I Love Dumplings - Flemington

For L.I and M's birthday, we went to I Love Dumplings. Luckily we made a reservation because it was pretty busy for a Monday night. Since there were a fair few of us, I shared my meal with 4 other girls on one end of the table.

Sweet and Sour Pork ($18.80) and Special Fried Rice ($12.80)

The Sweet and Sour Pork was pretty yummy but it was definitely on the sweeter side. It went well with the Special Fried Rice though, which was bland on its own.

Xiao Long Bao ($9.80 / 8pcs) 

I was looking forward to these and the flavour did not disappoint! The soup was nice and hot but it didn't burn my tongue when I ate the entire dumpling. My only complaint was that the serving sizes were on the small side as I have definitely seem plumper xiao long bao before. 

Steamed Pork Wonton w/ Sichuan chilli sauce ($9.80 / 12pc)

I never usually order this dish but it was surprisingly tasty. The chilli sauce was lacking spice and heat (funnily enough) so I just dipped it in my own soy/vinegar/chilli oil concoction.

Quite a feast!

Overall, I was happy with my meal and was so full from the bits and bobs I ate. I love eating this kind of family-style eating because of all the variety for my palate. I didn't manage to take an individual photo of the Steamed Chicken and Prawn Dumplings ($9.80 / 15pcs) but they were standard dumplings so nothing special. While service was not always attentive, they were lovely with the constant orders and also with the preparation of bringing out the birthday cake. 

Service: 7.5/10

Taste: 7/10

Presentation: 5/10 (Nothing Special)

Value for Money: 7.5/10 (~$16pp inc drinks)

Arbory Bar and Eatery - CBD

After seeing a review on Broadsheet, T took K, L and I to Arbory Bar and Eatery. It was right next to Flinders Station and overlooked the Yarra which was pretty nice. T had the Rare Roasted Salmon with fennel, orange and hazelnuts ($26), K ordered the Smoked Fish and Chip Roll with remoulade, lettuce and crinkle cut chips ($16) and L got the vegetarian option of Crumbed Mushroom and Haloumi Burger with tomato relish and crinkle cut chips ($15). I personally ordered the Double Cheeseburger with bacon, pickles, tomato relish and crinkle cut chips ($15).

T's Rare Roasted Salmon

T loved his dish. He said it was beautifully cooked and the classic flavours of fennel and orange complemented his salmon well.

L's Crumbed Mushroom and Haloumi Burger

When I asked what L thought of his burger, the only response I got was that it was 'tops'. After some prompting he said that while it was nice and fresh, the crumbed mushroom was a little bland. 

K's Smoked Fish and Chip Burger

K said that the fish was far too oily for her liking. She felt that the lettuce was more of a slaw with the mixed in remoulade and would have preferred it to be separate. The fish, however, was cooked well.

My Double Cheeseburger

Funnily enough, I am not a fan of double patties or even bacon but I ordered this burger because there wasn't anything else I wanted. The menu was quite limited to me as I wanted something substantial to eat but still at a decent price. I was glad to see that there was lettuce and pickles there to cut through all the meat but I did end up pulling a piece of bacon out just because it was too much. The best part was the bun which was a type of unsweetened brioche. It was enjoyable but not a memorable burger. 

Presentation was pretty good!

Overall, we left feeling content from the meal and the opportunity to catch up with one another. It was self-service at the bar and my only complaint was that I had to get up and walk down to get the water because they didn't offer when they gave us our food. I would definitely come here again, grab some drinks plus smaller dishes and sit on the bench facing the waterfront. 

Service: 7/10

Taste: 7/10

Presentation: 8/10 (Cute Boards)

Value for Money: 7/10

8bit - Footscray

I caught up with some high school friends for burgers at 8bit in Footscray. We got there around 3pm and there were no available tables for 4 people. J and K.V ordered the Altered Beast which had beef, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, 8bit sauce and BBQ sauce ($9.50). W ordered the Golden Axe which had crispy fried chicken, cheese, Sriracha mayo and slaw ($9.50). I got the After Burner which had beef, tomato, red onion, lettuce, cheese, chilli sauce, jalapeños and chipotle mayo ($9.50). We ordered the Loaded Potato Gems with chilli beef, cheese sauce, bacon, pickle relish, grilled onions and jalapeños to share ($8.50).

