Thursday 29 May 2014

Meatballs and Sons

266 Brunswick St 

Meatballs, or balls, as everyone in Melbourne cheekily calls them, are the current ‘in’ thing. And whilst I can’t fault the premise of jazzed-up dude-food, my visit to the popular Meatball and Wine Bar left me disappointed – I decided that I would much rather have a plate of Coles-mince meatballs made by Chris. But being perpetually hopeful when it comes to food, I was still excited to find an email in my inbox, inviting me to try out the brand new Meatballs and Sons in Fitzroy.


Photo courtesy of Meatballs and Sons

Humble and cosy from the get-go, Meatballs and Sons seems to have something for everyone. Whether you want a drink at the bar, a Sunday lunch with the family, or to throw a shindig in the private dining room upstairs, the 73-seater restaurant has you covered, and I haven’t even started on the food. These aren’t your garden-variety meatballs; taking their influence from across the globe, there were flavours like Tandoori chicken and Mexican Beef, and even a vegetarian option. And this hardly needs to be said considering we’re in Fitzroy, but all the meatballs are gluten-free as well.


Photo courtesy of Meatballs and Sons


Meatballs and Sons is very proud of their produce. All their food is organic, free-range, and/or sustainable, and sourced locally where possible. What they can home-make, they do, and they even have a beautiful little herb garden out back. We were invited to roll our own balls, which were then cooked and served up to us, and in the process we were able to see exactly what ingredients made the balls tick. I didn’t take any photos, but my ball-buddy, Jenny, did – take a look at them over here! (psst – I was the hand model!)


Rose's Mint and Fresh Lemon Soda ($5)/Pressed Cherries and Basil Crush ($5)

After a tour of the restaurant and some hand-on-ball action, we were seated and plied with drinks in the lead-up to our meal. Saying nay to alcohol, Jenny and I opted to share a couple of their home-made thirst-quenchers – Rose’s Mint and Fresh Lemon Soda ($5), and Pressed Cherries and Basil Crush ($5). The lemonade was sweet and strong with just the right amount of fizz, but it was the cherry and basil crush I couldn’t get enough of. Blended through with basil, the candy-sweetness of the cherries was broken down by the subtle pepperiness of the herb. It was a flavour combination I wouldn’t have thought of in a million years. 


Tasting Board ($24)

It’s always a good sign when the Tasting Board ($24) is not just yummy, but exciting as well. The braesola was predictably tasty, it’s thicker cut and woody scent given a new lease on life by the pop of pomegranate. And whilst I’m really not much of a blue cheese girl, the slightly bitter wedge of cheese tasted stunning with fresh honeycomb. 


Crumbed Market Fish Slider ($6ea)

Pulled Duck with Asian Slaw Slider ($6ea)

Pork Belly Slider ($6ea)/Dough Balls with Herb Butter ($6)/Cheesy Chorizo Dough Balls ($7)

Aside from the tasting board, our entrees also came with a variety of sliders, which I have to say were absolute winners. All of them were started off with a lightly toasted brioche bun, studded with sesame seeds. The Crumbed Market Fish Slider ($6ea) tasted like a fancy fish burger, whilst the Pulled Duck with Asian Slaw Slider ($6ea) was sweet and rich, carrying the faint but unmistakeable tang of wasabi. My favourite of all was the Pork Belly Slider ($6ea), the bun sandwiching a fat slab of pork belly, with crisp crackling and a melt-in-the-mouth texture, topped off with a hint of maple mustard. On the side were the Dough Balls with Herb Butter ($6), and the Cheesy Chorizo Dough Balls ($7), both of which were a bit dense by the time we finished taking photos, but the thick coating of herbed butter was spot-on. 


Slow Braised Beef Meatballs ($16, 5pcs)

Then came the balls. The first one was a very traditional Slow Braised Beef Meatballs ($16, 5pcs) in basil tomato sugo, served with grilled ciabatta. What was special about these was the centre of oozing bocconcini, which was a welcome little surprise. These were good over a side of al-dente Parppardelle ($3) tossed in olive oil, but a thousand times better on Whipped Potato Mash ($3), which was smooth, buttery, and soaked up all the sugo. 


