Rooftop Bar - CBD

We were in the mood for burgers and it was a surprisingly nice day where the sun was actually shining. Rooftop Bar it was, for some tasty af burgers from Beatbox Kitchen. I went here a couple years ago and it was packed like crazy. Luckily, as it was quite chilly we were able to grab a table that overlooked the city. We all ordered the Burger on Special ($10) which had a beef patty, double cheese, onion rings, lettuce, mayo and BBQ sauce. I requested a slice of tomato in mine which they happily agreed to with no extra charge, score! We also grabbed some chips (extra $3) and onion rings ($8) as well. Not sure what we were thinking at 1pm in the afternoon but we the girls also grabbed a jug of Sangria ($35) just because we could.

Burger on Special w/ my tomato WOOP

The burger was quite a mouthful but it was oh so good. The onion rings had a nice crispy coating and the sauces married well with each other. I loved the freshness the tomato gave to it and who doesn't love cheese.

Seasoned Wedges ($8)

Burger on Special w/ Fries Combo ($13)

The sauce for the chips was pretty yummy. It tasted like a creamier Big Mac sauce.

Sangria o'clock

The rooftop bar vibe was great and it was hilarious watching Mingang get drunker by the minute. I am not a fan of red wine so I gladly poured her a couple more glasses than necessary. The burgers were as delish as I remembered. I would defo go again in the summer :)

   
Taste: 8.5/10
Presentation: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10

Kokoro Ramen - CBD

The theme for CBD lunch eats seems to be ramen for my uni squad this Winter. This particularly freezing day, we decided to go to Kokoro Ramen on Lonsdale Street. I've been here once before but only grabbed a few side dishes so I was excited to slurp up some delicious ramen. I was eyeing the Sapporo Miso ($13.50) and then discovered that there was a lunch special which included a small ramen + karaage, salad and a rice ball for only $9.80. S and I ordered the lunch special with Tokyo Shoyu and Sapporo Miso, respectively. A also ordered the Tokyo Shoyu w/ Fried Chicken with an extra serving of noodles and egg for $15.50. Mingang got the Hakata Tonkotsu Shoyu w/ Pork Belly ($15.50) and K ordered ramen in a claypot OOOH.

I love it when I eat ramen and I don't have to add any condiments to it. This was the case with the Sapporo Miso. The chilli oil was great and all the flavours tied in together nicely. The meat wasn't as tender as Fukuryu Ramen but all the other sides were enjoyable, especially the egg. One more ladle of the broth would've been great because it just looked a bit deflated tbh.

God, I love variety so damn much and this was right up my alley. The chicken was fab, tick, the onigiri had good texture, tick and there were some veggies, tick tick tick!

Lunch Special: Small Sapporo Ramen + Karaage, Salad & Onigiri

Did I mention there were free and unlimited sides of kimchi and picked ginger? YES YES YES!
The kimchi was on pointttttt.

Tokyo Shoyu w/ Fried Chicken

A was a dumbass and ordered extra noodles which he barely touched because the serving size was pretty generous. It was a shame that his chicken lost its crispy coating because it was sitting the broth. The curly noodles had a better taste than the thin straight noodles I had though.

Lunch Special: Small Tokyo Shoyu + Karaage, Salad & Onigiri

S enjoyed her meal but said the broth was a tad too salty for her liking.

Overall, we had an ace time at Kororo Ramen. The service was lovely, from shouting Japanese greetings from at the door to patiently explaining the lunch menu to me. The lunch menu was the best deal ever, as I had a super fulfilling meal for under 10 bucks. I just found out that they offer Tsukemen in the Summer so I wouldn't mind coming back just for that.


Taste: 8.5/10
Presentation: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10 (Under $10, soooooo good)

Cafe Cui - Footscray

I caught up with the boys at Cafe Cui the morning following FSOE. I was completely drained from my night out but it wasn't going to stop me from brunch. I ordered the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Egg Bake ($14). P and M ordered the Southern Fried Chicken w/ Herb Fries & Salad and B and I got the Porterhouse Steak w/ Herb Fries ($24).

