salted caramel! How can it go wrong?

Carrot cake

Paul and Peggy are huge fans of carrot cake. This one was to-die-for! The cake was so moist and had just the right amount of spices, and the cream cheese frosting was rich and delish! After every fork-ful, Peggy and I just looked at each other and kept saying “Wow! So good!” haha

Chocolate & salted caramel

This, however, was AMAZEBALLS! Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! And there was a surprise in the middle. Could you guess what?

liquid salted caramel middle

A liquidy salted caramel middle!! The moment you slide your fork through, you have liquid gold flowing out! So rich, so darn good! Definitely made me think of Miss D! The desserts were so good that we both bought each cupcake home to have again for dinner that night!

Thank you Three Bags Full!

Thank you Three Bags Full for the generous prize and the awesome hospitality! The food was delicious and we will definitely be back again for more!

Paige enjoying the food

Even little Paige enjoyed the food and had a great time! (:

Have a good rest of the week everyone! Can’t quite believe it’s September already, but so glad it’s Spring! Till the next post, remember to always bake and cook with love! xx

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Fritters & French Toast Heaven : Fitzrovia

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FItzrovia


Dear readers, have you ever met a friend who you haven’t seen for a long time? I have recently, and the last time I met Gazel, we were 12. So when she was in Melbourne for a holiday, we decided to meet up. Our first meet up was at Top Paddock, and we decided to meet before she heads back to Singapore as well. And thankfully she loves brunch too, so we decided to head to Fitzrovia (thanks for the recommendation Daisy!) !

Salted caramel from Cacao

It was a perfect location as Gazel wanted to get some salted caramel and Cacao was just across the road! hehe so we were set on Fitzrovia and when we stepped into the cafe, it was really busy but we got our table in less than 15 minutes! Which was perfect, cause seeing and smelling all the food being served around us made our tummies rumble!

Latte

I decided to order a latte instead of my usual chai latte, cause the house blend was from St Ali. I am no expert on coffee, but this was my second cup of the day as Gazel bought me my first cup of coffee from her favourite cafe : Brother Baba Budan! So I decided to have decaf, and I really enjoyed this cuppa, smooth and creamy!

Flat white

Gazel loves her coffee. She is currently having withdrawal symptoms as she can’t get the same quality of coffee back in Singapore. It’s just not the same! She was prepared to have at least 3 cups of coffee everyday before she left. haha This was her second cup of the day too, so she also ordered decaf!

sweet potato and caramelised onion fritters

While waiting for our table, we had a quite browse of the menu and we kinda knew what we wanted there and then! My choice was the sweet potato and caramelised fritters, which is of no surprise, cause I absolutely love fritters of all kinds! haha But this had everything I truly love on a plate! Was perfect for me, and shouting my name! Sweet potato and caramelised onion fritters

The moment it was served, the first smell that hits you is the truffle in the salsa verde! That instantly puts a smile on my face. I couldn’t wait to taste everything on the plate! The fritters were really fluffy and the grilled saganaki. HOLLY MOLLY! It’s similar to haloumi but the crust is crunchy! Amazing!

creme brulee french toast

Gazel ordered, what I think, is the breakfast of champions. Creme brulee french toast, with Istra bacon, bananas, whipped mascarpone and toasted pecan. The french toast… actually has that crunchy layer of burnt sugar and after biting (cracking)  that layer, the toast melts in your mouth!

Creme brulee french toast

And there’s something magical about the sweet and salty combination isn’t there? Especially when the salty component is BACON! Noms! You really can’t go wrong in this dish! WIth fresh bananas and a creamy whipped mascarpone. I definitely want to head back to have this!

So if you love your fritters, and you also love french toast, I urge you to head to Fitzrovia pronto! hehe You will definitely not regret it! We definitely didn’t and left with happy bellies! hehe

photo booth

After all the delicious food, we went on our hunt to find a photo booth! We went to the main street of St Kilda but we couldn’t find any! So we decided to try Luna Park and found one at the games arcade! Thank you so much for meeting up with me! Will catch up with you again soon! (:

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Yarra Valley Chocolaterie : Hot Chocolate Festival

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Yarra Valley Chocolaterie

I have a love-hate relationship with chocolate. More love than hate of course. But after scoffing down too much chocolate, that’s when the hate sets in. But it doesn’t last for long. My love for it is overpowering. haha So you can imagine my face when I walked through the glass doors of the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie! Yeap! You guessed it right! Wide grins, round eyes and I marched straight to the huge bowls of chocolate that are for free tasting. How generous! But just so I don’t look greedy, I just took a (heap) tablespoon full of the dark chocolate buttons and stepped away.

