Category: Reviews

Hare & Grace

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It was a lunch that was planned a couple of weeks in advance so you can imagine how excited I was as the day drew nearer. I’ve been hearing lots of good feedback and seeing heaps of yummy food pictures of Hare & Grace and I was really looking forward to trying what they had to offer. PLUS! I was going to meet with Jan @ Peach Water for the first time. So it was definitely double the excitement for me! (:

Hare & Grace

Address : 525 Collins Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Tel : 03 9629 6755

Website : http://hareandgrace.com/

Opening hours : Mondays – Fridays

Lunch – 12 to 3pm

Dinner – 6pm till late

We were one of the first customers that afternoon, and when I walked through the glass doors, I was greeted by really friendly staffs. Jan arrived a little earlier than I did, and the dining area wasn’t ready for customers yet (the wait staffs were still being briefed). So they sat her at a table near the fire place. Perfect for that cold, rainy afternoon!

Shortly after I arrived, we were led into, what I can describe as, a forest-like dining area; an enchanted forest! There were branches hanging down from the ceiling and I was going ooh and ahh as the wait staff brought as to our table. She very kindly explained to us the different parts of the menu and gave us time to decide what we wanted.

We opted for the 3 course lunch set menu and decided that we were going to try one of each of the courses. This way, we were able to try everything they had to offer! (: Their lunch sets had the option of 2 or 3 courses ($42/$55), and it came with a complimentary glass of house white/red.

Jan had the house white – chardonnay and I had the house red – cabernet sauvignon.

We started our amazing food journey with freshly baked bread, a beautifully cornelled butter and a side of sea salt. I can still remember how impressed we both were when they placed the stone with the butter sitting proudly on top in the middle. I think I’ve never taken so many photos of butter before. haha.

The bread was served in a bird’s nest bowl. Really making me feel like I was dining in an enchanted forest! hehe

Composites (Entree)

Our entrees arrived and we asked the wait staff to place them in the middle as we were just going to share everything. How pretty is this beetroot, mint, pomegranate and goat’s cheese salad? It’s like an edible garden! So so pretty! I have to admit, when I saw it on the menu, I was quite reluctant to order it, cause I never really had beet root on it’s on before. Usually I have it in my juice back home. But had to trust the chefs and give it a go.

So glad I did! The chopped mint made the salad refreshing, and it had different textures! The pomegranate gave the dish a crunch and the goat’s cheese gave the dish the creaminess and cuts the acidity of the beets. It was definitely one of our favourite dishes of the day. hehe

The other entree we had was the eggplant, with sweet & sour cured salmon, cracked wheat and labne. It was my first time having cracked wheat actually. It tasted like couscous, just a little crunchier. The cured salmon was very flavourful and absolutely love that the dish had different textures! Just makes it more exciting when eating it. hehe After the composites, I just couldn’t wait to have our mains!

Principals (Mains)

When we saw mushroom risotto on the menu, we knew we wanted to have it because the night before, the Masterchef contestants were in Italy and they had the risotto challenge. Jan and I were chatting and imagining how flat our risotto will be! haha that was definitely emphasised when the contestants were making their risottos. Alas! It arrived and it sure was flat and the smell of the mushrooms was just heavenly! Every single mouthful was just mmmmm! We could taste every single grain and it was al dente and coated with mushroomy-goodness! We couldn’t stop singing praises about it!

When we told the wait staff about how flat the risotto had to be cause of what we saw on Masterchef, she asked if it was George who said it, as she use to work for him and she told us that he use to always say that! hehe Hilarious! I was quite entertained by that fact. hehe

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the braised beef cheeks with the most amazing mash EVER. Thick, creamy, buttery and luscious! I could have that all day! The beef cheeks were marinated in red wine for 26 hours before being slow braised for 5-6 hours. So you can imagine how it just falls apart with the touch of our forks/knives! The meat was oh-so-tender and just melts in your mouth! AMAZING!!

