Dessert Adventures @ Mork Chocolate Brew House

150 Errol St, North Melbourne

9328 1386

9am - 5pm Tues-Sun 

Closed Monday

I was finally able to come down to North Melbourne to try out Mork Chocolate Brew House famous delicacies after seeing all these posts from social media. The interior of the brew house was simple and relaxing, with white walls and the minimalist design.

The brew house also sells baked goods which have all been made with Mork chocolate.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Slice

Since the cake wasn't on the menu I don't remember the exact name of what this was called. I do remember it was along the lines of a salted caramel and chocolate slice. 

For someone that doesn't like excessively sweet food, the slice did not suit my palate. It was too rich which left me finished after eating 1/4 of it.
 My friend 'D' on the other hand loved it but thought it was too rich.

(6/10)

Layered Chocolate ($8)

Hot/Chilled Chocolate, aerated warm custard with kaffir line and vanilla pod

The Layered Chocolate was delicious, the hot chocolate was smooth and flavoursome whilst the aerated warm custard added that extra kick to the flavour. Would definitely recommend this to anyone.

(8/10)

Campfire Hot Chocolate ($8)

Hot chocolate, beechwood smoke and toasted marshmallow

The signature campfire hot chocolate, I came here purely to try this as I saw it all over social media. Unfortunately, it was a letdown for me. The smokey taste of the hot chocolate was quite unique but as an overall drink, I wouldn't get it again as the smokey flavour was too strong.

(5/10)

Whilst the signature drink which I was looking forward to came to a disappointed, I'll definitely be back for the other signature drinks and baked goods as the relaxing ambiance was perfect for a casual chat

Food - 6.3 / 10 

Ambiance - 10 / 10

Service - 8 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 24.3 / 30

Cafe Adventures @ Auction Room

103-107 Errol St, North Melbourne VIC

9326 7749

7am - 5pm Weekdays

7:30 - 5pm Weekends

Absolutely loved the interior of the cafe, gave off a modern simplistic look though I wasn't able to get a photo unfortunately. 

Iced Mocha

Way too much ice, the taste was diluted and lost flavour by the time it arrived to my table.

(4/10)

Corned beef brisket & Potato Hash ($19)

shredded cabbage, leek, poached eggs, grilled pita, sriracha hollandaise

To be honest, it wasn't what I had pictured in my head to be, but still good regardless. I loved the sriracha hollandaise, it gave a great kick to the dish, though I was disappointed in the lack of beef brisket.

(7/10)

Pressed Pork Shoulder ($19)

white bean puree, morcilla, pickled carrots, sweet potato crisps, slow poached egg

overall, a hearty dish with vast combinations to choose in terms of flavour. Unfortunately the pressed pork shoulder was a tad too dry which is disappointing as its the heart of the dish. The sweet potato crisps provide a great crunch and provides the dish with great contrast in texture.

(6/10)

Food - 5.6 / 10 

Ambiance - 7.5 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20.1 / 30

Cafe Adventures @ Kitty Burns

24 Acacia Pl, Abbotsford VIC

9427 0164

8pm - 4pm Everyday

Found out about this little gem from photos all over Facebook and Instagram so I had to hop on the hype train to try it out. Kitty Burns is situated right next to a river and the cafe was filled during my visit. With a beautiful interior which a sunny day compliments the atmosphere I couldn't help but feel at absolute comfort and joy as there were also plenty of dogs on site.

Banana Salted Caramel ($12)

Frozen banana, cashew milk, coconut nectar, dates, vanilla, himalayan salt, mesquite, lucuma

A healthy milkshake is what I would describe this. Not too heavy and sugar inducing, the drink was both aesthetically appealing for my eyes and body. Though in my opinion the drink lacked that sweet sensation a milkshake should.