Hot Chocolate Festival

It wasn’t my first time at the chocolaterie, but this time I was really lucky to be asked to the Hot Chocolate Festival by Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Q Strategies to try 8 out of the 31 limited edition flavours they’ve come up with for the month of August! I went with the blogging gang (Shellie, Daisy, Thanh, Agnes & I-Hua) and we were allowed to bring our partners (and Melissa!) along, so it was like a fun road trip with a whole huge foodie gang!

8 flavours that we tried

These were the 7 + 1 flavours we tried that morning. Yes, we had hot chocolates for breakfast! hehe What could be better yes?

Josh - Head barista

We were introduced to Josh, the head barista at the chocolaterie. He’s the one who comes up with all the different flavours! Amazing! From the moment we gathered infront of him, pots and pots of hot chocolate arrived and were served! We were definitely in hot chocolate heaven!

toppings

Each cup (thank goodness they were mini ones!) had a different topping to match the flavours!

Pouring the hot chocolate

So without further ado, here comes the hot chocolates! I’m introducing them in the order that we were having them! Of course, I have my top three choices of the morning and you’ll see them next to their flavours! hehe So, first up….

Gingerbread

Gingerbread (2nd place)! This was made using their milk couverture chocolate and had quite a strong cinnamon and ginger taste to it, which I love! It was served with some gingerbread crumbs which gave a slight crunch to the drink.

Mint madness

Next up was mint madness! This was also made with their smooth milk chocolate and served with a fresh mint! I actually quite enjoyed this, as it reminded me of an After Eight chocolate! hehe and I absolutely love those thin pieces of chocolate! hehe

Cookies & Cream

Cookies & cream was somehow known as the King Kong of all flavours made with smooth milk chocolate and topped with crushed oreo cookies! This was delicious but it kinda of tasted like normal hot chocolate, and nothing too special. Though the crunch of the cookies added a good texture!

pina colada

I’ve been into coconut everything these days, so I was quite excited when I saw Pina Colada (3rd place) on the tasting menu! It had a strong coconutty flavour made with white chocolate and topped with toasted coconut! DELISH! hehe It was quite a favourite among us that day to be honest!

Indian Chai

When the next flavour was indian chai, Shellie and I were smiling at each other, as we both love our chai! Unfortunately, the dark chocolate was a little overwhelming and I couldn’t really taste the chai spices. Sad face! I really thought this would make number 1 on my list!

Snickers

This, ladies and gentlemen, is SNICKERS! The champion of the day! It was so delicious, and it really felt like you were having a snickers bar. It was nutty and chocolatey. Everything a hot cup of hot chocolate needs! Topped with roasted slithers of almond – A perfect cup! I secretly wanted another cup! haha But had to safe some space for the two more to come!

Lemon myrtle

If you’re a fan of lemony and citrusy drinks, this would be the one for you! I never thought that lemon would go well with chocolate. But after drinking this, your mouth is left with a subtle taste of lemon, kinda refreshing! Each cup is topped with a candied slice of lemon.

Jaffa

Our last cup for the morning was Jaffa. It was a special addition to the tasting menu we had! Before we could taste it, Josh grated some orange zest and the aroma of oranges just filled the air!

Handmade marshmallows

After all the hot chocolates, we were also introduced to some handmade marshmallows! There were 4 flavours (from top) : tropical, vanilla, strawberry & chocolate ! They were all so FLUFFY (imagine me saying this in Agnes’ voice, from Despicable Me! haha) !!! Loved it and they weren’t overly sweet! I had to stop at one though, cause I definitely reached my sugar quota for the day! hehe

Chocolate freckles

After the private tasting session, we walked around the chocolaterie and it was like being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Every where you walked to, you would see chocolate of all kinds!

Rocky road

So do go and visit the chocolaterie before the end of August and taste all the different flavours of hot chocolate they have to offer and hit a sugar high! (: You’ll definitely enjoy it as much as we did!

chocolate cups stacked

So what flavour of hot chocolate would you love to try? I really want to try the popcorn flavour that’s coming up next week! hehe What are you waiting for? Head over there asap!

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery on Urbanspoon

Lianne @ Food Made With Love attended the hot chocolate festival as a guest of the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Q Strategies. Thank you so much for this yummy opportunity! 

Bayte : A Lebanese Feast !