Sweet, Guilty, Vanity (Desserts)

Of course. There will always be space for desserts (in fact, some may argue we have a separate stomach for sweets hehe). We were pretty full by the time the mains were done, but we couldn’t not have desserts to end the meal (and meet up) on a sweet note! The kitchen had some difficulty with the blow torch, so there was a bit of a delay. But the friendly staff came by our table, twice, to apologise and update us on how long more it would take. We were very very impressed by their sincerity and professionalism!

Let me tell you, the chocolate bar was well-worth the wait! It was such a decadent dessert which a thick, chocolatey mousse (78%) accompanied by some chocolate soil, a Pedro Ximenez (port wine) jelly and spiced milk sorbet! The chocolate bar had just the right  level of sweetness and when eaten together with all the components, it was very well-balanced! Definitely not too rich, though it sure looks like it! hehe If you’re a fan of chocolate, this is a MUST HAVE!

When the vanilla creme brulee arrived at our table, it reminded me of the one I had in Paris many years back. The first thing I did was to take my spoon and crack the toffee layer at the top. Nothing more satisfying than hearing that crack when the spoon hits the hard surface, and a wide smile followed (: The custard was smooth and you could definitely see the vanilla seeds but was a tad too sweet for me. It helped having it with the biscotti though! hehe kinda mellowed the sweetness as it had the spiciness of ginger.

Hare & Grace has definitely lived up to our expectations and even more! Lovely and friendly wait staff, delicious food with awesome company (thanks Jan!) made the whole experience very memorable! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I brought the Mr back for lunch a few days later and he really loved it as well!

So do give H&G a try when you’re around the city, and do remember to call them up to book in advance. Do note that they are only open on weekdays for lunch and dinner! (:

 Stay tuned for the post on Peach Water this weekend and have a read of her review of the place and her beautiful photos!

Hare & Grace on Urbanspoon

Huxtaburger : Best Burgers in Melbourne

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Yes. I got to try the much anticipated burgers from Huxtaburger! I’ve been wanting to try their burgers since the end of last year! Don’t know why I even waited this long to try it, cos now I just want to have it again and again!

It’s a small little burger place, that has a few bar seats and outdoor tables. We went at dinner time, and it was buzzing with people! The bar seats were all taken and majority of the people were buying takeaways. Although it was a crazy cold night, the mr scored us a table outside and we took it without much consideration!

The chef at work! (: Patties, eggs, bacon, pineapple and buns!

The Mr ordered the Denise which has  jalapeno & sriracha mayo ! The spicy option between the 5 on the menu. It was so good that the mr took one bite of his burger and stood up, went to the counter and ordered another! haha I couldn’t stop laughing and couldn’t wait to bite into my own!

I shared the Huxtaburger with Alicia and my smile got wider after every bite into the burger! It was simple but so delicious and super tasty! Exactly what burgers should be. The buns were fried so they had the extra crunch when you bite into the burgers and it was super soft! AMAZING!

We ordered a large side of crinkle cut chips and they came in a cute paper cup! The chips were so crispy on the outside and soft-pillowy middle! Just the way I like my chips! hehe And nothing goes better with burgers right? (:

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is truly the BEST burger EVER! Introducing the Bills. It’s the Huxtaburger with the works : Egg, bacon, pineapple & beetroot! Oh-My-Goshhhh! I had a bite and really, this was truly the winner! I am salivating just looking at the picture! A burger is definitely needed this week!

Now you can definitely understand why the mr (and I, just don’t have a shot of me haha) were SO HAPPY after having our burgers! It was so darn good, and we will definitely be back for more!

PS : They also have a kid-size burger so do bring your children along too! (: I’m pretty sure they will love it!

So what are you waiting for? Head to Huxtaburger as soon as possible! You won’t ever regret it! *SLURPS*

Chin Chin

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 I was super excited when the mr texted me to tell me that his colleagues are planning to head to Chin Chin for lunch and I was able to follow them! Chin Chin has been one of those places that you have been planning to go.But the first time I went there, they told me that a table of 3 would only be available after 2 and a half hours. It made me think twice whenever I think about the wait if I did want to head there for a meal! Thankfully, we went during the non-peak hour (2pm) and we got our table for 6 almost instantly!