Skewered Bourbon-Glazed Pork Meatballs ($16, 5pcs) 

The Skewered Bourbon-Glazed Pork Meatballs ($16, 5pcs) was a bit of fun to eat. The pork meatballs, studded with capsicum, had a distinctly western feel to them, especially after a roll in the sweet bourbon sauce. The grilled and buttered corn was delicious. We had these with a side of Succotash ($3), a warm salad of broad beans and corn originating from the Native Americans. It was surprisingly moreish, and I went back for it several times through the night. 


Greek Lamb Meatballs ($16, 5pcs)

A lot lighter were the Greek Lamb Meatballs ($16, 5pcs), juicy and fresh with a generous amount of oregano mixed in (I would know – I made these!) With a smattering of Greek salad on top, these were a meal in itself, but the Green Haricot Beans, Persian Feta, Almonds ($3) were too good to turn down. The chefs have made a thorough vegetable convert of me at this point.


Achiote Mexican Beef Meatballs ($16, 5pcs)

All the girls at the table cooed over how cute the Achiote Mexican Beef Meatballs ($16, 5pcs) were, nestled in their mini tortilla shells. These were very flavoursome from the ample additions of garlic, onions, and coriander, and the sweet dollop of chipotle chilli sauce on top brought all the flavours together.


Thai Chilli Chicken Meatballs ($16, 5pcs)

Last but not least were the Thai Chilli Chicken Meatballs ($16, 5pcs), a vibrant take on the traditionally comforting meatball.  The ingredients of chilli, lemongrass, and spring onions gave it that oriental zest, and the house-made chilli chutney a sweet and sour kick. The slice of tempura eggplant was a creative and tasty base for the balls. 


Cauliflower Gratin ($3)

The Cauliflower Gratin ($3) was the only side I managed to get a passable image of, and luckily it was probably the worthiest one of all. Unlike most gratins I’ve had, this one was indulgent but gentle, the crust of aging cheddar giving way to fluffy florets of cauliflower in a light cream sauce that didn’t overwhelm with its richness.


Homemade Chocolate Brownie ($9)

We were definitely all full by this point, but watching the desserts come out of the kitchen changed our minds. After all, no one can say no to a Homemade Chocolate Brownie ($9), still warm and chewy from the oven, topped with a dollop of cool mascarpone and tangy raspberry coulis. 


Homemade Mini Pav ($9)

I’ve only recently started getting into pavlovas, which is little surprise given that most of them are sickly sweet and sticky. By this point, it was no surprise that the Homemade Mini Pav ($9) was a delight. Below the thick clump of cream and seasonal fruit was meringue that melted in the mouth as soon as you bit through the sugary shell. I only got a taste but I could’ve eaten all three by myself. 


Mum's Home Baked Apple Pie ($9)

Equally good was the Mum’s Home Baked Apple Pie ($9). The thin pastry held slices of baked cinnamon apples that still retained a little bit of crunch, layered with warm custard and topped with cream.


Ricket's Point Ice Cream Cones ($9, 3 cones)

Exclamations of delight were heard once again around the table when the Ricket’s Point Ice Cream Cones ($9, 3 cones) came out on a rack. Not only was the presentation stunning, but the flavours were too – cherry ripe, vanilla caramel, and chocolate orange. Unfortunately not even my dessert stomach had enough room left for me to finish my cone, and I regrettably had to leave half of it uneaten. 



Meatballs and Sons isn’t a Meatball and Wine Bar wannabe, and thank heavens for that. I really liked the food we had that night, but it was their vision I fell in love with. All it wants to be is a restaurant where people can come for an honest and good quality meal, and to be treated as familiarly as the wallpaper. They pride themselves on being family friendly, and they’re looking to get some crayons in so the kiddos can draw on the brown paper table covers whilst the grownups have a glass of wine. Although they’re not aiming to be the next big thing, I have a hunch they will be anyway.

Oh and did I mention? Their bathroom signs said With Balls and Without Balls respectively. Love it.

Rating: 14.5/20 – balls up!
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Meatballs and Sons.

Meatballs & Sons on Urbanspoon

Monday 26 May 2014

The Waiters Club Restaurant

20 Meyers Pl 
Melbourne, VIC 3000


Finding out that pasta is a healthy, low GI choice (thanks, K!) is probably the best thing that’s happened to me since Chris. As a food blogger, it’s hard to maintain a healthy diet, and I try doubly hard to make up for all the dining out I do, at least until cake shows up at work. I mean, I know that a huge plate of creamy fettuccini isn’t going to help towards a long and healthy life, but there’s still been more pasta passing through my stomach recently than there has been in a long time.