(6.5/10)

 Omelette "Arnold Bennett" ($23)

 slow poached smoked rockling, clove & bay bechamel, aerated hollandaise, parmesan, toast 

The "Arnold Bennett" Omelette is absolutely divine, the omelette was soft and fluffy, and the aerated hollandaise gave the dish that stunning flavour. I absolutely enjoyed it and could not find much fault.

(8.5/10)

 Mac & Cheese croquette ($6)

You can't really go wrong with Mac'n'Cheese, especially in the form of a croquette. Though for $6, it does reach towards the more expensive side.

 The outer layer was crispy whilst the interior was filled with delicious cheese-y goodness. 

(7/10)

 Meet Mr Burns' ($22.5)

dry cured bacon slab spiced bon bons, bacon jam, clonakity black pudding, 63/63 eggs, mushroom, spinach, my gentleman's relish, toast

Many elements on the dished that worked and didn't work. It was my first time having spiced bon bons, and to be frank, it just wasn't my cup of tea. The taste of it when mixed with other elements of the dish is too contrast. Though, everything else tasted good but flavour could improve. 

A big shout out to that 63/63 eggs, they were cooked to perfection resulting in a divine ooze

(6.5/10)

Food - 7 / 10 

Ambience - 10 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 24 / 30

 

Cafe Adventures @ Manchester Press

8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC

9600 4054

7am - 5pm Weekdays

9am - 5pm Weekends

Hidden in a secret lane in Melbourne CBD, Manchester Press has been renown for their famous collection of bagel indulgences. From savoury, sweet and even a bit of both, you'll be sure to satisfy your bagel-cravings at Manchester Press

If you've never been here before, then bear in mind that you might need the great power of google maps in finding this place as I wandered around for like 5 minutes before deciding to rely on it.

NY Lox ($14)

a mountain of smoked salmon & baby capers, served on top of a fresh dill cream cheese

A generous serving of smoked salmon had me salivating when the dish came out. The salmon was delicious, but I felt that the dish could've been better if there was more of the dill cream cheese. The bagel itself was quite dry and hard.

As this was my first time ever eating bagels, I wasn't sure if that's how the texture is supposed to be.

(7/10)

Mel's Maple Mayhem ($13)

Toasted blueberry bagel topped with grilled bacon, mascarpone, sliced banana & drowned in authentic canadian maple

I've always known that bacon and sweet flavours were a trend, but I never pictured it being that great to be honest. After having a bite of Mel's Maple Mayhem, I could see why it's popular. The bacon flavour works really well with the maple syrup, banana and blueberry bagel, but the bacon was quite dry and was difficult to chew on which is either from over-cooking or the bacon was left out ?

(5.5/10)

Chorizo ($14)

grilled spanish chorizo, spinach, sliced tomato and cheese topped with tomato relish

The chorizo was amazing!, bursting with flavour, they worked well with the other components of the dish. To be honest it was my favourite out of the 3 that I tried, and i'll definitely be getting this the next time I come back.

Though the only fault which may be due to personal tastes is the toasted bagel. As mentioned above I wasn't sure if the bagel being really dry is normal. Maybe another visit will let me know.

(8.5/10)

Salted Caramel Cookie

&

Vanilla Bean Cookie

Finishing off with irresistible desserts which I saw on the counter, the Salted Caramel & Vanilla Bean cookie were absolute delicious. But a warning, this isn't a sweet to have all to yourself. After the first few bites the cookie becomes overpowering with sweetness and becomes too much.

(8/10)

Food - 7.1/ 10 

Ambience - 7 / 10

Service - 6 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20.1 / 30

Cafe Adventures @ Eden's Backyard

161/163 Nicholson St, Carlton VIC 

9663 8887

Monday: Closed

Tue - Fri: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Sat - Sun: 8:30am - 4:00pm

I've been meaning to try Eden's Backyard for quite some time now. From their adorable coffee art and delicious looking food on my Zomato feed, I was excited. 

My friend 'D' and I came in around 2pm and there was plenty of space inside. with a cute garden theme at the back, the interior of the cafe was chic and laid-back.