Though it was 2pm, it will still packed with customers and the smell that greets you when you enter just makes you hungrier and just can’t wait to try their creations! As I was a plus one, I left the ordering to the mr and his colleagues. The only dish I requested was the famous son-in-law eggs! hehe (:

It was an extensive menu. I just wanted to try everything on it! haha So I can only imagine myself back at Chin Chin very soon trying more of the food that we didn’t get to try this time round! Chin Chin is a warehouse converted place that serves delicious Thai food! And boy have I been craving for some thai in my tummy! So every dish had some asian-thai influence on it.

 Our first starter was the kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and thai basil. This was really fresh and with every bite you just want to have more. Love how a dish has many textures and this one had the sour, the sweet, the spicy and the crunch! Perfect dish to start our meal.

Our second starter was the DIY spring rolls! These were fun! The addition of the raw vegetables gave the dish a crunch with the very soft and thin handmade skin! What I really liked was the peanut sauce that came with it. Was really delicious! I couldn’t resist and had a second roll. hehe

I love restaurants who have dishes that encourage interactions between their customers at a time by having these DIY spring rolls! I think it’s a brilliant idea! This inspired me to have a DIY rice paper roll dinner which I will be blogging about soon! (:

Salad course : Salt & pepper salmon fin with banana blossom salad. The deep fried salmon skin just melts in your mouth the moment to bite into them. It was seriously delicious! It was our first time having banana blossom. It complimented the crunch of the fish and we just couldn’t get enough of it to be honest! Noms!

This was another really delicious dish. It’s dry curry “pad ped” with vegetables, spiced crusted organic tofu, kaffir lime leaf and thai basil. It’s a dry red curry and had a slight sweetness to it. It was so good! I could easily have this dish and a bowl of rice and be very happy!

 This was from their barbecue side of the menu : the salmon wrapped in banana leaf with coconut red curry, lime and thai basil. It reminded me so much of the otah we can get back home! The flavours were really good, but the mr and I felt that the salmon was a bit overcooked. And make us miss the otah his mum makes! can’t wait to head home and get some at the end of the year!

The stir-fried sirloin with green peppercorns were quite good as well. But wasn’t one of the stand out dishes in my opinion! Was pretty norma. Please don’t get me wrong, it was good, but compared to the rest of the dishes, this just didn’t stand out as much. The slices of the beef were really tender though!

And the much anticipated son-in-law eggs! They were so so good! We first had them when we went to Gingerboy last year, and also learned out lesson. haha We were told we have to put the whole egg in our mouths at Gingerboy and bite in to allow it to explode. But many of us had so much difficulty fitting an egg in our mouth! haha Thankfully this time, we cut it into halves and could really taste all the flavours in our mouths! DELICIOUS! The chilli jam that accompanied these fried eggs with gooey center was perfect. A true balance of flavours. Genius!

We were stuffed when we were done and just didn’t have any space for desserts, which I was actually looking forward to. So till we meet again Chin Chin, I really can’t wait to try the other dishes you have to offer! (:

PS : Chin Chin doesn’t take bookings unless for tables of 10-12. So do head there early (or late) and I highly recommend going there during off-peak hours so you will be able to get a seat and start indulging in the yummy food they have! 

Coffee Hit : Famish’d

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The holiday food adventures continues! The Mr brought me here after our wonderful lunch at MissChu for some digestive – coffee and cakes. Just what we needed to complete our lunch. There is ALWAYS space for dessert, or some kind of sweet, regardless of how full you are. haha Trust me!

Famish’d

Address : 130 Little Collins Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Tel : (03) 90040322

Website : http://www.famishd.com.au

Opening Hours : 7-4pm

 Love the decor of the place. You feel a kind of comfort I can’t really describe. Everyone is so friendly there and the Mr said that they actually address you by your name when you’re a regular. Adds a personal touch to your visits here and definitely allows you to be more comfortable while dining there. How fabulous is that? To me, great service is everything!

