Baba Sus - Glen Iris

I have been really excited to try Baba Sus for quite some time now. On a super sunny Sunday, we decided to make the trek to Glen Iris. And by that, I mean thanks for driving me Kevin.

Matcha Latte ($4.50)

Banana & Lychee Smoothie & Matcha Latte

 The latte art is so cute here!!! I wasn't the biggest fan of the smoothie, too much banana and not enough lychee!

Japanese Corn Croquettes

 I got the Japanese Corn Croquettes. In case you haven't noticed, I love anything corn! I'm not sure if it's still on the menu but this was delicious!!! It was paired with avocado puree, cured salmon, herb cream, asparagus & bean salad, tobiko and poached egg. The croquettes were creamy with nice bits of corn. All the other components complemented it beautifully. I liked that the salad wasn't minimal like a lot of places. Ooh and that egg, it gave me the perfect yolk porn boomerang. Yeboi

The Baba Sus

 Kevin got The Baba Sus ($21.50). This was crispy pork belly, carrot miso puree, baby carrots, apple sauce, apple salad, shallots, chilli and nuoc nam dressing. Kevin liked his dish and said it was a generous serving size. We agreed it was more a modern Asian restaurant dish rather than a classic brunch dish. The crackling was spot on and the watermelon was a little weird ahah. I'm not a fan of fruits in salad.

OOFT our spreadddddd

Hong Kong Waffles

These Hong Kong Egg Waffles ($15) were bomb! Even though we were stuffed, we couldn't go all the way to Baba Sus and not get these famous waffles. They were wonderfully stuffed with gooey vanilla custard and topped with berry compote, green tea ice cream and pistachio praline. The waffle itself wasn't doughy and no individual element was overpowering. Great balance of sweetness and acidity. I just wanted more of that green tea ice cream! Yum!


Overall, we had a great time at Baba Sus. The food was top notch. It was definitely worth the drive. 




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

District North Cafe - Moonee Ponds

I caught up with Cat over some brunch at District North recently. It was crazy busy for a Sunday morning but we managed to nab a table fairly quickly.

Such an extensive menu!

So much to choose from... but there's typical me dishes...
My sister went a few months ago and the Slow Cooked Pulled Lamb Shoulder Super Bowl Salad and said this was a top notch dish!! (Pictured below!)

Slow Cooked Pulled Lamb Shoulder ($21.50)

Chorizo, Haloumi and Corn Fritters

Surprise surprise, I got the Chorizo, Haloumi and Corn Fritters ($19.50) with a side of smashed avocado and feta ($4.50). This was all kinds of yum. There was haloumi, harissa aioli, herb salad and poached eggs as well. The fritters were crispy on the outside and fluffy in the inside. Perfect consistency. I hate places that advertise corn fritters and it's basically flat pancakes, SMH. The avocado smash was a welcome addition as it lent a lot of saltiness and creaminess. Imma say it now, but this was on of the best corn fritter dishes I've had for brunch. V impressed! V happy girl! 

No house savings for Cat

Meanwhile, Cat got the Smash on Arrival ($18.50). Her dish was literally half of mine LOL. She did enjoy it immensely tho, so kudos to her.

So green!

 Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience. Service was great. Cat wanted a mimosa and they happily obliged even though it wasn't on their menu. The atmosphere was busy but it seemed like a chill family vibes cafe. I would definitely come back and try other menu items (or even the corn fritters again eheh).



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




 

Prahran Market - Prahran

A while ago, Q and I paid the Prahran Market a visit, for some good eats (what else?). It is aptly named the Food Lovers Market. Sounds like my kind of place.

Entrance of the indoor market!

Appaz one of the best!

Nomyom Boreks

YUMMM Lamb and Spinach Borek ($5.50)

Maker and Monger

All kinds of grilled cheese sangas

All kinds of cheeses

So keen to tray raclette for the first time!

Toasting away

Flaming Reuben ($13)

Swiss Raclette ($13)

Cheese Goodness

Yummmmmy, this was cheese galore. The reuben was nice and salty. The raclette was so oozy over the potatoes and fresh shiitake mushrooms. The pickles were a nice respite from the heaviness of the dish. Best to share this dish!

Pastries selection

Chocolate Raspberry Molten ($4)

Next food stop!

Overlooking the kitchen

Braised Pork Belly Don

The braised pork belly don was absolutely delicious. One of the best in Melbourne and just melted in my mouth. Almost wish I didn't have to share it with Quynh. 10/10 would go back to the Prahran market just for this.

The grocery market section had heaps of food demonstrations

Yay free food!

All kinds of Turkish Delights flavours

All kinds of dips

All kinds of flowers

More flowers

Market vibes

Calia - CBD

The hype has died a little for (not so newly opened) Japanese restaurant, Calia in Emporium. We barely had to wait (winner!) and were seated in 15 minutes. Also I may have went 3 months ago so this review is only a tad delayed. I went 3 other girls and we all shared (obv), ain't nobody got time for individual dishes.

Even their menus are nice!

 

The Toro Bowl

To start we had the Toro Bowl ($39.80). This was pricey AF but we could not resist fatty tuna belly. It was glazed with suki sauce and topped with tuna belly tartare. Melted in my mouth and brought back all the Japan feels.

The Marbled Sukiyaki Bowl

I was really excited to try the Marbled Sukiyaki Bowl ($16.90). It was premium Marble 9+ wagyu slices with a 63 degree egg. Unfortunately this was really disappointing as it was quite bland and lacked the juicy meaty flavour I expect from wagyu.

Aburi Sāmom

 The Aburi Salmon ($18.30) was flame seared salmon topped with ikura and their secret CALIA sauce. This was quite nice but tinyyyyy.

O’ Bara Bara

The O'Bara Bara ($19.80) ahd lovely presentation with its bright pops of colour. It was marinated chirashi of diced tuna, salmon, kingfish, tamago and ikura. Unfortunately this was also a let down. While it was advertised as marinated, this was lacking in flavour and I had to add soy sauce. 

Truffled Fries

We had truffle fries tossed in egg yolk ($8.90) and the truffle was basically indistinguishable. This was still yummy fried goodness tho. I have checked the menu and it has recently changed to umami fries and seems to have a shitload more truffle shaved on top. Good for them!

Flat lay

Very pretty!

Hokkaidō Chīzukēki

Dessert time!! The Hokkaidō Chīzukēki ($10.20) was their take on the Hokkaido cheesecake with Yuzu jelly. As promised it was very light and fluffy. The fresh fruit made lovely accompaniments, but the yuzu jelly was my favourite.

Matcha Lava Lava

Dat ooze

Last but not least was the Matcha Lava Lava ($14.90). The matcha ganache oozed out of the chocolate lava cake, which was followed by a chorus of oohs and aahs. This was nice but I would've loved a more intense matcha flavour.



Calia was nice but not the best Japanese food I have ever eaten. Probably a tad overrated, given all the rave reviews I have read. The portions are definitely on the smaller side, so not that much bang for your buck. One dish will not get you full at all TBH. However the tuna belly is a must try! I do have to admit that the aesthetic was indeed very pleasing. The presentation was fantastic and I loved the vibe of Calia. It also has an interesting retail to dining concept, albeit being on the pricier side. I wouldn't be in a rush to dine here again as Melbourne's quality Japanese are in abundance.



Taste: 6/10
Value for Money: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Presentation: 8/10