I was planning to order the 'Bob The Burger' after much deciding on the tram to the cafe, but my hopes and dreams were ruined when we were informed that they had ran out of ingredients. Devastated and hungry, I decided to order my 2nd option which was the Lasagna.

Green Tea Latte ($4.5)

To be honest, one of the main reasons I wanted to come here was so I could see this adorable whale art in person. The green tea latte as a drink was average at best, the matcha taste wasn't distinct and lacked overall flavour

(5.5/10)

Brekkie Chicken Lasagna ($18)

Chicken ragu, light bechamel sauce, sauteed spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, fried egg

The lasagna was delicious!, served piping hot, you can taste the ricotta and mozzarella cheese really well on each bite of the lasagna. The fried egg enhanced the flavours of the cheeses and delicious chicken ragu. Though I felt that the presentation of the dish can be improved as it looked quite boring. Perhaps a salad or some sort of side would work better.

(8.5/10)

Shephard's Lover

Mild chicken curry w/ cheesy potato mash

The Shephard's Lover was a potato lovers heaven. The cheesy and smooth potato mash was delightful, and the chicken curry at the bottom worked well with the potato mash when combined. Whilst the potato mash was good, the flavour was quite overpowering, as there was much more mash than curry..

(7/10)

Food - 7/ 10

Ambiance - 7 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 21/ 30

 

Cafe Adventures @ Bowery To Williamsburg

16 Oliver Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

9077 0162

7:30am - 3pm Weekdays

8:30am - 3pm Weekends

Mmm, delicious New-York style sandwiches is what Bowery To Williamsburg is known for. With their diner style seating, open kitchen right in front of your eyes so you can watch your delicious sandwiches come to life, it's an eye-catching feast. 

Arriving during lunch hours, they were only serving their signature sandwiches and sides. To be honest I had no idea they did other cafe/breakfast dishes so I am definitely coming back to give them a try.

I've heard many stories about their mac'n'cheese so I was looking forward to that the most. Unfortunately, even after arriving around 1pm, the mac'n'cheese were already sold out! but not all was lost when the chef told us that there was still 1 remaining, a blessing it truly was :)

Philly Cheese Steak ($17) (+Side)

Smoked beef brisket, onions, peppers, mushrooms, provolone cheese

My friend 'T' got the philly cheese steak, the portion was definitely larger than anticipated, the smoked beef brisket topped with melted provolone cheese was a beautiful combination. Packed with flavour of the mixture of ingredients, it was surprisingly basic? Not sure how to describe it but I was expecting a mixture of flavours due to the combination of ingredients. Nonetheless a filling dish.

(6/10)

The Reuben ($17)  (+Side)

pastrami beef brisket, sauerkraut, russian dressing, swiss cheese

I decided even before arriving that I'd get the Reuben, always had a soft spot for them. Bowery To Williamsbrug does them quite well, with layers of pastrami beef brisket, sauerkraut and the marvelous melted swiss cheese, It was absolutely delicious! I'm not fond of pickles but in this case, the pickle accompanying the sandwich was amazing, Definitely will ordering an extra one on my next visit.

(8/10)

The portion for both sandwiches were way more than expected, to be honest I was already feeling quite full after the first half.

Mac'n'Cheese (Inc in Set Menu)

To be frank, this was my first time eating oven baked Mac'n'Cheese, and it was the most delicious thing I had during my time at Bowery To Williamsburg. Absolutely delicious, packed with flavour, simply just amazing. It was definitely my kind of food.

(10/10)

Potato Salad (Salad of the day)

Another delicious side, the potato was just right and the sauce was stunning!. Not entirely sure what was in it, but I could taste pickles which worked really well with the rest of the flavours.