Famish’d is actually known for their salads. It’s almost the same concept as Salad Stop in Singapore, where you can actually design your own salads, and pick your combination from a whole huge range of different ingredients. Or pick from daily salad special which are the hot favourites! How exciting is that? And now that it’s winter, they offer a soup special daily with freshly baked bread! YUMS! I am definitely returning back on an empty stomach to try their salads and soup!

But for this visit, I was there for some sweets and a good cuppa coffee using St Ali coffee beans.

When I saw what they have to offer, I just instantly picked these two cakes : citrus & poppyseed and orange & almond ! The cakes had a burst of flavour the second it touches your tongue and they were so moist. It’s a slightly denser cake, but I actually like dense cakes. haha Feel like they have more bite to it!


Word.

We both had lattes. Just that the mr ordered their large. And their hot drinks all came with a meringue that will filled with a surprise. It’s filled with chocolate chips! I have no idea how they make it, cause you don’t see the chocolate chips till you bite into it!

I do apologise that I didn’t get a shot of the chocolate chips in the meringue. I got too excited and it was too delicious, I finished it in 2 quick bites. haha I guess I just have to head back to have it again!

 I can’t wait to head back to try the food they have to offer. I have a good feeling they will be yummy! (: So if you work in the city and want a healthy and hearty lunch or even just a cuppa and something sweet, why not drop by and satisfy that hunger!

MissChu’s Tuckshop

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It’s the holidays! (: After 10 weeks of work, the 3 weeks of break is exactly what I need. One thing that has been on my agenda is heading to the city to meet the mr for lunch after his work! It’s something I use to do when I was studying, but now that I started work, it’s difficult (actually impossible) to head to the city during the weekdays to meet him. That’s something I really miss!

Love their delivery bicycle! Definitely environmental friendly!

A friend of mine, Felicia, brought me here a while back to try their rice paper rolls. Believe it or not, that was my first time having a rice paper roll. I never really thought they tasted good. In my mind, it was something cold, dry and not very pleasant. But my first bite into these scrumptious rolls changed my mind instantly! So much so that I got totally hooked onto them and would crave for them every now and then. More now than the latter to be very honest!

The Mr knows I love their rice paper rolls, so he would, the sweet person he always is, buy me some for lunch the next day. But it’s never really the same, having it the day after as compared to those freshly made. So we decided to meet at MissChu’s for lunch and try the other things they have to offer as well.

Love the concept they use, reminds me of queueing up in a school canteen! We place an order on the order list and pay at the counter and the food got to our table in no time! We sat on tables and chairs that are made from milk crates. How old school is that? Absolutely loving it!

We ordered the green mango & tiger prawn and the roast duck & banana flower rolls. The roast duck & banana flower is my favourite! It’s generously stuffed with roast duck and the addition of banana flower is just perfect. I highly recommend it! Even though it costs $1.50 more than the others, it’s definitely worth it!

The main difference when you eat fresh at the tuckshop is the soft rice paper skin that tend to get a little hard when you keep it overnight. So I recommend that you buy it and eat it within the same day! You won’t be able to resist the urge when it’s infront of you anyways! hehe I am sure of that!

Another of our favourites was the lemongrass beef (eye fillet) vermicelli salad! This was simply delicious! It’s not the usual leafy salad you get, and you will actually be full (and happy) after eating this! The dressing makes your taste buds come alive, with the sweet-sour-salty component to it. Just makes you want more after each mouthful!

The beef fillet was very well seasoned and tasted absolutely delicious! Was a generous portion once again, and was plenty of beef to go with the vermicelli noodles. We couldn’t have enough of it. NOMS!

The wagyu beef pho was pretty yummy too. Though compared to the other items we had, this didn’t really have the wow factor to it. But I guess, there isn’t really any other ways to serve a pho is there? The soup was really good though! Clear and really tasty. I could slurp a whole bowl of the soup! hehe

The Mr and I were both really happy by the time we were done and our plates & bowls were all really clean! Could not happier with our meal. Our bellies were definitely satisfied! Can’t wait for more lunches with the mr in the coming 3 weeks! (:

Brunch : Snow Pony

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If you haven’t already notice, brunch is one of my favourite meals of the day. And with foodie friends like Daisy, my list of  “to-go” places for brunch is ever growing. haha Not that I’m complaining! (: I have to thank her actually! Cause I have more choices for brunch now a days! Especially with the new Entertainment Book, we actually get discounts at some of the new places! Snow pony was one of them. And boy were we super happy with our choice of heading there for brunch.