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Brunch at Bayte

I know I’ve said numerous (countless) times, how much I love brunch. But I need to say it again. I LOVE brunch! Especially since there are so many different varieties of brunch we can get here in Melbourne. The first time I went to Bayte, I went with 3 beautiful ladies (Ashley, Lee & Sofia) and as it was my first time meeting them, I was a bit too nervous and didn’t get to snap photos with my camera! haha So it was due to head back and have brunch, this time with some of my favourite and closest friends.

Beautiful Paige

Yes. This my dear readers is my favourite girl who steals my heart every time I see her, Paige. hehe Isn’t she just gorgeous? hehe She was all smiles that afternoon and couldn’t stop playing with us and have short burst of laughters! Just absolutely adorable! hehe Such great company we had for brunch that day!

Story behind Bayte

The menu is a true reflection of what lebanese food is and should be. Full of robust flavours and worth celebrating about! Chef Julie Touma came up with the menu which was inspired by her grandmother’s recipes! Just reminds me of how much I miss both my mum’s and grandmother’s home cooking and how I am constantly inspired by them too! (Can you tell I’m a little home sick?) Bayte means home in Arabic, and you definitely feel welcomed the moment you step in. I couldn’t wait to have the food again and definitely couldn’t wait to have their freshly brewed chai!

Chai soy latte

Their freshly brewed chai was with Bonsoy (my favourite) and had flavours of cardamom and cinnamon. Definitely hit the right spots! hehe If you would like an extra kick and you’re a coffee lover, ask them for a shot of espresso in yours. The combination is DA BOMB! I recommended it to Peggy as she loves both chai and coffee, and she really enjoyed it! She even said it was nicer than the chai itself! But I do love my chai pure. hehe

baked eggs

I really wanted the baked eggs as it had everything I was craving for. Perfectly cooked eggs (which were still molten and gooey), with an okra and tomato spiced stew and shanklish cheese! OH-EM-GEE! It was love at first bite! The cheese was the right amount of richness and hit of salt and had a crumbly and soft texture. The okra was so soft and the stew had the right amount of spice to leave a warm and fuzzy feeling in your mouth and tummy after! A perfect winter warmer! I couldn’t be happier and more contented with my choice! (:

Poached eggs

Peggy had the zaatar spiced poached eggs with a pumpkin and pinenut kibbeh and hummus, with some freshly made flat bread. The zaatar had a nutty flavour to it and the eggs were perfectly poached! The bread was so delicious that even our youngest foodie enjoyed it!

Paige enjoying the flat bread

breakfast mezza for one

If you’re hungry and you would want to try a bit of everything from the menu, then the breakfast mezza for one (there is for two as well) is for you! That’s exactly what the boys went for! I mean, why wouldn’t they? It’s like the best of what the kitchen has to offer all on a plate. I have to say, the lamb skewer was delicious! Even for a person who doesn’t eat lamb! hehe

breakfast mezza for one

It even came with a spiced fried egg! A celebration of lebanese food, a party in their mouths!

sumac spiced eggs with kafta skewers and baba ganoush

Melissa decided to have the sumac spiced fried eggs with kafta lamb skewers and baba ghanoush. I could have ordered a whole plate of baba ghanoush to myself! Smooth and creamy mashed eggplant and went perfectly with the spiced lamb! Nomtastic!

So the next time you’re thinking of having something different for brunch, do head down to Bayte! You will definitely not regret it! Amazing food with friendly staff and great company! There’s no better way to spend the weekend, really! I do hope you all had a brilliant weekend too!

Have a great week ahead, and remember to always cook and bake with love! xx

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Postcard from Barcelona : Tapas Heaven

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Hola Barcelona

Hola ! (: How I wish I was back in Barcelona, basking in the sun! Going through the photos is making me miss Europe heaps and there are some places that I travelled to and delicious food that I had I really want to share with you!

La Boqueria Market

Markets. Don’t you just love them? I can’t get enough of them! While I was planning my itinerary for Barcelona, the first place that got on my list was the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria! The moment you enter through the La Rambla entrace, you are greeted with fresh juice, colourful fruits, plethora of nuts and more juice! Walking through the aisles was like a kid walking in a toy store, I wanted to get everything!

Fresh juices of different combinations

There were so many different combinations of juices and even smoothies! Was so amazing! What’s even better is that some stalls (along the sides) were selling them for €1! How cheap is that! We would drink at least one every time we were around the area! hehe

Fruits

Fresh fruits were all arranged so neatly and the colours just popped! All of them were seasonal and oh-so-fresh! You just wanted to buy some and bite into them immediately!