(7.5/10)

Food - 7.8 / 10

Ambiance - 6 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20.8 / 30

Burger Adventures @ The Burger Block (Invited)

85 Willsmere Rd, Kew VIC 3101

9854 5771

7am - 3pm Mon - Fri

9am - 4pm Sat         

       Sunday Closed        

On the courtesy of Brenda, I was invited to The Burger Block to try out some of their signature burgers. Located on Willsmere Rd, Kew. the cafe is easily accessible by bus or tram, and even easier by car (which unfortunately I did not have).

I rarely travel to the Eastern suburbs as I'm from the West so this was quite the adventure for me.

Upon entering, we were greeted by friendly workers and a cozy atmosphere. With a display of burgers on their counter, there was so many delicious options to choose from

Red Lantern (JPN/THAI) ($12.9)

american cheese, bacon, spanish onions, lettuce, tomato & wasabi mayo

After spending a good 10 minutes deciding on what burger I wanted, I opted for the Red Lanttern. I find it pretty cool how the cafe labels their burgers with countries.

The burger was delicious!, packed with flavour, the bun was soft, juicy patty, everything worked really well together. Unfortunately I was expecting more spice as the burger had a 2 chilli rating on the menu. I wasn't able to get that punch I was hoping for, perhaps if they added jalepenos? or something with more kick then I would give it a higher rating.

 But overall a satisfying burger

(7.5/10)

The Black Jack (HK/JPN) ($13.5) (no tomato)

american cheese, bacon, grilled mushrooms, spanish onions, lettuce, black pepper sauce & jap mayo

My friend 'D' ordered 'The Black Jack'. the burger was just as great as the 'Red Lantern', but I preferred mine more whilst 'D' preferred hers. 

The black pepper sauce was strong, On my first bite I was greeted with a strong and delicious sauce which complimented the burger really well. 

Combined with the grilled mushrooms, spanish onions, bacon, cheese and the meat patty. Oh, it was a delicious burger. I would've loved to try this with tomato, but wasn't able to due to 'D' being allergic.

Perhaps next time :)?

(8/10)

Loaded Chips ($7.5) (Small)

Beer battered chips, aioli furikake (roasted seaweed seasoning)

I loved the 'Aioli Furikake', which was the roasted seaweed seasoning with I believe is with japanese mayo. It gave the crispy chips a lovely flavour. Though as you have more, the flavour can be quite overpowering, which happened to be towards the end.

(7.5/10)

Iced Chocolate w/ Ice Cream ($6)

Nothing to spectacular, the drink was nice, smooth and cold. The ice-cream added that extra element which made it more enjoyable, though I think the quality of the ice-cream can be better.

/7/10)

Iced Matcha w/ Ice Cream

Originally, I thought the 'Iced sencha & matcha green tea' was the iced matcha w/ green tea. Luckily, the girl working had a feeling that I wanted the Iced matcha, so she was able to get it for me. From my understanding, it isn't on the menu but you can order it.

The iced matcha was delightful, though it lacked in matcha flavour, it was creamy and delicious.

(6/10)

Food - 7.3 / 10

Ambiance - 7 / 10

Service - 9 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 23.3 / 30

Cafe Adventures @ Scarvelli Cafe (Invited)

143 Whitehorse Rd, Deepdene VIC

9816 8887

           7:00am - 4:30pm Mon - Fri

 8:00am - 3:30pm Sat

  8:00am - 3:00pm Sun

On the courtesy of Carlos, I was invited to dine at Scarvelli Cafe to try out their refined paddock-to-plate dishes. Located on Whitehorse Rd, Deepdene, getting to Scarvelli is easily accessible via the 109 tram.

Upon being greeted, we were seated at a specially prepared table for us which was pleasing.

The cafe has an industrial chic interior which makes you feel at home, with the front counter featuring some of their bakes and coffees, you'll be salivating at first glance.

