White Oaks Saloon - Prahran

On a Tuesday night a few months ago (okay October), we ventured out to Prahran to try Tex-Mex inspired Southern American food at White Oaks Saloon. A perusal of the extensive menu gave us a very bad attack of choice paralysis, so we decided to stick with the classics.

To start, we ordered the Sweet Southern BBQ Baby Back Ribs ($16). Described as beef ribs with classic dry rub, served with our choice of spicy Carolina BBQ sauce, picking this was a no brainer. The thiccc (triple C) hunk of meat fell seamlessly off the bone. I would've loved more of the sauce. Is it too much to ask for a pot of that sauce so I can dip the tender meat in it?

We also ordered the Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Chimichangas (2pcs/$14). Twice cooked pulled pork, Carolina style BBQ mopping, green bell peppers, fresh jalepenos and creole spices wrapped and baked in a tortilla. I picked this because of its Mexican flavour profile, he just like saying the word, chimichangas. This was the least impressive dish of the night. It was a bit on the bland side with no promised creole spices shining through. The salsa was fresh enough to balance the heaviness of the meat and tortilla. 

He is an absolute sucker for shoe string fries so the Cajun fries and Cajun tabasco mayo ($16) was a much anticipated dish. To his delight, and okay mine too, the fries were hot and crispy and generously loaded up. The Cajun seasoning was great but were not as generously coated on the fries at the bottom of the bowl. The mayo while deliciously creamy, was missing that spicy kick I was craving. 

How could we not order the Buffalo Chicken and Jalepeno Ranch ($19). They came in cute bite-sized nuggets of boneless chicken. It was a very generous serving. I did miss the fun in devouring buffalo chicken wings but this did the trick with absolutely zero mess. The tangy sauce is just so complementary with the cool ranch. 

Overall, I had a fantastic time at White Oaks Saloon. It was a haunt we stumbled upon and I would definitely come back to try the other dishes on their menu. They have quite a few restaurants from the same owners as well. It doesn't hurt that it is partnered with Zomato Gold which meant our Beef Ribs were not charged. The service was warm and friendly. The interior has saloon touches which we enjoyed and the bar is a sight to look at. The food was great and definitely left us feeling full and satisfied. I just would've loved an extra notch on the spice levels. 

Taste: 8/10

Presentation: 7/10 

Service: 8/10

Value for Money: 7/10

 

Easey's - Collingwood

We went to Easey's in Collingwood for date night Wednesday's. I had completely forgotten about the novelty of having burgers inside a train carriage on top of a roof. This most likely would have puzzled the servers at Easey's when we sat at a booth downstairs but they were kind enough to offer us the upstairs area.

Extensive Menu

We had specifically chosen to eat at Easey's because of their limited edition FOMO burger (fried chicken and poutine mashies) but sadly it was sold out for the day. Instead we opted for our server's favourite burger: Louisiana Fried Chicken Sandwich ($15). It was Southern Fried Chicken, Bacon, American Cheddar, Slaw & Spicy Aioli which they kindly switched out to Ranch as per our request. God, ranch is just so bomb. This was a great burger, with a great composition of flavours. The chicken itself was coated with a lovely spice. Just yum.

Louisiana Fried Chicken Sandwich

We also got the aptly named Rowdy Cheeseburger ($14). There was 1 Smashed Patty, American Cheddar, Bacon, Jalepenos, Pickles, Onions, Ketchup and Mustard. This was your typical cheeseburger. No frills, saucy and to the point.

Rowdy Cheesburger

To top it all off, we got the Cheese and Gravy Chips to share. Even though gravy soaked chips lost its crunch, it still mopped up all the great favour there.

Cheese and Gravy Fries

Overall, we had a great time at Easey's. The food was great, burgs and beers, what else can you ask for. The service was really friendly and vibe was easygoing. If the weather was a tiny bit warmer, I would've loved to sit outside. Really cool concept of the rooftop trains as well. Bit of a drive to Collingwood but it is a good burger joint to visit if you are in the area.

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

Borsch, Vodka & Tears - Windsor

Polish food is not a cuisine I often eat but the urge to eat was real, so off we went to Borsch, Vodka and Tears in Windsor. I had heard great things about this place so was quite excited to see what all the hype was about. It was dimly lit with warm red hues with quite an extensive bar menu. It was a standard Tuesday night so unfortunately we didn’t try any of its namesake: vodka.