Sliced watermelon

These caught my attention as I was walking through the aisles! The watermelons were sliced and served with a fork for the convenient of visitors!  I was in awe with how much pride and care they took with their produce. Amazing!

pistachio stuffed dates

I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw how huge the fresh dates were! I immediately bought a couple to try and they were so good! Plump and sweet! Some were even stuffed with pistachios. YUMMO! hehe Have you fallen in love with this market yet? hehe There’s more to come!

Jamon heaven

We were totally in Jamon heaven!! Everywhere you walk to, every turn you make, there would be a stall with legs of jamon hanging around and packets of beautifully sliced ones. They smelled heavenly, and you wouldn’t be able to resist buying a packet or two. hehe

Bottarga and tuna jerky

Don’t eat meat? How about fish? hehe These definitely reminded me of my brother and I couldn’t not get him some! The fish jerky was delicious and it went perfectly with some table water crackers. hehe And of course, the beautiful bottarga. Wished I could bring it back to Melbourne! Would love to use them in my cooking!

shrooms heaven

SHROOMS! I was in heaven. So many different varieties. You name them, they have them!

wild strawberries

These made my heart skip a beat! Wild strawberries! hehe The first time I’ve seen them and within my reach! Of course, I bought one. haha I remember Jamie Oliver using them in a dessert, so I couldn’t wait to try them! Some were like sugar, but there were some that made my face cringe. haha But they all had an intense strawberry flavour though! hehe

By now, you would be wondering, where is the tapas? Or the cooked food??

fried delicious

Here it is! Just next to a stall that sells fresh seafood, they have a stall that fries them up and we can have it piping hot! hehe Even my mum who doesn’t usually have fried stuff or baby squid, couldn’t resist!

fried feast

We didn’t stop at one! haha Crispy golden crunchy deliciousness! Everything was fresh with a subtle sweetness. The only thing I didn’t dare to try was the barnacles.

Barnacles

The Mr was super excited to try these. But just how it looks makes me take a few steps back! haha To give it credit though, the mr said it tastes quite like crab meat! hehe In fact it has a outshell that you have to pop and pull the flesh out. hehe Till now, the picture is making my hair stand!

Pinotxo bar

Even after all those food, we still needed to have lunch! hehe I read many reviews and there were lots of people recommending the Pinotxo Bar, so the tummy led me there! hehe

baguette

Friendly staff greeted us and told us what was on the menu today. It changes according to the freshest catch they can get that day!  hehe Of course there are a few signature dishes that would be be constantly on their menu.

Bubbly and beer

They only had bar seats or high tables, and we went during the peak hour so there were only the high tables left. The high tables were out in the sun, so we ordered bubbly and beer, which were perfect to cool us down.

croquettes

The good thing about tapas is that we could order lots of varieties and try almost everything on their menu! First thing we had was croquettes! They had many kinds : mushrooms, ham, mince and cod ! Mushroom was my favourite. A really strong flavour of porcini in every bite! Crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside – DELISH!

Mussels

Mussels! So fresh and sweet, and goes so well with a tangy salsa.

steamed clams

The steamed clams were also really fresh, plump and sweet! They were more like cockles, but I think they call is clams here. hehe Drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Perfect!

Fried peppers

The Mr couldn’t resist ordering a plate of deep fried peppers. They were sweet but leaves a hit of chilli in our mouths after! Accompanied by crackles of salt with every bite. I have only one word to describe this – ADDICTIVE! hehe

Cod and lentils salad

This is their signature, and a must order! Their cod and lentils salad was drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The cod had the right amount of saltiness, and we just couldn’t stop! Such a good balance of flavours! Wish I could make it at home!

Baby squid with cannellini beans

This was one of my favourites! Baby squid with cannellini beans and black ink. So tasty and lip-smackingly good!

chickpeas with meat

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the chickpeas with meat. It was absolutely delicious and every single chickpea you bite through is tender and just full of flavour. I can see why it was highly recommended by many! Absolutely loved it!

Picture with the boss

And just before we left, the staff told us the boss wanted to take a picture with us! How cute is that? hehe He came out from behind the bar to snap a shot with us (: You must be wondering, where is the Mr? He was at his conference, but don’t worry, we went back and ate all the same dishes with him another day! hehe I sure as wasn’t gonna let him miss out on this! Too delish!

So you can definitely see why I love this place! Endless food opportunities and you can let your taste buds run wild! hehe So the next time you’re in Barcelona, definitely head down to the La Boqueria market! I assure you, you won’t be disappointed!

¡gracias Barcelona. You are a memory I will always treasure and one trip my belly is very grateful for!

Till the next adventure, xx