Wood Fired Salmon ($21.5) (GF)

Torn wood fired salmon, caramelised onion, minted pea & caper frittata rocket, avocado & tomato corn salsa

The wood fired salmon had a mixture of strong flavours in the dish, the combination of the avocado and tomato corn salsa gave a unique flavour which my friend enjoyed but wasn't my cup of tea. The wood fired salmon was delightful and paired well with the rest of the dish

(7/10)

Scarvelli Burger ($21)

Wagyu patty, american mustard, jack cheese, burger sauce, red onion, sliced tomato & lettuce on a broiche bun with chips & aioli

The Scarvelli Burger was magnificent, the wagyu patty was juicy and tender, and every single ingredient worked really well together. I would definitely get the burger if I were to come back. 

What I did feel would've been a good improvement for the burger is by adding bacon, or the giving the option of adding bacon as I felt the burger could've been even more enjoyable than it already was if it had bacon.

The chips were crispy and seasoned well, you can't really go wrong with chips, because if you do, you're clearly doing something wrong.

 The aioli sauce was also delightful and added that extra flavour.

(8.5/10)

Cookies & Cream Milkshake

Simply divine, the cookies & cream milkshake which my friend ordered was delicious, sweet and was exactly what I was expecting. Though to be honest, I may have gotten cookies and cream or oreo milkshake mixed up. But if you ever do dine at Scarvelli, you'll know what it is and trust me, get it.

(9/10)

House Juice / Super Juice (Specials board)

apple, pear, celery, lemon & ginger

I on the other hand opted for something a bit more healthy. Suggested by Carlos, the juice was delicious, the combination of ingredients complimented well with each other, though to be honest for my own taste, I should've taken out the celery in the order as I simply dislike it. 

Nonetheless it was a delicious beverage and satisfied my healthy cravings.

(7/10) 

A special shout out to their new release; Scarvelli, Our Paddock To Plate. A book released, to my understand, by the owners of Scarvelli cafe. Carlos introduced me to it and after reading bits and pieces, I can say it's a great read.

Featuring stories, recipes, tips on all sorts of things. Scarvelli, Paddock To Plate is a fascinating read which is to be released in middle of April.

Food - 7.8 / 10

Ambiance - 8 / 10

Service - 9 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 23.8 / 30

 

Cafe Adventures @ One Plus Piece

266 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn VIC

9830 4459

8:00am - 5:00pm Everyday

A One-Piece cafe?! Did I hear that right?, when I first found out about this I immediately made plans to dine here as I am a pretty big fan of One Piece (even though i'm like 150 episodes behind) but nonetheless I was pretty excited.

A wall dedicated to One Piece manga?! it's so beautiful!

Those figurines too! so amazing!. Another cool thing is that the owner of the store actually has one piece tattoos.

\

The cups! I need one of these 

The drinks were on the specials board so I don't remember what they were besides the Iced Matcha Latte.

Iced Matcha Latte

To be honest it was pretty disappointing. The Matcha flavour was non-existent which resulted in the drink being bland and tasteless.

(3/10)

Sanji's Egg Benedict ($13.80)

12-hour braised pulled beef, poached eggs, house made hollandaise sauce

The Eggs Benedict was pretty average, the shredded apple added a nice flavour to the dish but didn't make up for the braised beef. The beef was quite dry and tasteless which, as the star of the dish, made the dish not as satisfying.

(5/10)

The Piece Force Burger

This burger is actually a secret burger on the menu. I found out after going through photos on Zomato and I immediately decided to tackle this beast. 

An awkward thing is that I thought the fried thing in the burger was fried chicken, but it turned out to be fried mushroom.

As expected, the burger was simply a mess to eat due to the size, the mushroom in my opinion didn't work that well with the beef as mushroom flavour overpowered everything else.

(6/10)

I also ordered chips to go with the burger but it never came out. After informing the waitress, she misunderstood me and thought I asked for just a drink and burger.

Whilst the food is not as great as the other cafes, If you're a big One Piece fan, then you have to try this place at least once :)

Food - 5.4 / 10

Ambiance - 8.5 / 10

Service - 5 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 18.9 / 30