The Waiters Club Restaurant is one of those Melbourne institutions that have been around since the beginning of time. A co-worker of mine remembered eating there as a little girl – a good 25 years ago. It’s called the Waiters Club Restaurant because that’s literally what it used to be – a place for waiters, especially the Italian ones, to chill after their shift ended. Of course their clientele has since then opened up, but the rickety stairs, nostalgic wood panelling, and newspaper clippings from 1991 still remain. 


Garlic Bread

We couldn’t turn down the suggestion of Garlic Bread, casually offered up to us as we perused the chalkboard menu. What we got was exactly what it said on the packet – four crunchy pieces of toast, rubbed with herbs and garlic, and soaked through with golden butter. It really is very hard to mess up garlic bread.


Tortellini Bologna

Tortellini Bologna was a good change from our usual pickings, and the soft pockets of pasta were indeed hearty on a crisp evening, a time when overcooked pasta is much more easily forgiven. The chunky ragu tasted genuinely home-made, and was rich and comforting, with a fruity undertone of red wine. 



On the specials board was a tantalising Porcini Risotto, which I snapped up as soon as I saw. The grains of rice were bound in a sticky sauce, woody and rich with the distinctive fragrance of porcini mushrooms. The aromatic mixture was topped with generous shavings of pungent parmesan – it was classic comfort food for grownups.

There were no prices listed on the chalkboards, but our meal came to a total of $41, which I felt was reasonable, if not a bargain. Many may say that The Waiters Club Restaurant is a bit past its prime, and whilst I’d be inclined to agree, it’s really Melbourne that’s moved upwards and onwards. I doubt the restaurant has changed since the day it opened its doors, and if the food has been consistently tasty and comforting all this time, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Rating: 13.5/20 – nostalgic comforts
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

The Waiters Club / Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Thursday 22 May 2014

Thaila Thai

82 Lygon St 
Brunswick East, VIC 

I had a long day at work looking after patients and studying ridiculous amounts of pharmacy law, and all I wanted was 5 o’clock to roll around and to go and get some simple, hearty food with my other half.  Despite it being a cold and rainy Melbourne day, I was keen for a comforting plate of stir-fry alongside a bowl of rice, so Chris and I trammed out to Thaila Thai to check it out.



From the front, Thaila Thai looks like no more than a take-away shop, with half a dozen chefs frantically flipping woks, though one did have time to flash a toothy grin at us. The downstairs portion of the restaurant is – there’s no nice way to put this – kind of gross. The dim fluorescent lighting cast a sickly glow over ancient furniture, and the only people there are the ones waiting for take away. Everyone else knows that upstairs is a much cosier place to be dining, and won’t leave you smelling like wok for a week afterwards. 


Chicken with Basil Leaves and Chilli ($14.5)

As I had expected, our stir-fry of Chicken with Basil Leaves and Chilli ($14.5) was far from authentic, more Chinese in style with only a hint of spice. On the other hand though, it was bursting with flavour from the wok, and the portion was unbelievably enormous, chock-full of a variety of fresh crunchy vegetables, and smoky chicken.


Beef Yellow Curry ($14.5)

Our Beef Yellow Curry ($14.5), served over an order of Rice ($2pp), was thick, rich, and the spices hit all the right notes. But it was way too sweet; in fact, even Chris would’ve preferred it to be less saccharine. All that said though, it was surprisingly moreish, and I found myself going back for seconds and thirds. Coconut milk can be very persuasive.

Thaila Thai follows a simple formula of protein plus stir-fry sauce/curry, with a smattering of the usual suspects like spring rolls and pad thai. The food here isn’t all that amazing; I would probably never think of it again unless I was after a cheap, simple Asian meal. It does taste good though, and sometimes, that’s all you need.

