Tuesday 29 October 2013

Lau's Family Kitchen

4 Acland St 
St Kilda,VIC 3182

Chinese food doesn’t excite me. In fact it tends to do the exact opposite a lot of the time. But like all things familiar, I find myself inevitably returning to it when I’m feeling down, when my appetite is low, or when I’m simply craving something comforting. 




Lau’s Family Kitchen is a small but cosy family-styled Cantonese restaurant tucked away in the unlikely locale of St Kilda.  For all its diminutive size, the Lau’s are of ex-Flower-Drum-Fame, and the esteem shows. It may have the bustling energy of a good Chinese restaurant, but the notes of the orient are quiet and classy with no boisterous reds to slam the senses, and the staff are polite and helpful. 




Unlike most Asian restaurants, the menu here isn’t overly long or complex. Rather, it serves up a small selection of homely Cantonese classics, such as crispy skin pork, and chilli prawns. There’s also a page of wines at the back of the menu. 


Fresh Squid with Salt and Pepper ($21)

I’ve always thought the Cantonese could work wonders with a deep fryer, and today, Chris and I tucked into a gorgeous plate of Fresh Squid with Salt and Pepper ($21). The light batter melted in the mouth, and the pieces of squid were the perfect balance between tender and chewy. Subtly flavoured with spices and shallots, it absolutely sings with a squeeze of lemon. 


Sauteed Eye Fillet ($36)

For mains, we shared a plate of Sautéed Eye Fillet ($36), and a bowl of Rice ($3.5pp) each. The rich, flavoursome pieces of beef had a center that was still pink and juicy, and were dressed simply in flavourful ginger soy, underscored with a hint of the grill. Kudos to a Chinese restaurant that doesn’t overcook their beef!



Our meal was topped off with a complimentary plate of buttery Almond Cookies. I normally feel rather jibbed paying more than $15 per head for Chinese food, because my mum cooks it so well, but not here. I’ll admit the prices are a bit steep for what it is, and I still hold a huge soft spot for Treasure Restaurant, but there really isn’t much not to like about Lau’s Family Kitchen. If you need to impress some picky eaters, you can’t go wrong here.

Rating: 14/20 – family favourite.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Lau's Family Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Friday 25 October 2013

Soda Rock Diner

257 Toorak Rd
South
Yarra, VIC 3141

I have a secret, dirty fascination. I am a bit ashamed to admit it but, greasy, disgusting American diner food has always held a sort of magnetism for me, even as every healthy cell in my body screams NO.  So when the line at Two Birds One Stone was way too long for the tiny timeframe we had, we walked 3 minutes around the corner to Soda Rock Diner without too much regret. 



Soda Rock Diner has been on the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street for 19 years. So whilst it still retains its retro vibe with the plastic booths and rock’n’roll memorabilia, it also has a distinctly dilapidated quality about it. 


Hubcap ($8.95)

Our Hubcap ($8.95), the basic burger, was rather miniature, and that’s not even by American standards. Taste-wise, it’s exactly  what you’d expect at McDonalds; that’s to say, the flavour of the burger is held up by entirely by the copious usage of sauce, with barely any beefiness to it at all. 


Chilli Fries ($9.95)

The Chilli Fries ($9.95), on the other hand, were lovely. Thick, golden steak fries soaked up the smoky flavours of the splat of chilli con carne, and the strands of cheese on top stretched out as you pulled each chip away from the pile. 



We didn’t dislike the food at Soda Rock, but it was nothing to shout about either. The chilli fries were good, but the atmosphere was rather depressing, and the entire diner just had an overall feel of being past its prime.

Rating: 11/20 – stuck in the 50s.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Soda Rock Diner on Urbanspoon

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Operator25

25 Wills St
Melbourne, VIC 3000


I miss having brunch, but a hectic life of uni during the week and work on weekends, plus a strong dislike of waking up early, isn’t all that conducive to long-drawn out meals of pancakes and fritters. But that’s not to say I can’t fit something in here and there, especially not when the café in question is Operator 25, the new kid on the block with a seductive menu. 




Operator 25 has been open for a good half year, but it’s only with the recent launch of the Spring menu has the restaurant really begun to spread its wings. Tucked in a smaller street near the historical Queen Victoria Market, Operator 25 is minimalistic but warm, the bare brick lightened up by bunches of flowers, and morning sunlight streaming in the front windows. 


Peppermint Lemon Iced Tea ($4)

The weatherman predicted a top of 30 degrees today, and I had eagerly busted out my short-shorts. On top of that, my gym session had left me sweaty and warm, so a bottle of Peppermint Lemon Iced Tea ($4) was the perfect remedy. 