Snow Pony

Address : 95 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn, Vic 3103

Tel : 03 98138911

Website : http://www.snowpony.com.au

The first thing you see when you get there is a huge pony standing tall right outside the cafe. Pity I didn’t snap a shot of the pony, as it was so cold, I just kept my hands in my pocket the whole time we were waiting for our seats. Yes. There is an endless queue at the door of Snow Pony. So get there early and put your name down as soon as you step through those doors! Don’t say you’ve not been warn! hehe The wait is definitely worth it!

I love that they have a different menu for each season. Definitely will be back before it changes cause the Winter menu is awesome! (: We were sitting right smack in the middle on the bar seats, and that was great! Kinda like having the center of attention, and a great spot to people watch. haha Not that we do it, really.

Don’t you just feel happy with orange roses shining and smiling at you? (: I was happy! Even happier after I had the yummy food in my belly! hehe But of course, we started the meal with a hot cuppa!

The Mr had his usual (large) latte and I had a chai soy latte. The latte was really good but that was no surprise because the beans were from Proud Mary! My chai soy latte, however, was quite a let down. There wasn’t much chai taste to it. Was like a whole cup of hot soy milk with cinnamon powder.  It looked really good though!

Having said that. The food definitely didn’t disappoint us at all!

I ordered the McPony’s. How cute is the name? Absolutely loving it. It’s like tastier and healthier muffin that you would only want more by the time you’re done!

It’s a toasted english muffin stuffed with ham (off the bone), emmental cheese and creamy dreamy eggs! Never had scrambled eggs in a muffin before. It was really good! And wasn’t soggy at all!

The Mr ordered the Smashed Avocado with thyme buttered mushrooms, marinated feta , torn basil on multigrain toast. This was to-die-for!

Everything just went perfectly together! Absolutely loving the marinated feta! We couldn’t stop going “wah!” after every mouthful. Have to thank Peach Water for recommending the dish! Definitely heading back to have this the next time! (: I’m salivating just seeing the picture! hehe

You must be wondering, how could I be full just having the McPony’s. Of course, I had other plans in mind. *evil laughter* haha Miss D has highly recommended the Toasted Banana Bread here. And as I have previously explained, when Miss D highly recommends a dessert, you have to give it a try!

The 2 thick slices of toasted banana bread was served with maple syrup mascarpone, fresh banana, berry compote and crushed pistachios. I’m a real sucker for banana bread. So I definitely couldn’t resist ordering this.

Doesn’t it look amazing? You just want to dive your fork into it and have a huge mouthful! When it arrived infront of us, you could immediately smell the aroma of the dense and moist banana bread. Nothing is better than that I reckon! I also highly recommend this dish!

The Mr and I definitely enjoyed our brunch here at Snow Pony. It’s a cosy cafe and everyone is very friendly. Good food and food service. Definitely will be back for more! (:

PS : Do note that this place only takes cash! So head to the ATM before having brunch!

Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar

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I was really excited to head to Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar for a couple of reasons. One of which is that I was going for my very first bloggers meet up with Daisy and Julie! The other reason is that I’ve seen the gorgeous desserts that Daisy posted and just couldn’t wait till the end of meal to dive in to the desserts! When you want dessert, you can always count on Daisy cause she’s the dessert queen in my book! (:

So if you know me, you know that I’m definitely not considered as sociable. Comfort is what I thrive in. So meeting up with these awesome food bloggers, you can imagine how nervous I was! But it felt like we already knew each other for a long time. All my nervousness went away instantly the second we met! Which was great! hehe I was actually quite shocked when I arrived at Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar because it’s where Maze use to be. I actually didn’t know Maze was gone. Oops. Haven’t been to Crown for the longest time! That’s a real pity, loved the food at Maze. Anywho, back to the yums!