I did order the Sex in Krakow ($17), which was a concoction of cranberry vodka, clear polish vodka and cointreau shaken with cranberry and lime. It was quite sweet but I could definitely taste the alcohol. E had their bestseller, Pinta Pierwsza Pomoc ($10.50). It was described as a crisp and clean Czech style pilsner, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Safe to say he liked it. It had quite a sweet aftertaste which I couldn’t quite distinguish.

We definitely had to order the Zakuski, described as favourite bites inspired by our travels to the Motherland. We selected the Farmer’s Zakuski ($35) which had an impressive repertoire of Vodka-cured kangaroo "tartare," lamb croquette, venison & smoked duck terrine, devils on horseback, wild boar salami, ham hock fritters, rich man's butter, rye bread and bottomless pickles.

Wow where to even start? 

The vodka-cured kangaroo wasn’t gamey at all and I forgot that vodka was an element. It sat atop a rye crisp. To be honest, it was quite salty but when paired with the mint jelly or saukeraut, it was a lot more enjoyable. The single lamb croquette was very rich and dense. The venison and smoked duck terrine was thinly sliced with pistachios peppered through it. It had a nice meaty taste. Wild boar salami? Tasted like good quality salami. The devils on horseback was an interesting one. Not quite a pate spread but not quite a stand-alone component. The ham hock fritters were a winner. Tasty shredded meat with a good mustardy kick from the sauce. Don’t even get me started on the butter, rich man’s butter indeed. Velvety smooth and so easily devourable with the rye bread. Bottomless pickles? Enough said.

We had to get the traditional Polish dumplings here and ordered 2 Beef and Chicken Pierogis and 2 Porcini and Sauerkraut Pierogis ($18). Love me some variety. The pierogis were good and well flavoured. I actually preferred the latter as I felt the porcini mushrooms really shined.

We also ordered the Lamb Goulash, which comprised of all things yummy: lamb and capsicum ragout, baked semolina dumplings and pickled red cabbage. The semolina dumplings sold me on this dish and I was not disappointed. Very pillowy and the perfect vessel to mop up the flavorsome stew. The lamb chunks were beautifully tender. Highly recommend this dish.

Overall, we had a fantastic time at Borsch, Vodka and Tears. The waitresses were personable and made us feel at ease. The food was fantastic and we were very comfortably full and definitely happy with our food choices. I am excited to go back to try their other dishes and maybe a tasting platter of vodka...or 2. It is definitely worth a visit to satisfy your Polish cravings or experience this cuisine for the first time.


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

Pontoon - St Kilda

A couple months ago, we caught up with a long lost family member over dinner at Pontoon in St Kilda. It was a lovely balmy night, so obviously we opted to sit indoors.

Popcorn Chicken

To start, we got the popcorn chicken. There was the tiniest bit of spice, barely discernible but a nice bite.

Eggplant Chips

We also got the eggplant chips. Quite nice and the sauce was yummy.

Tuna Ceviche

The tuna ceviche packed some serious flavour. I’ve never had it Asian style before and loved all the textures.

Lamb Shoulder

To share, we got the slow cooked 12-hour lamb shoulder ($69), accompanied with pita bread, tzatiki and paprika oil. The meat was cooked beautifully and fell off the bone. It was quite salty though, so the yoghurt provided much relief. The lamb was quite a heavy dish so we ordered a grain salad to lighten the whole meal. You can’t ever go wrong with a gain salad TBH.

Overall, we had an enjoyable time at Pontoon. We actually spent the longest time chatting away and the staff was friendly and patient. It was quite affordable for the amount we ate and I was properly full. Not bad Pontoon, not bad at all. P.S the menu has basically completely changed. Oops.



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

Chimac - West Melbourne

I rarely go to restaurants and have a unsatisfactory experience. I always give a food joint a good perusal online before I eat there for  the first time. I've been to Chimac 3-4 times and have previously rated it highly. No more. I went to Chimac on a busy Saturday and feel like the food has downgraded considerably.

Menu

Wonder Soy Chicken

The wonder soy chicken ($18) was so very sad. Quite dry with a very thinly coated layer of the honey soy sauce. Very lackluster, should've just went to Gami for my Korean Fried Chicken fix. Also they do not provide any more pickled radish. What is this travesty?!?!

Quesadillas

Again, these beef bulgogi quesadillas ($17) were very dry. It is usually bolstered by the salsa, it seems like they skimped out on this as well as the sauce. Just by looking at my previous quesadilla photos, I can see the difference in sauce drizzle.