Rating: 12.5/20 – what a girl needs.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Thaila Thai on Urbanspoon

Monday 19 May 2014

Mr Loys Puff

452 City Rd 
South Melbourne, VIC 

When I travelled to Malaysia and Singapore two summers back, I spent every available moment stuffing my face with the delicacies on offer. Whilst it didn’t take too long for my stomach to rebel against the never-ending litany of food, I had enough time to eat up all of my favourites – Hainanese chicken rice, fried kweh teow, roti soaked in curry sauce, steaming hot bowls of laksa. But what left me with the deepest impression was a heavenly curry puff I had from a street side vender, the flaky pastry stuffed full of spiced lamb chunks and fluffy potato.  I’ve yet to find an equivalent in Melbourne, but Mr Loys Puff seemed as good of a place to start as any. 



Freshly opened in South Melbourne, this hole-in-the-wall restaurant is here to provide a taste of authentic Singapore street food to the homesick and the hungry. The idea here is fast and simple, the menu whittled down to a selection of classics, and two types of curry puffs.



Traditional Curry Puff ($2ea)

Black Pepper Chicken Puff ($2ea)

We started off with one of each type of curry puff – a Traditional Curry Puff ($2ea), and a Black Pepper Chicken Puff ($2ea) – and the nostalgic drink of chyrsanthemum tea in a can.  The pastry was crumbly and buttery, hand-folded around a rich filling of curry chicken, egg, and potato. The black pepper chicken puff had a similarly chunky and satisfying centre, but the spiced curry sauce was swapped for mellow black pepper gravy. 


Nasi Lemak ($8.5)

I’ll be up front and say that I normally don’t like Nasi Lemak ($8.5); I’ve always found the individual elements on the plate to be much too noncohesive, and I end up feeling like I’ve eaten less than the sum of all the parts. So it was with delighted surprise that I found myself greatly enjoying playing mix and match with crackling anchovies, roasted peanuts, and an absurdly crunchy chicken cutlet dipped in scorching sambal. I daresay what held it all together was the sweet fragrance of coconut in the rice, so often disappointingly absent. 


Hainanese Chicken Rice ($7.8, regular)

Hainanese Chicken on Rice ($7.8, regular) on the other hand is a stalwart favourite of mine. The dark mound of rice was flavoured satisfyingly with a gingery chicken stock, served with tender poached chicken and tangy chilli sauce. The chicken soup on the side was lovingly sweetened with scallions and carrots, and I noticed a distinct absence of MSG. The dish could’ve done with a more generous portion of chicken, as what we had was quite skin-heavy, but it was also a fraction of the cost of what you would expect to pay. 


Banana and Chocolate Puff ($2ea)

There’s no dessert on the menu as of yet, but keep your eye out for the Banana and Chocolate Puff ($2ea), a work in progress that we were lucky enough to sample. The buttery pastry and fluffy chunks of banana were already delicious as they were, but the best bit was when we hit upon a pocket of molten chocolate. Chris and I both agreed with our host that, with just a little (or a lot) more chocolate, this would be a devastating dessert.

Mr Loys Puff is unfortunately a bit out of the way for me for a day to day visit, but the food reminded me a lot of what I got to chow down on my holiday. But for those who work and live in the area, Mr Loys Puff is a tasty and reliable option, good for a snack or a meal any time of the day.

Rating: 13/20 – nostalgia puffs.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Mr Loys Puff 

Mr Loys Puff on Urbanspoon

Thursday 15 May 2014

Miss Katie's Crab Shack

238 Victoria Street 
North Melbourne, VIC 

I love food as much as the next person; maybe even a touch more, but I like to think that I’m not a food snob. After all, there is no reason a good baked potato (topped with cheese and scallions and crispy bacon bits and more cheese for good measure) can’t be as enjoyable as a fancy dinner for two. To be honest, I would much rather dig heartily into my meal than spend my time working out just which fork I am supposed to use. 




Miss Katie’s Crab Shack is the ultimate in no-fuss eating. Housed in what’s very much a dive bar, the entire place is set out for crab-wrangling. Newspaper lined the tables, ready to be bundled up with used crustaceans. The nautical-themed bar was rustic to say the least, but it would feel a bit wrong to be slurping from crab claws in a tablecloths and napkins sort of place. 


Katie's Fried Chicken ($17)

I’ve developed a bit of a fried chicken habit recently, which I am mulishly blaming on the pressures of work and study. Hence no convincing was required to get me to order Katie’s Fried Chicken ($17), which came as 6 generous pieces of battered wing and thigh in a take-away box. 