Altered Beast and Golden Axe

My After Burner

After Burner was definitely a well rounded burger so kudos to 8bit. It had a nice spicy kick and the flavour combinations I expected from the B.East Burger I had earlier in the week. The salad was fresh, the brioche bun was soft but not too sweet and the meat was nice and pink in the middle.

Loaded Potato Gems

The Loaded Potato Gems were delish. The toppings were fresh and crunchy and I always came back for more.

4/10 Aerial Shot

Overall, I was a very happy customer in terms of taste. My friends were generally satisfied but K did mention her Altered Beast was too dry. Our servers were friendly and their smiles were infectious. The one thing that did dampen my experience was the lack of seating indoors. We sat at a bench in the corner, so half the time my back was to K.V and J. It made talking a little awkward and definitely sharing the gems tricky too. The last time I went here was its opening week and service was all over the place and the food seemed lacklustre. I'm glad I gave 8bit another shot.

Service: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Chez Dre - South Melbourne

On Thursday, S, Mingang and I decided to be baller and go to brunch at Chez Dre. The boys would have a field day because we were basically having $20 eggs but us girls thought we deserved it after a very daunting lecture on the Psychology Honours program. It was bloody freezing but we decided to sit outside anyways. S (basic bitch that she was) ordered the poached eggs on sourdough with baked mushrooms on the side ($14.50) and Mingang got the Brioche French Toast with poached apples & pears, blackberries, salted caramel, vanilla mascarpone & white chocolate crumb ($17.50).

S's Poached Eggs on Sourdough with Baked Mushrooms  

S was too basic to have an opinion. She was mercilessly made fun of for choosing such a simple dish especially when she was practically kicking herself when she saw how amazing the pulled pork burger looked.

Mingang's Brioche French Toast

Mingang said the Brioche satisfied her cravings but the salted caramel made the while dish a touch too sweet.

My Duck Sandwich

I got the Duck Sandwich with confit pulled duck, onion jam, red cabbage, grated apple, truffle mayonnaise and panini ($23.50). I had really high expectations for this dish. My sister had this the first time we went Chez Dre in 2013 and it was amazing in terms of presentation and taste. The confit duck was a big tick as it was very tender. The onion jam had a bitter aftertaste on its own and I'm fairly sure it was burnt. The panini was crisp at the top but slathered with way too much mayo. I couldn't even finish half of my sandwich. All the elements together were far too sweet. The dish would've been slightly better if the cabbage wasn't pickled.

Table Shot!

Overall, my friends enjoyed their meal and I was left feeling like it was just mediocre. I loved Chez Dre the two times I've been there and was so keen to come back and show S and Mingang good brunch. Service was efficient. It started to drizzle and they did everything they could to shift everyone under the big umbrellas. I was considering to buy the caramel eclair but they told me they have stopped making them :( An added bonus were cake samples at the register though, yum!

Service: 7.5/10
Taste: 6.5/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value for Money: 7/10

The B.East - Brunswick

We went to The B.East for dinner after seeing a photo on their Facebook (marketing done right). We arrived at 9:45pm and made it just in time to order burgers before the kitchen closed. It had a bar feel to it and was pretty dim so the photos didn't come out very clear. B ordered the B.East Burger, which had triple beef patties and triple bacon smothered in cheese sauce ($18). My sister ordered the Regulator, which was the slow-cooked shredded beef short rib in Carolina style BBQ sauce with buttermilk slaw on a brioche bun ($14). Both C.N and I ordered the Filthy, which had mustard fried beef, jack cheddar, B.East chilli paste, pickled red onion, tomato, cos and smoked jalapeño aioli ($12). We ordered the Death Star Fries (fried with hot sauce, gravy and chilli cheese sauce) to share ($10).

B.East Burger and Phone + Blurry Hand for Scale

My Filthy Burger

The taste of these burgers were very peculiar. I was expecting a mouthful of Mexican influence due to the description of jalapeño aioli and B.East chilli and instead I had a strong aftertaste of pho. Yes, PHO as in the Vietnamese noodle soup!! We honestly spent the entire meal being so astonished that all the beef patties from our burgers had the same pho taste. There was probably Sriracha in the chilli sauce but that didn't explain the taste in B's B.East Burger.