Gyozas

We had ordered the corn cheese but it wasn't until our mains came the waitress told us they had run out and asked if we wanted something else. Should not have bothered with the gyozas. Given that there was no sauce, I expected them to be beautifully flavoured. Thank-god for the slaw. Not the best way to end the meal.

Overall, I left feeling quite disappointed with Chimac. Once it was a joint, I proudly recommended to my friends for its Korean Mexican fusion. The service was pretty shoddy as well. We had to sit for ages before asking for our own menus and then got our drinks mixed up as well. I get that it is busy but it didn't feel great seeing proper customer service provided to all the tables around us. Melbourne is spoilt for choice for Korean food and I will go elsewhere to satiate my cravings.


Taste: 4.5/10
Presentation: 6/10
Service: 4/10
Value for Money: 7/10



 

Maccaroni Trattoria Italiana - CBD

For John's birthday, we went to Maccaroni Trattoria Italiana, located on Manchester Lane. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share between 4 people.

Lasagne

The Lasagne ($18) was fresh pasta with bolognese sauce, bechamel and parmesan. Your standard lasagne. Nothing to rave about but nothing to complain about either.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

We also ordered the Risotto Chicken and Mushrooms ($24). This was disappointing to say the least. It was clumpy rice with dry shredded chicken. Where is my creamy risotto that is barely being held together on the plate. I've been robbed.

I had high hopes for the Pappardelle Funghi e Tartufo ($26). This was fresh pappardelle with mushrooms, truffle sauce and parsley. Boy, did this not disappoint. It had an intense truffle flavour and each strand of perfectly cooked pappardelle was coated with the scrumptious sauce. This was a great pasta dish. YOM.

We also got the Quattro Fromaggio ($22). It was topped with tomato, mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmigiano, pecorino and oregano. Yes it was cheesy, and yes it was good.

Dat spread tho

Nice wall decor

Cute!

Overall, we had good Italian food at Maccaroni Trattoria Italiania. The restaurant was quaint and very Italian. The food was hit and miss but that truffle pappardelle was its saving grace. Would I come back? Maybe. We will have to see.



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

400 Gradi - Brunswick

We recently had a Quynh's Cupcakery team meeting at 400 Gradi. 400 Gradi boasts being the number 1 pizza in the world. V keen.

No wine for us

Dranks

Fiori di Zucca

To start we got the Fiori di Zucca ($19). This was 3 Zucchini flowers stuffed with buffalo ricotta, spanner crab and chilli. This was a tad bland and I would've loved more crab flavour and a dipping sauce. 

Arancini

We also the Arancini ($16) which was crumbed rice balls, bolognese, peas, mozzarella and spicy rose sausage. This was a tad more flavoursome starter and the sauce was good.

Margherita Verace

Pizza time! The Margherita Verace ($22) had San Marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It wasn't as beautifully presented as the other pizzas we saw as the basil and mozarella wasn't evenly spread.The dough was lovely and so puffy on the end and I'm not even a crust person! It was a good pizza. Basic, but good. 

Pizzaaaaaaaaaaaa

Romano

We also got the Romano ($25). This was San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, Prosciutto Cotto. This was more flavoursome and the prosciutto paired well with Balsamic. It is a shame that you have to eat the pizza immediately because it loses its puffliness if it sits there too long. 

Spaghettini al Granchio

Next was the Spaghettini al Granchio ($36). This was Spaghettini with spanner crab meat, garlic, chilli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, white wine and lobster bisque. OOFT this was pure seafood flavour. I really enjoyed this pasta and it had ample chunky pieces of crab. 

Yay parmesan and chilli oil

Pappardelle al Sugo D'agnello

We also tried the Pappardelle al Sugo D'agnello ($32). This was pappardelle with slow cooked lamb ragu. I had expected this to be super rich but it was basic and needed more parmesan and chilli oil to oomph up the flavours.

Tiramisu

For dessert, we got the Tiramisu ($16). It was a traditional serve of savoiardi biscuits soaked in coffee and marsala layered with mascarpone cream, topped with cocoa and icing sugar. I haven't had many traditional tiramisus and boy was this good. Great dessert to end the night!

Layout

Overall, we had an alright night at 400 Gradi. The pizza and pastas were good. While they didn't exceed my expectations, I still ate good flavoursome food. The Spaghettini was definitely the winner of the night! It was relatively busy but service wasn't lacking. If I want to eat some gourmet pizza and pasta, I'll probably try other avenues in the future.




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