Iced Chocolate ($5)

Chris used my iced tea as an excuse to get his very own Iced Chocolate ($5), which was served thick in a tall glass, although faintly powdery. A scoop of ice cream on top however, is always welcome.



Baked Eggs with Great Northern Beans, Chorizito, Goats Curd and House-made corn Bread ($18)

Along with fritters, baked eggs are one of my favourite brunch dishes of all time, so it was with a great amount of greed that I ordered the Baked Eggs with Great Northern Beans, Chorizito, Goats Curd and House-made corn Bread ($18). This one here errs on the side of being too sweet, but the chunks of sausage were large and rustic, and the yolks a perfect wobbly gold. The slab of toasted cornbread however, was perfect – buttery, light, and crumbling just so


House Benedict ($15)

House Benedict ($15)

Eggs benedict had always been a bit too boring of a dish for me to consider, given how interesting Melbourne’s brunch scene is, but the swap of toast for potato rosti in the House Benedict ($15) had me doing a 180.  Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed this filling meal of eggs, ham, and crunchy potato patties. The hollandaise sauce was especially good, creamy with a light tangy kick.

Operator 25 has some very interesting options on offer, both for breakfast and lunch, and the service is warm and attentive. With a little more time to refine the menu items, and to grow into its own skin, it could very well shape up to be one of the hottest new brunch places around.

Rating: 13.5/20 – diamond in the rough
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Operator 25.

Operator25 on Urbanspoon

Saturday 19 October 2013

Phat Brats

320 Brunswick Street 
Fitzroy, VIC 
3065


Phat Brats serves exactly what it sounds like – spoilt little kids crammed with junk food who deserve a good slap on the bum.




Just kidding. Phat Brats is actually another gourmet hot dog pit stop that’s sprung up on the perennially hip Brunswick Street. Situated in a high-ceilinged room with exposed brick, it has a rustic yet cosy cottage feel to it, complete with the homely smell of cooking sausages. The menu is rather simple, made up mainly of gourmet dogs, with a smattering of salads and wraps recently joining in on the fun. 


Ey Hombre ($9.9)

I love anything Mexican, so I couldn’t pass up the Ey Hombre ($9.9). The chorizo inside my soft wholemeal bun was great – punchy in flavour, with a pleasantly snappy skin when bitten into. The toppings, however, were a little lack-lustre. The salsa was flavourless, the smoky beans tastes like canned baked beans, and there is possibly nothing more disappointing than being promised jalapenos, and only receiving two measly slices. 


The Larrikin ($9.5)/Seasoned Fries (small, $3)

The Larrikin ($9.5) was a bit of an odd experience – it reminded me forcibly of a McDonald’s cheeseburger, though I say that in the best way possible. It had a beefy wagyu sausage, along with cheese, caramelised onions, and generous squirts of tomato sauce and mustard, all sandwiched in a squishy white bun. All it needed were pickles.

We also got a serve of their Seasoned Fries (small, $3), which were rather marvellous. The chips were flatter than normal, with a light, crisp beer batter, and a center fluffier than any chip I have ever had, almost as if it’s been whipped like cream. Seasoned with spices and a hint of smoky chilli, these were some of the best chips I’ve had the pleasure of eating.

I’m really in two minds about Phat Brats; we found the experience to only be slightly above par, yet we enjoyed it nevertheless. There were some great elements to the meal, and the fries were indeed life-changing as advertised. The sausages were good, especially the chorizo, and I enjoyed the cheeseburger hot dog way more than it was probably decent to. Phat Brats doesn’t push the envelope per se, and the dogs are on the smaller end, but it provides a comfortable, vaguely gourmet experience for those times where you want something more than a frankfurter in a bun.

Rating: 12.5/20 – slightly chubby brats
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Phat Brats on Urbanspoon

Wednesday 16 October 2013

N2 Extreme Gelato

329 Brunswick Street 
Fitzroy, VIC 
3065


What’s life without a few gimmicks? And what’s gelato without some liquid nitrogen? That’s clearly what the founder of the very aptly named N2 Extreme Gelato asked themselves, because this new gelato bar, hailing from Sydney, does things a little bit differently.



You’ll find no vanilla and cookies and cream here; it’s all about innovation, with fresh new flavours such as French earl grey dulce de leche. But that’s not the most exciting bit. 




The most exciting bit comes after when you make your order (One scoop: $6; Two scoops: You don’t need it!), and then proceed to watch the staff gear up in safety glasses and the liquid nitrogen start flowing. Pouring out a glass of ice cream mixture from the multi-coloured plastic tubs, it goes right into the ice cream machine along with billowing jugs of liquid nitrogen, pumped out from a huge canister. 


