The Bao Bros - Footscray

I finally got to try Bao Bros last week YASSSSSSS. It is a pop-up at the Littlefoot Bar in Footscray. I decided to grab all the baos (except the Veggie one) to share with Kevin.

FISH BAO

OHMYGASM. The Fish Bao ($6.50) was actually so amazing. The deep fried fish fillet was so satisfyingly crunchy and paired fantastically with the jalapeño tartare sauce. Kevin loved it and we both agreed it tasted like a Asian refined version of Macca's Fillet-O-Fish. YOM.  

CHICKEN BAO

 The Chicken Bao ($5.80) was also a winner as well. A great crunch on the deep fried chicken which complemented the sriracha mayo and slaw beautifully.

THE CRISPY BAOS

PORK BAO

 The Pork Bao ($5.80) was nice but didn't have the WOW factor as the fish and chicken bao. It had slow braised pork belly which was tender, pickled mustard and candy crackling. Bloody Kevin, dropped all the crackling when he picked it up but from the small amount I tasted, it was pleasant but I would've preferred actual chunky crackling pieces cos everything was so soft already.

BEEF BAO

 The Beef Bao ($5.80) was incredibly soft too. It had beef brisket with chimchong sauce and wonton crisps. It too, wasn't a standout. 

THE SLOW COOKED BAOS

CRISPY CHICKEN WINGS

 As a side, we opted for the Crispy Chicken Wings ($9). They were indeed very crispy and came with a Vietnamese ginger lime fish dipping sauce. Very yum, very good, I like it.
 

PRESENTATION/10

 

 

Overall, Bao Bros did not disappoint. The fish and chicken baos were absolutely delicious. We came during lunch and managed to grab the lunch deal which was any 2 baos and a can of soft drink for only $9.80. This place trumps Wonderbao in the city and so close to home which is fab for me. The baos were so pillowy and the perfect cushion for the scrumptious fillings. I would definitely come back when I crave baos to order my faves.

Oriental Spoon - CBD

I went to Oriental Spoon to catch up with some uni mates. We managed to order from the lunch menu. Cheap Cheap. Just a quick soup appreciation post.

I dream about this soup sometimes

A.B got the Spicy Seafood Udon (sans the udon because he is on keto) ($13) and this was so incredibly yummy. I'd say one of the best Korean seafood broths I have tasted. The seafood, which included prawns, squid, baby octopus and mussels, was also cooked beautifully. It came with banchan (free side dishes) too which was unexpected since it was a soup. It wasn't even my dish but I kept coming back for it since it was so delicious and plenty of it.

LOVE KIMCHI ANYTHING

I got the Kimchi Fried Rice with Loinkatsu ($14). This had a good flavour to it. It was a tad salty tho so more greens would've been nice to break up the salt and also for extra rowdy presentation points.

He copied me!

V the pleb also got the same dish but the Tender-Loin Katsu ($14).


Overall, pretty decent place. They have heaps of staple Korean dishes and our friends who got the bibimbap, fried chicken and topokki enjoyed their dishes too. Highlight was that Spicy Seafood broth and I would definitely return for that.


Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Sezar - CBD

For Q's 20th birthday, we all went to Sezar for the $69 banquet menu. Happy Birthday to my sister! The lighting was so dim creyz and I didn't think to take photos with flash until halfway creyz. Under each photo, I've included what it would have costed if the dish was ordered a la carte.

BDAY Girl

 

DRANKS

 As deso driver, I got the Summer in Armenia ($15) which had pomegranate, seasonal fruit, lemonade and dry. It was a yummy mocktail. A lot of the girls who didn't drive also opted for this drink as well. I also tried the Apricot Fizz ($10) which had apricot, almond and soda and while it wasn't refreshing it had a very pleasant almond taste. 

Small Plate:  
OYSTERS / compressed apple & anise (2) ($9)

We had an oyster with compressed apple and anise each and it was such a refreshing way to start the meal.

Bzdig

BASTOURMA & EGG / armenian air dried beef,
quail egg, toasted brioche & garlic jam (2) ($10) 

This was divine. So crispy and moreish with the burst of the egg yolk YOM!

Bzdig

SPINACH & FETA BOREG / aleppo mayo (3) ($12)

The waitress actually dropped one boreg before it hit the table ahluls but all good.When I tasted it a few minutes later, I liked how flaky it was and how it married super well with the aleppo mayo. What the hell is aleppo anyways? Who cares cos aleppo is gooooood.

Michag

GRAIN SALAD / toasted seeds & nuts, sour cherries,
shoots, sprouts & hung yoghurt ($15)

Thank the lord the coriander wasn't chopped up in a thousand tiny pieces and I could give it away. The salad was healthy tasting and went very well with the yoghurt.