My Moroccan Spiced Chicken Egg Bake

The Moroccan Chicken was what I needed on this chilly morning. The eggs were perfectly poached as it oozed yolk. The roti was light and great for mopping up the sauce and yolk. The flavour was pleasant and not unlike a chicken curry my mum makes at home. I would have preferred a couple more dollops of yoghurt and more spices to make this an ultimate dish.

Southern Fried Chicken

 P and M really enjoyed their chicken. It was coated in cornflakes which gave it a stupendous crunch without compromising the flavour of the chicken.

Porterhouse Steak w/ Herb Fries

Overall, we had a decent time. The boys ordered such lunch-y items when I was meant to take them for a brunch experience. Regardless, all our dishes were yummy and we left satisfied. I would probably come back with some girlfriends and split a few dishes including the famous lobster rolls or soft shell crabsliders. The location is great since it's just opposite Footscray Station. Service was very friendly and attentive.

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10 ($14 for my dish, bargain!)

Top Paddock - Richmond

B and I had never been to brunch before so K.K and I decided it was time to take them out to finally experience it. After an indecisive morning, we went to Top Paddock which was on my to-go Melbourne brunch list. It was a rainy Sunday with at least a 45 minute wait but we were determined since we had travelled this far and through so much traffic already. I ordered the Pan fried local Snapper with chilli-fried egg, avocado, lime & a corn tortilla ($19.50). K.K got the Fresh Qld. soft-shell mud crab roll w/ a fennel, dill salad & lime mayo in a brioche bun ($21) and the boys got Rangers Valley Wagyu steak sandwich w/ beetroot relish, tempura beetroot shoots, fresh horseradish & wasabi leaves ($20.50).

My Pan Fried Local Snapper

I really liked the presentation of my dish. Sadly, it was quite plain as the ingredients were pretty damn simple. The lime tied everything together and the dish was super fresh but I was just disappointed in myself for not choosing a ballsier dish for my first time at Top Paddock.

Soft Shell Crab Roll

K.K. thought her crab roll was delicious and packed with flavour. I had a bite and I liked how it wasn't too crustacean-y.

Rangers Valley Wagyu Steak Sandwich

B and I liked their burger but they were being typical boys and complained that the portion was not worth it for $20.50. While they enjoyed the flavours they wanted some chips to be fully satisfied.


Overall, we had an alright time at Top Paddock. Personally I found it very overrated as it has been quoted to me as one of the top brunch places in Melbourne. The wait time was just ridiculous since so many couples that came after after us were ushered in while we stood in the cold. It was a shame I didn't go with my original plan of getting the Ocean Trout dish and opted for the underwhelming Snapper one. Service was normal given how busy it was. Would I go again? Possibly. I would definitely go during the week though and hope someone else will order the Hotcakes (looking at you B) just so I can see what the fuss is all about.


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

Advieh - Seddon

Over the uni break, I caught up with some high school friends that I haven't seen in forever. Advieh was a cute Middle Eastern joint that I stumbled across on Zomato so we decided to go there. Jaq and I ordered the Omelette with Turkish Sausage, Napoli Sauce and Spinach ($17). J and K.V ordered the Smoked Salmon with Poached Eggs, Rocket, Labna, Dill on Sourdough ($17.50) and T got the Turkish Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough.  

Omelette w/ Turkish Sausage, Napoli Sausage & Spinach

My omelette was quite tasty. The combination of the tangy Napoli sauce and sausage worked well. A minor complaint was that the egg was a teensy bit rubbery on it's own but it worked well when eaten with all the other components.

Smoked Salmon w/ Poached Eggs, Rocket,  Labna, Dill on Sourdough

J and K.V thought the salmon tasted nice but the dish was too sour for their liking. I personally like labna so I happily grabbed a couple chunks from K.V. 

T's dish wash basically the same as mine sans the sauce. It didn't help that the scrambled eggs were really dry.

MEEP

Overall, we had an enjoyable meal, maybe me personally more so than my friends. I had all the things I liked in my dish. J thought his coffee was particularly grouse. The ambience was great and I loved the decor. It was a shame we had to sit at a communal table because at times it was awkward talking to each other but it couldn't have been helped.