Foreground: Filthy Burger and Background: Regulator Burger and Death Star Fries

Overall, we had a good feed. Service was decent and as they were closing up it was understandable that we were left to our own devices. I wouldn't exactly rave about this place to my friends but I would tell them about the distinct pho flavour. They do have an extensive menu though, so if I came back, I would probably try the sliders. On the upside, if you love pho, then you're in for a treat!

Service: 7.5/10
Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value for Money: 7/10

Da Rin - CBD

I met up with my sister, Q and high school friend, J after class and we went to Da Rin. It was 1:30pm and only 2 other people were there. We ordered the Korean Fried Chicken - sweet & spicy and honey & garlic ($34), Cheese Corn ($10) and the Squid Tuigim Dosirak ($12.50).

Korean Fried Chicken - Mix It Up

Despite ordering the hot & spicy chicken, we got the original chicken instead. The waitress gave us gochujang sauce to pour over but it just wasn't the same :(  However, the pieces were really succulent and I didn't even get my hands that dirty because it was so easy to eat. The radish cubes were the best since it was so refreshing to eat in between bites of the chicken. The coleslaw was nice too but they could have eased off with the mayo dressing.

Cheese Corn

I've never tried Cheese Corn before so I was pretty excited to eat this. I love corn and I love cheese so obviously this should have tasted amazing. The first couple of bites were interesting but then all I could taste was the surimi (crab stick aka fake seafood). I found myself picking around it while I was eating because it was so overwhelming.

Squid Tuigim Dosirak 

The Squid Tuigum Dosirak was pretty average. There was too much batter and the taste of the squid was lost. The vegetables were nice though because it was good to have a different salad with all the chicken we were having. If I bought this dish on its own, I would've been disappointed.

Our Meal in its Entirety 

Overall, I thought the meal was decent. The Korean Fried Chicken was the star (as it should be) and we were content with how yummy it was. The sides didn't live up to our expectations. Service was attentive but the mix up with the chicken did suck.

Service: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value for Money: 7.5/10

Guzman y Gomez - CBD

Happy Cinco De Mayo Day!!

$5 Burritos and Burrito Bowls at Guzman y Gomez! Enough Said.

Spicy Chicken Guerrero Burrito Bowl w/ Guacamole (extra $2)

I ordered the Spicy Chicken Guererro Burrito Bowl ($5) with added guacamole ($2) and it completely hit the spot. It is usually $10.90, which is a pretty decent price since it is plentiful. The complimentary red onions and jalapeños were a nice touch. The chicken had the perfect level of spice for me but my friend, K was a pussy and couldn't handle it.

So Festive!

Service: 7/10

Taste: 8/10

Presentation: 8.5/10

Value for Money: 9/10 (only for today though)

Footscray Best Kebab House - Footscray

On our day off uni, we went to Footscray's Best Kebab House for lunch. Mingang and I got there around 3pm and ordered the Small Mixed Kebab Meal ($14) to share. 

Small Mixed Kebab Meal

There was so much turkish bread! Yummy goodness! At first we were worried that the small platter was not enough but it was plenty for the both us. They gave us three types of dips: carrot, Cacık (similar to tzatziki) and a hot chilli one. They were all divine! The lamb and chicken were soft and flavoursome which contrasted well with the salad. The salad was crispy with an abundance of lettuce, spring onion, carrot, cabbage and cucumber. The spring onion could have been sliced a little finer because at times it felt overpowering. Mingang could not handle the spice so I gladly ate the chilli. We were delighted to see that the middle section with the dips also had more food underneath, score! 

Overall, we loved our dish! We went when it was relatively quiet so we did not experience the abrupt service many reviewers have mentioned. Our server was really great as well, since we forgot to say 'Meal' when ordering and she happily changed our order even after making the kebab. I have shown this photo to many friends saying "LOOK AT HOW GOOD THIS LOOKS" and promising to take them here the next time I have a craving for kebab meat. 

Service: 9/10

Taste: 9/10

Presentation: 9.5/10

Value for Money: 9.5/10 ($7pp, bargain!)