So we decided to order a starter each but share it and a main each. The starters were all really delicious. There wasn’t one that I didn’t like to be honest.

Cured kingfish, finger lime and smoked yogurt. Really refreshing and the kingfish was almost melt in your mouth. A good dish to start with!

Roasted scallop, wild rice and spice! The wild rice was puffed and crispy and added a really nice texture to the really well cooked scallops. I was very happy after having it. haha

I thought the kingfish and scallop was good. But let me tell you. This crispy little pig was AMAZING! There was one for each of us, and I just couldn’t bear to finish it. It was garnished with the crispiest crackling you can get! The only thing we didn’t really fancy was the round veg (we didn’t know what it was haha) that was pickled! But was a fantastic starter, a must have according to me!

I ordered the special of the day : ox cheek. I had to order it when I heard the specials of the week because the night before, Andy from Masterchef made ox cheek for the elimination challenge and it looks so good and I was craving for it the whole night! And it was no mistake! The ox cheek was full of flavour and it was pretty tender. It was accompanied by some chicken liver too and it was really creamy. Loved it!

Daisy chose the panfried snapper and it was really fresh! The skin was really crispy and the fish was really tender and well cooked. Definitely a good choice!

Julie couldn’t resist ordering the tri tip steak! It was tasty but unfortunately it was a little more towards medium-well than the medium that she asked for. So I think it just got a little dry towards the end of the meal.

So after our starter and main, Daisy asked if we could go sit by the dessert bar! And lucky us scored some seats which was really surprising on a Friday night! I was super excited as it would be my first time having the pastry chef plate our desserts in front of our eyes! WHOO! *jumps*

We dessert bar was superb. I just felt like I was back to being a kid again. You not only get to see the chef in action, you are facing a whole wall (or shelve rather) of sweets. Old school sweets.

Chef is plating Daisy’s dessert : White chocolate, mango, basil and coconut.

It’s a really unique dessert, and you’ll have to eat all the different components together. I had the individual parts on their own and their flavours are strong and punchy. But together, the different textures and all the flavours work well together. It was my first time having basil ice cream!

Next up, Julie’s ricotta cheesecake with yuzu, ginger, nuts and seeds.

This was actually my favourite of the day. I love yuzu. Can’t get enough of it. I would definitely head back with the mr and have this again. (:

I was really looking forward to having my dessert : praline souffle with jasmine and coco nib ice cream. My eyes lit up when the chef came up to us with the souffle standing mighty high and he cannelled the ice cream and just stuck it right in the middle. I couldn’t stop smiling.

The night definitely ended on a high when we were given complimentary salted chocolate truffle and salted chocolate milk!

Love the old school milk bottle and the straw! It was really thick and chocolatey. Just the way I like it. Really enjoyed the hit of salt with every bite of the truffle and every sip of the milk!

We were really spoilt that night and were given some old fashioned lollies that were on that magic wall of sweets we were facing.

It was a really great night with the girls, and we have decided to do a fortnightly meet up! It’s great cause we get to try new places together so it’s really exciting! (: So glad we could click and we love the same things! Can’t wait till our next meet up!

Oh yes! and I’m definitely returning back to Mr Hive’s Kitchen and Bar and this time bringing the hubs there cause I’m really sure he will enjoy everything they have to offer! (: Especially since he has developed a sweet tooth of late hehe

ps : if you got the entertainment book, it entitles you to 20% discount, so hurry grab your Entertainment book asap! (:

Brunch Sunday : Chez Dre

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South Melbourne is a gem. Its filled with good food, desserts and you can get almost anything you want or need from there. One of the reasons why I love weekends is because I get to spend time with the mr and do what we love. Eat and explore more of Melbourne together (:

Chez Dre

Add : 287 Coventry Street (Rear), South Melbourne, Vic

Tel : 03 96902688

It’s not my first time here at this amazing cafe. The first time I was introduced to this amazing place because of the desserts they offer. They have to ability to draw you in and just go “WAH!” You then want to buy everything that is on display. haha

I wasn’t joking was I? Don’t you just want to buy everything and try them? hehe I had to resist and bought 4 back this time. And they were all delicious! The chocolate tart is the Mr’s favourite, the hazelnut praline crunch was mine! We also had the salted caramel eclair and the pistachio & fig cake (can’t quite remember the exact name! Sorry!) They were all delicious! Want to head back and try the rest! (:

Well. We weren’t there for only the sweets. Our initial plan was to head there for brunch! hehe So we did!