Buttered Popcorn ($6, one scoop)

The result is a dense but faultlessly smooth cup of gelato. I had scoffed at the menu that insisted that we don’t need two scoops, but I’m glad Chris had some common sense. Our cup of Buttered Popcorn ($6) was sticky and rich, tasting definitively of corn, complete with little pieces of popcorn mixed in. It was fabulously decadent; I’m glad they don’t believe in the fat free business here.




To completely the quirky-cool feel that is so quintessentially Melbourne, they’ve located N2 inside a sort of a dark warehouse, complete with a long graffiti mural. And forget regular seating – Astroturf on stacks of shipping pallets is where it’s at!

N2 does some of the best Gelato in Melbourne, even if it is miles away from tradition. The fantastically theatrical preparation, as well as unique space, is guaranteed to delight anyone with even a thimble of fun in them.

Rating: 15/20 – ice cream for science!
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

N2 Extreme Gelato on Urbanspoon

Saturday 12 October 2013

NBHD Neanderthal

153 Commercial Rd
South Yarra, VIC 3141

Melbourne is swimming with brunch options, but if you’re a single bloke with a bunch of mates, you’re not so lucky. After all, brunch is very much a ladies and couples domain – but not anymore. Dax, a self-proclaimed ratbag from Byron Bay, made his way down to Melbourne some months prior, and opened up NBHD Neanderthal – a brunch spot for the Neanderthal in all of us. 




NBHD stands for neighbourhood, and that is an apt name indeed. Opened with the help of his family and friends, the restaurant is littered with everything from personal knick-knacks on the shelves, to entire walls of photographs of their nearest and dearest.



Perhaps most interesting of all though, is the stairs covered in names with tallies next to them. ‘It actually started one night a couple days after we opened, where me and a few mates got quite drunk’, reminisced Dax fondly. ‘We started doing pull-ups on the stairs here, and it became a bit of a thing from then on’. 




Whilst it’s a great cafe, sourcing their produce locally (from the grocer two doors down), and roasting their own beans on-site, NBHD is also unmistakably, a grown-up boys’ clubhouse. With a bar downstairs, a (free) pool table upstairs, and a beer garden out back (that’s Dax’s very own motorbike), this is definitely designed as a place to chill with some mates. And your dog too, if you’d like – NBHD is the first dog-friendly cafe I’ve ever come across, where the canines are greeted just as enthusiastically as the Neanderthals.  



Nitrogen Cold Brew ($8)

‘You’ve got to try our Nitrogen Cold Brew ($8) coffee!’ exclaimed Dax, as he drew us up a tall glass from the beer tap. Coloured almost like iced tea, this golden brew is charged with nitrogen and argon before being pumped out through a beer tap, cutting out all the bitterness and leaving behind a light, floral fragrance. Served refreshingly over ice with a dash of milk and sugar syrup, I had to refrain myself from chugging the entire thing down. 


Hot Chocolate ($4.5)

Forever the non-coffee-drinker, Chris had himself a Hot Chocolate ($4.5). This was the only let-down of the day. Whilst the milk was creamy and the chocolate dark and fragrant, there just simply wasn’t enough of that rich, sweet cocoa hit. 


Salmon on Rye ($16)

Having just been to the gym, I wanted something light and healthy, so I chose the unassumingly-named Salmon on Rye ($16). And received this towering, colourful beauty. 


Salmon on Rye ($16)

This was a generously portioned classic done well. The eggs were oozing, the bread was crunchy, and the folds of salmon oily and salty. Padded out with some ricotta and spinach, and drizzled with a berry-red beetroot hollandaise, this is one wholesomely delicious brunch. 


Steak Sandwich ($14)

Chris’ Steak Sandwich ($14) was perfection. The scotch fillet was juicy and tender with cheese melting into its crevices, its flavour augmented with creamy, tangy tartar sauce. We savoured every bite, and unanimously agreed that it was the best steak sandwich we’ve had. 


Steak Sandwich with Onion Rings ($14)

Every sandwich on the lunch menu is served with your choice of onion rings, hand cut fries, or mixed leaf salad. And whilst my conscience twinged a little with guilt, I couldn’t say no to the lure of onion rings. Fried until they’re a crisp pale gold, these light, fragrant rings were gorgeous dipped in generous amounts of the house BBQ sauce made with bourbon.

NBHD Neanderthal really sets itself apart from the other cafes around, but it’s no secret how they do it. All it takes are good prices, great food, and some of the warmest hospitality I have ever experienced.  I’m just going to come out and say it – this has been the best brunch we have had all year. We absolutely adore your steak sandwich, your cafe, and you, Dax – we’ll be back!

Rating: 15.5/20 – brunch with the boys.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of NBHD Neanderthal.

NBHD Neanderthal on Urbanspoon