Michag

CURED OCEAN TROUT / apple & fennel salad,
crème fraiche & roe ($17)

This was certainly a very dainty looking dish. The trout was super soft and obv pairs well with apple and fennel. TBH not a fan of roe. It just tastes like seawater. 

Michag

TBH CAN'T REMEMBER - LAMB SOMETHING

This one was easy to share and the sauce oh so good. It was a tad dry tho and would've been better if there was more sauce to coat it. I liked the tangy pickled stuff.

Michag

SPANNER CRAB MANTI / armenian dumplings,
yoghurt soup & paprika butter (4) ($16)

My fav savoury dish of the night. It was a delight to eat and so yummy with the perfect blend of freshness, tanginess and spice. The sauce was sooo good, I even dipped my lamb in it EHEH.

WHATTA HUNK (OF LAMB SHOULD DAT IS)

Chupz

Medz

SLOW COOKED LAMB SHOULDER / sides & sauces ($70)

Ooft this was the large plate and it looked crazy appetizing. The lamb shoulder was huge with a side of thrice cooked chips, cabbage salad, cherry sauce and yogurt. Between 4 girls, we managed to finish most of it so it was a solid effort. While the lamb fell off the bone and was cooked beautifully, it was sadly lacking in flavour and depth. There wasn't enough sauce to slather the bland-ish lamb. I guess I expected so much more and hoping it would blow my mind.

Anoush

CHOCOLATE MARQUISE / spiced hazelnuts,
cardamom whipped cream & argan oil 

Anoush

PISTACHIO CAKE / figs, halva, orange blossom
& pashmak

Anoush

HONEY CREAM / saffron poached pear & sweet brik pastry

Anoush
TBH DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME

Dessert Tasting Board ($40)

I didn't manage to take a photo of the New Style Baklava because we literally gobbled it up. This was the best dessert on the platter. It had delectable walnut toffee ice cream wedged in between two pieces of crispy filo drizzled with salted caramel. I've tried baklavas before and found them dreadfully sweet so I loved how balanced this was. TBH the other desserts were pretty meh. The pistachio cake was dry and I'm not a fan of spices in my dessert. I was just picking at them because at this point I was really full and none of them left an impression.

Overall, Sezar was a great eye-opening experience to Armenian cuisine. Guess the only slight let downs were the lamb and desserts but I'm willing to overlook that because I left feeling full and satisfied. The service was just really lovely. Due to the horrendous parking in the city, everyone came dreadfully late and we couldn't start our banquet until all 17 guests were here but they were really patient. Q also had 3 birthday cakes and they were so accommodating in bringing them out. If I returned, I probably wouldn't do the banquet menu again but just pick the highlight dishes (Bastourma, Dumpling & Baklava) and try some new things.


Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Value for Money: 9/10

Pillar of Salt - Richmond

After much persuasion, Kevin finally agreed to let me take him to Pillar of Salt. I will convert him to a brunch lover. I will. We went on Good Friday and forgot it was a public holiday so the wait time was very long zzz.

Seriously yum!

I ordered the Roasted Cauliflower, Kimchi and Corn Fritters ($17) with vodka & junifer berry ocean trout gravalax, watercress & water chestnut salad, green sour cream and JK's kimchi hot sauce with a poached egg ($2.5). This was so visually stunning and tasted a treat. All the flavours complemented each other and I especially loved how the sour cream balanced out the hot sauce. Minor complaint would be that the fritters could've been crispier for an extra crunchy texture.

Kevin's Benedict

Kevin got the Benedict Poached Eggs ($18) with mushy peas, braised & shredded Cape Otway ham hock, thyme apple cider hollandaise on toast. He was a fan of it and the couple bites I had were flavourful.

K's 'It's just egg'

K got the Red Chilli Scrambled Eggs ($18) with julienne bacon, spring onion, parsley, grana padano cheese and toast. It was a tad bland for me but to K's liking.

v nice presentation, I like it

N got the Nordic Breakfast Board ($18.50) with vodka & junifer berry ocean trout gravalax, scambled eggs, rye toast, dill, aioli, mustard sauce, emmental cheese and house pickles. She said it was yummy and it did look like a rowdy setup.  

Iced Choc ($6) and Latte ($4)

Our table looked so pretty!

Overall, it was a really yummy brunch meal. It took almost an hour to get our food once we ordered but it was understandable given how busy it was. Service was efficient but not amazing. I'm glad I've crossed Pillar of Salt off my list. Would definitely return for the 15th Century Cilbur Eggs or Slow Cooked Beef Cheek Tacos because the photos look fab!


Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 10/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10