As Chez Dre doesn’t have chai, I ordered a cappuccino instead. I do love a cup of coffee once in a while though I’m usually a chai/tea kind of girl. hehe But their coffee was really good and topping it with the cocoa powder was perfect!

The Mr had his usual latte. I’m always intrigued by the way the baristas draw the art with the milk and froth. It’s really a talent. Been wanting to do the coffee barista course but never got around to doing it. haha

This was the black pudding, caramelised onion and tomato chutney omelet that the mr ordered and it was DE-LI-CIOUS! I knew it was what the Mr was going to order as it had black pudding in it and the mr loves black pudding! hehe Was a really good choice though!

I, on the other hand, have an obsession with corn fritters. And lucky me went on the day that had corn fritters as a breakfast special! hehe So of course, I had to order the special. It came with a poached egg, avocado and a capsicum salsa. It was yummy but the corn fritter was a little more like a pancake and could do with a bit more corn. Everything complimented each other though! So was still delicious and I was very happy! hehe

The egg was poached perfectly and the runny yolk just acted as the sauce for the fritters! I was like a kid receiving candy when I cut into the egg and the yolk just flowed out. NOMS! Couldn’t stop smiling hehe

I have to admit, the portion size is smaller than the other places we’ve had brunch at, but the food was pretty good and everything was cooked perfectly. So we couldn’t really ask for more (although we would love more haha). We will definitely be back to Chez Dre, if not for the food, then for their amazing desserts! (:

What is your favourite dessert from Chez Dre? Would love to know!

Yum Cha Addiction

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I don’t think I can ever have enough yum cha. I could have it every single day. It’s something I have quite often with my family when I’m back for my break. Yes, we are a family of foodies! hehe

But because it’s a tad expensive here, we restrict it to once a few months. So I treasure these yum cha days even more! Fun fact : Back home, we actually call it dim sum! Never called it yum cha till I got here. hehe But I am always very happy and excited when the mr and I have planned a yum cha brunch!

We usually only go to one place for yum cha but recently got introduced to a new place by Daisy after seeing her instagram photos of the food there. I couldn’t be more excited to give it a try! Can you tell from the grin on my face? haha I think I was a bit too happy that day. and cold!

Wealth Garden

Add : 866 Doncaster Road, Doncaster East, Vic 3109

Tel : 0398407611

Thank goodness the Mr has the same favourite cuisines as I do, so we could both enjoy our food together. To me, there’s nothing worse than being forced to have something you don’t like! Besides, food tastes more delicious when you have it with the person you love! (: Don’t you agree? In fact, the mr loves almost everything at yum cha so we could order everything I liked! hehe I was doing the happy dance inside.

This is a family favourite : fried chinese dough fritter wrapped in cheong fan (rice noodle roll). These were amazing! The cheong fan was so smooth and thin together with the crispy dough fritters, it’s a perfect pairing! It comes with a sweet sauce that you can go with. What I liked about the ones they serve here is they have vegetables (kai lan) wrapped in the cheong fan as well! Makes me feel less guilty when having it. haha

this is one of my absolute favourite dish at yum cha – char siew sou (bbq pork pastry). The pastry was really flaky and the filling was thick and every bite was filled with bbq pork. DELICIOUS!

Fried prawn wantons. Jammed packed with fresh prawns, this is served with a saucer of mayo. Just after these 3 dishes, we couldn’t stop smiling and saying “this is SO GOOD!” haha. Just thinking back, I can remember our eyes lighting up with every bite of the food. NOMS.

Now, this was the king of all dishes. haha In fact, this was the dish that made me ask Daisy for the place she was at! Steamed white radish cake. You can’t really find this anywhere else. The first time I had it was at Kam Boat in Singapore. Usually, its cute into large rectangular pieces and panfried till it’s crispy. The first time I had the steamed version I was a little reluctant and questioned if it would be as nice as the panfried ones. I was proven wrong with my first spoonful! hehe Amazing stuff!