Katie's Fried Chicken ($17)

I’ve read a few mixed reviews on the chicken, and I am firmly in the camp of the adoring fans. Though slightly sweeter than most, the spiced batter benefited from the addition of cinnamon, which brought out the more delicate flavours of the chicken. On the side was a dish of ranch sauce, light and cool against the hot, juicy drumsticks. 


Katie's Low Country Boil ($25)

Katie’s Low Country Boil ($25) came to the table with a bib, a mallet, and a devastating aroma. Put the bib on. No seriously, put it on – you’re going to need it. 


Katie's Low Country Boil ($25)

Boiled in the all-American seasoning of Old Bay, the mixture of herbs and spices seeped into every crevice of the crab. Though meat is fairly scarce in a blue swimmer crab, we picked out the succulent chunks from the claws and legs and, together with corn on the cob and chunks of smoky kransky, had ourselves a decadent meal. When we finished with the crab, we wiped up the aromatic mixture of crab, garlic butter, and old bay seasoning with a tenderly sweet hunk of House Baked Corn Bread ($3) 



And here’s a picture of Chris with the mallet. Mind you, he’s only the model; I was the one grabbing the crab with both hands and snapping it in half. 



Though we’ve definitely had bigger meals, our dinner left us feeling entirely satisfied from the richness. As the waitress said, there is nothing healthy on the Southern American-inspired menu – one of the specials was deep fried macaroni and cheese for goodness’ sake! And whilst the food at Miss Katie’s is without a doubt great, I think the real enjoyment comes from throwing decorum to the wind and just digging in.

Rating: 15/20 – lost decorum.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Miss Katie's Crab Shack on Urbanspoon

Monday 12 May 2014

Taiwan Cafe

108 Kingsway 
Glen Waverley, VIC
3150

I’ve lived no more than one suburb away from Glen Waverley for almost half my life (#asian), and if I were to look through my blog archives, I would find confirmation that I have indeed eaten at over 80% of the restaurants along (and near) the Kingsway strip. And whilst it’s an area where turnover is fast and only the most popular survive, any change is a welcome change, and a new restaurant – such as Taiwan Cafe – is bound to have people bursting out the door, even if it’s just at the beginning, to suss out if it’s a worthy gem in the Kingsway crown.



Taiwan Cafe has actually been around for a while in the heart of the CBD, but due to its persistent popularity as well as the blog-unfriendly lighting, I never got around to visiting. But after eating take away from the Glen Waverley branch half a dozen times courtesy of my parents, it was about time I made the trip myself.


Taiwanese Style Popcorn Chicken ($7.5)

If there must be just one signature Taiwanese snack, it would be the fried chicken. They’re most often seen served up as giant schnitzels, but I prefer the Taiwanese Style Popcorn Chicken ($7.5) with its tantalising batter-to-meat ratio. After all, the telltale blend of Asian spices encasing the hot, juicy chicken is where the real attraction lies. 


Taiwanese Beef Brisket Noodle Soup ($9.8, extra $1 for soya egg)

Taiwanese Beef Brisket Noodle Soup ($9.8, extra $1 for soya egg) is the epitome of comfort food for me – hearty beef broth underscored with tangy pickled vegetables, soaking into thick hand-made noodles and a creamy soya egg. The soup isn’t as richly flavoursome, and the meat not as meltingly tender as what mum makes, but it’ll do on a cold night, especially one where we happened to be seated near the door. 


Black Pepper Pork Chop ($9.8)

I ordered the Black Pepper Pork Chop ($9.8) as the obligatory second main, not expecting much from it at all. My expectations seemed all but confirmed by the visuals, but the dish turned out to be quite a treat. Three tender pork cutlets were soaked in a snappy black pepper sauce, mellowed by the accompanying sweetness of onion. It wasn’t a groundbreaking meal, but it did put up a solid performance.

Taiwan Cafe is a welcome un-surprise to the Glen Waverley eating scene, providing reliably good, if a little predictable, Taiwanese classics and snacks to an area that’s devoid of both. I’m planning on coming back for more fried chicken, washed down with a tall glass of bubble tea.

Rating:  12.5/20 – welcome un-surprises.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.

Taiwan Cafe on Urbanspoon