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

Hash Speciality Coffee & Roasters - CBD

Old post.. about a month ago

Went to brunch with J and T and decided to check out Hash as they're still quite new and I've been walking past here a lot. Overall the meals were great and we all enjoyed them however service seems to be quite a miss. Didn't feel like they were quite attentive as we had to ask to get our sparkling water changed to tap water at least 2-3 times. And honestly they didn't seem that busy to not notice us staring at them for attention. Other than that I would come again to try out more stuff on the menu but not any time soon.

Chorizo, scallops + eggs ($20.5)

Smashed peas and glazed bacon ($18.5)

Ocean trout rilettes ($19.5)

Hash hot chocolate

Honestly I purchased the hot chocolate for the theatrics, all 3 of us did. It was fun however way too rich and sweet for my liking. Going to stick to my chai lattes. 

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 6/10
Value for Money: 7/10


 

Brace yourselves: Desserts from Japan

Being completely honest, I went to Japan to eat. I came back from my 10 day trip to Japan recently and visited some of the best patisseries I have ever been to. My boss gave me her list and I made sure we had to hit them all. Here are some photos of my visits.

La pâtisserie des rêves, Kyoto 
Absolutely amazing and hidden away in the Higashiyama district. The ambiance of the store and it's location just made every thing a touch more special. I absolutely loved it and one of the pastry highlights of my trip.

The apple was like a black forest inside and apple tarte tatin

A strawberry tart and the white ball was like a melon? meringue

Hidemi Sugino, Ginza- Tokyo

Awarded Asia's Best Pastry Chef of 2015, I had to go here. Unfortunately we came late and just before they were closing so these were the last two cakes available and I missed out on seeing the selection available. Nonetheless it was light, flavourful and amazing. 

B-Caraibe- Banana jelly, orange-chocolate chantilly and almond- hazelnut jaconde

Brésilienne- Coffee and caramel mousse

Laduree, Shinjuku Tokyo

Who doesn't love seeing Laduree cakes? I have tried the macarons from the Sydney store however I was keen on trying out the cakes. 

We got the Mont Blanc at the back, the strawberry shaped one is the La Fraise and the Saint Honore Rose on the left. I didn't enjoy the Mont Blanc as much as the other two as it was really just chestnut and cream.

Henri Charpentier, Ginza Tokyo

One of my favourite spots during the trip, I wish I was able to try more.

Honey & lime

Peach and crepes

*cries* Magnolia Bakery- Shibuya Tokyo 

Going to Magnolia Bakery in New York City has been a dream for me since forever. I'm absolutely in love with the creations and just stepping into the Japan store made me feel one step closer to NYC.

The most fluffiest frosting on the most delicious red velvet cake! The cupcakes were also amazing and lived up to their hype. So sad I was unable to try more flavours because we were so full from dinner.

The infamous banana pudding. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! So light and fluffy, it was one of the best tasting banana flavour desserts I have ever had, EVER.

Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan, Shibuya Tokyo

Dominique Ansel, the creator of the infamous cronut!! He recently opened a store in Tokyo, his original store being in NYC. Sadly we weren't early enough to try the original cronut however we had some other amazing, tasty treats. Definitely in my top 3 for patisseries from the trip.

Our frozen s'mores being freshly toasted

Frozen s'mores were of course amazing and perfect for Japan's 30 degrees summer. The lime tart was also beautifully balanced and the lychee and coconut pavlova was delicious too. 

Patisserie Sadaharu AOKI paris- Tokyo Midtown

Another gem in the list, there was so many to choose from so we opted for the set that had a little bit of everything. I wish I was able to take home some and just eat them all. They all looked vibrant and absolutely stunning.

Pierre Hermes, Omotesando Tokyo

Walking in it felt so exclusive and fancy. Unfortunately I was too full and broke to try more that one  cake. However the vanilla tart was so simple but so good. I also tried the salted caramel and jasmine macarons too which were nice but not as amazing as I hoped. Pictured below is also a green tea tart I purchased from Godiva.

I ate some amazing cakes and I don't regret any thing!!!!