The glutinous rice was really yum as well! I am sure my mum would love this!

 of course, yum cha would not be complete if we don’t have the usuals. They were all really yummy, but they just don’t stand out after having the others. Don’t get me wrong, they were still really good. Especially the siew mai. It was really tasty and generously filled. Having just one would fill you right up!

The century egg porridge was sadly the least of my favourite that day. It was just a little too blend and nothing really special. But I guess once you’ve had porridge from Crystal Jade then it’s quite difficult to find anything better!

Chicken feet is definitely considered a delicacy cause not every one would like it. The hubs is a big fan and couldn’t resist ordering this although we were already quite stuffed! hah But it was a really generous portion and I could only have a maximum of 2. haha So the poor mr had to finish it on his own! Oppsy!

So it’s time for the desserts. Yum cha cannot be considered complete without ordering egg tarts!

Another food blogger, Liz, also saw that I was at Wealth Garden and highly recommended the po lo bun (pineapple bun)! So we had to give it a try! I was surprised that it was filled!

They were filled with a sweet pineapple paste and also had pineapple chunks in them! I was surprised because in Singapore, I usually get the unfilled ones and have a slice of salted butter with it. It’s what my mum and I would usually have when we are having tea at Crystal Jade! hehe

Okay, feel a bit home sick after a post about yum cha 😦

Thank you for driving me all the way here to try this place! (: I think it has become our favourite yum cha place!

PS : Thanks Daisy for the recommendation and Liz too! (:

PPS : Do call in advance to make reservations, as this place fills up really quickly from the time it opens for business! 

Dessert Story

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There’s alot of buzz about Hong Kong desserts in Melbourne of late. And I can never get enough of it! The Mr and I were at Glen Waverley for dinner one night, and we chanced upon it while roaming around the area. We are relatively new to the area, and wasn’t too sure what we could find there. And we found a place to satisfy our sugar cravings!

Dessert Story

Add : 72 Kingsway, Glen Waverley Vic 3150 

Tel : 03 95618884

When we got there, it was super packed and we the last couple of seats available. Thankfully we were a few minutes earlier, because after us was a line of people wanting to get seats! They had outdoor seats, but it was far too cold to sit outside.

The menu was extensive and there were really heaps to choose from, both hot and cold. We were definitely craving (and needing) something hot so we chose a dessert each! Trust me, it wasn’t easy narrowing down our choices because we just wanted to order everything haha. There were some interesting combinations too! Some of which we never heard or seen before.

I ordered the soya beancurd with black sesame paste. It kinda killed two birds with one stone and satisfied my cravings for both desserts. I was a little worried about the combination cause I never heard of it before. It’s usually sold separately back in Singapore. But I decided to give it a shot anyways and no regrets there! The black sesame paste was really fragrant, thick and smooth and not overly sweet. The beancurd was really smooth as well and just melts in your mouth. I do recommend it if you are a fan of black sesame!

The Mr ordered the tang yuan (汤圆) which are glutinous rice balls in a sweet pandan broth/soup. These are filled with peanut and black sesame. Yes, haha we do like black sesame alot. Plus it’s good for you! (:

It was a good balance between the sweetness of the glutinous rice ball and the sweet soup. Makes me miss those I usually get from China Town Food Street and they sell their glutinous rice ball in a peanut sweet soup! Noms!

I have to admit. If I were given a choice between the peanut and the black sesame, I am more inclined to choose the black sesame. It’s funny how my taste buds have changed through the years. I use to only have the peanut ones, but now I will only order the black sesame ones. hehe Although they are both delicious!

We will definitely be heading back to try the other desserts on the menu! They have desserts from both Hong Kong and Taiwan! Can’t wait to try the shaved ice to see if they are like the ones we had in Taiwan! (:

So what are the kind of asian dessert you enjoy? Would love to know if you have a favourite place in Melbourne to have them so I could pop them in my “to-go” list!